Moving to Sliven

As first approximation, I'd say Sliven is a good place . It has mountains close by, and the see is not far away.

Thank you Slater doe your reply.

Am visiting end of March.  God will all will be good.

Once again thank you for your reply.

Regards

Nawal

Do you speak Bulgarian? I don't know how many people would speak English in Sliven! Make sure to be careful cause there might be scammers as Sliven isn't as developed as the other major cities.

Oh, no I dont speak Bulgaria I suppose I better start am online course.

There good and bad everywhere.  Thank you for the advice.

Any more tricks and tips would be appreciated.


Regards

I know Sliven pretty well and my wife is from there; my in-laws still own an apartment there but haven't lived there for decades.  Sorry to sound negative but neither she nor I would dream of living there - it's a run-down dump, not that it's ever been any great shakes unless you count a not very good carpet factory back in the Commie times. I honestly can't imagine why anyone would willingly choose to live there when there are so many better places, whatever your criteria.

As you said, there's good and bad everywhere but if you read the local news and talk to people who live there you'll find that there's more of the latter than the former in Sliven.

I hope it all works out for you, Gumma. Visiting and spending time there is probably a wise idea before you pack up everything and move. One person's idea of a great place might be someone else's terrible, and someone else's terrible might be your idea of great!
It all depends what we want from where we live. Do read the local news, but remember all that tends to be reported is bad news, not good. Talk to the local mayor, shop in the local shops. Get to know people. Nowhere is all bad. The main thing is to stay safe.
I've bought a very inexpensive house (without seeing it) in what looks to me to be a good village but in an area some Brits have warned me away from (not Sliven). Okay, it might have been wiser to buy in places I know from previous visits. But sometimes in life we need to take a chance!
My intentions are to visit in the spring and spend a couple of weeks camping out in the house and meeting local people to get a feel for the place, before I commit to spending more money on the house or moving stuff there permanently.  Take things slowly, give back what I can to where I live and the people there, leave few things there worth stealing and try to make myself a person they won't WANT to steal from. And pray!

Thank you JimJ and Janemulberry

I due to visit for viewing a property there.

WoW...am going to view the property there was told that there were some expat there and amenties close and not a bad area.  I just do not want a touristic area to live in.

I will take on board your view and read and local papers before anything definitive decision is made.

Thank u for your feedback.

Jane if you have show u have nothing to steal possible not a good place to be.

Will see what happens.

But thank you both for your honesty.

Regards

I hope the visit goes well, Gumma. Trust your gut feelings, no matter what the agent tells you! Look around at the area, and you'll get the feel whether it's right for you or not.

The "nothing to steal" - I don't know if it's necessary or not in the village my house is in. It's quite possible it will be. We currently live in a "nice" commuter town not far from London. Property prices and rents are high. Thefts and burglaries are common here. My husband has had three bikes stolen, his car vandalised, and drug dealers are everywhere, openly doing deals. So we try not to look as if we have anything worth stealing here, too!

As we intend to furnish our Bg place fairly simply, I'm hoping it won't be an issue. I don't condone stealing, but I do think if expats move to a poorer area, put a widescreen TV on the wall in every room and fill the house with new furniture, then go away for six months, it's a bit like putting up a sign saying "Stuff worth stealing here." Houses that aren't lived in for much of the year and have resaleable items left in them can be at risk of burglary anywhere, unfortunately, whether in Bg or UK.

I also feel it's important to be part of the community. Use local tradespeople for home improvements, do at least some shopping in the local shop, support local activities, learn the language, get to know people. Bulgaria isn't a rich country, and there are always ways we can give something to the place we live. I could be being naive. but I think an expat who gets involved is less likely to be a target.

As I m moving in Sliven next summer, I would like to know if there is an area near sliven which is more safe to live and grow up a child. I am not a bulgarian and I am a little bit scared about my family living in Sliven.

@zwgilaki  Is there any particular reason behind your choice of Sliven?  My wife is originally from there and she still has the family apartment, and several friends, there. None of them has a good word to say about the place, especially nowadays.

If you aren't obliged to live there, then I'd certainly look elsewhere before you make a decision, if I were you.

@JimJ so why people live ok in Sliven?  Why they dont leave? What is different Sliven and every town?

@Anastasija_gust  Every town is different, and some are worse than others.  Our friends in Sliven are stuck there due to their jobs and having elderly relatives who aren't keen on moving (and who don't think about the effects of their wishes on the younger folk).  Sure, people live in Sliven and get by, but I don't know any who do so by choice - including my wife, her elderly parents, and the younger members of our friends' families.

There's a big difference between living somewhere by choice and living somewhere because you have no choice;  I was interested in the reasons behind @zwigalaki's decision.  Sliven is certainly not a place that I'd pick.

The reason we are moving to Sliven is about my husband’s job. I ve never been there but I have listened about the criminality. i know that it’s a big town but noone I know have told something good about this town. Maybe it’s wrong maybe not, that’s why I am asking. is there any smaller town with low criminality? otherwise I know that Burgas and Stara Zagora are good places to live. But they are an hour away from Sliven.

Many foreigners go to Sliven for jobs now. Factories owned by Greeks  etc

Good place to work and do business

@zwgilaki

I visited Sliven earlier this year. Personally, I love the Balkan Mountains, and I think it adds a lot to a town (such as Karlovo, Kazanlak, Sliven, Sveti Vlas) to have some scenery and nice walks nearby. Sliven has a big nature park area and a gondola lift (like Sopot at Karlovo), so there are plenty of biking/hiking/camping opportunities there. I'm not the only one who appreciates this, and it's getting harder and harder to find affordable properties along this mountain range.

I prefer Karlovo and Kazanlak, but it seemed fine to me. I'd guess it depends a lot where you live in Sliven, rather than it's all bad. If you can find a nice property in a nice part of the town, it might be a great place to live.

There seems to be two threads with your question, I've posted a fuller reply on the newer thread.