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Real Bogotá vs Tourist Bogotá: Inside Estrato 3's Rio Negro Neighborhood

Matt Griffith - The Americano

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ABOUT THIS VIDEO
I spent my first year in Bogotá living in an Estrato 3 neighborhood ,and in this video, I show you what life there actually looks like.
We walk through Rio Negro, a real working-class Bogotá neighborhood, and look at prices, food, groceries, barbers, dry cleaning, street life, safety, utilities, and what “estrato” really means in Colombia.
If you’re thinking about moving to Bogotá, retiring in Colombia, or just trying to understand how daily life works here, this video gives you a real look beyond the tourist areas.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Real Bogotá Life
00:42 What “Estrato” Actually Means
02:10 Meet Rio Negro, Bogotá
03:35 The Estrato 3 / Estrato 4 Trick
05:00 What Prices Look Like in Estrato 3
07:20 Haircuts, Breakfast and Local Services
09:05 Local Shops, Pharmacies and Street Life
10:45 Food, Bakeries and Menú del Día
12:15 Grocery Stores and Where to Save Money
13:45 The Honest Part: What’s Less Polished
15:10 Safety and Nighttime in Estrato 3
16:25 Why Knowing People Matters
18:05 Final Thoughts

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#TheAmericano #ColombiaLife #CostOfLiving #LivingInColombia #Strata3 #MoveToColombia #ExpatLife #BudgetLiving #GlobalLiving #LatinAmerica #QualityOfLife #RemoteWork #LifeAbroad #Estrato3

20 Comments

@workbench-blog 4 months ago

Food has never been our problem in Colombia. We have some of the best "everyday" food you can possibly eat and very underrated

@NelsonRodriguez-we6zr 4 months ago

Hey Matt ve todos sus videos. Ud sabe mas de colombia y su estilo de vida que ni los mismos colombianos.

@beauno83 4 months ago

I met some of the nicest people in Bogota on my many trips there. Was at the Restaurante El Poblado and I needed a taxi. The waiter got off work and gave me a ride in his car back to my hotel. Super nice people. I have so many storys like that :)

@maxs6803 4 months ago

So glad you’re showing this side of Bogotá. Local Colombian food is so underrated. IMO, I find it superior non-Colombian food here.

@esperanza9928 4 months ago

It seems to me that Matt is missing Rionegro, estrato 3. ( Bogotá) 😊😊

@johnniemayhem 4 months ago (edited)

One of my coworkers lives in Bogota in San Antionio, Calle 183 which is Strato 3. Had the opportunity to visit the office and her neighborhood. It was really nice, and yes working class. We did visit a 5 and really I found the 3 to be better. The more spanish you know the better but not difficult to get by.

@guyl9456 1 month ago

Great advice delivered by a classy gentleman. What else can we ask for. As a mature gentleman wanting to "relocate" all of this is very precious to me.

@TigerLillyCV 3 months ago

I moved to Colombia a while ago and have only lived a few years in estrado 5 after moving into estrato 3 because it is soon Kuch more convenient.

@martinavery3979 3 months ago

Estrato is based on studies of what the average home in the area has. I live in the countryside, when the area was classified there was only one campesino living here, so, I'm estrato 2, as, unfortunately, he had a fridge

@paxtecum4814 4 months ago

Great description Matt. In strata 3, 4 and 5 it is possible to weave a large network of small social relationships based on frequent contact, of people who really esteem you and take care of you because you know them and they know you: the store, the bakery, the photocopier, the chicken roastery, the hairdresser, the magazine store, the clothing repair shop, the laundry, the hardware store, the vehicle workshop, and so on, dozens more. You have short conversations and greetings with all of them. They are part of your life. They are yourself.

@Rominahope4.0 4 months ago

This is my favourite video so far! Thanks for the street view! And the real side of life! :)

@danzinor 4 months ago

Lived in Suba, estrato 3 tambien. Loved to walk the neighborhood day or night. Like you got to know some of the shop owners. Quick story, Mac Pollo was my go to for chicken and beef. They mostly ignored my effort to speak Spanish and didn't like looking at my translator app on my phone until I told them I live in the neighborhood 3 blocks away and that all the English to Spanish schools closed up after Covid. Once they heard that, all smiles and good conversation every time I came in.

@donjack4932 4 months ago

I doubt that you are questioning your life choices, but Matt, I’m reevaluating my move after watching your recent heath insurance/ visa review. Reading the comments is illuminating with more viewers having their choices shaken. In any case you do a great job of providing rounded more in depth sharing.

@GJNRMR 4 months ago (edited)

You hit the nail in the head Matt! I live in Barrancas, an estrato 3 neighborhood in Bogotá and it is exactly as you described it. These are the best neighborhoods for when you're starting from scratch and can fend for yourself in Spanish. I felt very welcome as a Puerto Rican.

@chavoruko5320 4 months ago (edited)

I live in cedritos neiborhood and I love it, a Lot of green zones, parks, trees at the side of the streets, a Lot of pets everywere and streetlife, some zones estrato 3, some zones estrato 4 or 5, everybody mixed

@NomadInterpreter 4 months ago (edited)

The reality with the receipts ! Love it ! Pretty soon you’ll publish a video all in Spanish

@dsc1970 4 months ago

That was a fun watch, Matt. I've wondered around poorer barrios in Panama City, Buenos Aires and Montevideo (with a bunch of reading beforehand, ofc). It'd be neat to see a video on Los Andes/estrato 4, as well.

@chavoruko5320 4 months ago

5:37 y puedes encontrar desayunos por todas partes, para los que no conocen en Colombia tenemos las panaderías, que son fábricas pequeñas de pan que están por todo lado, allí encuentras todo tipo de pan fresco, postres, bebidas, y desayunos, y también tenemos por todas partes restaurantes de comida casera, así que si vienen prueben el corrientazo, que es el almuerzo corriente o almuerzo del día, también llamado almuerzo ejecutivo, es una gran opción para comer sopas y comida estilo abuela

@andrewzaplatynsky4556 4 months ago (edited)

I live in a duplex apartment in Cuidadela Colsubsidio and I would classify it as Estrato 3+.. School buses from some of most prestigious colegios pull up at 6:00 am. The parking has expensive SUVs, and the porteria uses facial recognition for security. A medium size shopping mall, Unicentro Occidente (Dunkin coffee, Subway sandwiches and a tradional food court) is around the corner. The street of little shops has 3 pizza parlors, 4 bakeries, as well as the typical veggie and fruit stores. I know the street vendors who sell avocados and pineapples by name. The one thing that drives me crazy is the deafening volume of the boom boxes used by many restaurants and shops. (salsa, naturally). I am a musician and accustomed to loud volume, but the readily accepted, even expected, constant music drives me crazy.

@isabelp3425 3 months ago

I love your explanations. You're educating everybody about life in Colombia.
I live in Villavicencio, in an area which is estrato 3 and 4, and it's same here. They have all the specialized, little shops down the main avenue, and you get to know the owners personally. They will get whatever you need if they don'thave it.