# New to forum, new to Guadalajara



## gdlone (Oct 31, 2011)

Hello everyone, I have been reading a few threads and am very happy to have found such a great website. Well I am in my 20s and have lived in the states my whole life. Because of several issues I will not get into, my husband and our son are moving to Guadalajara. We are both from Mexican descent so we know the
language, the culture and we love it. He has been in Gdl for a year and is established and working. I just wanted to ask if there is anyone out there who is
willing to share their experience in Gdl. I am curious about good preschools for our son, that is a major concern. Also the cost of living and safety. I am very excited for the move but also scared of getting homesick. Also if anyone has info on how infonavit works. I have researched it but still haven't found what the
limit is for the value of the home you want to purchase, or how that is determined.
Thanks for any comments, appreciate it. Have a good one


----------



## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

gdlone said:


> Hello everyone, I have been reading a few threads and am very happy to have found such a great website. Well I am in my 20s and have lived in the states my whole life. Because of several issues I will not get into, my husband and our son are moving to Guadalajara. We are both from Mexican descent so we know the
> language, the culture and we love it. He has been in Gdl for a year and is established and working. I just wanted to ask if there is anyone out there who is
> willing to share their experience in Gdl. I am curious about good preschools for our son, that is a major concern. Also the cost of living and safety. I am very excited for the move but also scared of getting homesick. Also if anyone has info on how infonavit works. I have researched it but still haven't found what the
> limit is for the value of the home you want to purchase, or how that is determined.
> Thanks for any comments, appreciate it. Have a good one


My wife and I (I from Alabama and she from Paris) are retirees who have lived at Lake Chapala and in the Chiapas Highlands for some ten years and, if you know anything about Guadalajara, you´ll know that Lake Chapala is very near that city and really is unofficially part of the Guadalajara metropolitan area being some 50 kilometers from its historic center. While we do not live in Guadalajara proper, I can tell you that it is a great city and you will find it a fine place to live. In fact, had we known how nice Guadalajara was when we moved here in 2001, we probably would have chosen that city over Lake Chapala as a primary residence for a number of reasons but that´s alright since the Chapala Municipality where we live is close enough to the city that we are not inclined to suffer the expense of picking up stakes and moving there since we also have a home in far away Chiapas where we spend about six months a year.

Since I don´t know where you live in the United States, I can´t give you comparable costs of living or crime statistics but I can say these things without fear of contradiction form reasonable respondents:
* Guadalajara is, in many parts of the city, a beautiful and attractive place to live with some very pleasant districts but, as in all big cities everywhere on this planet, some godawful and crime-ridden neighborhoods as well. Since your beloved has lived there for a year, he should know well where to seek a neighborhood in which to live. Since I have no idea as to how much you wish to invest in a home, I can´t suggest a neighborhoos in which you should seek to purchase a house but I can say that you can probably find a nice home to rent or purchase in a beautiful neighborhood for a reasonable sum of money which I would define as around $3,000,000 Pesos more or less. More modest dwelligs could be acquired in more modest neighborhoods for considerably less money. Prices throughout the metropolitan area are generally quite reasonable but what you need to do is come here and do your research because this is one huge city and requires some extensive looking around. before you decide where you wish to settle I, personally, would seek out housing in the Providencia or Chapalitas areas but that is a matter of taste and only you can determine that.
* Crime is not a big problem in Metropolitan Guadalaja despite the alarming news stories you may have seen in the U.S. press. This is a city with a metropolitan population of, probably, some 4,000,000 people and is the second largest city in Mexico. It is certainly safer in terms of the crime rate than any comparable city in the United States and as safe as any comparable European city. Do not lose a moment´s sleep over anxiety about crime there. 
* Except for the fact that electricity is rather expensive in Mexico unless you consume it prudently, you will find the cost of living in Guadalajara incredibly reasonable. Almost everything from comestibles to health care (managed by some of the best physicians and hospitals on the planet) is very affordable and you will find that normally you will be spending only a small fraction here for essentials than you would be spending in the United States even if you were living up there in a rural area. As for utilities, because of the excellent and moderate climate you never need air conditioning and rarely need heating. If, for some unfortunate reason, you go broke, you can lve here on a pittance without freezing or sweating your butt off. A fine place to be.
* Great shopping can be found all over Metro Guadalajara with tremendous selections of fine gourmet cuisine and top-line clothing. This will not be a problem - believe me.

Now, we are not inexperienced and, as I stated earlier my wife grew up in Paris and we both lived there for quite some time and in places all over the world and I will tell you that Guadalajara is a fine place to live and a metropolitan region among the most attractive and cosmopilitan in the world with an unequalled pleasant climate. You are damned lucky to be moving here and I welcome you.


----------



## johnmex (Nov 30, 2010)

"Good preschools" = Private school 

A good private school wil run you about 3-4,000 pesos/month. Plus yearly inscription and other assorted fees like books and uniforms. Be aware that most schools don't have bus service.

I do not know INFONAVIT's upper limit but it isn't much.... Around US 30-40K....?


----------



## gdlone (Oct 31, 2011)

@ Hound Dog I live in the Los Angeles area and thank you so much for taking the time to 
give me so much info, I appreciate the welcome!


----------



## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

gdlone said:


> @ Hound Dog I live in the Los Angeles area and thank you so much for taking the time to
> give me so much info, I appreciate the welcome!


Funny you say that gdlone. I lived in L.A. in the 1960s and my wife and I lived in San Francisco and environs for many years from the 70s until we retired to Mexico in 2001. During the many years we lived in San Francisco, we visited L.A. often on business. Guadalajara reminds both of us of L.A., especially the Wilshire District and other West L.A. haunts and I mean that in a complimentary manner. The nicest parts of Guadalajara are reminiscent of West L.A. at its finest and that includes the superb climate - the only difference being that the climate all over Metro Guadalajara is pleasant without the necessity, as in L.A. of being near the coast. Of course, you will find that certain parts or Guadalajara suffer from far less air pollution than others as is true of L.A. and that is why you need to come down here and explore the city before you make a commitment as to where you wish to live in the city.

I don´t know your values but if you like pleasant, leafy neighborhoods close to all the urban action, look closely at Chapalita or great neighborhoods in Zapopan which are both hosts to many very good restaurants and nightclubs and the historic centro with many architectural treasures. I would avoid the Lake Chapala area and some very fancy neighborhoods in suburbia. To really enjoy Guadalajara you need to consider being within reasonable public transportation (including taxis) of where the action will be. This city resembles L.A. in many ways and to be out of it is to definitely be out of it.


----------

