Heard it again just the other day and wondered, yet again, what is it so many of these folks have heard? A fellow was asking me some advice about a business idea and listing of some of the cites around the Philippines he had thought through where he might sell his product, and true to form for so many folks in the “Philippines wanna be ” community, he end his list with the comment, “of course I’m sure it would sell in Angeles City, but I don’t know if I can deal with the crime and the prostitutes there.” I mean I could almost picture this fellow spitting in disgust at the end of his statement.
A while back, in a totally different matter, another online friend wrote about a foreigner he knew who had suffered a misfortune or two, and he ended the account of his fellow expat’s hard times by saying, “Of course I can’t help him because he’s chosen to live up there in Angles City, next to all the whorehouses.”
Does this look like a whorehouse to you? 
Selling for about $65,000 USD. Or this townhouse? 
Fully furnished at $334 USD per month? These are just a couple samples I pulled at random from current listings in Angles.
You know one of the things I have noticed is, in many cities in the Philippines you can’t even find listings of homes for sale or rent. It’s as if you have to be a member of some private club just to find houses for sale or rent.
In Angeles City this certainly isn’t the case. Just take a look at this Blue-Book publication (you can download their current issue in .pdf format) and see some of the flavor of what’s available to expats in Angeles City. there isn’t another city in the Philippines that even has such a publication, let alone some of the services offered in Angeles.
There are many, very “livable” older subdivision homes for sale or rent too. One unique feature found in no other city I know of is that many of the rental homes on the market today are in subdivisions that were built back in the US Air Force days and the homes had to be very “Americanized” in order to be approved for servicemen’s off base quarters.
Angeles City is a medical education center for the Philippines. There are dozens of hospitals including a couple well regarded teaching hospitals.
There are two major shopping hubs .. one of the larger SM malls and a huge new Ayala property called Marquis Mall.
And restaurants and food stores with products and cuisine from all over the world? Oh yes, you bet. Exploring the different restaurants in Angles can be an experience all on its own.
And a real jewel in the crown of Angeles City is the airport. If you’ve ever been through NAIA airport in Manila, you know one of the chief reasons many visitors to the Philippines never make a second visit. For an international airport serving the capital city of a whole country, NAIA … well, let’s just say it leaves a bit to be desired, shall we?
Clark, Angeles City’s airport is a full-fledged international airport with service to domestic destinations and a dozen or so international cities. And it’s clean, modern, spacious and fully “no hassle”. I highly recommend it, in fact one can often get a good travel deal from the US by looking for a discount flight into Hong Kong and then continuing on to Clark via PAL or Cebu Pacific. A worthy asset.
Now before you get the idea I am ‘selling” Angeles City (I’m not, I don’t even live there), let me assure you I am not selling anything here. (If I were, I’d be selling Subic, just a few miles down the brand new, international standard SCTEX toll road 
)
But what I get a bit upset about is, the massive amounts of information that circulate about living in the Philippines on line. And the way certain places get reputations they don’t deserve, just from a certain group who know nothing at all themselves, but spend their life repeating all the hearsay they have heard and passing it on as if they had actually seen things for themselves. You may not always get the information from me that makes you say, “yes, yes, he’s right, that’s what so-and so-said”, but what you will get from me is honest personal opinion, and if I haven’t had first-hand knowledge, I’ll tell you so.”
Would Angles City be the right place for you to settle in the Philippines? Maybe yes, maybe no, but for goodness sake, base your decision making on fact rather than fiction … for your own peace of mind, OK?
Hi Dave;
Your post has alot of truth to it. I’ve always said you don’t no a place until you live there.
Angles,Subic,Jacksonville,New York,Hong Kong,London all places have their little skid rows. The problem with most people is they hear about the skid rows and bars and not much about anything else. I’ll bet most of this sterotype additude comes from former military people who poped in and poped out of the Philippines. Of course they were looking for a good time. So what do they do go home and bragg about their adventures in skid row while drinking massive amount of San Miguel for pennies on a dollar.
I don’t much cultural education in that.
If you live there like you do and I did (and will again) you see the true beauty of the culture and the people.
People run around in life with blinders on their heads. One of my college professors once said. Don’t believe me go and find out for yourself and then you will know if I’m telling you the truth. Maybe they should do alittle bit of research before they spout their opinions.
Well I of course am highly opinionated myself, so I guess I shouldn’t call the kettle black. But I do urge people thinking of moving her to think more closely about the places well suited to foreigners. And if I get a bit too enthused at times … well, I’ll be happy to refund all subscription money to dis-satisfied readers
Dave;
Opinionated on experince and reschearch and opinionated on hearsay are two different animals. I am to opinionated but I try to base it on facts not fiction.
When a foreigner is going to move to a new country he really needs to visit and do some homework first.