Quito - Post Report Question and Answers
What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
I knew this was a critical crime post before coming here, but I didn't realize how the threat of crime would demotivate me from going out at night (as it does for many of the locals as well). I also didn't realize that living up near the embassy would feel rather isolating as it really isn't a vibrant walkable neighborhood. If you like to entertain at home and supplement your homebody-ness with outdoor excursions on the weekends, I think you'll be okay here. If you are looking for a walkable cosmopolitan city, you may want to continue searching. Oh, I almost forgot: We get quite a lot of earthquakes. We've experienced four decent quakes over the past few months -- nothing major, but it's a thing. - Jul 2023
I had no idea how ecologically and ethnically diverse it is. With so many different ecosystems and climates Ecuador has all kinds of biodiversity. You can drive an hour or so and feel like you are in a completely different world. Because of the broad range of climates there are also small groups of ethnically diverse people with unique cultures, foods and lifestyles. We learned so much about different animals. We also learned a lot about different kinds of people. I just had no idea how fascinating it would be. - Jul 2023
I wish I would have brought a smaller car for city driving and parking. - Jul 2019
You need to find your way a bit, the guidebooks for Ecuador aren't great but you can do a lot of research online, especially if you can do it in Spanish. - Jul 2018
Regional flights are expensive! But it's an easy place to road trip. Highways are in great condition. - Mar 2017
I was told how amazing the Latin American culture was in terms of hospitality and friendliness. Quito does NOT fit this stereotype. Even friends who have lived in other parts of Ecuador say this city is not stereotypical. - Sep 2016
Just the size of my terrace, we did our research and we love Latin America. This place has met or exceeded all of our expectations! - Aug 2014
