Question If a middle aged professional man was to spend 6months to 1 year in sarajevo,what suggestions do you have for living quarters? Are there areas where english language is more accepted than others? DO you suggest a furnished apartment verses boarding arrangments? Clearly, there is an interest in safety,and cost, and proximity to the city etc.What other areas of wise counsel can you suggest? thankyou,ellsworth
Answer I do not know any major Bosnian websites offhand (sorry, I am Macedonian so that is more of my focus) but check things like www.yugoslavia.net, etc. Perhaps there is information there on boarding. My best friend is leaving today to move to Moscow for two years and he went to www.expat.ru and found a great room there with all western amenities on Arbat in Moscow (Red Square area). If you are going for an extended time you probably have some contacts in the area and ask them which areas of Sarajevo would be the most convenient. Unfortunately in the Balkans we are not as developed as places like Moscow with Metros and all but still some areas are more "western". There are cyber-cafes and all in the city but it is still grim by Western standards. Once again, for Sarajevo I do not know where to begin to look for ads. Many well educated people are in need of money and will rent part of their flat to a Westerner and probably even speak English. (I know that is the case on Moscow and other larger cities in E. Europe). Sarajevo is an iffy city - it is not really one group and Bosnians are still confused on who they are. If you are Catholic you will probably feel more comfortable in a Croatian environment and they are most Westward looking than the others. However, areas near main hotels are usually flooded with Westerners and in fact at times they just stay in a hotel for long jaunts. Regardless, sharing a flat or furnished - the standards are not like in the US. In either case bathrooms may have to be shared with flatmates or per every two apartments. Hot water is a rare luxury. Boarding may be better if you can get some meals included because trying to find food and cook with Yugo. equipment can be "interesting". For an American I would say one thing - do not be flashy there, do not fill your apt or room with flashy things, do not keep money there, etc. You would be a target not because you are American as much as people would think you have a lot of money there. Cost is cheap relatively for a few hundred dollars a month one can live like a king there. Pay attention for posts that stress western phonelines, bathrooms, tv, English speaking, near markets and tram stops, etc. You should be able to get something in town because urban sprawl is not like it is here. Sorry I can't help more. Good luck and if there is anything else I can maybe help with, don't hesitate.
