We bring you an interesting article published in Los Angeles magazine , before the Web Summit held in Lisbon, which resulted in a lot of reactions and interest. * The article is translated. A link to the original article in English is attached at the end of the text.

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“The new Californian dream is in Portugal”

Key figures from Hollywood and influencers from the field of technology in Silicon Valley are flocking to the European  twin of the “Godlen State”.

” It seems like a strange choice , doesn’t it ?” Madonna said after her surprise move from London to Lisbon in 2017. But  recently , Portugal has become an essential destination for Californians in search of renewal and vitality . A nation  that once divided the world with Spain , then lost its relevance for hundreds of years , It is the new fashionable  place for the growth of start – ups , to create an international team , to buy an apartment or simply to live . The cost of  living  is less than half that of California , dinner for two will cost about $ 25 ,  a good wine from the supermarket is cheaper than bottled water in L.A. , and the problem of   The workforce , and the politicization of the epidemic are refreshingly absent  from it .

Lisbon pulses with a vibrant community  of expats : Brazilians , French , Ukrainians , British , Africans , Italians , and increasingly , also residents of California . Scarlett Johansson , one of the highest paid  actresses in Hollywood , bought an apartment in the Principe Real neighborhood of the city ( Principe Real ); ” Superhero ” Michael Fassbender  has obtained an apartment worth 2 million dollars overlooking the Tagus River . The actor John Malkovich was so fascinated that he  expressed himself in a video he shot : ” A feast for the eyes … the architecture and its diversity , the colors , the landscape … great culture , great people , great food . “ In Lisbon you can enjoy a 70 – cent coffee in the morning , cross the sidewalk, the designed calçadas , on your way  to a fashionable  co -working space , dine with friends on a dinner of sardines and green wine , and party until 4 am on a  Thursday night – and then do the same thing again on the day friday _      

The new celebrities who have arrived in Portugal are symbols of a greater discovery that is in the making . American immigration  to Lisbon and Porto jumped by 33% in the year before the pandemic . And the quintessential California experience , the technology confab , returns live this November in Lisbon with the massive Web Summit , from her personal position it is a product   of a country that now boasts a vaccination rate of 89 % , the highest in the world . Portugal , which used to be a cheap vacation destination in Europe , is now the leading tourist destination in Europe for several years  in a row .

Portugal can seem like California ‘s European twin , on so many levels , albeit without the apocalyptic fires and persistent droughts  . Lisbon really teases the residents of California : like San  Francisco , Lisbon also has an amazing suspension bridge painted red , over the Tagus River instead of the Golden Gate ( which was built by  the same engineer who built the San Francisco Bay Bridge – Oakland ), seven steep hills , and iconic cable cars , with many shades . World class surfing 30 minutes away in Ericeira and Nazaré  . _ _ _ _ _ _ Says Jesse Lott , 35 , master ‘s degree In business administration at the University of California who came from San Diego and today  heads the European expansion of Beyond, a hot Californian startup with a  growing presence in Lisbon , ” it feels like it’s San Francisco – it even has the Golden Gate Bridge , and that coastline from Lisbon  to Cascais with the amazing surfing “.

The new freedom that allows many Californians to work from anywhere only increases the allure of Portugal . The epidemic  has exposed cracks in the state that have been building for years in California : housing prices that are out of control , a homeless  crisis for which no solution has been found , an increase in crime rates . We have witnessed a massive exodus in the past year to the  greener pastures of Austin and Miami . or not . The postal data proved that this ” phenomenon” was greatly exaggerated ; Most of the evacuees from the Bay Area moved 10 km to Alameda County , up to Sacramento or south to San Diego . But that’s  not the whole story . Life is hard for many       In so many parts of the country , and it is understandable why a tiny  country like Portugal 9,000 km away reminds us of what California once had to offer , and the forces behind  the growing Californian diaspora there .

During the severe global financial crisis of 2007-2008, hundreds of thousands of Portuguese professionals lost government  and corporate jobs . Entrepreneurship has become a way out of the crisis . ” If you want to start a movement or  create an ecosystem , the first step is to inspire , ” recalls Ricardo Marvão , 43 years old  . From the young Beta I accelerator in Lisbon , who in 2011 set out on a global odyssey with his partners to ” look  at the different things that are happening and collect what might work in Lisbon “. Their first stop was  California , with enlightening visits to Google , Facebook , Stanford and IDEO . _ then ordered _ Ten prominent technologists from California for a conference called Silicon Valley are coming to Lisbon ,  which has become a major catalyst for innovation .    

Thus was born a useful cultural and economic bridge between California and Portugal . The Portuguese prize for California  ‘s billionaires in venture capital , deep entrepreneurial networks , expertise in sales , marketing and expansion of start – ups . In return , they offer  determined and talented employees who speak fluent English ( the country ranks 7th in the world in speaking English    as a second language  ),  and friendly to startups .  “You get these great people who , if you were in the Bay Area , would be  very hard to find , especially with that Portuguese personality ,” Lott says . ” Warm and cooperative , they  want to work with you .” Visa programs managed by the Portuguese government are streamlined the process for hiring  American workers . The taxes are low . Broadband is everywhere . _ _ A direct trans – Atlantic fiber optic cable provides home  network speeds on average of gigabytes per minute . There is even the advantage of the Portuguese time zone : an hour  closer than the rest of Europe to California and New York .

Changing attitudes towards employment – and employers – also motivates the diaspora . Family comes first in Portugal , and the country offers a balance between work and life that young Americans especially demand , as evidenced by  the stories of expats from California who settle  there .

Take Matt White , 33 , who worked in Los Angeles on a financing model for independent films before moving to the  Bay Area , where he became a husband and father shortly before launching his startup Apres . ” The challenging part of San  Francisco was the lack of infrastructure for families , ” he remembered _ ” The character The competitiveness of the day care centers and the costs … it’s  like putting your child in Harvard .  ” Portugal promised a more balanced ” beautiful country to raise our children “. The family settled in Cascais – imagine a European Santa Barbara – 30 minutes west of Lisbon , and never looked back .

Nathan Hadlock , 39 , was living in Newport Beach and working for a start – up when he and his wife compiled a list of  their top ten cities . Lisbon quickly rose to first place . ” We want to slow down life , and pay more attention to our passions , and that was the spark of Portugal ,” he says _ In the fall of 2019, Hadlock  participated in the Start – up Portugal program that offers a week of classes ” where they show you the streets  of Lisbon , and tell you what it’s like to be an entrepreneur “. A trip to Alentejo finally convinced them . The couple landed in Lisbon just  before the lockdown in March 2020, but also During the pandemic , Hadlock connected to the thriving network of talented,  mission -oriented expats .

This warm welcome is rooted in Portuguese culture . Three years ago , Muntz Fiorentini , 53, a human resources specialist  who worked in Los Angeles , decided to move to Lisbon . She met a local girl looking for  a roommate and took the step . ” On my first night I went to a digital nomads meeting , I met A new friend  , and on the second day  my partner took me to her gym ,” she recalls . She quickly  made friends and business connections ; She sent out 250 LinkedIn emails to Portuguese CEOs in the hope that one of them  would talk to a ” skinny, tattooed girl ,” and she was shocked when ” twenty – five Of which they drank coffee with me .” Today  Fiorentini is head of personnel in the Lisbon office of Kencko , a start – up in the health sector .

As California struggles to recover from its existential crisis as a state that many of its residents believe  is in decline , Portugal offers a second chance to live the Californian good life of old. So expect  to see thousands more seekers of culture , waves and technological opportunities in Lisbon and Porto .

” They often joke that Portugal and California used to be one , and they split ,” says Fernanda  Carpinia , former director of development at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles , and currently founder and CEO of WE Global Studios and leading its expansion to Lisbon . ” The climate is the same , the plants are the same , that’s enough Wild .”

Link to the original article:
https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/the-new-california-dream-is-in-portugal/