# Expats in Tuxtla?



## norocysuerte (Apr 21, 2012)

Any expats in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas? I've been living here in Tuxtla for a year with my Tuxtleco husband, but haven't come across too many expats here (and I even teach English!). Message me and we'll get coffee and chat about the heat and the enormous _baches_ in the streets here.


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## Heyduke (Jun 17, 2012)

There are a few in San Cristobal.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

_


Heyduke said:



There are a few in San Cristobal.

Click to expand...

_HeyDike

Tuxtla is not San Cristobal, not even close and the OP is in Tuxtla which makes a huge difference Surely you have lived here in Chiapas long enough know that. Tuxtla Guteirrez is the capital of the state with at least close to a million inhabitants and blessed with lots of fine shopping and atrtactive neighborhoods, some with great views, one can purchase or rent for a song. San Cristobal is a cold, cloudy high mountain backwater, isolated community of row houses stretching on into the Jovel Valley going nowhere and and with no goods and services one could not find in a hundred other Chiapas towns.. Not that I do not like San Cristobal where I live much of the year but if I could not get out of here on occasion, I would go stir crazy. One can live in Tuxtla in a fine neighborhood on a fraction of what it wiould cost to live in the San Cristobal historic district and the rest of San Cristobal is largely a dump full of tire stores, shade tree mechanics and two bit taco stands. The entire town is cursed with unbelievable graffiti and garbage strewn by ordinary citizens and no one in the city seems to give a damn. The town is surrounded by the most deplorable and poverty stricken favelas filled with indigenous folks expelled from ther home communities for political and religious nonconformity. 

If you see this community through rose colored glasses you do it a disservice.

Wake up and smell the open rivers of raw sewage and observe the litter and grafitti that disgrace this town and its irresponsible inhabitants.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Hound Dog said:


> HeyDike
> 
> Tuxtla is not San Cristobal, not even close and the OP is in Tuxtla which makes a huge difference Surely you have lived here in Chiapas long enough know that. Tuxtla Guteirrez is the capital of the state with at least close to a million inhabitants and blessed with lots of fine shopping and atrtactive neighborhoods, some with great views, one can purchase or rent for a song. San Cristobal is a cold, cloudy high mountain backwater, isolated community of row houses stretching on into the Jovel Valley going nowhere and and with no goods and services one could not find in a hundred other Chiapas towns.. Not that I do not like San Cristobal where I live much of the year but if I could not get out of here on occasion, I would go stir crazy. One can live in Tuxtla in a fine neighborhood on a fraction of what it wiould cost to live in the San Cristobal historic district and the rest of San Cristobal is largely a dump full of tire stores, shade tree mechanics and two bit taco stands. The entire town is cursed with unbelievable graffiti and garbage strewn by ordinary citizens and no one in the city seems to give a damn. The town is surrounded by the most deplorable and poverty stricken favelas filled with indigenous folks expelled from ther home communities for political and religious nonconformity.
> 
> ...


From the sound of this post, it seems as though HD got up this morning on the wrong side of the bed  !


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I have not many either, at one time a Scandinavian woman was posting on Mexconnect.She lived in Chiapa de Corzo
I met a French man who owns the Creperie in Crystal Plaza. You may want to try the various language schools and or Universities.. 
I do not know any American there but that does not mean there isn´t any.
It seems that a lot of expats in Chiapas even in San Crisobal assimilate, marry locals and are not looking for expats.


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## Heyduke (Jun 17, 2012)

While I know SAn Cris is far from perfect I can't agree with HD vision of it. If I thought it was like that I would move.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Come on Dawg, tell us what you really think about SC de las Casas.....


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

It is raining so the Dawg ´s mood is not the greatest.


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## vantexan (Sep 4, 2011)

Hound Dog said:


> HeyDike
> 
> Tuxtla is not San Cristobal, not even close and the OP is in Tuxtla which makes a huge difference Surely you have lived here in Chiapas long enough know that. Tuxtla Guteirrez is the capital of the state with at least close to a million inhabitants and blessed with lots of fine shopping and atrtactive neighborhoods, some with great views, one can purchase or rent for a song. San Cristobal is a cold, cloudy high mountain backwater, isolated community of row houses stretching on into the Jovel Valley going nowhere and and with no goods and services one could not find in a hundred other Chiapas towns.. Not that I do not like San Cristobal where I live much of the year but if I could not get out of here on occasion, I would go stir crazy. One can live in Tuxtla in a fine neighborhood on a fraction of what it wiould cost to live in the San Cristobal historic district and the rest of San Cristobal is largely a dump full of tire stores, shade tree mechanics and two bit taco stands. The entire town is cursed with unbelievable graffiti and garbage strewn by ordinary citizens and no one in the city seems to give a damn. The town is surrounded by the most deplorable and poverty stricken favelas filled with indigenous folks expelled from ther home communities for political and religious nonconformity.
> 
> ...


Doesn't San Cris have a Walmart and Sam's now? Was that the tipping point?


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

It has a Sam´s club and a Bodega Aurera, a Soriana , a Chedraui d a Mayoreo so plenty of supermarkets around. 

Chedraui, a pretty bad one at that and Mayoreo were here when we moved, all the other supermarkets that came after that help to improve the quality of Chedraui but we really do not care much as we do not shop very much at supermarkets except for poultry and meat and we do not eat much of it when we are down here. The vegetable selection is wonderful so we eat a lot of veggies and eggs when we are here.
The big stores are in colonias near the outskirts of town and we do not even know they are there so no big deal for us but the indigenous love Sam´s club. So they are not on everyone´s hate list down here.


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## vantexan (Sep 4, 2011)

citlali said:


> It has a Sam´s club and a Bodega Aurera, a Soriana , a Chedraui d a Mayoreo so plenty of supermarkets around.
> 
> Chedraui, a pretty bad one at that and Mayoreo were here when we moved, all the other supermarkets that came after that help to improve the quality of Chedraui but we really do not care much as we do not shop very much at supermarkets except for poultry and meat and we do not eat much of it when we are down here. The vegetable selection is wonderful so we eat a lot of veggies and eggs when we are here.
> The big stores are in colonias near the outskirts of town and we do not even know they are there so no big deal for us but the indigenous love Sam´s club. So they are not on everyone´s hate list down here.


Beyond the heat issue, how do you find Tuxtla as a place to live? I've never been that far south, but am fascinated by Chiapas, and just on paper I like the idea of living in Chiapa de Corzo with Tuxtla close by. Do you recommend it? Hope you don't mind my asking.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

It is hard for me to say if I would move to Tuxtla or Chiapa de Corzo. Chiapa de Corzo is a little town with a nice little tourist industry but it is way too small for me. It has like most cities a cute little center, a street that has houses overlooking the river and lots of poor and not so attractive neighborhoods.

Tuxtla has good services, better hospital and shopping, more artistic events and events in general than San Cristobal. It is the capital so it has more to offer as far as schools upscale neighborhoods and has a larger middle class. It has some nice houses that are cheaper than in San Cristobal . I cannot see moving there if I did not have many friends or a family living there. I think I would feel very isolated. 
It is easier in San Cristobal to get to know the mover and shakers and there are some very interesting people living there. Not that they aren´t any in Tuxtla but being a city that is more spread out and much larger I would think they are harder to find.
If you are desperate for expat company San Cristobal is a better city to find foreigners who will speak English.
The foreigners in San Cristobal tend to come and go so if you really want to have good friends who will be around you need to meet locals and make friends with locals. Although people are friendly in San Cristobal it is not an easy city to penetrate that society and I find the Tuxtla people more open to strangers.
I also find the local food in Tuxtla much better than in San Cristobal. SC has more foreign restaurants Tuxtla more local ones.

I am pretty involved with artisans in the highlands and less so with artisans in the Tuxtla area, for that reason alone I prefer to live in San Cristobal.

The towns are totally different, the climates are oposites the crowd you meet in both cities is very different as well so I think it is all a question of personal preferrence but I would not move to either place if I was not fluent in Spanish and I was living alone.


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## vantexan (Sep 4, 2011)

citlali said:


> It is hard for me to say if I would move to Tuxtla or Chiapa de Corzo. Chiapa de Corzo is a little town with a nice little tourist industry but it is way too small for me. It has like most cities a cute little center, a street that has houses overlooking the river and lots of poor and not so attractive neighborhoods.
> 
> Tuxtla has good services, better hospital and shopping, more artistic events and events in general than San Cristobal. It is the capital so it has more to offer as far as schools upscale neighborhoods and has a larger middle class. It has some nice houses that are cheaper than in San Cristobal . I cannot see moving there if I did not have many friends or a family living there. I think I would feel very isolated.
> It is easier in San Cristobal to get to know the mover and shakers and there are some very interesting people living there. Not that they aren´t any in Tuxtla but being a city that is more spread out and much larger I would think they are harder to find.
> ...


Thanks, very thoughtful reply.


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## Heyduke (Jun 17, 2012)

If you don't mind me in here but I have a question for citali. You say you are involved with artisans in the highlands. Could you tell me what towns and what kind of art.


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