Hello. I'm from Vancouver, Canada. I have decided to move to Cuenca. I'm very excited. 
I have lived in Thailand, Japan, the Philippines and the U.S. for 2 years each and have learned that I definitely like to live in a modern style condo in a very nice neighbourhood , rent a scooter to explore, and be close by a gym (and shopping centre...?)
I definitely don't need or want to live in a western style country but the condo and a "nice" neighbourhood is essential.
The problem is that I don't know which neighbourhood this may be in Cuenca. I know that I would love to get to know my Ecuadorian neighbours but all day roosters and dogs barking is not doable for me.
I will probably stay in a hotel in El Centro for the 1st 2 weeks while I look around and gauge whether the weather is too cool or rainy for me.
I have posted this question a couple other places on this forum but no answers yet... 
I may end up near Salinas/Libertad if it affordable for me??? It would be great to live on the ocean and the infrastructure I hear is good.
Any tips would be great so as to give me a head-start before I get there.
Thanks and Happy New Years!
Matt
Cuenca's Nicer Neighbourhoods
I think no one has answered because--your post cannot be answered.
No one knows what you consider 'affordable'.
No one knows what you might consider to be a 'good neighborhood'.
And the general advice around here is:
Never plan on moving to a place you've never been before.
So go to Cuenca, go to Salinas, go to La Liberdad and look around. Only you can find the answer your questions.
Sorry. I should have added that affordable would be under $800 month rent.
And a nice neighbourhood means some trees, quiet, close to amenities but not downtown.
I guess I'm looking for something that is on the outskirts in a more newly developed complex/ community .
Maybe the request is not that easy to answer. I guess I had thought that because it is a relatively small city that the options may be less numerous. 
gardener1 wrote:I think no one has answered because--your post cannot be answered.
No one knows what you consider 'affordable'.
No one knows what you might consider to be a 'good neighborhood'.
And the general advice around here is:
Never plan on moving to a place you've never been before.
So go to Cuenca, go to Salinas, go to La Liberdad and look around. Only you can find the answer your questions.
mackbutter, I'm going to have to loudly agree with gardener1 about not just "blindly" moving to Ecuador... in fact, I'm begging you. Just the differences between Cuenca and Salinas/La Libertad and the (in my opinion impossible task) of trying to compare the two, since they are like night and day. Weather, socioeconomic, cultural, food, elevation, etc., are completely different between the two. Just in population and population density it would be comparing apples to oranges. I wouldn't move anywhere in Ecuador without at least a month "under my belt" before committing. I spent a month in Cuenca on two different occasions (January and August 2012) just to really witness the weather, the people, the "lay of the land", etc., before it got the green light for the move. That was after researching for 1.5 years, just to determine the short list of places to live in Ecuador.
I wish you well in your decision to move to Ecuador. I have been here now 5 months and have regretted not one day of my decision... my informed decision.
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