Exploring El Cangrejo Panama 

I have been to Panama City many times, & I prefer to always spend some time in El Cangrejo. Growing up in NYC El Cangrejo reminds me so much of NYC, the vibrancy & how alive & walkable it is, with good diverse restaurants & bars to choose from.

Thank you for your point of view. I love El Cancrejo very much, I am from Panama City and I used to go to el Cancrejo (not Concrejo, you misspelled it and it's Bella Vista, not Belle Vista) all the time, Via Argentina was so much fun to visit and eat at El Trapiche, Manolos, El Prado and of course go the El Pavo Real. Love my Panama so much. Greetings from a Panamenian living in Ontario 🇨🇦 💜🪷🙏🏽

Part 2: Again, good job with your videos. There is a handful of homes spread around El Cangrejo, most have been sold to make room for High Rise Condos. There is one house rt now being sold behind the building where my son live for over 1M. Expats and tourists love this area because is a hop from Calle 50, for example, to get to Soho Mall to watch movies in English with Spanish Subtitles. Now the mall is Posh but kind of empty with few restaurants and shops. El Cangrejo is very safe! We have walked everywhere in El Cangrejo neighborhood and it is safe. The main attractions are restaurants, cafes, and bars, oh there is Murhpy's an Irish pub/restaurant frequented by expats. Tattoo shops, they speak English. El Cangrejo is centrally located to go anywhere in the city. The best prices are through Uber. Taxis are safe but the cab fare is not regulated. My brother is a taxi driver and lots of expats hire him to go places but he only works in the morning through 2 pm.

El Cangrejo is a bohemian, convenient, safe place to live. You can get practically anything you need on Via España and Vía Argentina has a vibrant nightlife. The area is solidly middle class. It might be a good idea to judge a place for what it is instead of what it isn’t. True, it’s not shiny like Avenida Balboa but why does it have to be? These two areas along with Casco Viejo showcase the variety of architecture, lifestyles and experiences Panama City offers.

This looks like a great town within the city. It looks like a walkable city, which is what I’m looking for. You have markets, restaurants, the subway. El Congrejo is on my list. So is Punta Pacifica. Thank you for doing this video and showing us a little bit of this neighborhood. 😊

Thanks so much for your thoughts on El Cangrejo. I visited Panama City last summer and i stayed in Bella Vista. If you're accustomed to newer shopping centers with clean, even sidewalks and manicured lawns then the appearance of some parts of PC can be off-putting. In the U.S. broken sidewalks and graffiti usually indicate you're in a dangerous part of town but that's not necessarily the case in PC. I think those of us from the U.S. or Canada will have to purge ourselves of the idea that nice = new if we are to really enjoy Panama.

Thank you for this video. I stayed in El Cangrejo May 2023. I have the same type of feeling that it was a family place, it was a blue-collar place, and I really do feel that Covid has changed a lot of things. I stayed at the best Western Plus Panama Zen. The hotel is actually great. The bed was not… very uncomfortable. The hotel is nice, the staff speaks English, there is a pool at the top with a restaurant with great food. You could even arrange a personal masseuse to come to your room which was fabulous. Across the street there’s a place called Sucaro cafe bakery, and they are all so so sweet. It is a neighborhood spot and is dog friendly and they have a couple of tables inside and a couple of tables outside. FYI for anyone staying. 🇵🇦💕👍 Yes! Trapiche was fabuloso 💗

Thanks for another. Great video! You guys are awesome! Have you guys heard of M3 language translation earbuds? I just found out about these and they’ve been around for quite a while. I don’t know why more people especially XPat aren’t talking about these. They are amazing! There’s three different modes, but basically you put the earbuds in your ear. Put your phone on speaker talk in English and it translates into whatever language you want. I think they have 64 languages. When the person responds back, it responds back in English . Unbelievable! Now they are not cheap, $350, but I definitely will be buying these to help communicate while I’m learning Spanish in Panama 😁☀️🌈🏝️

Marbella is the fancier version of El Cangrejo you're looking for. Also, if you're looking for houses near the city center I think the closest you'll get is Betania.

Hello again. I love your videos. Do you guys like El Cangrejo better than San Francisco?

I have stayed at Torres de Alba and loved it . But yes I'm fine with what they are saying it's true. I don't think it's snobbish. It is calling it as it presents itself. And yes, we got used to it. The Waymore Casino is new and shiny, and giving the area a new look, and it's now looking up. In my Opinion this a typical South American neighborhood. Some can adjust some can't. Just depending on WHY you are in that country to begin with. Panama on a whole is not for everyone . As a lot of things there are quite different to North America

Do you see any homeless people in Panama? How safe is Panama City? I live in Los Angeles so I’m looking for somewhere safer.

Being in your same age bracket, coming from Alberta, and having lived in NYC, how do you get used to such heavy heat and humidity, living confined to AC 24/7?? Even around Costa del Este?

Just found out there is a Russian restaurant in El Cangrejo. Amazing!

You misspelled the crab

Min. 10:18. Statue of Roberto Rocky Hands Duran.. His house is at left hand where you are un this right momento..

This guy is obsessed with restaurants!

Where do you get CONGREJO? It's CANGREJO!

Hey Pat I think you look great. You should go test drive one of those Panama cuties if your wife continues to give you a hard time about your physique :).😀

El Cangrejo is actually a very bohemian neighborhood ... I don't see that changing anytime soon

My beautiful El Cangrejo is more beautiful and cleaner than Detroit or Philadelphia! Lots of cities in the US are dirty and have 1000s of homeless people, not Canada though I think.

i think those comments about the area are very snobbish. I visited Panama City last year on a relocation tour and, interestingly enough, I stayed at the same hotel mentioned. I found the area to be typical of many U.S. cities. I loved the area...centrally located...I walked around, went shopping....went out at night. It's an inner City, it will not have the vibe of a suburban downtown. I plan to return in August of this year!

Part 1: I love your channel. I am in Panama at the moment, visiting my son who is 27 yrs old, he moved to Panama from Michigan in Oct '22. He moved from Albrook to El Cangejo. So, let me share something I told my son who didn't know the history of Via Espana and El Cangrejo. First of all, Via Espana in the 80s and 90s was the ritzy area, all the big and high-end shops were there (Sara Panama, Ben Betesh, you name them). Now lots of the stores have relocated to Malls, i.e. Albrook. El Cangrejo was and still is middle-class, perhaps upper-middle-class, depending on the street you live in. El Cangrejo is now one of the most Trendy neighborhoods in Panama. The streets are swept early in the morning, and the sidewalks are power washed (I have seen it myself). The trash is usually picked up either, in the morning or evening (I have seen it).

Wow, did not expect to get a response so quickly… we are currently in Florida and the prices keep going up, and I feel like I am working to pay for insurance and taxes…. Been looking at Panama Relocation tours with Jackie and the one with Panamazing tours… would appreciate any suggestions on either of these options or other tours that you may recommend….

Looks beautiful to me. Thanks for showing us. 😊

For whomever is viewing these hosts are reflecting honestly what Panama encounters await you. Its third world so its going to reflect that stark contrast of recent wealth building. Its not North America but Central and I’d even say the corner case. Panama is unique and offers so many unique living scenarios - picking one that’s right for you will be hardest part of moving here. If you are looking to re-acquire everything you just left behind and expect to replace for half the price in Panama, you will not. Not everything. So make a checklist what you need moving here. It’ll help keep focus getting what you want

Thank you for your very comprehensive videos! Toured Panama City two months ago and was very impressed with El Cangrejo and San Francisco. I’m strongly considering moving in either area from the US.

Great insight guys. Kent Davis here, El Cangrejo is my barrio :) Keep up the super solid, super honest content :)

I been there 3 months ago and I like it best of all the places in Panama City. 😊

Any vegan restaurants in El Cangrejo?

I just love the honesty and kindness that you both share with us viewers. I am finding Panama very attractive for retirement. We have been looking at Mexico and Dominic Republic. The crime rate and the economy and the political climate is very distressing here in the USA. I am trying to research as much as possible. Thank you so very much for your time and your insight… Keep up the great videos… Regards

It’s actually “El Cangrejo” not Congrejo. Good video!

Thank you for your experience and telling us about it. I believe though that the correct name of the neighborhood is: El Cangrejo. I hope to see more of the other neighborhoods soon. 👍

When people start a business there, they dont have $50-100K to start up, they, at best, might have up to $10K. They wont have a really "hip" pretty shop when they open, if they succeed, they can make it look mas bello, mas tarde. You probably saw a lot of closed shops because many wanted to cash in on El Cangrejo's popularity and they couldn't cultivate a clientele that was sustainable. Hence, you will find a lot of voids there. Doesn't mean it's in decline, just that there were a lot of failures for whatever reason, and if El Cangrejo is becoming more popular with gringo ex-pats then new shops will open with hopeful owners. I lived just off Via Espana and12 de Octubre about 15 yrs ago, in a "local" apt building. I walked all over around there and never had any problems, I walked home from work at 10PM from Calle 50 and never had any hassles. Yes, I would probably live in that area again because there are many shops nearby and an El Rey supermarket, and it's probably a little less expensive to rent an apartment in that area.

Another great synopsis of an important area. Thanks!

I am 45 single no kids in 5 years I plan to retire in Panama ….I have been there twice as a US Soldier in the early 2000s . I get nearly 4 grand a month from VA Disabilty can’t wait I’m ready

Is the oldther part of panama

What recreation facilities are nearby or is the area noted for? Museums, theaters. .

LOL! I walked Espana every day.

Do you have any comparisons between Cangrejo and Escazú in San José, Costa Rica?? Including regarding climate?

We moved to Mexico six years ago. Bought a house. Love it here. But, we are always interested in having citizenship/permanent residence in other places, just as a backup, since the world seems to be constantly changing, as usual. Panama is high on our list as an alternate, so we'll be visiting soon. Thanks for your informative videos.

not really related to this video but I would love to get a video for costs of living comfortably in the Panama area. we always see these videos of people retiring in Panama and doing it on what I call the cheap at around $1k a month. this is mostly because these people are limited to this smaller income. what about people who have $2k, $3k, $4k or more a month?

Happy to see you guys are back. We just came back from Panama last month and are packing up to move down there. I love your videos.

Thank you for this video. Your observations are spot on.

Duran lives in a house. I saw him in the park nearby his house. In 2022.

Great video love the insights! Looking for something in between an apartment and a little house in the country side in Panama midlands. Not sure if I will find it.

You're borh a wealth of knowledge. Thank you for sharing your wonderful content.

Hola Guys! Welcome back to Panamá. Abrazos