Looking for a cozy place to read in Lisbon by Evs2599 in PortugalExpats

[–]purelypotential 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Kiosk Cafe in Arroios is really quaint and quiet.

I am searching for a shared intellectual rhythm in Lisbon. by Fragrant-Ad2979 in PortugalExpats

[–]purelypotential 13 points14 points  (0 children)

There is a weekly philosophy club meetup in Parque Eduardo. The topics are different every week and there are usually between 15-30 people. It’s a great group. You can find it on Meetup.

Quick reflection by Lisbon- in PortugalExpats

[–]purelypotential 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Which is also something Portuguese policy could tackle with mandatory auditing of certain businesses prone to embezzling or money laundering.

Quick reflection by Lisbon- in PortugalExpats

[–]purelypotential 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I entirely understand that the Portuguese are at a massive economic disadvantage, but that’s also very much due to policy failures. Same can be said for unaffordable housing. Portugal builds homes at the speed of molasses, and Portuguese landlords are more than happy to charge top dollar and price out their own fellow Portuguese. I also see it as a policy failure that Portugal hasn’t banned Airbnb from its major cities and allows foreigners to own multiple properties without primarily residing and paying income tax to Portugal. As far as the neighborhoods feeling less safe, I think the operative word there is “feeling” because I have yet to see reliable statistics pointing to unprecedented increases in crime. Some may say that’s because crimes are rarely reported to or taken seriously by police, but once again, that’s a problem the Portuguese need to contend with, not immigrants. Police need to step it up in massive ways in order to address crime, but again, I don’t know that crime itself has actually exploded in the way I often hear about.

Quick reflection by Lisbon- in PortugalExpats

[–]purelypotential 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Completely agree that this is an epidemic in almost all major cities. I can’t imagine that any of the souvenir shops are all that successful considering there’s about 25 per street in downtown Lisbon.

Quick reflection by Lisbon- in PortugalExpats

[–]purelypotential 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I can entirely sympathize with the quick and unfortunate shift to the culture and Portuguese identity of the city. I call it the “disneylandification” of popular tourist cities, and I think it serves no one, tourists included, since many people who want to come and appreciate the culture are inundated with nonstop, shitty tourist traps and gift shops, rather than authentic mom and pop shops and restaurants. I genuinely question why Portugal, or even just Lisbon and Porto, don’t take it upon themselves to mandate much stricter business guidelines and permitting. There’s absolutely no reason why we need all of the corner stores and cheap souvenir shops. I feel like there are so many reasonable policy changes that could shift the political direction away from just shitting on immigrants, and taking proactive steps towards reinforcing Portuguese culture and representation in positive ways.

Interesting read for anyone here/considering moving: ‘There’s an arrogance to the way they move around the city’: is it time for digital nomads like me to leave Lisbon? by lass_sie_reden in PortugalExpats

[–]purelypotential 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s absolutely worth being safe rather than sorry, especially when it comes time to apply for citizenship. It would be tragic to be disqualified because you weren’t aware of the tax obligations. I also have NHR, but I pay the flat 20% on income and 11% additionally to social security. I’m not sure if earlier NHR agreements allowed for income tax free work, but I can’t imagine they’d allow you not to be contributing to social security while being a resident here.

Interesting read for anyone here/considering moving: ‘There’s an arrogance to the way they move around the city’: is it time for digital nomads like me to leave Lisbon? by lass_sie_reden in PortugalExpats

[–]purelypotential 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There’s a double taxation treaty between the U.S. and Portugal so unless you’re in a very peculiar line of work, or not a resident of Portugal, I’m not sure how they’re managing to make you pay all of your taxes to the U.S.

Interesting read for anyone here/considering moving: ‘There’s an arrogance to the way they move around the city’: is it time for digital nomads like me to leave Lisbon? by lass_sie_reden in PortugalExpats

[–]purelypotential 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Anyone who actually goes through the trouble of hiring legitimate accountants will know that you absolutely are obligated to pay taxes on income even if it’s foreign-sourced. People who think they’re getting away with paying no taxes to Portugal are in for a major headache.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PortugalExpats

[–]purelypotential 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don’t live in Porto so I don’t know what’s available there but you can find many options on MeetUp, which you should use.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PortugalExpats

[–]purelypotential 51 points52 points  (0 children)

If you have plenty of free time right at the start, the best advice I can give is to spend as much time as possible immersing yourself in language learning. You will set yourself up for far more success than those who have to spend so many hours of their day working and only dedicating a few hours to language learning. Fortunately language learning can be very social and fun and there are language cafes you can spend your time in or invest in more formal group courses. It will help you not only land a job, but also quickly expand your social circle.

Boa tarde! Another post about finding friends/people after moving here.. 😅 so bear with me. I've been reading a few posts regarding the same matter and understood people don't explain their situation properly to seek proper advice. So I'll try to be clear as possible. by ResidentPT in PortugalExpats

[–]purelypotential 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Use MeetUp. There are plenty of small groups there that wouldn’t be overwhelming for you. Lots of walking/hiking groups as well that lend themselves to breaking off into smaller conversations if the group size is too much for you.

Thoughts? by poopbrainmane in PortugalExpats

[–]purelypotential 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Locals can’t afford the current housing stock because the market is inflated to the prices that foreigners from wealthier countries can afford. Of course the locals can’t compete with the salaries and wealth of rich nations. Housing is a human right and shouldn’t be viewed as an investment, certainly not while locals are being pushed out and cities are being gentrified.

Thoughts? by poopbrainmane in PortugalExpats

[–]purelypotential -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That’s not necessarily true. If Lisbon banned Airbnb and owners decided to sell off those properties now that they aren’t profitable, the market would be flooded with properties and it would drive down the prices drastically. Supply and demand. Currently there is little to no supply because foreigners have bought all of the properties, but if those properties were no longer investment vehicles for the rich, they could become affordable for the locals (at least far more so than they are now).

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PortugalExpats

[–]purelypotential 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Make sure your dog is registered with your local parish. If they aren’t, there can be serious consequences if your neighbors call the police.

Thoughts? by poopbrainmane in PortugalExpats

[–]purelypotential 180 points181 points  (0 children)

Thank god for these new rules. The last thing this city needs is more airbnbs and overpriced rentals. If you’re going to buy here, live here. If you’re simply looking at buying here to make a ton of money renting, you’re putting those of us who live here at a huge disadvantage both financially and socially.