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[QUOTE=smucat]i'm looking for information about Bari. I'm moving there later in the year and would like to know more about nearby beaches, nightlife, ½ûÂþÌìÌà courses, good flat rental agencies or houseshares you know of, good food markets, places to buy Asian food, the best place for coffee, ummm, anything else helpful!
thanks,
smucat[/QUOTE]

Bari is a quite big city (350.000 ab.)
So it depends in wich part of the city you'll live and kind of job you're going to do there.
No problems with nightlife, it's full of restaurants, pizzerie, disco, jazz club, ethno etc. (especially the old city - Bari vecchia)
The center is full of all the kind of shops you need.
no problem with Asian food: there's an increasing asian community and asian food shops, most of them are in Quartiere Libertà - via Crisanzio, via Manzoni etc
The best beaches are in the south, near the towns of Monopoli and Polignano, but consider also the north - Trani and Bisceglie: they are in a range of 30 min. by car.
Coffee is good everywhere
Best ice cream in Gasperini - corso Cavour
I can't help you with rental agencies, since I left Bari in 1990 but there're a lot of agencies so I don't think you'll find problems, but I can't say anything about prices

Bari is considered the main university town of Puglia so that there are many opportunities for both flats and rooms. Rates depend on the area of the town. In the centre they ask for approx a 220 euro per month for a single room and 170 euro per month per bed in a double room. A furnished two-room flat (bedroom and livingroom, bathroom and kitchen) is approx 380/700 euro, depending on the area and the conditions. Several offers are on the local second-hand newspaper, "Business", sold by bookstalls.
A friend of mine is looking for ½ûÂþÌìÌà courses there too. Should I know something more about this I’ll let you know.
A bike (either bicycle or motorcycle) would be useful since the weather is great in Bari and the town is pretty flat.
Should you be a Coca Light addict, as I am, bring with you a stock because it is hard to find there :)

Thank you!
Can you tell me about good areas to live, or perhaps more importantly, ones to avoid?!
I'll start packing the cocalight...

[QUOTE=smucat]Thank you!
Can you tell me about good areas to live, or perhaps more importantly, ones to avoid?!
I'll start packing the cocalight...[/QUOTE]

Good area:
center - quartiere Murat (most expensive)
Madonnella (part of it, the nearest to quartiere Murat)
old town - bari vecchia (only part of it and the good one now expensive)
poggiofranco
Carrassi (most of it, Viale della Repubblica, via Papa Giovanni)
Palese S. Spirito - quite far from the center, but there's the metro, less expensive, by the sea....
Torre a Mare - like Palese
Politecnico University area

AVOID
Quartiere S. Paolo - CEP (all)
Japigia (most of it)
Enziteto (all)
Fesca - S. Girolamo (all)
Libertà: it's close to the center, some areas are good, but generally to avoid, most of all the the part far from Murat
Bari Vecchia (tha bad part)

NEUTRAL
Carbonara
S. Pasquale

many thanks. i'm looking forward to my barese adventure.

[QUOTE=smucat]many thanks. i'm looking forward to my barese adventure.[/QUOTE]

What are you going to do in Bari ?

I would also exclude to live in San Girolamo. I would include Bari Vecchia in the list of nicest areas of Bari though. Just today I had a beautiful walk with a friend of mine through the narrow and suggestive alleys of that area. She told me that she read a lot of bad comments about Bari and Bari Vecchia suggesting that it is advisable to avoid to stop over. She was really surprised to realise that Bari changed so much over last 10/12 years. I have been told that years ago it was dangerous to walk in Bari Vecchia, even in the morning. But I can say that now thinks are good. At least much better than what they write in tourist guide books. :)
It seems also that it is sort of fashionable to live in Bari Vecchia nowadays. By the way, a friend of mine is likely going to leave an apartment in Bari Murat, may be in Sept - Opt. When would you need the accommodation? Should you like I could ask him for details. If I remember correctly he is currently under an annual contract. Ciao. Ad

That would be great- depends how much it costs but please send further details. I would need it from the final week in September.

In response to the second question, I'm going to teach English...not very original, i'm afraid.

I got some information: unfortunately the flat in Murati is busy until next year… Should I know about some opportunity I will let you know.

thanks anyway : )