# Where to live in Mexico City



## LoneSteel (Feb 19, 2014)

Hola!

I will be moving to Mexico City in March and need to decide where to look for apartments. Could you give me recommendations?

I will have to work in Polanco, so I'm thinking I should live near Polanco or Condesa. But I've heard Santa Fe is a really nice place to live.
How is the traffic coming out of Santa Fe in the morning?

Also, can anyone tell me about the language programs at the universities?
If I decide to live in Condesa, I will study Spanish at La Salle. Otherwise, if I decide to live in Santa Fe, I will study at Iberoamerica. 

Any help is appreciated.
Thanks!


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

:welcome: to the Mexico Forum!

There have been several discussions answering questions such as you've asked and my first reaction to reading what you've posted is to recommend that you take the time to scroll down through the list of prior discussions to read them and the excellent and still relevant information which has been offered. Generally, I suggest that people moving to the city find housing relatively close to where they'll be working ... because otherwise commute times can be long and the _daily grind_ frustrating. Housing in both Colonia Polanco and Condesa can be expensive, so you'll want to carefully define your budget is and stick to it. Anyhow, take a look at the prior discussions and then come back for some clarification, if what you learn isn't clear enough. Lucky you ... having the opportunity to live/work in the D.F!


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

I have heard that Santa Fe is not such a nice place to live, so it may be a matter of opinion. My impression is that it is a somewhat sterile cement desert, filled mostly with expensive highrises, and not so walkable as many other places. Condesa, for example, and other less expensive neighbourhoods nearby, are treed and full of small stores, restaurants and cafés.
For sure, the traffic is horrendous, and you wouldn’t want to be driving in and out of Santa Fe daily if you didn’t have to.


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## conorkilleen (Apr 28, 2010)

Roma Norte...check that area out. Its within walking distance to Condesa and its easy to get to Polanco. They starting to install the Eco-bicis in Roma and there are Eco-bico stations in Polanco for drop off....if you are into bicycle commutes. Its a nice ride.

Conor


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

Check out the recent ‘greyhound’ thread started by Mac678. The answers people gave to her about good places to live would apply to you, too.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

maesonna said:


> Check out the recent ‘greyhound’ thread started by Mac678. The answers people gave to her about good places to live would apply to you, too.


Here is that thread: http://www.expatforum.com/expats/me...tions-about-having-greyhound-mexico-city.html.


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## LoneSteel (Feb 19, 2014)

Thanks guys. You've all been very helpful.

One more question: Does anyone know how long it takes to go from Santa Fe to Polanco by car during rush hour?
I've read Polanco to Santa Fe can be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, but can't find anything about the other way around.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

LoneSteel said:


> I will have to work in Polanco, so I'm thinking I should live near Polanco or Condesa. But I've heard Santa Fe is a really nice place to live.


Did you know it was built on a huge garbage dump? Anyway, here's an interesting article about Santa Fe, an exclusive area of the city for people who don't really want to live in Mexico City: Santa Fé, Mexico City- a glittering dump of beautiful buildings | Blogs | Archinect


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> Did you know it was built on a huge garbage dump? Anyway, here's an interesting article about Santa Fe, an exclusive area of the city for people who don't really want to live in Mexico City: Santa Fé, Mexico City- a glittering dump of beautiful buildings | Blogs | Archinect


I agree with the article, I don't like Santa Fe myself
Where is the article's writer from? Do you know?
He says "welcome to the land of paranoia" because a policeman told him to not take pictures of the buildings


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> Did you know it was built on a huge garbage dump? Anyway, here's an interesting article about Santa Fe, an exclusive area of the city for people who don't really want to live in Mexico City: Santa Fé, Mexico City- a glittering dump of beautiful buildings | Blogs | Archinect


Interesting article. Here is a quote from it: _"I found manicured collection of hypermodern mirrored glass and steel towers containing luxury condos and office buildings, sprawling corporate campuses, and giant malls. Wealth and power live there, along with their bodyguards. Santa Fe does have an identity- it just happens to be awful."_

For me, it would be awful. I'm an adobe house with lots of sunlight, colour and exuberant plants in damp earth kind of girl. (Roosters optional). Give me talavera tile and traditional Mexican architectural details. 

But I know people who would much prefer the modernist, sterile luxury described by the author of this article. I guess it's a good thing we have choice. To each their own.


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## Anonimo (Apr 8, 2012)

I am wondering why the article title has an accent on "Fé"? Is that correct? My Spanish dictionary doesn't use the accent on "fe".


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

Anonimo said:


> I am wondering why the article title has an accent on "Fé"? Is that correct? My Spanish dictionary doesn't use the accent on "fe".


When in doubt, I always turn to the _Real Academia Española_

Real Academia Española

And you are right. The word "fé" with an accent does not exist according to RAE. The correct spelling is "fe".


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## Anonimo (Apr 8, 2012)

Gracias, Ojos. (Now, back to our regular programming.)


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