Living in Mexico

[Captain Solo]

Tijuana's weather is warm, dry, pleasant, not hot and humid like Yucatan.

Nice, clean apartments with 2 bedrooms in nice, green, safe areas are about $300-400 within half mile of the border. You can walk across the border back to the US for medical or other services. With Sentri card, driving or crossing back average about 10-15 minutes.

Tijuana also has the largest number of beautiful young girls working in bars and streets with fairly low costs. Far better than all other cities in Mexico I know.

I keep looking around on all the expat sites."Live in Thailand for $500 a month". One thing I am looking for on these forums is a place to stay. A long term hotel or inexpensive apartment, and where they are! The online classifieds just show the high dollar places. Specifically, I am looking at Merida, Mexico. Where. And how do you find affordable housing? The stuff online is just as expensive as the States.

[Gagoo]

Hi all. I'm considering getting a Sentri card, moving to Tijuana on a permanent basis and commuting daily to SD (Old Town area). I wanted to get your guys' opinion on how an Asian guy might be treated, specifically regarding:

1. Safety, run-ins with police, etc. I imagine I'll stick out with my yellow face and it won't help that my yellow face sticks out. How big of an issue are extortion, shakedowns, and theft / muggings on the street? Is getting an apartment with gated parking a must?

2. Dating (non-P4 P). From what I see, online dating doesn't seem very big in Tijuana so it looks like I'll have to do the majority of my approaches offline. Assuming I get my Spanish up to an intermediate level, are Tijuana women receptive to Asians?

Would appreciate any and all input. Does anyone feels strongly that I should just live in SD and only visit Tijuana when needed, given my ethnicity and / or commute?

I don't know if you were joking a little calling yourself or other Asians yellow. There are lots of Asian men going to the bars in Tijuana. If you go to the Hong Kong bar, many times Asian men will be almost half of the customers.

My mother is Asian, and my father a white country boy that met my mom in the Vietnam war. I was told they met innocently.

I got plenty of Mexican girls that say they like Asian men. Of course some will say anything to a customer. But from my travels in Central and South America and the Caribbean, I've had a lot of women like me and the women are not shy to walk around the streets holding my hand or kissing me in public, or travel with me to other cities or countries. And in Asia the women liked this half Asian man. In the Dominican Republic I was quite popular. The stereotype will be you are smart and have money and probably own a business. But, when they think you have money that can be a problem.

I don't have the Sentri card, but I would still think the hassle of crossing the boarder every day would be quite a hassle.

I just crossed the border today and they sent me to secondary inspection, those fuckers.

Also, in Tijuana lots of people speak some English.

The only time I was discriminated against was some young boy in Grenada, Nicaragua last year. I was eating and he said give me some dollars, and I said no. Then he said out loud 'look at the Chino' 'Chino, Chino, Chino' but the adults just pretended they didn't hear the boy. Then the dumb boy asked me for dollars again. Then I said this Chino has dollars and you don't.

[Storm Rider #2]

Hi all. I'm considering getting a Sentri card, moving to Tijuana on a permanent basis and commuting daily to SD (Old Town area). I wanted to get your guys' opinion on how an Asian guy might be treated, specifically regarding:

1. Safety, run-ins with police, etc. I imagine I'll stick out with my yellow face and it won't help that my yellow face sticks out. How big of an issue are extortion, shakedowns, and theft / muggings on the street? Is getting an apartment with gated parking a must?

2. Dating (non-P4 P). From what I see, online dating doesn't seem very big in Tijuana so it looks like I'll have to do the majority of my approaches offline. Assuming I get my Spanish up to an intermediate level, are Tijuana women receptive to Asians?

Would appreciate any and all input. Does anyone feels strongly that I should just live in SD and only visit Tijuana when needed, given my ethnicity and / or commute?

If by yellow, you mean that you're Asian, you won't stick out that much. Asians are the one of the largest minority populations in Mexico. Quite a few have emigrated to border towns. Gated parking by all means. Don't know about receptiveness, but I doubt that it'll mean much to them other that the cash in hand.

[Paul C]

Hi all. I'm considering getting a Sentri card, moving to Tijuana on a permanent basis and commuting daily to SD (Old Town area). I wanted to get your guys' opinion on how an Asian guy might be treated, specifically regarding:

1. Safety, run-ins with police, etc. I imagine I'll stick out with my yellow face and it won't help that my yellow face sticks out. How big of an issue are extortion, shakedowns, and theft / muggings on the street? Is getting an apartment with gated parking a must?

2. Dating (non-P4 P). From what I see, online dating doesn't seem very big in Tijuana so it looks like I'll have to do the majority of my approaches offline. Assuming I get my Spanish up to an intermediate level, are Tijuana women receptive to Asians?

Would appreciate any and all input. Does anyone feels strongly that I should just live in SD and only visit Tijuana when needed, given my ethnicity and / or commute?

[Beavis]

I keep looking around on all the expat sites."Live in Thailand for $500 a month". One thing I am looking for on these forums is a place to stay. A long term hotel or inexpensive apartment, and where they are! The online classifieds just show the high dollar places. Specifically, I am looking at Merida, Mexico. Where. And how do you find affordable housing? The stuff online is just as expensive as the States.

I lived in Merida a few years ago. To begin with forget the live on $500 a month scenario. You can find plenty of nice houses for rent in the $200-$400 range. I lived in the area known as Francisco de Montejo which is north of town on the way to Progreso. Merida is probably one of the safest places to live in Mexico. Also they speak very slowly and clearly as opposed to states like Campeche and Tabasco. Plenty of pretty women that would love to have a foreign boyfriend and just as easy to pick up normal girls. Casas de citas are everywhere and change every day. Find a taxi driver and he can hook you up. Winters are nice, summers are almost unbearable with the heat. Pretty easy to get around also, city is laid out like a piece of graph paper. Also lots of good restaurants but the ones downtown where the tourists gather are a lot more expensive. I used to love to eat at Las Jirafas in my neighborhood. The local brewery makes two good beers, "Montejo" and amber beer and "Leon" a darker beer. Montejo is my favorite Mexican beer of all.

[DJ FourMoney]

I keep looking around on all the expat sites."Live in Thailand for $500 a month". One thing I am looking for on these forums is a place to stay. A long term hotel or inexpensive apartment, and where they are! The online classifieds just show the high dollar places. Specifically, I am looking at Merida, Mexico. Where. And how do you find affordable housing? The stuff online is just as expensive as the States.

You need to be on the ground and here's why -.

Latin America as a whole does not have the heavy internet preparation that North America and Europe have. So people are not dependent on it as we are (maybe overdependent). You can find the best deals the traditional ways; driving around, asking a friend / acquaintance, asking a local, community boards, local newspaper. These things are more in use than the internet at this point.

Merida is popular in expat circles. Best deals are going to be found on the ground, get on a plane.

[Nibu Raphael]

HI I go there all the time its very safe security by police and private security. I been there on many differnt nights. Never though made it on ladies nights on wedsdays or weekends. I have got a few numbers from there too. I also sometimes go to Black Bull Mermaids and the poll bar next door on 8th.

Also great food joints outside of Las Pulgas too.

Ok Usually I go on nights toowhen no cover charge as beers are only 15 pesos. When they have cover charge its anywhere from 50 to 200 pesos. Never had problems there. They make sure to watch out for everyone thats all I know.

If any of you need more info on Las Pulgas then post here or pm me as I been here close to 15 times already. They always too close at 6 am. I usually stay too not far from here.

Ok I wait here, Adios Guys, Nibu.

Hi CJ,

Can you give an update on Las Pulgas? I would be travelling solo, is it still safe for a gringo there. I speak Spanish well with a good accent, but look like a gringo. I behave, am generous with the ladies, don't challenge the local males, and am not obnoxious. I also have an awareness of Mexican politeness (that generally Norteamericanos have not mastered). Hope you and your lady can join me for beers-

I buy the first two rounds. I enjoy your posts.

[Black Sheep]

If your Spanish is up to it, try mundoanuncio or vivastreet. All sorts of real estate and not aimed at affluent foreigners.

[Artisttyp]

I keep looking around on all the expat sites."Live in Thailand for $500 a month". One thing I am looking for on these forums is a place to stay. A long term hotel or inexpensive apartment, and where they are! The online classifieds just show the high dollar places. Specifically, I am looking at Merida, Mexico. Where. And how do you find affordable housing? The stuff online is just as expensive as the States.

Try expatforum.Com. They have a decent group of people on there who share information relevant to your needs.

Good Luck.

Another thing you can do is Google " Mexico Forum / Merida " The info is out there. You just need to know how to work the search engine.

[Carroll6]

Some of these places you can find on the internet.

I found an 2 Bedroom Apt just across the boarder in Mexicali for $350 a month, has central AC.

You may get a room in a seedy part of Los Angeles for that much.

I keep looking around on all the expat sites."Live in Thailand for $500 a month". One thing I am looking for on these forums is a place to stay. A long term hotel or inexpensive apartment, and where they are! The online classifieds just show the high dollar places. Specifically, I am looking at Merida, Mexico. Where. And how do you find affordable housing? The stuff online is just as expensive as the States.

[DJ FourMoney]

"Just rented one, furnished, not bad 4 blocks beach. 3 blocks to collectivo 16pesos to Tijuana, not bad $200 total includes utilties, no lease, $50 deposit, many around, near Tijuana,"

Hello, Big John 1, Can you post pics? What do you get for just $200? Do you have internet?

Some of these places you can find on the internet.

I found an 2 Bedroom Apt just across the boarder in Mexicali for $350 a month, has central AC.

You may get a room in a seedy part of Los Angeles for that much.

[Yellow Bus]

Do you own a car? Do you keep your car in Mexico or some where else?

[Yellow Bus]

Does your place come with internet?

[Big John 1]

"Just rented one, furnished, not bad 4 blocks beach. 3 blocks to collectivo 16pesos to Tijuana, not bad $200 total includes utilties, no lease, $50 deposit, many around, near Tijuana,"

Hello, Big John 1, Can you post pics? What do you get for just $200? Do you have internet?

Sorry no digital camera so no pictures. The place has 3 small rooms. A gas stove 2 burners. Good double bed. Small living room. Hot water very unusual in cheap places. If you look there are places for even $100, but pretty bad. My place was advertised in Spanish on side of telephone pole! Most of cheap places word of mouth. The area I live in would be hard for non Spanish speaker. If I can help, write again, Bigjohn

[Yellow Bus]

"Just rented one, furnished, not bad 4 blocks beach. 3 blocks to collectivo 16pesos to Tijuana, not bad $200 total includes utilties, no lease, $50 deposit, many around, near Tijuana,"

Hello, Big John 1, Can you post pics? What do you get for just $200? Do you have internet?