Bogotá is located on a high, mountain-rimmed plateau in Colombia’s eastern Andes

My first impression of Bogotá, Colombia was not good.

As I ventured from my hotel on the first morning, I was greeted with homeless guys, hookers and bus fumes. The buildings and the streets were damp, dreary and gray…as was the air. As far as I was concerned, the most promising thing in the immediate area was my onward ticket to Medellín.

But I was missing the bigger picture. Sure, there are areas that I’d recommend you avoid (such as where my cut-rate hotel was located), as they’re still like the Bogotá of the 80s.

But the modern residential sectors of Bogotá are clean, safe and cheerful. In fact, several of these neighborhoods are among the best I’ve found in Latin America.

The New York Times recently referred to Bogotá as “a role model of urban reinvention,” and placed Colombia on its list of places to see in 2010. So I won’t belabor this…but Colombia is not the same country that forged the stereotype in the 80s, or even the 90s. Things are different today from what they were even three years ago, so it’s time to look at Colombia with a fresh eye.

Bogotá is a sprawling city of 6.7 million people, located on a high, mountain-rimmed plateau in Colombia’s eastern Andes. The weather is spring-like all year, with highs around 70 degrees and cool, pleasant nights.

As you travel north from Bogotá Centro, you’ll pass a succession of areas that become increasingly newer, more-modern, safe and secure. And while the northern and eastern sectors may generally feel more upscale, that doesn’t mean they’re automatically everyone’s favorite: I found staunch advocates for just about every Bogotá neighborhood from Centro northward.

In fact, that’s the part of Bogotá I like best. For anyone who’s thinking of retiring overseas, it has an exceptionally broad appeal.

You can stroll the quiet, cobblestoned streets and relax in the town square in the northern suburb of Usaquén, or watch the world go by from one if its small restaurants, bars or cafes.

Or maybe Rosales would be more your style, in a gleaming, new condo with its large picture windows looking through the towering eucalyptus trees, and down onto the city below.

For those who want a colonial environment, the section of La Candelaria that overlooks the main cathedral is one of the best-restored you’ll find…and has a good selection of small cafes, B&Bs, boutique hotels…and even a tiny hole-in-the-wall sushi restaurant.

Chapinero on the other hand, will give you that zesty, “alive,” Latin-American-city feel, with bustling streets, music flowing from the windows, and its own bohemian collection of clubs and restaurants.

My personal favorite was El Chicó (pronounced el chee-COH), which I considered to be the perfect mix: It had a wide range of residential options, from new glassy highrises on the mountainside, to smaller, older apartments and homes down in the busier part of town. Everything you need is here, from fine, upscale dining, to shops and markets where you can get just about anything you could back home.

And the cost of living is not bad either. You could get by nicely in Bogotá on around $1,200 per month. And if you need health insurance, you can find a good policy for approximately $100 monthly.

On the property front, there’s a 1,200-square-foot apartment for sale in Chapinero for just $64,000 that would get your foot in the door of this popular neighborhood.

For around $200,000, you can find a five-bedroom luxury home in a nice neighborhood (like this one).

In the exclusive Rosales, a 1-400-square-foot apartment in a new, exclusive building will set you back $171,000.

You can rent a modest apartment in a good neighborhood from $400 a month.

So whether you want to live on a budget… or treat yourself to a pampered lifestyle high in the Andes, Bogotá will likely have something for you. But if you mention Colombia to a friend, be ready to hear stories of drug cartels and kidnappings…old stereotypes die hard.

Bogotá is located on a high, mountain-rimmed plateau in Colombia’s eastern Andes

See the upcoming July issue of International Living for my full Colombia report.