Expat Meetups in Medellin

Hello Phil Bunch,

Why are you searching elsewhere when Expat.com is here! You can propose your meet-up by posting a convenient date & location here on the forum. What do you think?

Regards

That's fine but a lot of people are familiar with the Meetup format and it provides another level of accountability.

Hi pbunch,

Maybe you should organise an Expat-blog meet up in Medellin on the Expat-blog Medellin forum.

Thank you.
Regards,
Christine

These formats appear to me to be synergistic.

It might be simpler for you to just set up a meet at a time and place on this forum and see who shows up. Much simpler than going to meetup.com which at this time has no listing for expats living in Medellin. So the ball is in your court. If nobody shows, at the very least you'll have a nice lunch or a few beers:).

I guess we could do that. I did see one group of women who had a meetup scheduled. It looks like it was mostly oriented toward gals getting together and did not appear to be specifically expat.

I would like to get more reaction to the idea and then set up a possible time and place. Any suggestions for a good place to meet?

Phil Bunch

I'm new to Medellin and don't really know of many places. Pick the Botanical Gardens or a restaurant of your choice. When I lived in Panama a group of ex pats started meetings once a month at different restaurants. The group was initially very small in number but in time it grew quite large.

I really like the botanical Gardens and they have a couple of restaurants if people want to eat. In addition it's a great environment, relaxing and beautiful.

We went to the Mercado Verde there today. Great stuff.

Phil Bunch

That's fine with me.

I'm going to propose a get together at the Botanical Gardens next month during the Mercado Verde. I am checking with them to be sure they are scheduling an event and for the date. It should be the first Sunday of the month.

If you have not been to the gardens it is one of the best places in Medellin. This institution is world class. Their collection, landscaping and research are all top notch.

The Mercado Verde is a gathering of vendors of "green" products produced in this area or relevant to green endeavors. There is everything from foods to flowers and trinkets to books. The food stands represent some of the most innovate businesses in Medellin and they are making some very tasty products. Most of them provide samples for tasting and they are well worth it.

Here is the link to the gardens main site:
botanicomedellin.org/

Here is a link to a Google Search for images of the gardens:
http://tinyurl.com/63fsjve

Please plan ahead and join us. I will update when I get confirmation of the Mercado Verde date.

Phil Bunch

Hi, was wondering if the meetup ever got set up.  will be moving to medellin this year and would love to meet lots of people.


Linda
[email protected]

Sure, let me know, I'm gone till Sunday

planacruise wrote:

Hi, was wondering if the meetup ever got set up.  will be moving to medellin this year and would love to meet lots of people.


Linda
[email protected]

It did not last year but I am still game to try! Looks like another person is showing interest today. I also have had communications with several other people living here. Good signs.

Jessica Sazziot wrote:

Sure, let me know, I'm gone till Sunday

The attempt last year fell through but several people have expressed interest since then. I am game to try for another meetup soon.

More of a visitor than an expat but I am planning to stay a couple of months from mid march and would be pleased to meet people. In Arequipa, Peru we used facebook to arrange meetups and it worked OK. facebook.com/groups/arequipaexpats/
I used to have a language meetup via meetup.com but I thought they charged too much - I now use Spruz.com which is free up to 50 people and pretty cheap up to 150. It is pretty good croydon-spanish.spruz.com/, I hope this is helpful, good luck Alan

Hello!

This group seems like it has some potential to it. I am coming to Medellin in 2 weeks to spend some time there. Perhaps 6months-1year, depends on the job situation. I am definitely interested in having some sort of meet up. Monthly meetups should be held where people can go and bring friends and it will start growing, slowly but surely.

-Sergio

Same here we're moving to Medellin summer 2013...but i will be in medellin for this summer June til August...would love to start meeting other expats..

Well, I am arriving on Thursday - is there any interest in a meeting some time next week? best wishes, Alan

I am sure game to take a another shot at this. I think it will be an important addition to the pleasures of living in Medellin and could be very helpful for people arriving. There has been an increase in interest in this idea in the last few months. Let's strike while the iron is hot, or at least heating up :-)

Would you like to try to meet during the week of March 19 through the 25th. I am good all days except the 21st from 1100 to about 1500.

Alan: lets plan to meet for sure. Let me know when you arrive.

Libby: We will see what we can do.

Sergioz315: Are you still here and interested?

Anyone else: Let us know through this thread. All would be welcome.

Meetup is fantastic, and I'm currently active in Barcelona.  Would love to see it take off in Medellin when I move here in July 2013.  Hiking groups are especially active in Barcelona, and there are plenty of such opportunities around Medellin.  Phil, thanks for being so active in organizing people.

I wish i was a better organizer. So far we have nothing. Several people have expressed interest but I have been caring for my wife over the last year+ and have not followed through. She should be done with therapy this month and perhaps I will be more active.

GeoWalther wrote:

Meetup is fantastic, and I'm currently active in Barcelona.  Would love to see it take off in Medellin when I move here in July 2013.  Hiking groups are especially active in Barcelona, and there are plenty of such opportunities around Medellin.  Phil, thanks for being so active in organizing people.

Hi, as I said in an earlier post there are some costs associated with meetup.com which you can only defray by charging a nominal fee which I suppose is possible - I just wonder if you will have sufficient interest. I think you would be better with a yahoo group, spruz.com or facebook all of which are more or less cost free. have a look at my meetup group in the UK, http://croydon-spanish.spruz.com/

I will be back in Feb 2013 so maybe you'll get something going - well done for keeping at this, best wishes, Alan

Assuming all goes well with Nubia's recovery I am going to be very interested in getting together with folks. We should see soon so perhaps I will have something more going by February.

alanmalarkey wrote:

Hi, as I said in an earlier post there are some costs associated with meetup.com which you can only defray by charging a nominal fee which I suppose is possible - I just wonder if you will have sufficient interest. I think you would be better with a yahoo group, spruz.com or facebook all of which are more or less cost free. have a look at my meetup group in the UK, http://croydon-spanish.spruz.com/

I will be back in Feb 2013 so maybe you'll get something going - well done for keeping at this, best wishes, Alan

Hello Bunch, how are you doing. Carl Salvo here! I was in Medellin recently but left your contact info at home.  Can you resend it to me as I am soon returning to Colombia.

Carl

I will be in MDE for the month of November studying spanish. Are there any meetups planned.It will be my 4th trip to Colombia. Thanks, Bill

Hi, guys. Is there nobody here since last year? If there's anyone interested to do something interesting in the city or around let me know. I'll be in MDE from June and maybe I can suggest you something to do.
(By the way: I knew meetup in London last year I found lot of things to do by this via. I mean, despite Medellin is not London we can do our best, no? I'm not organizer, only interested, but I can help while it begins...)

Hi Bill,

Where did you study Spanish and how was it?  Would you recommend it?  Thanks!

Linda

Hi Linda, I take lessons from Jorge in El Poblado, he is also a latin guitar instructor...and a great guy. Tel. 311 749 2904. Also I take latin dance at Baila Latino, 448 1338. Are you in town? best to email me direct [email protected]. I am here until 5/13 this trip. Thanks.

So, how are the meet-ups going?  My husband and I plan on visiting Medellin end of Feb/First of March for perhaps 3 weeks...to check it out for retirement or a winter retreat.  Would love to meet up with you and have a cup of their fabulous coffee.
When we lived in Buenos Aires we met many lovely people thru their Meet-Up groups.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Bonnie & Mike

Hi, thanks for responding to my Meet-up post.
My husband and I are thinking of retiring in Medellin.  Been reading many blogs on living there and thru Google maps walked thru neighborhoods in Poblado and Leureles and now we are getting cold feet.  We noticed many electrified wires and metal fences surrounding what looked like middle class homes.  This surprised us.  We have travelled extensively and lived in many places, Mexico and Buenos Aires to name a few) so we are not newbies but this caused us to pause.  We know FARC and the Columbian government are meeting in Cuba now to engage in peace talks and well, I think you know where I am going with this.  I know safety is a matter of location and caution yet.....can you advise us on what the overall safety and political calm of Medellin is right now? 
Thank you.
Bonnie

  Hello. We are visiting Medellin now. Are you still active here? would like to meet.
Thanks, Claude & Margaret McCracken

Hello BONITAOOTZ and 2texans,

Please note that this thread has not really been active since the year 2013 and  it is quite possible that you won't get answers here. I invite you to create a new thread on the Medellin forum to organise a meet-up.

Shaazia
Expat.com Team

I'm a retiree from the states and plan to retire to the Medillin area by the end of July. I need help in selecting an apartment and obtaining a fiordor. I do not speak Spanish.

I will be in Medellin starting in the middle of January until the middle of March in case anyone is interested in getting together to play bridge, please let me know.  I live in El Poblado while I'm there.

I will be in Medellin from January 17 to March 5.i like to find out is there I could find people to play Bridge. My e-mail  address is:
xxx
Yadira Winters