Enjoy staying in “Belmira” like a local! Here you will find places like malls, restaurants, food markets, El Bosque University and 2 of Bogotá’s main streets
When I was looking for a neighborhood to live close to El Bosque University, where my husband was studying, I found this neighborhood that is called Belmira. It’s very residential and has everything that a person needs within walking distance. This neighborhood, located in the north of Bogotá, Usaquén, is between Carrera 7 and Carrera 9 and Calle 140 and Calle 144. Most buildings are 2 and 3-floor houses and are located in the north, close to Calle 144 the buildings which aren’t too big, nor are there too many, are between Calle 140 and next to Carrera 7 and Carrera 9. Continue reading to know why you would love to live here!
Quick Tip: To better locate Belmira, download one of these Apps to Help You Get Around Bogotá.
Great educational institutions!
Never has it been so easy to study in “Belmira.” This location is close to kindergartens, schools like Provinma and Pureza de María Bogotá, which is just for girls, and to El Bosque University, that has 25 undergraduate programs, postgraduate studies, and other courses to choose from and most of their academic program have the requirements that allow you to get the student visa. Also, if you walk around the neighborhood, you can find posters and ads in some houses or in stores offering courses for sewing, painting, crafts, jewelry, English and more, but I personally prefer to go to a verified institution or a store that will offer the same courses and give me a quality guarantee.
Quick Tip: In Usaquén there are more sewing and knitting courses, while in Teusaquillo you can find more art & craft courses and their supplies.
Main streets to go around Bogotá!
To go around Bogotá without using Uber or taxi you have the most important SITP buses of the city. these buses stop in Belmira thanks to the main streets nearby (Carrera 7 & 9). There are also some buses that go through Calle 140 that will help you too. On the other hand, if you are too lazy to walk around the neighborhood or you are in a hurry, on Calle 140 are the “bicitaxis” which are tricycles of 4 seats that make short trips, but I recommend you do your first trip with a local, because it’s not yet legal public transportation and they can take advantage of anyone by asking more money than it is ($2.000 COP which is approx. 0.66 US$, it will depend on the trip but it shouldn’t be higher than that). Besides that, it’s a fun experience to have.
Quick Tip: There are some malls that have their private free transportation, Palatino is one of them (click on Palatino to know the route).
Local shops and restaurants just around the corner!
Kind of my favorite thing to do (well, the second one), Belmira shares the famous Calle 140 with its neighbor, Cedritos. This street starts on Carrera 7 (where Belmira is) and ends at Carrera 19 (part of Cedritos neighborhood). It has many places to eat besides McDonald’s, like Wok, El Carnal, Jenos Pizza, and more, or if you want to have some drinks at the bars, the main ones are Pub Beer, BBC, and Mundo Cervecero. It also has 5 little malls, two of which are located in Belmira, but the one I like the most is called Belmira Plaza, which is a great place to exchange money, do some grocery shopping and browse around. Just in front of the Belmira Plaza is the Palatino shopping mall. Besides their shopping, it has restaurants, banks and places to do some grocery shopping. In Belmira you always will find new local stores to go to while walking around.
A health-minded neighborhood!
As you may have already noticed, Bogotá is a city that has parklands on every corner, and Belmira is no exception. This neighborhood has 3 parks where you can play basketball, tennis, soccer and do some exercise while keeping your children entertained at the playground. One park is located over by Carrera 9 (this one is pet-friendly), another one is close, but next to Calle 144 and the last one is in the central-east next to Carrera 7. On Sundays and holidays, there is the ciclovía, which is on the Carrera 9 and makes it easy to do some family activities, like biking, playing games or enjoying some foods and natural juices along this “Carrera”.
Quick Tip: If you are into a healthy lifestyle, on Calle 140, you will find organic markets like the Vegano Market.
Good price-quality relation!
Belmira is in the 4 to 5 strata (middle to high class), which means that the cost of living expenses are close to expensive, in correlation with the minimum salary. The cost of an apartment for buying per the square meter in Belmira this year (2018), is between 3.250.000 to 5.330.000 COP (approx. between 1.083 to 1.777 US$), and for renting it starts from 1.850.000 to almost reaching 2.500.000 COP (approx. 616 to 833 US$).
Regarding public service expenses (water, gas, and electricity), it’s usually around 220.000 COP (73 US$).
Quick Tip: Don’t be shy by negotiating with the owner, normally they are willing to do it.
Belmira is a nice place to live, whether you are single or have a big family, it’s well located and has a fair cost of living. Because it’s a safe neighborhood, it’s very common to walk around and get everything you need on the way, and finally, one of the advantages of living in northern Bogotá: you won’t have to worry about the noise.
Continue your research about Bogotá by reading this:
The TOP 5: Why travel to Bogota?
Five Apps You Need if You Live in Bogotá
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