# Most "developed" city in Mexico



## MrOctober430

What is the most developed city in Mexico, where it's loosely similar to a normal U.S. city. Every road is paved, road signals that work, just an normal developed feeling.


----------



## polamexpat

MrOctober430 said:


> What is the most developed city in Mexico, where it's loosely similar to a normal U.S. city. Every road is paved, road signals that work, just an normal developed feeling.


Guadalajara?


----------



## ptrichmondmike

MrOctober430 said:


> What is the most developed city in Mexico, where it's loosely similar to a normal U.S. city. Every road is paved, road signals that work, just an normal developed feeling.


"Normal developed feeling?" Lol...maybe you haven't looked around lately, but with just about every normal American city going through a huge financial crunch, things nowadays aren't as normal as they used to be. Yes, the streets and highways are paved...and many of them are also badly pot-holed. Street signals don't always work. Schools are badly run down. Storefronts are empty. Homeless people and panhandlers are ubiquitous. Crazy people stalk the streets becuase no one will be responsible for them. There's lots of road rage. Incivility is commonplace. Etc. etc. 

That's the new normal.


----------



## joaquinx

McAllen, Texas. Close enough to Mexico, but still in the USA.


----------



## Guest

The Santa Fe area of Mexico City would put most US or world cities to shame. Live in a residential tower, pay 20,000 a month or more for rent, and never have to leave the area for the rest of the Ciudad de Mexico. Everything's beautiful and perfect. For the living costs, you could live in Scottsdale instead.

Truman Burbank would be proud to live there. (even though it's all built on top of MX City's old dump).





-


----------



## Isla Verde

GringoCArlos said:


> The Santa Fe area of Mexico City would put most US or world cities to shame. Live in a residential tower, pay 20,000 a month or more for rent, and never have to leave the area for the rest of the Ciudad de Mexico. Everything's beautiful and perfect. For the living costs, you could live in Scottsdale instead.
> 
> Truman Burbank would be proud to live there. (even though it's all built on top of MX City's old dump).
> -


Whenever I think of Santa Fe, I shudder, and not because it was built on top of a huge garbage dump. That's where wealthy Mexicans live who want to isolate themselves as much as possible from the rest of their fellow citizens. It's all gated communities and a gigantic mall, and you need a car if you want to step outside its hallowed precincts. Mexicans I know here shudder at the thought of having to travel there for work, and companies located in Santa Fe that want English teachers to come there to give classes often have trouble finding anyone who's willing to shlep out there to teach.


----------



## sparks

Is this a school assignment?

No towns in Mexico are like the US in look or feel. Come and look around
Tourist areas tend to be kept up


----------



## mickisue1

ptrichmondmike said:


> "Normal developed feeling?" Lol...maybe you haven't looked around lately, but with just about every normal American city going through a huge financial crunch, things nowadays aren't as normal as they used to be. Yes, the streets and highways are paved...and many of them are also badly pot-holed. Street signals don't always work. Schools are badly run down. Storefronts are empty. Homeless people and panhandlers are ubiquitous. Crazy people stalk the streets becuase no one will be responsible for them. There's lots of road rage. Incivility is commonplace. Etc. etc.
> 
> That's the new normal.


+1

My daughter, who lives in Italy, was home for an extended period last summer, after not having been here for a bit.

She was shocked at the poor condition of the roads.

Gotta keep the tax rates low on the top 0.1%, and the corporations that haven't been laying people off in order to offshore, or anything.


----------



## Grizzy

MrOctober430 said:


> What is the most developed city in Mexico, where it's loosely similar to a normal U.S. city. Every road is paved, road signals that work, just an normal developed feeling.


:laugh::laugh:

Oh wait, you're serious right? 

All kidding aside, the cities I have seen in Mexico and in the US are vastly different. My most recent experience is with Guadalajara and the roads are paved, mostly, the signals work, mostly, unless there was an earthquake or power outage in the previous hour, or the Governor is passing through in his helicopter, and after you live in Mx a while you understand what passes for "normal". Sort of. But the normal here is vastly different from the "normal" in the excited states. 

You can find a McD's or Burger King, Starbucks, Gap, Costco etc in Guad but why would you want to? I second the MacAllan comment.


----------



## chicois8

Trying to compare apples to mangoes.........


----------



## Isla Verde

chicois8 said:


> Trying to compare apples to mangoes.........


Cute!


----------



## Souper

I've been in many cities with paved roads and traffic signals.
One city that reminded me of the USA was Guanajuato, many neighborhoods appeared similar to many in Southern California where I grew up.


----------



## Sanfro

Excluding the tourist areas like Cancun . My vote is Monterrey . It looks like a U.S city with the chain stores and malls and the streets seemed to be filled with newer cars . I believe it also has the highest income per capita of Mexico.


----------



## Isla Verde

Sanfro said:


> Excluding the tourist areas like Cancun . My vote is Monterrey . It looks like a U.S city with the chain stores and malls and the streets seemed to be filled with newer cars . I believe it also has the highest income per capita of Mexico.


But why would someone move to Mexico to a city that's just like the US? Makes no sense to me.


----------



## ptrichmondmike

Isla Verde said:


> But why would someone move to Mexico to a city that's just like the US? Makes no sense to me.


I guess Monterrey is cheaper than Dallas...and just as charming.


----------



## joelpb

I believe that Mexacali is the highest per capata city in mexico. It has the most middle
class people in Mexico per population. It has a great many malls and shopping areas.
It also has a lot of traffic. 

It is also on the border with the USA and this makes for good shopping for the things
you can not get in Mexico.

This is good for people on medicare and need their care. Plus you can get a lot of
your medication here for abort the same price that you can in the USA for about for
the same price you can with your insurance.

Many people come across the border into Mexico for the theaters and places to eat.

I fell the worst crimes here theft at home or from your car. Not much in the way
of vilent crime. 

It is a short driving distance from here to any kind of attraction you would like in
the USA or Mexico. The beaches on the sea or the pacific. Six hours to the grand
canyon or Ensanada Mexico. We like San Felipe Baja and have a house there,
We spend weekends there and will do more when the wife retires.

I know Alan had lived here for years and maybe he can add something.


----------



## AlanMexicali

I'm now tending to think Mexicali's middle class is mostly lower middle class compared to the long time established industrial city of San Luis Potosi. There are so many extra large houses on the west end of town that I still can not believe it. Their salons put Mexicali salons to shame in classy style and number, very nice. Their funeral homes are classy compared to Mexicali's also etc. Their roads are no were near as good as Mexicali's though. Graffitti is everywhere in the east end of town, which in Mexicali is under control. Their buses and bus service puts Mexicali's buses to shame also. I have to wonder why a newer Mexicali bus has the windows down sometimes when it is over 100 in the shade, can't they afford to repair the AC? Even some taxis do this.

I made friends with a Mexicali policeman and we would meet for breakfast at a very great burrito stand. He told me the transient and homeless are given one change to take a bus ticket to TJ and if they showed up again it would get ugly. SLP is full of them.


----------



## mickisue1

joaquinx said:


> McAllen, Texas. Close enough to Mexico, but still in the USA.


That's where my daughter in law is from! Non-Latinos are definitely in the minority there.


----------



## Souper

Isla Verde said:


> But why would someone move to Mexico to a city that's just like the US? Makes no sense to me.



Let's not forget people move to and live in Mexico for many different reasons. 
The cities mentioned are only in reply to the OP's specific question.


----------



## FHBOY

Living in Baltimore I am glad to hear that most cities in Mexico may not be as developed as mine. 

Last year, our developed city had 172 murders, the main downtown drag was torn up to make accommodation for the Grand Prix most of the year, the water mains have been breaking on a regular basis for many years, drivers are the same as anywhere, and the a good part of the city looks like Germany after WWII. There are "food deserts" all over the town, where good food and supermarkets of any size do not exist; where gangs control the streets. The response time for non-shooting crimes by the police is glacial, and the city is run by a group of 1%ers who still think they live in the 1950-60's where people "knew their place" and everyone wanted to come to downtown to shop. If you want to build a hotel for your own profit, you don't have to use only your money, the city will build it for you, take a 20 year tax break and take the loss. Where the city schools are crumbling, yet at the headquarters of the Board of Education, they spend $250,000 to renovate one office.

You see, Baltimore is a city that it's "leaders" think is a small town, and they like it that way. 

If this is civilized...then from what I've heard, read and seen on Mexico...I'll take Guadalajara, where the streets are clean, the traffic is not all that bad (from what I've seen) and the merchants don't seem to be scared to open their shops and stores to the street.

Question to the OP: If you choose to move to Mexico are you looking for a duplicate of where you are now or are you ready to realize that you will be moving to a place that is different. And if different is not what you want, is it worth all the hassle, the re-acculturation, to move yourself and your family? I hope so, Mexico is a marvelous place, there is so much more going for it than it seems going against it. 

There can be no apples to apples comparison, as the bushels they are in are very, very different. The definition of "developed" can only be relevant within the paradigm it is viewed.


----------



## pappabee

joaquinx said:


> McAllen, Texas. Close enough to Mexico, but still in the USA.


But it's in TEXAS! Bush/Perry mush:tongue1:


----------



## pappabee

ptrichmondmike said:


> I guess Monterrey is cheaper than Dallas...and just as charming.


Yes and the same percentage of people speak English. If you want to live someplace that reminds you of the States try England or Canada not Mexico. 

There's nothing wrong with making the move less frightful by moving into a neighborhood that has some of the feel of where you left. But, as with most that I've spoken to, you will soon want to be more into the beauty of Mexico. 

Where else can you wake up to what sounds like cannon fire and have the hotel manager greet you with "don't worry we've already had our revolution--it's just a holiday".


----------



## joaquinx

pappabee said:


> But it's in TEXAS! Bush/Perry mush:tongue1:


Yet it's still the most developed in Mexico. And as a Texan, we are still trying to give Los Angles back to Mexico.:eyebrows:


----------



## jasavak

Isla Verde said:


> But why would someone move to Mexico to a city that's just like the US? Makes no sense to me.


I guess the poster has a has a different view on things . Why do Mexicans relocate to cities in the U.S. that most resemble Mexico ? If everyone thought the same , our world would be a a very boring place .


----------



## conklinwh

This reads like the most nonsensical discussion in a long time. I do find it interesting that a few folk can take almost any opportunity to let their politics ooze out.


----------



## FHBOY

conklinwh said:


> This reads like the most nonsensical discussion in a long time. I do find it interesting that a few folk can take almost any opportunity to let their politics ooze out.


That does not surprise me, look at the "Politics" and "Gun" threads, politics seems to permeate the entire USA discussion - and it is divisive politics at that. 

Question: if the economy was all OK, if there was not an unpopular war going on - do you think we could discuss topics without bringing in politics? 

You see that is why I want to finish my move to Mexico already: I want to discuss issues regardless of the politics, issues like war, social justice, women's rights, environment - you name it, where we deal with the issue - not the politics. 

(FYI: in 1994 the Violence Against Women Act was adopted by Congress. In all the ensuing years, until 2012, it passed both houses on unanimous votes - this year, there was no unanimity in the Senate, and there will be more disharmony in the House - this is what I am running from.)


----------



## conklinwh

Harry Reid! Enough said.


----------



## FHBOY

conklinwh said:


> Harry Reid! Enough said.


Your politics is showing: John Boehner - that's enough said!!!

:focus:


----------



## jasavak

FHBOY said:


> That does not surprise me, look at the "Politics" and "Gun" threads, politics seems to permeate the entire USA discussion - and it is divisive politics at that.
> 
> Question: if the economy was all OK, if there was not an unpopular war going on - do you think we could discuss topics without bringing in politics?
> 
> You see that is why I want to finish my move to Mexico already: I want to discuss issues regardless of the politics, issues like war, social justice, women's rights, environment - you name it, where we deal with the issue - not the politics.
> 
> (FYI: in 1994 the Violence Against Women Act was adopted by Congress. In all the ensuing years, until 2012, it passed both houses on unanimous votes - this year, there was no unanimity in the Senate, and there will be more disharmony in the House - this is what I am running from.)





The house vote was unanimous last week 414-0 ! The senate voted 97-0 That's pretty difficult to 500 votes to be unanimous ! . 


House Votes Down ‘Obama’s Budget’ 414-0 | Sweetness & Light


----------



## pappabee

conklinwh said:


> This reads like the most nonsensical discussion in a long time. I do find it interesting that a few folk can take almost any opportunity to let their politics ooze out.


I think that some posters are trying to be funny and others are very serious. The problem is that to compare one city to another you must use the exact same criteria. Here that is not being done nor, do I think that it's possible. 

The only way to find out about a Mexican city is to live in it, or at least close to it. The first time I moved to Austin Tx I was single and the people I worked with told me of all the fun I could have on 6th Street. I went down there and all I found was a bunch of drunken people. When I moved to Phila I was told the South Street was the heart of the "fun" district. Same results. I must say that in both places there were a bunch of people having fun (their kind of fun--the problem was not my kind of fun).
My point is that until you live in an area you have no idea if it fits into your lifestyle and therefore will you like it there. I have known people who have moved to Lakeside and then decided to move to another city. This was just not what they wanted and I have know people who have moved here and said that the only way they would leave was in a casket. 

What's best for one may not be best for another. '_TRY IT MAYBE YOU'LL LIKE IT"_


----------



## jasavak

pappabee said:


> I think that some posters are trying to be funny and others are very serious. The problem is that to compare one city to another you must use the exact same criteria. Here that is not being done nor, do I think that it's possible.
> 
> The only way to find out about a Mexican city is to live in it, or at least close to it. The first time I moved to Austin Tx I was single and the people I worked with told me of all the fun I could have on 6th Street. I went down there and all I found was a bunch of drunken people. When I moved to Phila I was told the South Street was the heart of the "fun" district. Same results. I must say that in both places there were a bunch of people having fun (their kind of fun--the problem was not my kind of fun).
> My point is that until you live in an area you have no idea if it fits into your lifestyle and therefore will you like it there. I have known people who have moved to Lakeside and then decided to move to another city. This was just not what they wanted and I have know people who have moved here and said that the only way they would leave was in a casket.
> 
> What's best for one may not be best for another. '_TRY IT MAYBE YOU'LL LIKE IT"_




Same thing for giant party's like Mardi Gras . It's better for me to have a small group of people I know, rather than a million drunken strangers .


----------



## jasavak

I used to enjoy going fishing on the Baja Penisula . No one steals your car because there is only one road in and out of the little towns . Everyone gives you credit because they know you .


----------



## Isla Verde

Souper said:


> Let's not forget people move to and live in Mexico for many different reasons.
> The cities mentioned are only in reply to the OP's specific question.


I'm aware of that. My comment was more in the way of a rhetorical question. It's hard for me to understand why someone would move to another country and try to replicate the life they had back home.


----------



## pappabee

Isla Verde said:


> I'm aware of that. My comment was more in the way of a rhetorical question. It's hard for me to understand why someone would move to another country and try to replicate the life they had back home.


They don't like what they have and are afraid of what they might get.
:confused2:


----------



## jasavak

Isla Verde said:


> I'm aware of that. My comment was more in the way of a rhetorical question. It's hard for me to understand why someone would move to another country and try to replicate the life they had back home.



Not my cup of tea either . I really don't want to relocate to an area in Mexico where everyone speaks English and post their prices in dollars . However , it seems the many U.S. expats are doing that .


----------



## Isla Verde

jasavak said:


> Not my cup of tea either . I really don't want to relocate to an area in Mexico where everyone speaks English and post their prices in dollars . However , it seems the many U.S. expats are doing that .


None of my expat friends here in Mexico City are like that. I fear I have little in common with people like that.


----------



## jasavak

There are people who live in non Mexico City areas like Chapala , San Miguel , Cancun and Cabo San Lucas .


----------



## Isla Verde

jasavak said:


> There are people who live in non Mexico City areas like Chapala , San Miguel , Cancun and Cabo San Lucas .


I know there are expats in many other parts of the country besides Mexico City. And I'm sure there are expats living in the D.F. who look for neighborhoods to live in that are as similar to the States as possible. They just don't happen to be the kind of people I hang out with.


----------



## conorkilleen

Sanfro said:


> Excluding the tourist areas like Cancun . My vote is Monterrey . It looks like a U.S city with the chain stores and malls and the streets seemed to be filled with newer cars . I believe it also has the highest income per capita of Mexico.


If you think that Monterrey is anything like a US city, then you obviously have not lived here long enough to know better. I've been here for over a year and its refreshing how its not like some people claim it to be. They say "Oh gee wizz, Monterrey is the most americanized city in Mexico. It has everything you want from the US and more!" Um. no. It does not even look like one.

Yes we have Chilis, Fridays, Holiday Inn Express, some other common mall shops (Build a bear Workshop), 7-Eleven, Starbucks, and McDonalds, but that is just all looks. Please don't tell me that those chain stores is what you think of when you dream of America. Please. The roads are horrible, the manners of the people here are horrendous, the electricity infrastructure is well, about 30 years behind the times and so is the sewer/drainage. Half of the city is still "under construction", public transportation is cheap but really ugly and not very reliable....and it smells sometimes.

Yes we have newer cars, but thats because everyone needs to buy a new car every 2 years because all of the topes and horrible drivers that given the chance will smash it into oblivion everyday.


----------



## mickisue1

I wonder if part of it is the reason why the people are moving. If I were planning to move for purely economic reasons, such as the reason why many Mexicans move to the US, or some NOB people move to MX, I might be tempted to find a place where I could, so far as possible, replicate my experience of my home country.

But if you are moving because you yearn for something different, for a place where the social network means the people you see on a regular basis, where neighbors are people you talk to, then you want something different from the US and Canada. Maybe you just want different, period.

The political issues aside, the divisiveness in the US has grown, and no amount of across the aisle gestures seems to change that. 

MX may not have, yet, the infrastructure that the US has. But, OTOH, improving it seems to be a prominent goal for Mexicans, whereas many in the US are dead set on dismantling ours.


----------



## conorkilleen

I would agree with that, Mick. Not every person that wants to live in Mexico wants to do it because they want a cultural experience. Maybe someone does just want a cheaper life and still have some of the comforts as what they have come to enjoy in the US. Heck, I made my company give me some added benefits before I moved down here just to help me afford some of the things that are out of reach to the average person here in Mexico. They said "But the cost of living in cheaper." I asked them that if they felt like that then they needed to find an pay for a private 3 acre plot with a 2700 sqft ranch style house (like I had in the US) in Monterrey. They quickly saw the light and coughed up. I live in a house here in Monterrey that has a yard about the size of my master bathroom back in the US. But my views from the balcony are unreal.


----------



## Balboa

MrOctober430 said:


> What is the most developed city in Mexico, where it's loosely similar to a normal U.S. city. Every road is paved, road signals that work, just an normal developed feeling.


What's your point? If you want normal US then stay in normal US. Mexico has its own vibe.


----------



## FHBOY

A middle ground - there still are those. For some, "going native" is just too big a jump to make, so to make a transition they look for some things that are familiar and are comforting. The other extreme is what I experienced in PV when I stayed there. My friends own a 3BR condo in a multi-building development in Marina Vallarta. I met some of the people they know: these are the other extreme - they live a a country known politically as Mexico, but exist in a place that resembles more closely the USA. They do not speak Spanish, and their nods to the culture is decorating their house - I call them Palm Beach Gringos.

Our case is different - we are settling in Ajijic with the goal of learning as much as we can including the language and culture of our new home, but we still need, at this point in our adventure, the "comfort" of something akin to the life we've lived. [In no way is the accommodation and accoutrements anywhere near like our USA lifestyle, "shed, shed, shed and simplify" is our motto and we are]. But, and this is important, what is true today, next month, next year or even a couple of years in the future, is not true forever. We may find that Lakeside is not totally for us, and make a move sometime in the future. We know that it is less "******-ized" than PV, living there would have been a mistake.

Factually, maybe we are not as adventuresome as others, and that's OK. To jump into the deep end of the pool is the brave/macho thing to do, but it sometimes means you'll never go in the water again. Wading in from the shallow end, learning how to swim can get you the courage to go to the deep end. The result is still the same, it is the methods to get there that vary - and none of them are wrong.


----------



## johnmex

Palm Beach Gringos in Puerto Vallarta. Seersucker Pantsuits in Chapala. :rollseyes:


----------



## FHBOY

johnmex said:


> Palm Beach Gringos in Puerto Vallarta. Seersucker Pantsuits in Chapala. :rollseyes:


Agree about the seersucker pantsuits, ugh! They look so out of place in Ajijic
Me? Shorts, jeans, tees, Aloha shirts.  
I am too effing young for seersucker!


----------



## conorkilleen

FHBOY said:


> Agree about the seersucker pantsuits, ugh! They look so out of place in Ajijic
> Me? Shorts, jeans, tees, Aloha shirts.
> I am too effing young for seersucker!


Aloha shirts? Thats better than a pant suit? I'm not the fashion police but I just hate seeing gringos wear them in Mexico...especially in the interior.


----------



## Isla Verde

FHBOY said:


> Agree about the seersucker pantsuits, ugh! They look so out of place in Ajijic
> Me? Shorts, jeans, tees, Aloha shirts.
> I am too effing young for seersucker!


I had no idea they were still making seersucker clothes.


----------



## Isla Verde

conorkilleen said:


> Aloha shirts? Thats better than a pant suit? I'm not the fashion police but I just hate seeing gringos wear them in Mexico...especially in the interior.


How else are we to tell them apart from the locals?


----------



## conorkilleen

Isla Verde said:


> How else are we to tell them apart from the locals?


In the "bubble" I a sure they all do look the same (tongue in cheek)


----------



## johnmex

Isla Verde said:


> How else are we to tell them apart from the locals?


The black socks with sandals?


----------



## AlanMexicali

johnmex said:


> The black socks with sandals?


I think in San Diego a few people have been run out of town for wearing black socks under sandals. LOL


----------



## Isla Verde

AlanMexicali said:


> I think in San Diego a few people have been run out of town for wearing black socks under sandals. LOL


Maybe they're now living in an expat community in Mexico!


----------



## conorkilleen

I've always said that you can tell a lot about a man by the color of the socks he wears with his sandals.


----------



## Isla Verde

conorkilleen said:


> I've always said that you can tell a lot about a man by the color of the socks he wears with his sandals.


So, conor, what color do you wear?


----------



## conorkilleen

Isla Verde said:


> So, conor, what color do you wear?


well...that was kind of a joke. You should not wear socks with sandals. Whats the point in that? At that point you should just put on a comfy pair of shoes.

but...if I did wear socks with sandals, I guess I would need to know what color sandals are we talking about. What color belt? Short or long sleeve shirt. Button up or polo. T-shirt or sweater....of course I would need to know what color of the shirt and the jeans/shorts/khakis....and also the cut. Slim, sport, casual vintage? There are just so many variables.


----------



## mickisue1

FHBOY said:


> Agree about the seersucker pantsuits, ugh! They look so out of place in Ajijic
> Me? Shorts, jeans, tees, Aloha shirts.
> I am too effing young for seersucker!


Whew! I thought you were talking about the women.

Seersucker pantsuits are SO 70's.

 (The era, not the age.)


----------



## AlanMexicali

Isla Verde said:


> Maybe they're now living in an expat community in Mexico!


I think they went to Yuma. LOL


----------



## FHBOY

OK, no Aloha shirts. Are golf shirts (Izod type) OK? I would like to find nice comfy loose fitting cotton shirts though that are not ****** Billboards when I get there.

You see, as a New Yorker by nurture, and color that is not black or solid is an anathema to me. Do you know how spot and out of towner in New York? (S)he is wearing clothes with a pattern in bright colors, New Yorkers wear solid colors, only
out of town rubes have their plaid shirts and khakis. Rubes...sheesh!

Is it just me, but do you find you can spot ****** males of the older persuasion very easily? They seem all to have mustaches and beards, or am I wrong?

And how did we get on this topic?


----------



## johnmex

FHBOY said:


> And how did we get on this topic?


I'm guessing that we have all drifted way off topic due to the silliness of the original question. (IMHO)


----------



## conorkilleen

Isla did it


----------



## Isla Verde

:tongue1::


conorkilleen said:


> Isla did it


----------



## Isla Verde

conorkilleen said:


> but...if I did wear socks with sandals, I guess I would need to know what color sandals are we talking about. What color belt? Short or long sleeve shirt. Button up or polo. T-shirt or sweater....of course I would need to know what color of the shirt and the jeans/shorts/khakis....and also the cut. Slim, sport, casual vintage? There are just so many variables.


CK, I had no idea you were such a fashion plate!


----------



## Guest

conorkilleen said:


> well...that was kind of a joke. You should not wear socks with sandals. Whats the point in that? At that point you should just put on a comfy pair of shoes.
> 
> but...if I did wear socks with sandals, I guess I would need to know what color sandals are we talking about. What color belt? Short or long sleeve shirt. Button up or polo. T-shirt or sweater....of course I would need to know what color of the shirt and the jeans/shorts/khakis....and also the cut. Slim, sport, casual vintage? There are just so many variables.


If you don't want to look like a "rube" in Mexico, then wear your shorts and sandals in your own garden, and not more than 10 feet outside of your front gate. And if you're visible to anyone else, then please never go shirtless, even if you're just mowing your lawn. The neighbors will talk.

For running around, a golf shirt or cotton casual shirt and jeans are fine. Again, not many "respectable" MX guys over 30 are seen in city streets in shorts anywhere away from the beaches.

When you go outside your gate in a place that isn't totally the campo and want to look good to the MX world, then you can't go wrong with long cotton pants (ironed of course, not looking like you just pulled them out of the clothes hamper), socks and (clean) casual shoes (Rockports will do), and either a short or long-sleeved shirt, like the one below in either cotton or linen with a white v-necked t-shirt underneath as well - don't worry, it's also probably the easiest way to stay cool in the midday sun or heat. Depending on where you are, this shirt is called a "wedding shirt", or a guayabera, or a chacabana. Sharp.


----------



## mickisue1

GringoCArlos said:


> If you don't want to look like a "rube" in Mexico, then wear your shorts and sandals in your own garden, and not more than 10 feet outside of your front gate. And if you're visible to anyone else, then please never go shirtless, even if you're just mowing your lawn. The neighbors will talk.
> 
> For running around, a golf shirt or cotton casual shirt and jeans are fine. Again, not many "respectable" MX guys over 30 are seen in city streets in shorts anywhere away from the beaches.
> 
> When you go outside your gate in a place that isn't totally the campo and want to look good to the MX world, then you can't go wrong with long cotton pants (ironed of course, not looking like you just pulled them out of the clothes hamper), socks and (clean) casual shoes (Rockports will do), and either a short or long-sleeved shirt, like the one below in either cotton or linen with a white v-necked t-shirt underneath as well - don't worry, it's also probably the easiest way to stay cool in the midday sun or heat. Depending on where you are, this shirt is called a "wedding shirt", or a guayabera, or a chacabana. Sharp.


Nice look, there, Sir.

Italy is similar. The first time we came to visit, my daughter took great pains to ensure that her step dad would NOT walk around the city in shorts. In her words, "You'll look like a German tourist."


----------



## Isla Verde

mickisue1 said:


> Nice look, there, Sir.
> 
> Italy is similar. The first time we came to visit, my daughter took great pains to ensure that her step dad would NOT walk around the city in shorts. In her words, "You'll look like a German tourist."


I think that German tourists also wear socks with their sandals!


----------



## AlanMexicali

Isla Verde said:


> I think that German tourists also wear socks with their sandals!


I've seen some in Yuma also. LOL


----------



## mickisue1

Isla Verde said:


> I think that German tourists also wear socks with their sandals!


Either that, or black socks, "sensible" shoes and too short shorts.

The good news is that they can't get into the Vatican that way, anyway.


----------



## jasavak

One day I was with My compadre ( 5'5" 250 lbs. ) and went all over town while he was wearing his new pajamas my wife gave him . Oddly enough no one seemed to even notice . I guess Mexico doesn't have a strong fashion police unless you show some skin at church .


----------



## AlanMexicali

jasavak said:


> One day I was with My compadre ( 5'5" 250 lbs. ) and went all over town while he was wearing his new pajamas my wife gave him . Oddly enough no one seemed to even notice . I guess Mexico doesn't have a strong fashion police unless you show some skin at church .


At my closest OXXO 3 blocks from my house were we have a chat group early in the mornings people are in pajamas sometimes buying milk etc.


----------



## Isla Verde

AlanMexicali said:


> At my closest OXXO 3 blocks from my house were we have a chat group early in the mornings people are in pajamas sometimes buying milk etc.


Never seen anything like that in Mexico City, but then I'm never out and about early in the morning. Maybe I could start a new fashion trend in my neighborhood!


----------



## AlanMexicali

Isla Verde said:


> Never seen anything like that in Mexico City, but then I'm never out and about early in the morning. Maybe I could start a new fashion trend in my neighborhood!


I have never seen it in SLP either, yet.


----------



## Grizzy

My favorite eye-bleach sight is the ubiquitous f a n n y - pack. It seems to be drawn to dark socks in sandals and too short shorts, and is usually seen fully extended. I try to look away but it is like a car wreck.........


----------



## FHBOY

*Misnomer*



Grizzy said:


> My favorite eye-bleach sight is the ubiquitous f a n n y - pack. It seems to be drawn to dark socks in sandals and too short shorts, and is usually seen fully extended. I try to look away but it is like a car wreck.........


Why do they call it a f a n n y pack when most who carry them put them in front? 
They should be called Tummy Packs.

Years back we used them when we skied and wore them in back - then it made sense - now: Why not put neon lights on them that say "TOURIST TOURIST"


----------



## conorkilleen

FHBOY said:


> Years back we used them when we skied and wore them in back - then it made sense - now: Why not put neon lights on them that say "TOURIST TOURIST"


That reminds me of way back when I was a child. We went on a family vacation in Williamsburg Va and my father wore a bright orange baseball cap (with the high front) and his favorite leather "***** pack" that he wore on his hip. You could literally see him from a mile away. He was wearing sandals, but no socks


----------



## joaquinx

FHBOY said:


> Why do they call it a f a n n y pack when most who carry them put them in front?
> They should be called Tummy Packs.


I believe that they were originally used by bicyclists who ride rather bent over thus having them in the front would uncomfortable. 

All this talk of socks and sandals reminds me of an uncle of mine who in the summer wore shorts, black nylon socks and wing-tipped shoes while barbecuing on the patio. He also wore them on vacations and had the photos to prove it. He was also a rabid conservative who told racist and ethnic jokes.


----------



## Isla Verde

joaquinx said:


> All this talk of socks and sandals reminds me of an uncle of mine who in the summer wore shorts, black nylon socks and wing-tipped shoes while barbecuing on the patio. He also wore them on vacations and had the photos to prove it. He was also a rabid conservative who told racist and ethnic jokes.


Any connection between the way he dressed and his political views?


----------



## jasavak

joaquinx said:


> I believe that they were originally used by bicyclists who ride rather bent over thus having them in the front would uncomfortable.
> 
> All this talk of socks and sandals reminds me of an uncle of mine who in the summer wore shorts, black nylon socks and wing-tipped shoes while barbecuing on the patio. He also wore them on vacations and had the photos to prove it. He was also a rabid conservative who told racist and ethnic jokes.



That guy sounds like my uncle in Kentucky except he is real and a Democrat .


----------



## raquelita

I live in Central Mexico, have never been to Monterrey but have heard it is the most like an American city. Wondering, as no one has mentioned it.


----------



## jasavak

raquelita said:


> I live in Central Mexico, have never been to Monterrey but have heard it is the most like an American city. Wondering, as no one has mentioned it.



Seems modern , large and expensive, but without the dirty city feel . However , I've only been there 5 or 6 times during the past few years and have never lived there .


----------



## gudgrief

joaquinx said:


> McAllen, Texas. Close enough to Mexico, but still in the USA.


I spend a bit of time in McAllen. Spanish is almost as useful as it is in Mexico. But that's about it. It's still obviously USA; to me more white bread, albeit with an accent, than tortilla.


----------



## jrmyers

Isla Verde said:


> But why would someone move to Mexico to a city that's just like the US? Makes no sense to me.


I agree. I love the improvised feel of neighborhoods, the well-worn look of the buildings, even the dusty streets. It doesn't have the wide streets and sidewalks, the neat grassy yards, the wood siding on its houses. The communities I've seen don't seem to have oppressively anal zoning laws. If the place looks a little "unkempt" it may be because there isn't a whole lot of money to spend on those sorts of things.

It's a different country and culture; it's just going to be different. It has its own special charms. I think you either get Mexico, or you don't.


----------



## Souper

The OP didn't state he wanted to live in the most "developed" city. He asked the question but has never added to his original post.
My guess is, he is not interested in living in our described cities, just asking a question.


----------



## oaxacakate

MrOctober430 said:


> What is the most developed city in Mexico, where it's loosely similar to a normal U.S. city. Every road is paved, road signals that work, just an normal developed feeling.


Curious as to why you are asking?


----------



## Isla Verde

oaxacakate said:


> Curious as to why you are asking?


Maybe the OP is doing research for an article or book on Mexico?


----------



## MrOctober430

I was simply asking because I love Mexico very much, and wanted to know what were other cities that seem to plurish. Only "developed" city I've been to is Mexicali. Tijuana somewhat the same. 

But I love places that I've seen in southern Sonora, Sinaloa Nayarit, and Jalisco. How they have a throw back feel, and don't need big corporations to make them happy, and happy with there life style. It was simply a water cooler talk.

But I've narrowed places I wanted to live is Rosarito Beach, Mexicali, San Luis R.C. and Guaymas. But still researching.


----------



## MJB5293

MrOctober430 said:


> What is the most developed city in Mexico, where it's loosely similar to a normal U.S. city. Every road is paved, road signals that work, just an normal developed feeling.


i think mine is juriqulla queretaro we have everthing that the states have plus better roads good security malls Ihops cars jr lots of american schools 5 collages 

were booming:clap2:


----------



## gudgrief

joaquinx said:


> McAllen, Texas. Close enough to Mexico, but still in the USA.


I spend a good bit of time in McAllen. Speaking Spanish helps even for an outsider. As an outsider, I can see that the locals have their own culture/lifestyle.

I like McAllen especially because it doesn't have a border town feel. But, Mexico it's not and I don't really feel it qualifies.


----------



## Merida Yucatan

As far as physically developed comparably to a US city, I'd say Merida, Yucatan (in most parts). 

If you want reliable US type service, I'd cross the entire Yucatan state off the list. More often than not, 
tradesmen stiff clients for appointments. 

I've heard San Miguel de Allende has a very high level of service and a lot of English is spoken.


----------



## chicois8

I believe a town in Mexico that you would not know if you were in the USA would be the man made development of Nuevo Vallarta..I loved the mall with the computer cafe that charged over $2.00 per hour where most in Mexico charged 10 pesos, there is even a mall just containing American fast food franchises such as Carl's Jr, Domino Pizza, Subway and Baskin Robbins....Plus a quick taxi to Wal-Mart...


----------



## Souper

chicois8 said:


> I believe a town in Mexico that you would not know if you were in the USA would be the man made development of Nuevo Vallarta..I loved the mall with the computer cafe that charged over $2.00 per hour where most in Mexico charged 10 pesos, there is even a mall just containing American fast food franchises such as Carl's Jr, Domino Pizza, Subway and Baskin Robbins....Plus a quick taxi to Wal-Mart...


Yes, two story mall with AC and high prices.
But I know some Mexicans who love Nuevo. To each his own...


----------



## Isla Verde

Souper said:


> Yes, two story mall with AC and high prices.
> But I know some Mexicans who love Nuevo. To each his own...


Sure, they do. It's a way of enjoying all the "benefits" of US culture without having to cross the border.


----------



## gudgrief

I've enjoyed following this thread even with the digressions. I was going to retire to a hispanic country no matter what. Costa Rica struck me as country where you really could have a US lifestyle because it's better organized though I don't think there's a mall with AC. I still prefer Mexico and the inconsistencies that run into you from time to time. Sure, I like McD's, IHOP, Carl's Jr and shopping at Old Navy, Macy's and other stores in McAllen and the Rio Grande Valley and I have reason to go up to McAllen often enough. Meanwhile, I'm at home in a living museum where people don't go out there way to add something extra to the price because you are a ******. All 21st Century services are available if you need them. Maybe you need to dig a little bit and maybe you need to ask around, but you get to enjoy them anyhow.


----------



## chicois8

gudgrief said:


> Meanwhile, I'm at home in a living museum where people don't go out there way to add something extra to the price because you are a ******. All 21st Century services are available if you need them. Maybe you need to dig a little bit and maybe you need to ask around, but you get to enjoy them anyhow.



There is defiantly a local menu and a ****** menu, whether your at a restaurant,hardware store or some other store for a service . And remember that whatever the name on the door, real estate agents in Mexico do not need a license,,anyone can sell property....


----------



## Isla Verde

chicois8 said:


> There is defiantly a local menu and a ****** menu, whether your at a restaurant,hardware store or some other store for a service ....


Not everywhere in the country, and definitely not in Mexico City.


----------



## gudgrief

There are so few resident foreigners in Zacatecas, the only distinction is touristy or local. Zacatecas is a major attraction for Mexican tourists and students plus non-US travellers and international students. Away from the Centro Historico, there's only local. 

Not being in the market to buy, I won't comment on real estate agents other than the two who showed me rentals did not lead me astray. The three landlords I've had have all treated me fairly. What I'm seeing and experiencing may just be because Zacatecas, the city, is really quite small and there's no expat community of any nationality to speak of.


----------

