And the winner is:
CEDOFEITA/SANTA CATARINA Neighborhoods
They are a little trendy, bohemian neighborhoods known for their art galleries, independent shops, and diverse dining options. Both of these streets have pedestrian only areas and that is where we are aiming. They have residential over retail with mostly 3-4 story buildings. They are close to, well, everything. The Old Town on the Duoro River is a 20ish minute walk. Museums, activities, parks, and the beach are all within reach. The public transportation system is plentiful. Buses, trams, funicular and metro are all within a few minutes walk. Trains to access most of Portugal are available through one of two major stations: São Bento and Campahna.
The cons are: It's rainy season is a bit unicloudesque. It's pricier but not as pricey as Lisbon. It is somewhat touristy.
Here are some videos to show you the charm of these neighborhoods
Rua de Santa Caterina Rua de Cedofeita
Why we didn't choose:
BRAGA - We actually liked Braga quite a bit. If there comes a time where we are not as active as we are now, we would consider it. The lack of ability to walk out your door and go 'do' something is pretty limited. It's lovely and we can take day trips there.
COIMBRA - JR described it best - the neighborhoods we would want to live in don't align with the services for which we are looking. There are very few flat areas and for the most part, the streets are pretty steep. The Old Town was lovely and again, we will probably visit there to hear some Fado and enjoy the touristy part of Coimbra.
SÃO MARTINHO DE PORTO - This lovely beach town would be great if you one was looking for a super quiet place that was mostly flat. In order to take part in most larger services - grocery, etc. - one would need to go to Caldas da Rainha (many do) or one of the other larger cities adjacent. Like the Portuguese, I would also vacation here for a few days.
CALDAS DA RAINHA - We had high hopes for this artsy town. Like Braga, it's just a little too small for us. It is lovely tho. Also, there was not a lot of apartment inventory and most don't have any type of heat exchange system other than open windows. It doesn't get as hot here, but since I'm allergic to the heat, we can't take a chance that it will be cool enough in addition to the size of the town.
For our VISA appointment, we must have a 1 year lease with a registered property/owner. That appointment is January 15th. Chances are our lease will probably start before we are able to go,but that's part of the process.
Next: Obtaining a D7 (passive income) VISA and learning Portuguese
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