What are the best areas to live in Managua, Nicaragua?

Question

I'm moving with my family for 4 years assignment in Managua, Nicaragua. We need to know the best areas to live in Managua in terms of Safety, security & excellent houses. Also, if you recommend any real-estate agency that offer Long-Term Houses Rentals.

Answer 1

Ciudad Jardín, Bello Horizonte, Altamira y Las Américas. Are all neighborhoods in Managua that were built with zoning.. Those that predate the 72 earthquake are helter skelter. Try managua brokers for rentals. They can refer you to someone good.

Answer 2

Along the Carretera Masaya (and in the South Western part of Managua) is the best place to live. As far as safety, its costly, but there are many gated communities around Managua. Here, in Managua, you have to worry more about the heat than safety. We are the safest country (and capital city) in Central America. The one thing i do advise is not to flash things in public, the most common type of crime here and all over Latin America is petty theft like pickpocketing. Try to avoid the buses, I've lived here all my life and am not crazy enough to step foot in one.

Las Americas (theres more than just one barrio [neighorhood] called that) and Bello Horizonte are not ideal. Other barrios that i would suggest you look into are: Villas Italianas, Lomas del Valle, Colonia Centroamericana, Barrio Jardin, Residencial Los Robles (1-4), Lomas de Monserrat and Barrio Bolonia 1.

Villas De Berlin is a gated community on the Carretera Masaya, i found a website that shows three houses currently for rent there: http://www.nicarent.net/

Other very nice gated communities are: Urbanizacion La Cañada and Hacienda Los Altos. There is also the beautiful condos and other real estate at the Gran Pacifica Resort. It is in the department of Managua but not the city itself, it is about an hour from Managua city but is located on the beach, so beautiful. http://www.granpacifica.com/

Other well off places is the area around the Tiscapa Lagoon, near where our wonderful President Ortega lives. One place to avoid is the old Downtown Managua, which is around the Plaza de la Revolucion (Plaza of the Revolution) just 10min (walking distance) from the Malecon of Lake Managua. That area is still in ruins and was never rebuilt because the corrupt U.S.-back dictator, Somoza, stole the money sent in to help after the earthquake of 1972. It is nice to visit and see the plaza and park, national theatre and concha acustica, just don't be there when night falls. The are around Metrocentro, the InterPlaza and the Galerias Santo Domingo are also very nice and near three of the major shopping malls in the city.