# Opinions on CD Juarez



## edenmayne (May 14, 2011)

I have read about this city/area and it just does not do it for me....

I ask because this I my husbands birth place and he wants us to spend quite a bit of time there.... he talks about buying land off a relative and building a house and doing a Benidorm kinda thing. A few months there and the rest of time here in UK.

I am all for a quick visit (based on what I read and hear)...but more than a few days I don't think so.

Am I over reacting or is CD Juarez not a good place to be?

Thanks Andrea xx


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

edenmayne said:


> I have read about this city/area and it just does not do it for me....
> 
> I ask because this I my husbands birth place and he wants us to spend quite a bit of time there.... he talks about buying land off a relative and building a house and doing a Benidorm kinda thing. A few months there and the rest of time here in UK.
> 
> ...


My personal opinion, I don't care very much about the city. I would never consider living there


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

GARYJ65 said:


> My personal opinion, I don't care very much about the city. I would never consider living there


While it would not be my first choice if I were free to consider living anywhere I wanted, if I had a job or relatives there, I would not hesitate to live in Ciudad Juarez. It is large enough to have most of the usual urban amenities. I like the desert and there is plenty of it near by.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Well, Andrea, as the wife of a Mexican, by now I'm sure you realize how important families are to Mexicans, no matter where they're living. So your husband's desire to spend more time in Ciudad Juárez fits right into this pattern. Though I have never been to this city (and can't imagine why I would ever want to visit it), perhaps it has hidden charms that I'm not aware of. Since it is located in the desert and not on the shores of the Mediterranean, your comment about doing "a Benidorm kinda thing" is rather lost on me. In any event, I wish you luck in working things out with your husband.


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## emilybcruz (Oct 29, 2013)

I have been living in Ciudad Juarez for almost 5 years now and am very happy here. It wasn't my first choice of cities in Mexico, nor my 2nd, 3rd, or 428th, but we moved out of necessity. It was quite a mess of violence when were first arrived but things have calmed down immensely and I never feel unsafe.

I think that there is a certain charm about this region that would easily go unnoticed if you are just passing through. It is a unique blend of the North and South that many people really enjoy. There are areas that you get the old-Mexico feeling and others that have a more modern vibe. You could live on a ranch and have horse property or live in a modern new build in Campestre or find something in between. There are delicious restaurants, interesting museums, vibrant night life, 2 universities, every church you could think of, beautiful parks, several shopping malls, plenty of opportunities for charity work... really anything you could ever want in a city IMHO. 

I would mention that having easy access to the US is also really nice (the main reason I live here - I work in El Paso, TX) but I see that you are from the UK so I don't know if that would mean the same to you as it does for an American?

Honestly, the biggest downfalls for me is the landscape and lack of water. I'm from Kansas City and am quite partial to lush green landscape, so the Chihuahuan desert was a bit to get used to, but now I find myself in awe over the beautiful views of the mountains at sunset and other things that I wouldn't see in Missouri. I also really, really miss being able to take an easy day trip to the lake to fish or lounge on the pontoon, but I just handle that when I go NOTB to visit.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

emilybcruz said:


> I have been living in Ciudad Juarez for almost 5 years now and am very happy here. It wasn't my first choice of cities in Mexico, nor my 2nd, 3rd, or 428th, but we moved out of necessity. It was quite a mess of violence when were first arrived but things have calmed down immensely and I never feel unsafe.
> 
> I think that there is a certain charm about this region that would easily go unnoticed if you are just passing through. It is a unique blend of the North and South that many people really enjoy. There are areas that you get the old-Mexico feeling and others that have a more modern vibe. You could live on a ranch and have horse property or live in a modern new build in Campestre or find something in between. There are delicious restaurants, interesting museums, vibrant night life, 2 universities, every church you could think of, beautiful parks, several shopping malls, plenty of opportunities for charity work... really anything you could ever want in a city IMHO.
> 
> ...


Emily, thanks for posting this very helpful information about what it is to live in Ciudad Juárez. I would venture to say that there are few Expat Forum members who have chosen to live on the Mexican/US border, and, at least in my case, I don't have a positive view of that part of Mexico. Your post hasn't encouraged me to pick up stakes and move north, but now I have a more realistic idea of what Ciudad Juárez is like.

A couple of questions: When you write that it is "a unique blend of the North and South", are you referring to a blend of the US and Mexico? Just curious . . .

What's the weather like there? I would imagine pleasant in the winter months and awfully hot (but dry) in the summer.

Assuming that the OP doesn't speak Spanish, would you say that she would be able to deal with life in Ciudad Juárez speaking only English, at least in the beginning?

And a comment: One advantage you mention of living in Ciudad Juárez is its proximity to the States. I see its location as a disadvantage because its so far from the rest of this fascinating country, just my opinion, of course.


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## Uecker_seats (Jan 26, 2012)

IMHO I would not recommend living or building a home in CD Juarez, way too dangerous, and has a higher homicide rate then Bagdad, Iraq. In El Paso, near the border, there are road signs warning about live gunfire rounds crossing the border. To me that is the breaking point, a little to close for comfort.


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## LMtortugas (Aug 23, 2013)

I feel compelled to endorse the city. My most recent visit was a weekend stay last summer and found the community more than accommodating, very pleasant, and I felt as safe as in any other city along both sides of the border. CD Juarez offers historic sites, good museums, some really nice parks and a modern shopping mall, delicious cuisine, and of course the famous Kentucky Club. As very aptly noted previously by Emily, it puts forward a healthy blend of north-south-old Mexico- modern vibe!

Indeed, it offers easy access to the beautiful Sierra Madre and historic CD Chihuahua a little to the south, El Paso across the bridge, the rugged Gila wilderness a short venture across southern New Mexico, and of course Texas NOB for those so inclined. Phoenix, San Antonio, Austin, & Dallas are a day’s drive away.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

LMtortugas said:


> I feel compelled to endorse the city. My most recent visit was a weekend stay last summer and found the community more than accommodating, very pleasant, and I felt as safe as in any other city along both sides of the border. CD Juarez offers historic sites, good museums, some really nice parks and a modern shopping mall, delicious cuisine, and of course the famous Kentucky Club. As very aptly noted previously by Emily, it puts forward a healthy blend of north-south-old Mexico- modern vibe!
> 
> Indeed, it offers easy access to the beautiful Sierra Madre and historic CD Chihuahua a little to the south, El Paso across the bridge, the rugged Gila wilderness a short venture across southern New Mexico, and of course Texas NOB for those so inclined. Phoenix, San Antonio, Austin, & Dallas are a day’s drive away.


And Santa Fe.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

LMtortugas said:


> . . . it offers easy access to. . . El Paso across the bridge, the rugged Gila wilderness a short venture across southern New Mexico, and of course Texas NOB for those so inclined. Phoenix, San Antonio, Austin, & Dallas are a day’s drive away.


I can't seeing moving to Ciudad Juárez, so I can easily travel to places in Arizona and Texas. I moved to Mexico to live here and explore other areas of this country. In fact, except for my annual visit to the East Coast to visit my mother and some friends, I have no desire to visit the States at all!


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Uecker_seats said:


> IMHO I would not recommend living or building a home in CD Juarez, way too dangerous, and has a higher homicide rate then Bagdad, Iraq. In El Paso, near the border, there are road signs warning about live gunfire rounds crossing the border. To me that is the breaking point, a little to close for comfort.


Are you looking at current statistics. There was a time when that might have been true. I would like to see a demonstration that it is still the case. In terms of per capita murder rate, Wikipedia lists Ciudad Juarez as 37th with both St Louis, Missouri (#19) and Detroit, Michigan (#22) well ahead of it, and New Orleans, Louisiana (#38) just one place behind. Incidentally, Brazil seems to dominate the list with 10 of the top 20 most homicidal cities.

In any event statistics about crime are only of interest when you have the misfortune to be one of them. Millions of people live in Cd Juarez and some 22 million pass through the border between El Paso and Juarez every year.


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## Uecker_seats (Jan 26, 2012)

In St Louis, all hell broke loose when a cop was doing his job killed a kid when the thug assaulted the cop and tried to take the cops gun away. Never good when a degenerate hate monger like Al Sharpton comes to town. If I'm not mistaken, wasn't there just a mass grave of over 300 bodies discovered near CD Juarez in the last year or so? Mexican drug cartels preferred method of execution is beheadings. Acapulco has become safer over the last 3 years, mostly due to the presence of the Mexican army. Wikipedia is not reliable source when I go to that page and it allows you to edit/ and or enter conflicting information, it is good for biographies and history though.


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## emilybcruz (Oct 29, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> Emily, thanks for posting this very helpful information about what it is to live in Ciudad Juárez. I would venture to say that there are few Expat Forum members who have chosen to live on the Mexican/US border, and, at least in my case, I don't have a positive view of that part of Mexico. Your post hasn't encouraged me to pick up stakes and move north, but now I have a more realistic idea of what Ciudad Juárez is like.
> 
> A couple of questions: When you write that it is "a unique blend of the North and South", are you referring to a blend of the US and Mexico? Just curious . . .
> 
> ...


That's true, there are very few *Expat Forum *members who have chosen to live on the US/Mexico border. However, in reality there are tens of thousands of expats who chose to live on the border. Many people want/need to make the move to Mexico prior to retirement age and need to cross daily to work, some like easy access to the VA hospital, some want to stay close to their family, etc. I think the reason there aren't more on this particular forum is because the negative shift in tone anytime the border is mentioned. That tone can be seen right here in this thread. People saying "you should never live in..." a city they've never even been to, spouting incorrect homicide statistics, mentioning gunfire warning signs that do not even exist, etc. I can find humor in the inaccuracies but I would imagine it would easily offend the millions of people that call this area home. 

Anyway, to answer your questions, yes, I was referring to a blend of the US and Mexico. 

I enjoy the weather here. We get a couple of light snows each winter and the hottest summer months brings highs in the mid-90's.

I have plenty of friends living here that don't speak Spanish and they are doing just fine. I personally wouldn't want to live anywhere in Mexico if I didn't speak Spanish but that's just because I am very expressive and like to be understood. 

Your comment that the location is "a disadvantage because its so far from the rest of this fascinating country," doesn't make any sense to me. Is living in NYC a disadvantage because it's on the edge of the US? What about Miami? LA? Are you trying to say that you don't find border cities as equally fascinating as the rest of Mexico?


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## buzzbar (Feb 9, 2013)

emilybcruz said:


> Your comment that the location is "a disadvantage because its so far from the rest of this fascinating country," doesn't make any sense to me.


And considering that the OP is from the UK, she may regard USA as an equally fascinating country to visit and tour, in which case living on the border for the few months at a time that she describes will be ideal locationally....


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

emilybcruz said:


> Your comment that the location is "a disadvantage because its so far from the rest of this fascinating country," doesn't make any sense to me. Is living in NYC a disadvantage because it's on the edge of the US? What about Miami? LA? Are you trying to say that you don't find border cities as equally fascinating as the rest of Mexico?


What I meant was that I prefer to live in the center of Mexico because that makes it easier to visit other parts of the country than if I lived on the border. And I don't find border cities as fascinating as the rest of the country, if for no other reason than they are so influenced by the culture of the US. I moved here to get away from the country of my birth, to live in a very different place, but that's just me. By the way, how much of Mexico have you spent time in apart from Ciudad Juárez? Just wondering . . .


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## emilybcruz (Oct 29, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> What I meant was that I prefer to live in the center of Mexico because that makes it easier to visit other parts of the country than if I lived on the border. And I don't find border cities as fascinating as the rest of the country, if for no other reason than they are so influenced by the culture of the US. I moved here to get away from the country of my birth, to live in a very different place, but that's just me. By the way, how much of Mexico have you spent time in apart from Ciudad Juárez? Just wondering . . .


You've asked me this a couple times in other threads... I can't help but feel like you just want the opportunity to hint that because I haven't traveled all over Mexico, I am not capable of understanding your distain for this border. But whatever, I'll bite. I have only traveled throughout Sonora and Chihuahua and never to any major cities, just rural ranchos and Parral, my husband's hometown. Which is why I don't chime in on threads asking about life in DF, or Lake Chapala, or Puerta Vallarta or wherever else. 

I don't think it makes sense when people voice their opinions of a city when they have never traveled there.


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## LMtortugas (Aug 23, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> I can't seeing moving to Ciudad Juárez, so I can easily travel to places in Arizona and Texas. I moved to Mexico to live here and explore other areas of this country. In fact, except for my annual visit to the East Coast to visit my mother and some friends, I have no desire to visit the States at all!


Certainly you made a very conscious researched decision to move to Mexico City, as I did to Sinaloa. However, my post was directed to the woman who, apparently, is a complete stranger to the entire SW border region including both sides of the border and struggling with what exactly to expect upon arrival.


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## LMtortugas (Aug 23, 2013)

TundraGreen said:


> Are you looking at current statistics. There was a time when that might have been true. I would like to see a demonstration that it is still the case. In terms of per capita murder rate, Wikipedia lists Ciudad Juarez as 37th with both St Louis, Missouri (#19) and Detroit, Michigan (#22) well ahead of it, and New Orleans, Louisiana (#38) just one place behind. Incidentally, Brazil seems to dominate the list with 10 of the top 20 most homicidal cities.
> 
> In any event statistics about crime are only of interest when you have the misfortune to be one of them. Millions of people live in Cd Juarez and some 22 million pass through the border between El Paso and Juarez every year.


U.S. State reports 2014 CD Juarez continues a downward trend of intentional homicide (murder). If one has actually visited the city recently and back in 2010, genuine positive change is very visible.

I prefer not to criticize cities in either country as critique from a distance can be very misleading & inaccurate. BUT if one has ever ventured beyond the tourist sector of New Orleans, an entirely different landscape quickly emerges that would equally compare in crime, poverty, etc. as related to CD Juarez.


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## emilybcruz (Oct 29, 2013)

I completely agree with LMtortugas on the downward trend in violence. It's very evident if you live here and obviously welcomed with open arms.

Oh and Isla Verde, I meant *disdain, not distain, I hope that was clear. Spelling is not my strong suit.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Isla Verde said:


> What I meant was that I prefer to live in the center of Mexico because that makes it easier to visit other parts of the country than if I lived on the border. And I don't find border cities as fascinating as the rest of the country, if for no other reason than they are so influenced by the culture of the US. I moved here to get away from the country of my birth, to live in a very different place, but that's just me. By the way, how much of Mexico have you spent time in apart from Ciudad Juárez? Just wondering . . .


Do you really choose where to live based on how easy it is to go to other places? I can't imagine choosing where I live so it is close to some place I might visit once every few years. Maybe you travel around Mexico more than I do.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> Do you really choose where to live based on how easy it is to go to other places? I can't imagine choosing where I live so it is close to some place I might visit once every few years. Maybe you travel around Mexico more than I do.


Some of these "other places" might be within the DF or not very far away from it, maybe an hour or two by bus. Others are farther away but still closer to me than they would be if I lived way up north near the border. Part of my reason for moving to Mexico has to do with the years I spent before retiring studying Mexican history and culture, with a focus on ancient Mesoamerica and the colonial era. From those perspectives, the far northern reaches of the country were the home of the Chichimecas, not the places where the rich pre-Columbian and colonial history of the country developed.


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## vantexan (Sep 4, 2011)

El Paso is often cited as the safest large city in the U.S.. Living in Juarez gives you all that El Paso has to offer, including a good airport. If you like to ski Ruidoso, NM is a couple of hours away. It's a beautiful spot for a change of scenery. Las Cruces, NM has developed into a very nice small city of about 110,000 and is only 45 mins away. There's boating and fishing in New Mexico's largest lake, Elephant Butte, camping in two national parks in Texas, and one of the world's great caves, Carlsbad Caverns, in New Mexico. And extended road trips open up all kinds of possibilities in the American southwest. South of Juarez and west of Chihuahua City is the Copper Canyon region. You're in a good spot if you like the outdoors.


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## edenmayne (May 14, 2011)

Hello I speak very very basic Spainish.... although I understand it better than I speak it.... xx

I am really feeling a little more positive about the possibilities.... thankyou :0)


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

After reading the opinions about cd Juarez, I still keep mine
I find it not attractive, isolated, hot, lack of culture, kind of in the middle of nowhere place
I understand that to each it's own, I do like nicest (to me) places


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

edenmayne said:


> Hello I speak very very basic Spainish.... although I understand it better than I speak it.... xx
> 
> I am really feeling a little more positive about the possibilities.... thankyou :0)


Keep working on your Spanish and try to find classes to take while you're still in the UK. I recommend coming for an extended visit before making any decisions about buying land and building a house. ¡Buena suerte!


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## Angelpie99 (Apr 4, 2015)

LMtortugas said:


> U.S. State reports 2014 CD Juarez continues a downward trend of intentional homicide (murder). If one has actually visited the city recently and back in 2010, genuine positive change is very visible.
> 
> I prefer not to criticize cities in either country as critique from a distance can be very misleading & inaccurate. BUT if one has ever ventured beyond the tourist sector of New Orleans, an entirely different landscape quickly emerges that would equally compare in crime, poverty, etc. as related to CD Juarez.


My son went to Tulane Univ. in NOLA, and when I went to visit, he would tell me not to stop when kids ran out into the street, because their big brothers on the porch would come and rob and even kill you. The little kids were part of the game, I guess, and knew to run really fast across the street so they wouldn't get hit. 

NOLA went from bad to worse after Katrina. I was going to move there once, but all the affordable parts of town are now overrun by the drug denizens that lost their homes in the 9th ward, and a 1 BR apt. in a decent neighborhood is $900 a month.


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## Angelpie99 (Apr 4, 2015)

Plus, not all of us are travelers. I have seen barely any of the U.S. after over 60 years of living here. I want a place to settle, not a place I can embark from to see and do. I'm looking for a home, not a temporary starting point.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Maybe it is time for you to consider seeing the USA and even Mexico in the comfort of your own home. Take a look at the RVs for sale. Excellent buys can be had if you shop carefully for 2000-2006 Diesel pushers with one or two slides. They will be fine with Mexican diesel and will have depreciated way down in price compared to newer ones.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

RVGRINGO said:


> Maybe it is time for you to consider seeing the USA and even Mexico in the comfort of your own home. Take a look at the RVs for sale. Excellent buys can be had if you shop carefully for 2000-2006 Diesel pushers with one or two slides. They will be fine with Mexican diesel and will have depreciated way down in price compared to newer ones.


Isn't it a pain in the neck to drive one of those RVs in Mexico?
I drive my megacab pickup truck, sometimes with a trailer, and I hate every minute of it.
Our streets and highways re not wide enough and other drivers feel threatened by larger vehicles. And maneuvering is so difficult. That would take up to 90 percent of the fun out from visiting Mexico.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

It is a problem if one gets off the main highways with a large RV, for sure. However, the motor home is usually parked in an RV park or resort, and most motorhomes tow a small car. It is the small car that is used for day trips and exploring all those smaller places. Yes, Mexico does require the motor home driver to plan his route carefully, but that is easier now with Google maps and street views that are available to check the route visually in advance.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

RVGRINGO said:


> It is a problem if one gets off the main highways with a large RV, for sure. However, the motor home is usually parked in an RV park or resort, and most motorhomes tow a small car. It is the small car that is used for day trips and exploring all those smaller places. Yes, Mexico does require the motor home driver to plan his route carefully, but that is easier now with Google maps and street views that are available to check the route visually in advance.


That's just what I thought
Thanks for the input


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

RVGRINGO said:


> It is a problem if one gets off the main highways with a large RV, for sure. However, the motor home is usually parked in an RV park or resort, and most motorhomes tow a small car. It is the small car that is used for day trips and exploring all those smaller places. Yes, Mexico does require the motor home driver to plan his route carefully, but that is easier now with Google maps and street views that are available to check the route visually in advance.


I stayed in a campground once with a neighbor in an adjacent camp site. Their RV had a garage where they drove a small (maybe a Smart car) entirely inside the RV.


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