# What are your thoughts on Leon.



## izzenhood (Jun 8, 2013)

Wife and I are now mid-60's and are considering a move to Mexico. We visited Guanajuato 10 years ago and think it would be a good fit. We are not looking for an expat community, or high-dollar accommodations. However I see from some recent discussions that at least one contributor is residing in Leon. We know nothing of Leon but the airport.

If we lived in Guanajuato it would be in the city center. I'm wondering whether the city center of Leon would be as safe, or are there safe outlying communities with historical charm. By safe I mean that my wife could safely walk around and shop by herself. Kind of like how San Miguel de Allende seems safe, but please, without all the gringos.

I worry that Leon would be too hot for my taste. We visited Guanajuato in Jan and Feb and that weather seemed ideal to me. Also it was not a long walk from the center of town to the surrounding hills, with plenty of hiking.

Any descriptions of life in Leon would be appreciated.

thanks

Steve
Grand Junction, Colorado


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## dichosalocura (Oct 31, 2013)

I've never lived in Leon before but have visited it. Coondawg can speak more about safety, but I would bet that the downtown area would be fairly safe place to live and to walk around freely without fearing for you life. The problem that many have with Leon is not that it isn't a fine city but that it is rather uninspiring, industrial, and kind of boring unless leather goods fascinate you. If you like that part of Mexico and are yearning for a medium sized city with flat streets (unlike Guanajuato) and perhaps cooler temperatures. I would make a visit to check out Queretaro which is about 2 hours from Leon, it is one of the most gorgeous and cleanest colonial cities in Mexico, very pedestrian friendly in the downtown part and is possibly the city with the most upper middle class in all of Mexico and also considered one of the safest places to live in all of Mexico. And if they ever get that high speed rail built between DF and Queretaro, it will make life even more interesting there.


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## coondawg (May 1, 2014)

Hi Steve,

I will share with you my opinion of Leon. We built a house (not completely finished) there and actually live there 3 months, then return to Texas for 3 months, etc. for the last 3-4 years. Before that, we visited for 3-4 weeks at a time, every 3 months since we married in 2003 (my wife is from Leon). 

Leon (the leather capital of Mexico) is just a big city with a pop. of about 2 million, a small historic center, and all the big box stores and chain restaurants. Rarely do you see anyone from NOB. However, you can rent a house very reasonable (usually unfurnished) and it makes for a good home base for visiting other places such as SMA, Guanajuato, Dolores Hidalgo, Patzcuaro, Morelia, etc.

We keep a very low profile and are careful, and so far, have not had any problems. I doubt you would want to live in the center of town, and you really need a car to get around, as the cheap public transportation is slow, as they move LOTS of people daily.

People are basically friendly, and there is a large city park that has concerts and other events at least once a month, including the Festival de Globos (hot air balloon festival in November).

Weather actually is very much the same temperature as Chapala, as I checked almost daily this year. More trees in Chapala for a cool shade.

Would I be in Leon if my wife's 13 brothers and sisters and father were not there? No, but I can honestly say that usually visiting with some family is an enjoyable experience that I do look forward to. 

We do food mostly at home, so we don't really have many favorite restaurants. Buy some things at the local corner store (eggs, bread, sometimes a few fruit/vegetables, but usually buy big at WalMart and HEB.

Hope that helps some. I like Guanajuato and would live there, and you may be able to get something in the central area there(if you ask a lot and walk around a lot for under $700 USD.) I also like Patzcuaro, but gets a little colder in winter.
Ask if I didn't answer your concerns. Suerte.


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## stanburn (Jan 19, 2009)

Take a look at Doloros de Hidalgo.


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## izzenhood (Jun 8, 2013)

Thanks to all.

Yes, the recent thread about Queratero is very interesting and Dichos' description is especially encouraging. 

I had not heard great things about Leon but knew that you lived there Coondawg so was hoping you would respond. I appreciate your frank description of Leon, I had not seen much about it in the forums so I suspected it might not be a pueblo magico.

I guess I need to visit Queretaro and Delores Hidalgo. What I like about Guanajuato though is the hilly locale. It's sort of like a free gym pass.

Patzcuaro looks like an interesting place; hilly, cool, the lake, etc.

Thanks again


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## coondawg (May 1, 2014)

Just a quick comment. The first book I read back in 1997, about moving to Mexico talked about the state of Guanajuato. It said that Guanajuato is the home of the prettiest city in all of Mexico, and the ugliest. It said Guanajuato was the prettiest, and did not name the ugliest. I must say that Leon is much nicer now than it was back in 2000, but with the pop. growth, construction, and traffic, it is hard to make headway fast.


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## izzenhood (Jun 8, 2013)

I agree. The scenery traveling to and from destinations in Mexico can be delightful, but sometimes it is depressing traveling through the industrial areas. I often describe Guanajuato as the real Mexico, but i suppose it's more of an idealistic view of what Mexico should be.

The same can be said of the USA though. There are beautiful cities and ugly cities here in Colorado.

But as they say, you don't have to shovel sunshine.


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## dichosalocura (Oct 31, 2013)

Hey, if you were really super impressed with Guanajuato than I have another suggestion for you. There is another really old city that has a very similar feel as Guanajuato. Its also at the top of my favorites list. It is Zacatecas! The city has its own cable car and is said to have the most number of museums of any city in Mexico outside Mexico City. It stays cool year round and I don't think it has much of any industrial sprawl to speak of. The city feels more like Europe than most any city in Mexico except for Guanajuato in my opinion. It is gorgeous, made famous for having mostly stone buildings with a pink color to it called locally cantera rosa. And since few foreigners even know about the place, don't expect to see many international tourists or expats there. I don't know about prices there, but I would think they would probably be very reasonable there regarding rent.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I heard the foreigners favor Jerez in Zacatecas. I know a couple of foreigners who live there. The climate in Zacatecas is more than cool according to them..it is pretty cold in the winter. It is about 60km from Zacatecas and it is a pueblo magico


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I think Guanajuato is a beautiful city but I find it clautrophobic. Zacatecas is also a beautiful city, a little higher but not that much higher...


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## coondawg (May 1, 2014)

Several areas outside Zac are not very secure, so venturing into that countryside can have health hazards that are probably not found around Guanajuato or Queretaro.


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## dichosalocura (Oct 31, 2013)

Yes, Zacatecas can be a tad bit cool, compared to Guanajuato it would feel similar but maybe a little chillier. And yes, Zacatecas has had a little cartel problem in the past thanks to the Zetas, it is less a problem these days. I was there during Easter of this year and everybody I spoke with and asked about the crime told me that things have really cooled down these last couple of years, it is almost back to normal. The city of Zacatecas they tell me was not affected so much. But seriously I would not recommend traveling anywhere in Mexico after dark or on not so traveled roads. The magic town of Jerez, is a little lower in elevation and I have heard has a small number of expats residing there. If it was so dangerous, I doubt they would stay there. Zacatecas City is the most European like city in all of Mexico after Guanajuato in my opinion. It feels less claustrophobic than Guanajuato and the streets are typically not as steep. Right downtown is the entrance to the silver mine that made Zacatecas rich, La Mina El Eden, and it has a neat little train that takes you into the mine down into the bowls of the earth. There is also a world famous discoteca down in the mine. The only night club inside a mine. I seriously think that Zacatecas is one of the coolest and most beautiful cities in all of Mexico. But perhaps Queretaro may be more livable, being that it is a little warmer, flatter, and more Mexico centric, meaning it is closer to many other cool places. Zacatecas may feel slightly isolated being so high up in the dry desert regions with very little of interest being close by. You should visit both cities, only you can decide what feels right for you. A third option you should look into is Morelia, a beautiful green city in the moutains of Michoacan surrounded by pine forests with lots of colonial splendor.

Here is a good youtube video showcasing Zacatecas if you are interested.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Yes the people I know and live in the state tell me that some areas around are still having problems but then there are problems in lots of areas. and driving at night is not a good idea anyways...


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## izzenhood (Jun 8, 2013)

Thanks Dichos

Actually we did visit Zacatecas, toured the mine etc, a few years ago. We were there for just two days, while I spent I month in Guanajuato. Perhaps two days is not a long enough time to get to appreciate a city. Same with San Miguel de Allende. We spent just two days there and again we didn't like it as much as Guanajuato. Contrary to reports, I thought there were more english speaking locals in Zacatecas than in Guanajuato.

As I mentioned before, I like that Guranajuato is hilly. Plus the hiking outside of town is easily accessible, not overly brushy.

I appreciate all of the input


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

Thought: Check out the low temperature in Guanajuato in late December and January before committing. It's mighty chilly.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

We visited one year in February and hit it during one of these rainy and cold week..it was awful.. I think the altitude is to be watched if you do not care for cold or foggy. It gets cold in Guanajuato, Zacatecas,Patzcuaro, San Cristobal de las Casas , Puebla and of course Toluca...


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## izzenhood (Jun 8, 2013)

Lagoloo

My month in Guanajuato was in January, and I loved the weather. Actually I worry it would be to warm and humid for me in the summer. They actually sometimes get snow in Santa Rosa de Lima, which is about 10 miles north of Guanajuato.

Zacatecas was definitely colder.


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## dichosalocura (Oct 31, 2013)

Actually, I've been to Guanajuato in July, and I didn't find it to be humid at all.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

When it is cold and dry it is wonderful , invigorating but when it is wet and cold it is miserable.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

citlali said:


> When it is cold and dry it is wonderful , invigorating but when it is wet and cold it is miserable.


Cold and dry outdoors is wonderful and invigorating. Cold and dry indoors, because the house is not sealed at all and has no heat, is not as much fun. Where I live, Guadalajara with a lot of south facing rooms, this is not much of a problem, but if I lived any higher, like Mexico City, I would need a source of heat indoors. And I am happy not to need it where I am.


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## izzenhood (Jun 8, 2013)

If we moved to Guanajuato I agree that we would have some source of heat. There were a few cold nights. I could probably get by, but wife would insist on heat.

I have not seen any discussions about this next point, but I don't recall window screens in the parts of Mexico that I have visited. Must not be too buggy in some areas. That is definitely a plus. As beautiful as it is here in Colorado, we do have mosquitoes, biting gnats and other flying pests on occasion.


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## coondawg (May 1, 2014)

izzenhood said:


> I don't recall window screens in the parts of Mexico that I have visited. Must not be too buggy in some areas. That is definitely a plus.


We have always installed them, if they were not installed. They offer good protection from scorpions, mosquitos, etc. With the increased presence of Dengue and Chikungunya and occasional typhoid, it pays to use them.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

coondawg said:


> We have always installed them, if they were not installed. They offer good protection from scorpions, mosquitos, etc. With the increased presence of Dengue and Chikungunya and occasional typhoid, it pays to use them.


I have a mosquito net hung over the bed. I use it occasionally, but not all the time by any means. There are a few cases of Dengue every year in Guadalajara, mostly in Zapopan surprisingly since that is the wealthiest part of town. A co-worker a few years ago had dengue but it was a mild case. Apparently very few of the cases turn into the hemorrhagic version that is dangerous.


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## coondawg (May 1, 2014)

I had Dengue while we lived in Chapala. Fortunately, not the hemorrhagic type. They come bye our house in Leon every year (for the last 4 years) and put something in our tinaco for mosquitos. Say there is a lot of Dengue at that time. We use repellent sometimes when we go to parties outdoor, or walk in the big city park with the lake.


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## Anonimo (Apr 8, 2012)

Our house (near Pátzcuaro, Michoacán ) came equipped with window screens. We still get a few mosquitoes and flies inside anyway.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

A friend of mine who lives on Frias and Juan Manuel has dengue right now so it is in centro Guadalajara since she did not go away.


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