Cartagena-Colombia-Travel

I'm looking at visiting Medellin for about a month and was looking at neighborhoods that would be safe, but where I can still access cafes, restaurants, international ATMs, walk to free events, perhaps a public park where people gather and do fun things (artists, musicians, skateboarders), etc.

I've heard about El Poblado but it doesn't look like much other than the big mall (I may be wrong so I apologize if I am). Then there's the Parque Bolivar neighborhood in downtown, as well as others like Parque Ileras and Bolivariana

So I'm a little lost and looking for advice. I'm in my early 40s so I don't stay out after early evening. I'm also on a budget and don't want to spend a lot on fancy restaurants. Unfortunately, I don't speak Spanish. I had relied heavily on my translation app in Mexico City and that was exhausting (a whole month of translation app use).

I like hanging out a hipster cafes (hey! at least I'm honest about it ;p , enjoy neighborhoods influenced by artists and musicians, and I don't explore a whole lot other than quick Uber rides here and there. Oh and I'm mostly vegetarian so access to vegetarian/vegan eateries is a must!

Yes, I'm a boring tourist. Anyways, what neighborhoods should I look at Explainer video, and anybody have recommendations on good, affordable hostels, or maybe even AirBnBs? (Looks like more and more AirBnB homes are being run like hostels these days).

Will my lack of Spanish skills be a significant barrier at businesses? In Mexico City, I always found helpful locals at Starbucks and Dominos who were willing to help translate.