Valencia

I'm a Mexican living in the U.S. where I work as an attorney. My wife cannot get used to the cold weather here and I'd like a change of life in the next few years. So I've been thinking about moving to Spain and opening one or two little businesses there. I've never been to Spain, but after some research Valencia seems like a good place to do so. What do you think about this area of Spain?

It sort of depends on what kind of business you're hoping to get into, I suppose, but Valencia (I assume you are talking about the capital) is one of the most dynamic cities in Spain. A good mix of the traditional and the very modern. I haven't been there for a few years, but I've heard nothing but raving reviews about the latest changes. The region as a whole is nice but be aware that you do have your fair share of tourism there. Thoughtless housing developments have ruined a lot of the coastal towns, but not all. On the other hand, the weather is generally friendly temperature-wise.

I think it could be a place worth looking into. It might also be worthwhile for you to come over a visit the region (and possibly others) to get a feel for yourselves. One of the greatest things about Spain is its enormous geographic diversity. Good luck.

I think there is a lot of optimism in Valencia at the moment as there's going to be a prestige yaughting event take place (I think it's called the Americas Cup, but I'm not sure)

Thank you so much for your replies!

Well, about the weather:

In Valencia (city), temperatures almost never fall under 0º (centigrades)even in the middle of winter: in my 31 years of life, maybe it happened 4 o 5 nights as long as I remember.

This year has been the first since I was a little kid in what I've seen some fountains freezed: it happened 2 or 3 nights this winter and everybody was amazed.

You'll probably never see snow in Valencia city in a whole life. This winter has been told as the worst in many years: no snow at all, only 2-3 nights the cold went under zero...and, as I said, this is very unusual.

The winter here is very gentle, but in the other hand you have certain humidity in winter. Not a big problem anyway: it's like any coastal city.

Very, very few raining days during the year. A big percentage of blue sky days, and, as I heard many people say, Valencia is a very luminous city (I think this is one of its biggest qualitys: it's really luminous).

Hot summer (july and first 1/2 august very hot). Gentle springs ans falls. You can usually go to beach from may to october and have fine weather to stay there even in some october mornings.

Just thinking in weather, I guess that Valencia has the weather you're looking for.

In other matters, Valencia is actually a growing and reasonably successful city. It is medium-sized compared to Madrid or Barcelona (Valencia and its urban area has a global population of about 1.400.000; 700-800.000 in the town center) and is the third city in Spain.

Not as cosmopolitan and culturally bustling as Madrid or Barcelona, but really a nice place to live (but I'm a valencian, so, what could I say?).

It may be a good choice, but I know that moving is never so easy.

If you eventually come, welcome and enjoy.

Anyway, good luck wherever you decide to go.

Emilio:

Thank you so much for your message and thorough explanation about the weather in Valencia City. It sounds to me like a city with a very enjoyable weather all year round. That is fantastic! I’ve been living for three years in Kansas City, Missouri, where the average maximum temperature from November to February is 7.4 C/45 F, by far not the coldest city in the US, but one of the cloudiest during the winter. (Cielo gris y nublado todo el tiempo). So my wife has been experiencing for three years what they call “seasonal depression.” That's why weather plays such a big part in my decision to look for a new city.

Valencia City also seems to be about the right size, not too big or too small. So definitely I’m looking forward to visit Valencia and seriously consider moving there in a couple of years. I want to open a business there, probably in the wine-distribution area, but still not sure. My family was involved in the wine & spirits distribution business in Mexico for many years, but need to do more research about the market in Valencia.

By the way, all of my father’s relatives live in Galicia, but the weather seems to be a little bit better in Valencia. We will see. Gracias Emilio.

José Antonio

I'm glad if I've been helpful.

If you wife suffers "seasonal depression" (as I kown related to lack of sunlight, isn't it?), Galicia is not a good idea at all. A lot of raining and cloudy days during the winter there. The galician landscape is really very, very beautiful (some places are simply esthetically awesome); but if you're looking for fine weather, forget about Galicia for living. Better look in Valencia or in regions like Andalucia, Islas Canarias, Murcia.

Something I found about Valencia, a 2003 weather information table:

http://www.valencia.es/ayuntamiento2/ndlaciudad.nsf/vdocumentosacc/Clima?opendocument

Un saludo.

jabch,

Emilo's last comments were oh so correct - Valencia and/or the southern part of Spain is the way to go if your wife hates the cold! I'm from Hawaii and ended up in Boston for 8 years - and the light deprivation is a very real thing. Moved to North Carolina 'cause I couldn't figure out how to move to Spain and make a living.

It's great that you are understanding of the situation - way too many people think those of us that can't stand having 16 hours of darkness half the year are making it up.

Do some homework on what the rules, regs, and prerequisites are for you to practice in Spain -
Good luck!

Emilio: Yes, it has to do with lack of sun light. Thanks for all your input. Any other comments that you may have about living in Valencia are welcome. Also, I am going to do some research on the other places you mention, but for now Valencia sounds like the best option for me.

Puna: My wife also came from a very warm/sunny place in Mexico called Monterrey. It is an industrial city of about 4 million people surrounded by mountains and with a very south Texas-type weather.

About practicing law in Spain, I'm not planning on it. I'm licensed in Mexico and the State of New York, but really want to do something different if a go to Spain. I feel like doing something that my wife can also be involved in. However, she might tell me: Are you crazy? Working in sunny Valencia, you work, I enjoy!

Oh, I'll be glad trying to answer any question that you may have and that I have the knowledge.

Here or in the spanish board section, since we are both Spanish speakers and my English is obviously poor! Pero como prefieras.

I think Valencia can be a good bet for a bussiness. It’s a very dinamic city in Spain. Another option you can consider is Málaga in southern Spain.

jabch,

Can't say I blame you for the career path change! Are you and your wife planning a visit to Valencia (and/or other parts of Spain) before selling up and packing up?

Emilio: What about not being a native Valenciano speaker. For example, some people, even Spanish native speakers, feel a language barrier in places like Barcelona. Is the same going on in Valencia? (By the way your English is really good, so I’d like to continue our comments on this subject in this thread and keep them all together.)

Lanoma: Thanks for the suggestion!

Puna: I was even planning on visiting Valencia this month. However, my wife is almost seven months pregnant and a trip like that would be really harsh on her. So I just had to calm down and accept that this will have to wait. But for sure we will visit before we make any decision. About being a lawyer…I know! Everyone wants out…I should have listened to my father!!!!

Well, I can figure why some Spanish native speakers felt a language barrier in a city like Barcelona.

That won't happen in Valencia. In the city, 99% of people speaks Spanish, and Spanish is the everyday language. You'll see advices written in Valenciano everywhere, but the Advices are generally bilingual (Spanish-Valenciano).

Of course, sometimes you'll hear people speaking in Valenciano, but if you talk to them and they realize you don't speak Valenciano they will speak in Spanish to you 99% of the times (or should I say 100%?.. well, "por si acaso"). You won't find in Valencia the language barrier that you may find in Barcelona.

In many of the Pueblos and small Towns surrounding Valencia, people use to speak Valencian as mother tongue, but they'll also speak to you in Spanish if they realize you don't understand.

As you see, there are two areas: the city itself (99% Spanish speaking) and the province (great percentage of native Valencian speakers), but the people attitude is very similar to non-Valencian speakers.

As well, the Valencian, although being a variation of Catalan, has not the ideological charge that Catalan has in Cataluña to many people, and the valencian people's attitude is different. I don't mean better (although you can easily imagine my opinion, but...), just different.

Don't worry about that, you can perfectly live in Valencia without knowing a word in valenciano. Situation is not comparable to Cataluña at all.

Emilio: Again, thanks for all your comments! I am willing to learn Valencian, but it is good to know that Valencianos are willing to speak Spanish as needed. The truth is that I always hear good comments, from Spaniards and not Spaniards, about the people of Valencia.

Jose Antonio