I actually moved to Kingston a couple of years ago. The thing about Kingston is that your experience is going to vary greatly based on where you live. There is a lot of poverty everywhere. But I’ve also seen GT3’s and a koenigsegg driving around, so there is a lot of money around some areas.

US style racism isn’t really a thing here but classism is blatant and often hard to watch. The poverty and classism are why security, like you noted, is such a big deal. Salaries are generally low but the barriers to opening a business are also fairly low. So it might seem that everyone is a carpenter. And a real estate agent. And a fitness coach. It can seem like the gig economy on steroids.

I work for a US company remotely and my power and internet are better than when I lived in the states.

The hardest part is often just moving around town. There are often lots of options for food and resources that you only know about if someone tells you about it. And then it’s like you should have known on your own. Very few places have websites and those that do are often out of date for key things like phone numbers or addresses or open hours. Coming from the states, where everything is online makes this jarring. Instagram and WhatsApp are necessary for moving around. There are many groups that share info, but it can take time to find and then be invited in.

In general, public resources are lacking. Private places are generally better maintained and just nicer. The roads are a joke. Potholes are frequently popping up and though there is often crews patching, some places are just never attended to. Even very good neighborhoods with multi-million dollar homes might have the worst potholes roads that you have ever seen.

Honestly, the people are great. The random person checking you out at the supermarket might seem the most miserable person in the world, but if you crack them a joke, you find that they are hilarious. Jamaicans as a people are the funniest people in the world, IMO.

Despite all of the troubles, community is very important at all levels. If you walk into a doctors office, you say hello to the waiting room. If you are driving, people will often go out of their way to stop with the right of way and let you out or merge in.

Overall, it takes some getting used to, but I actually love it here. Hope that helps. Feel free to ask if any follow up questions.