# Merida: Better south or north of Centro?



## mm79 (Jul 28, 2010)

Looking for 3- or 4-month rental in Merida for the winter, and have found the best combinations of price and amenities are either a little north or south of the historical area. 

From Google street views, they don't look much different; basic mixed-bag Mexican neighborhoods with nice buildings side-by-side with semi-junk piles. Nothing horrible, as far as I can see, just not especially sexy.

Is there any difference between living either side of the divide? I don't get the impression that any areas are really dangerous, but is one side more accessible than the other, for instance? We won't have a car and will rely on buses and taxis. The main neighborhood amenity we want is good fresh-food markets, and north seems to have a bit of an edge there.

Any insights would be most gratefully accepted.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

I almost bought a home in the Santiago neighborhood, I always liked the area...just too hot and humid..

Santiago is north of centro.......


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

mm79 said:


> Looking for 3- or 4-month rental in Merida for the winter, and have found the best combinations of price and amenities are either a little north or south of the historical area.
> 
> From Google street views, they don't look much different; basic mixed-bag Mexican neighborhoods with nice buildings side-by-side with semi-junk piles. Nothing horrible, as far as I can see, just not especially sexy.
> 
> ...


The Catedral is between Calles 60 & 62 and 61 & 63. That is the center I suppose. There are a couple of mercados between Calles 54 & 56 and 67 & 69. They are about four or five blocks southeast of the Catedral. 

If it were me, I would want to live within a five minute walk from a mercado. I go to the one near me several times a week, sometimes several times in a day. That way everything is fresh and I never have to carry very much. I get my hair cut there, there is a hardware store, several bakeries, tortillerias, lots of little restaurant stands, a papeleria. It makes life very convenient.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

TG has a good point; make your decisión on where to rent, whether north or south , based on proximity to the historic center and a large market that appeals to you - a place you can walk to shop for fresh fruits and vegetables. I especially urge you to do this as you plan on utilizing public transportation when not walking and not only is Merida a really spread-out city with, as you say, often mixed neighhborhoods of nice homes adjacent to rundown houses (and a house with parking can be difficult to find) but the climate can be unbearably hot and humid even in the "Winter" there.

We drove all over Merida back in November, 2005 thinking of buying a Winter home there but it was miserably hot so we switched ideas and bought a home in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas at 7,000 feet and the first thing we did was look for a home close to the huge indigenous market there that commences a couple of very short blocks from our house. Just as TG writes, we can walk over there and shop very day in just a few minutes or even for every meal for the freshest and tastiest produce grown locally by indigenous farmers from the surrounding hillls and mountains. Or, we can take a (cheap) taxi across town to Chedraui or Sam´s Club - our choice - when we want supermarket foods. We usually opt for the indigenous market except for certain staples but being able to walk a couple of blocks to buy lunch or dinner just arrived from the hills and plains and locally produced and sold by the farmer(s) is a fine form of urban entertainment. The same is true of Merida if you look around. Sorry I can´t be more specific about the best área, north or south (I think the south but that was almost nine years ago) and we were staying in a hotel and eating at restaurants. Maybe someone can enlighten us all.


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