Coming to Quito

John Tate wrote:

My wife, Holly, and I are coming to Quito for a week ....
we know from experience how much time and effort it takes to even begin to understand what it's like to live in a new place/country.  We would love any advice anyone might have on the best way to use that time to get a baseline familiarity as a first step.

Hello, John and Holly .. and welcome to the Ecuador forums of expat.com ...

It's rare and refreshing to read a post from a prospective Expat who wisely is focusing on a city and not an entire country in planning an initial visit.

Make sure to include the Expat-friendly Marisical sector as a part of your visit.  It's not ideal as a residential venue, although it is near residential areas.  It is a lively sector filled with nightlife, restaurants offering international cuisines, shopping, sports bars and salons .. brimming with life and showing why Quito is an attractive city for visitors.

Avenida Río Amazonas and the blocks in all directions surrounding Plaza Foch offer a multitude of services needed for Expat life, including tailors, banks, Internet cafés, shipping agencies, airlines offices and fruterías.

Taxis are plentiful and one can live in or near Mariscal without owning a car.  Public transportation is available although taxis may be a better choice during covid times due to transit crowding during parts of any weekday.

Another advantage in Mariscal is that it is relatively flat, easier to walk around than parts of Centro Histórico, for instance.  Centro is a must-see, although -- as a condo-owner there -- I consider it less ideal than Mariscal .. and would have bought my property in or next to Mariscal (in 2005) except for the higher cost.

Some examples... As a future resident, if you want a massage or to have restaurant food (beyond pizza and chicken) delivered .. it can be done in other sectors.  But it's much easier to find what you want in these respects in and around Mariscal.

cccmedia

Disclosure... I have been outside Ecuador during recent covid months, so I cannot testify from personal experience as to how the pandemic has affected Mariscal. 
Updates... As of today, restaurant dining hours in Quito are expanding as the covid emergency rules are relaxed or have just expired;  the national emergency declaration has expired. 
However, in Quito, bars and nightclubs remain closed.