Fontibon in Bogota

adrimm (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 6, 2006, 01:12:

Map:

cicloruta map

I believe fontibon is one of the neighbourhoods... hang on

Some more cicloruta stuff


Zoom into the area just slightly north east of Chapinero - Fontibon is roughly bounded by Ave 60 & Ave Boyaca, just south of Avenida Jorge Gaitan

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litost says on Nov 6, 2006, 06:15:

It's very colombian middle class, plus very "bogotano" not like many of the other neighborhoods usually visited which are full of students and people from other parts of Colombia. But the truth be said, it is not a pretty neighborhood and far away from most of the interesting areas in Bogota. At least you're visiting now and not 10 years ago when it was total chaos.

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Nov 6, 2006, 06:46:

I don't like Fontibon that much, but if you study the history of that area it is very intereting, there is a big house in Fontibon over the avenidad Ciudad de Cali, its like an old hacienda, it is one of my favourite house in Bogota, I think it used to be part of a big hacienda when Fontibon was not belong to Bogota.

did you know that from there don Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada and his companions of expedition entered Santa Fe of Bogota

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litost says on Nov 6, 2006, 07:53:

GIB,
If you want others to GIB,

If you want others to respect your decision on where to go and why, I think you should try doing the same instead of being judgemental and patronizing. It is perfectly normal for visitors to want to see the more interesting neighborhoods in a city (from a historical, architectural, night-life, or whatever perspective), so that is the advice most of us give. It has nothing to do with being snob or only wanting to see pretty things, but generally speaking tourists want to see the nice part of town, and I say there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Making broad generalizations about people just because they happen to live in the more expensive neighborhoods in Colombia makes you sound like a rather bitter and resentful person. Not to mention the slap in the face to any gringo or european who would be so *snobbish* as to NOT visit Fontibon, Ciudad Bolivar, San Cristobal, Kennedy, Soacha while in Bogota... the horror!!!

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Nov 6, 2006, 08:40:

DG Did you know that the church in Fontibon and there is a bridge too, called San Antonio were made patrimonio cultural. yep and hardly anybody knows. now my challenge to you is only if you want to accept it, is to go to fontibon and find the bridge, don't ask anybody just find it, if it is hard then you are allowed to ask but i don't think many people would know. I know where the bridge is , and it have a little plaque well if you can see it, but when you find it , probably you will fall backwards, you would never expect in a million years that this bridge and where it is situated is a patrimonio cultural!!!



I used to go to Fontibon a lot, I had a friend that lived there, i don't know if he still lives there, his parents where from Hungary, he his brother and sister look very European, blonde, blue eyes, very tall, they used to own the Taberna Hungara in the center of Bogota but they sold it, and his dad bought a fleet of colectivos, some of his brother used drive or I don't know if they still drive them.

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Nov 6, 2006, 09:59:

I find it near the airport.
I find it near the airport.

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utopiacowboy says on Nov 6, 2006, 10:06:

I'm with GIB. When I'm in Medellin, I am thankful that I never see a stinking gringo the entire time I am there. They can hole up in El Poblado. If the FARC want to do something constructive they'd attack there instead of some tiny outpost in the middle of nowhere.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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webmanco says on Nov 6, 2006, 10:19:

Parque de la 93 Fontibon is near Parque de la 93, that means the parque over carrera 93, :)

It is almost as big as Suba, in Fontibon you can find many industries and cargo areas. Also Zona Franca is there.

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

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miamimike says on Nov 6, 2006, 12:42:

DG, I observed the same thing a while back when a Poster asked about la Clinica De San Jose, arguably one of the best Medical Centers in Bogota, if not in all of Colombia. Some posters chimed in and said "Oh, its by the shopping Center San Andrescito" "I don't like the area"! Who the Hell cares about the area if the Doctors are Good and they provide Great Medical Care and the Clinic is Clean! You aren't going to live there and last I heard, no one was mugged or robbed in the Clinic. All I can say is these posters have not traveled much worldwide as if they did, they would notice many times the Best Hospitals and Clinics(in many world cities) are located in city Areas some may find unattractive. Who Cares?? Here in Miami, some of you best Known Clinics such as Bascom Palmer Eye Institute(known worldwide)is located in area you should not be in after the sun goes down, Do the patients Care? Not really, a Satisfied Client list a mile long,,,,,This predjudical attitude due a physical location is amazing,,,

Avatar Legend: Bush "If any of you Reporters are wondering, it was a Size 10"

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Nov 6, 2006, 13:03:

Miamike the hospital can be good, but unfortunately the area is bad, and i am not saying because the area is bad the hospital have to be bad! but i would no visit anybody in that hospital at night no way jose!! and in the aternoon i will keep my six sense all the time

My brother went to one of the best school in Bogota, and the school was situated in Bosa.:) and i grew up practicly in Kennedy and still there are areas in Kennedy i would not go!!

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miamimike says on Nov 6, 2006, 16:42:

Kat That is your Opinion but to link a Hospital's Reputation to the neighborhood is unfair. Or to attempt to steer an interested patient away from a clinic like this due to the neighborehood also is not fair. Some restaurants are in Bad neighborhoods but have great food and people go there to eat. You have the right to avoid the Hospital but let others make their decision based on care and the Doctors who practice there. A Buddy of mine was Robbed 1 block from the Santa Barbara Mall at 8pm and taken for a long scary taxi ride down to south Bogota by where the Tourist Trains depart but would I say "Don't go to Santa Barbara Mall, its too dangerous" based on what happened to him or don't go to the Clnica de Santa Fe, Of course not! BTW, I forget who the people were who posted that about San Jose it was a long time ago. Anyway the patient is not going to live at San Jose nor is he/she going to some Bar/disco to drink. As I say, here in Miami by Bascom Palmer by Jackson, a dangerous place at night but a clinic with a Sterling reputation despite the neighborhood,,,,

Avatar Legend: Bush "If any of you Reporters are wondering, it was a Size 10"

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shawkneesea says on Nov 6, 2006, 18:40:

Thanks Everybody I am a gringo, live in the States. But I am most comfortable with the locals. I will be with a local so I am sure I will be fine. PLUS, I am an old hoodrat from OAKLAND (aint no place ((in the states)), i'd rather be) so there is little that I have not seen.

How far of a ride (by bike) is it to the "sites"? Can anyone recommend a hotel that has some luxury, value, and location (sites, restaurants, and clubs)?

I will stay with my friend for a minute, but want to be in the action too. How is Christmas and New Years in Bogota?

Thanks again,
Sean

Sean

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billyb says on Nov 6, 2006, 20:59:

Mike, from reading her post, Kat is not.. linking the hospital's reputation to the 'hood. She is saying the hospital might be good but the neighborhood isn't. That's a valid point and a prospective patient can choose how much weight to give it.

BillyB

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Diez Y Siete says on Nov 7, 2006, 08:14:

i LOVED xmas in bogota, butthe friend i was staying with his whole family is in bogota, but i thought it was very entertaining and novena was my favorite, dont worry about understanding, but we would go to the malls and there would be little choirs of kids dressed as elfs singing they were so precious. i hope you have a good time, but it pretty much is desolate after xmas for new years, we went to a finca outside of bucaramunga

and also DG i dont like being slapped with the im a grigo so i must be a rich snob card, my parents are middle class, if not blue collar working class, and im coming to colombia for college because i want to and i want to stay in colombia after college and work for doctors without borders. not every gringo is bad, and its a big generalization, just like i dont make assumptions that if you came to the us that you are a drug dealer and you belong in miami or socal.

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litost says on Nov 7, 2006, 09:51:

What's with the class warfare?

Go do the revolution in your own country if you want but quit generalizing about people based on the place they live or their origin. You're mixing everything up... saying that the Fontibon neighborhood is not very nice or attractive in NO way insults the people themselves who live there. Nice people live in crappy neighborhoods (and viceversa) all over the world. You talk now because you've been in Colombia for years and slowly carve out a life for yourself there based on your tastes, priorities, preferences, etc... but I'm pretty sure that at least the first few days in the city were in the Centro or Norte, it's just logical to start out there. If it's not your cup of tea fine, it's a big city and look elsewhere. And what's with the North = Rich stereotype? First of all there are many estrato 2 and 3 neighborhoods in the Norte. And then a very large swath of estrato 4 which can by no standard be considered rich, by a developed nation's standards many would barely fall into the middle class. The same applies to a part of the estrato 5, many of which have parents who worked hard to get there (and an even harder time to maintain that level of life)... and the rest, the only ones who could trully be considered "rich" in Colombia are concentrated in a very few select neighborhoods in part of the North (I'd say less than 10% of the Norte's residents)... which by the way is it even their fault they were lucky enough to be born in privileged families in a country where half the population is poor? Sure there are many jerks and snobs as there happen to be in most societies, but most are probably normal working people.

Again, live and visit the neighborhoods you want but respect others... this is why I barely ever post on PBH everyone preaches their little distorted view of the country and countless stupid remarks go by unchallenged. It's hard for me as a colombian to just let them pass by all the time, but on the other hand I really don't enjoy getting caught up in endless discussions either. I guess it's a lost battle cuz obviously you have much more free time than I do.

Saludos.

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Nov 7, 2006, 11:21:

Unless you have a friend in fontibon or kennedy or you don't want to pay too much rent, them I don't see why a gringo have to go there, there is nothing there to see. well unless you want to go to Plaza de las Americas, mundo aventura or the rumba in la primera de mayo. As I said I grew up in kennedy and I never went out dancing around kennedy. my husband used to go there quite of often to see me, but we went to the north for partying or the center of Bogota, ok sometimes we stayed local but i didn't like the places that much. As I said Kennedy is quite big and there are areas which i would not go and I don't think a gringo has not business in going there either. In kennedy there are nice people but there is a lot of doggie characters around there too. (not me ;)

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utopiacowboy says on Nov 7, 2006, 21:12:

We voted Democrat and it's time for class warfare.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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