# Where should we move?



## JCMAvila (Dec 13, 2013)

Hello, 

My husband and I would appreciate any input/information you may have to help us.

We are planning to move from Mazatlan, Sinaloa further south, near DF. We have narrowed our options down to these 5
We want to stay close enough to DF to be able to travel there for concerts and other events. 

Toluca
Cuernavaca
Pachuca
Queretaro
Puebla

We are still considering DF as well but the size of the city is what is turning us off, so maybe you could sway us 
*We just cam across an expats blog about his neighbor hood La Condesa, trendy, multicultural, art deco architecture which sounds right up our alley. Anyone know of any other afforadble areas like this? or any info about this one?

Here are our list of things to consider

Cost of living
Work opportunities (sustainability)
Affordable Universities
Saftey
Location
Education quality (For our future children)
Weather
Entertainment
Public transportation
Proximity to nature (I enjoy hiking and camping)

Any information even just one thing would help! Thank you!

Julia


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

I'm originally from Mexico CIty, lived in different places and live in Queretaro now
I very strongly suggest Queretaro
Welcome!


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## JCMAvila (Dec 13, 2013)

GARYJ65 said:


> I'm originally from Mexico CIty, lived in different places and live in Queretaro now
> I very strongly suggest Queretaro
> Welcome!


Thank you!


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

GARYJ65 said:


> I'm originally from Mexico CIty, lived in different places and live in Queretaro now
> I very strongly suggest Queretaro
> Welcome!


Since you have a strong recommendation for Querétaro, I will give you my opinion. I only know much about the historical center where I lived for three months. 

Pluses: It is a very clean city. Ladies in orange are always sweeping up. There are lots of cultural activities available.

Minuses: There is a river through almost the middle of town. It could be like the Charles in Boston or the Platte in Denver or the rivers in half the cities in Spain. But it is not. Instead, it, like most rivers in Mexico, is heavily polluted and the smell makes it an unpleasant place. Then Qro has no central plaza. Instead it has a collection of 3 or 4 plazas that are loosely connected. While there are some pedestrian walkways the center is dominated more by the streets. On weekend evenings when it would be nice to stroll around the plazas, the streets are jammed with cars. The cars can barely move, but they force the pedestrians onto the narrow sidewalks and then the pedestrians can barely move.

The river will be hard to do much about but they could close the streets in centro to traffic on weekend evenings with a stroke of a pen and make it an infinitely more attractive city. And probably increase the revenue of all the businesses in the process.


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## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

The minuses and plusses of Queretaro are well explained by Tundra Green, and go to show that you can't have everything on your list is one place. 

I lived in San Miguel de Allende for several years and Queretaro was where you went shopping. Clean, relatively safe and bustling.

Nice place to raise children would be San Miguel de Allende.

"Work opportunities" is one you'll need to research unless you'll be arriving with an independent income, since permission to work in Mexico takes some doing. You might find the answers on this forum somewhere. "Affordable Universities" is another requiring some research.


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## JaunMadera (Dec 9, 2013)

sorry to hijack this thread, quick question I promise...

I see "DF" referred to over and over, but I don't know what city that is.

thanks

ok, carry on


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

JaunMadera said:


> sorry to hijack this thread, quick question I promise... I see "DF" referred to over and over, but I don't know what city that is. thanks ok, carry on


Mexico City, DF stands for Distrito Federal


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Good morning!
I have more time now to elaborate on why I recommend Queretaro

Cost of living: This depends on where you want to live, since there are very affordable areas and very expensive ones
Work opportunities (sustainability): I don`t know what is your line of work, but Queretaro is a thriving City and there are many job opportunities
Affordable Universities: Lots of Universities around
Safety: 2 nd place in Mexico, it is a very safe City
Location
Education quality (For our future children): As I mentioned, lots of schools in a variety of levels
Weather: VERY NICE, some would say to is cold in winter, for me, that is not cold , it gets cool, there is no snow or freezing. Toluca and Pachuca are very cold
Entertainment: many cultural events, there is an auditorium, Josefa Ortiz, there are lots of musical and entertainment events there as well
Public transportation: Very good public transportation system
Proximity to nature (I enjoy hiking and camping): There are LOTS of places for that, as an example, search for PEÑA DE BERNAL on the web.
They have just opened a new Shopping mall, ANTEA, it's supposed to be the largest one in latinamerica
Querétaro has an International airport, is only about 2 hr drive to Mexico City

I could also recommend San Juan del Rio, which is only 30 minutes away
It is 90 minutes drive to Mexico City, and you can live very well there too

Make some time and I can show you around


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## zapfilms (Dec 11, 2012)

I agree with Queretaro, but really if you are planning on working that needs to direct your choice.
I would totally disagree with San Miguel because it lacks jobs other than tourism and lacks Universities. Also more for retirees and weekenders for a visit.
Toluca is very high and cold. Pachuca is fascinating but further out than Queretaro.
Cuernavaca could be good, closer to DF than your other choices, lots of biz. Same for Puebla in another direction.

Do you have work visas? Most likely not given they are company dependent. You need to explore this
on the IMG website or in your local migration office. If you have your residency visas there is sometimes some leeway for freelance, but this depends alot on knowing people high up.

Be aware that Queretaro and Cuernavaca as well as Mexico DF you are looking at a higher cost of living than Mazatlan most likely. Should these future children arrive you are talking private schools, some quite good, unless one or both is citizens. 

San Juan del Rio and Tequisquipan are popular with some expats, but obviously you are young and I think these would be too slow - its different being 20-35 vs. 65+. Happy Hunting!


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## JCMAvila (Dec 13, 2013)

*Thank you*

I first wanted to thank everyone for their responses! I really appreciate all the input and we will consider all of it when we are narrowing it down. 

As for a visa, I am married to a Mexican citizen so obtaining a work visa will not be a problem. I just need to fill out the forms and pay the fees (I have already met with someone to get all this information). 

We are still keeping our options open but after doing some research we have become really interested and excited for DF. They have been making a lot of strides in sustainability and from what I have read plan on continuing to improve so they can be an example for other larger cities. This excites me very much since I am so passionate about it and I rarely see much sustainability here in Mazatlan, and haven't found anything online about sustainability efforts in other cities. We will be traveling there in March to see how we like it and to visit "la colonia" that we are interested in (Condesa). 

We still appreciate any input as we are not throwing out all the other options until we get a chance to visit. Thanks again


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

JCMAvila said:


> Hello,
> 
> My husband and I would appreciate any input/information you may have to help us.
> 
> ...


I had initially responded to your post in the “Introduction to the Forum” thread with information regarding Tepoztlan, Morelos. When I read your criteria above, I really do think Tepoz could be a good fit for you, unless you prefer a bigger city setting. In terms of sustainability, there have been many initiatives in Tepoztlan, in part related to the fierce connection between the original local inhabitants and the land, in part because Tepoztlan is actually located within a National Park/Protected Area, the “Tepozteco National Park”, and because many of the people who have moved to Tepoztlan over the years are interested in and committed to sustainability. Here is a link to a document by CONAP (Comisión Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas) regarding Project Management of the Parque Nacional Tepozteco (within the Biological Corridor Chichinautzin). It is in Spanish, but hopefully you’ll be able to get the gist.
http://www.conanp.gob.mx/anp/consulta/Anteproyecto16may08.pdf

As background, my husband (who is Mexican) lived in Tepoztlan for many years and raised his older sons there (now adults). His family still lives there, and we have many friends in the community. We are currently based in Toronto, but have purchased a home in Tepoz - for vacations now, planning to live there in the future. Since we are not currently living in Tepoztlan, I am sure there are many sustainability initiatives in the municipality of which I am unaware, but as an example there is a Municipal Composting Center and a Recycling Center. Given that this is a water-stressed area in an ecologically sensitive area, I find most people are very aware of the need to conserve water and in general reduce our environmental footprint. The little house we purchased has an indoor “dry toilet”. I was concerned it might have an odour, but I haven’t noticed any. 

Here is a link to “Ecoaldea Huehuecoyotl”, an “ecovillage” in Tepoztlan established in 1982. They have been involved in many projects and initiatives involving sustainability in the region. 
Huehue Web Page

Here is another link about a greywater project in the municipality (you have to scroll to the end of the webpage to find the project in Tepoz):
NCCR North-South - Research Partnerships for Sustainable Development : PAMS Central America NCCR North-South, National Centre of Competence in Research, North-South, Research Partnerships, Sustainable Development, Development Research, Syndrome, Glob

If you Google “TepozEco” you will also find some interesting projects (in English) on ecological and sustainable municipal sanitation – these particular projects are from a few years ago, but the group which ran these projects is Sarar, at:
Sarar
This website is in Spanish, but I’m pretty sure the director of Sarar, Ron Sawyer, speaks English, if you wish to email him.

In terms of your other criteria, Tepoz is a great place to raise kids. My husband’s boys have fabulous memories of their childhood. There is a Scouts of Mexico camp near town, and the boys would be out hiking and learning wilderness skills most weekends. They did go to a private French school in Cuernavaca, along with a group of other Tepozteco kids (they car-pooled and the kids had great fun with that based on the stories I’ve heard!) My husband was not wealthy and had no ties to the French language, but prioritized on a good education for his sons, which has certainly paid off for them. There are lots of activities and cultural opportunities right in Tepoz, including concerts, theatre groups, art exhibits, literary events (including an upcoming bilingual Festival Cultural Mexico-Canada in Feb 2014), traditional Aztec dancing, as well as the Chinelos (another type of traditional costumed dancer), lots of interesting boutiques, cafes, restaurants (although my favourite foods can be found in the market). Here’s a link to a local art gallery, La Turbina:
La Turbina ← Galería de Arte

It’s easy to find yoga classes, massage therapists, a temascal (traditional steam bath) – heck, you can even have your chakras aligned or your aura photographed (definitely has its esoteric side, this town). Tepoz is bustling on the weekends, with many visitors from Mexico City, but even during the week it is always busy enough to be interesting, but not so much as to be annoying. It’s a very walkable town (as long as you are OK with cobblestones and hills – and breathtaking vistas), and there is plenty of public transportation, within the town, to outlying areas and to nearby Cuernavaca and Mexico City.

Weather is pretty ideal in my opinion. In terms of safety, I cannot overemphasize how safe we feel in Tepoztlan. Even my husband was surprised at our recent visit, that at the bank people would be withdrawing sizable amounts of money at the teller, seeming completely relaxed – and the bank didn’t even have a security guard. I had to withdraw a fairly large amount from the ATM – I was feeling quite nervous, and my sister-in-law said “Relax, this is Tepoz! It’s safe here.” My kids (10 & 13) go around the town freely with their cousins, and we don’t have to worry about their safety. 

Cost of living in Tepoz will not be as cheap as some of the other parts of Mexico, but I’m pretty sure it would be at least comparable to DF. For universities you would need to commute to Cuernavaca – lots of people do commute to Cuernavaca daily for both work and studies, either by car or the very good public transport system (also many commute to DF). 

Well, for what it’s worth, there you have it (and perhaps way more than what you were asking!). I obviously have no vested interest in you moving to Tepoztlan, but when I read your posts I thought you might find some kindred spirits in this magical town. 

Best of luck and enjoy your search!


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Some reaction, from me:



> We want to stay close enough to DF to be able to travel there for concerts and other events.
> 
> Toluca
> Cuernavaca
> ...


Queretaro might be the only place on your list I might consider moving to, but it wouldn't be on a Top 5 list of mine. Such selections are so subjective, though, that one person's preference can be the other's "No way!".



> We are still considering DF as well but the size of the city is what is turning us off, so maybe you could sway us


The D.F. isn't very ecologically friendly, IMO, and the 8.5 million people who live in the D.F. makes it a bustling metropolis ... but it's a conglomeration of small towns, colonias strung together and it's easy to forget that you're living in the middle of such a huge population center. 



> We just cam across an expats blog about his neighbor hood La Condesa, trendy, multicultural, art deco architecture which sounds right up our alley. Anyone know of any other afforadble areas like this? or any info about this one?


Nice as it can be, I think living in Colonia Condesa is probably above your price-point. I wouldn't describe it as "affordable" for an expat family. The D.F. is probably the best place in the country to look for work.



> Here are our list of things to consider
> 
> Cost of living
> Work opportunities (sustainability)
> ...


The educational system in Mexico is, for the most part, embarassingly bad. Even many of the "private" schools aren't very good. There are some good universities, but you have to pick through the list to find them. 

Work opportunities which produce a level of income you and your family could prove difficult to locate. That depends upon your standard of living and needs/wants. The bigger the cities the better the chances. What you can offer an employer also, obviously, will play a huge part in finding a job which pays well. You already know that the vast majority of jobs in Mexico pay much below what similar jobs pay in the USA and/or Canada.

Safety should be a huge concern, and I suspect it is for you and the family. Not just safety in regards to the war and the related criminal activity and terrorism, but lesser but no less concerning street and petty crimes. Within each city, even within each colonia in a city, the situation can change. Walk two blocks in one direction, and you're basically safe and sound. Walk two blocks in the other direction, and you can be walking into a hornets nest of risks. It takes some research and legwork, and familiarization trips and networking with locals to identify the spot which is right where you'd live.

Public transportation is good, almost throughout the country. Especially so in urban areas, even mid-sized small cities/towns. By Mexican standards this transportation is expensive for the average person ... but for we expats it can be a real bargain.

The income producing possibilities should probably be the biggest guide to you. We see posts to this forum from someone who has moved three times in the past couple of years since she and her husband moved to Mexico. He a Mexican, she an expat. The challenge for them has been finding a spot where he can work and earn enough to support him and his wife, and/or be happy. It can be tough going, for a while. Especially so with children added-in.

Best of luck with your planning, and eventual relocation.


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## WomanOnTheGo (Dec 12, 2013)

I'm just mentioning the following as a possibility. If you budget a set amount for occasional weekends in DF, then maybe it isn't essential to live there to take advantage of culture. I can definitely see the attraction, and if I were to move to Mexico, I would probably want to live in DF. But if you save (just for example) $10K by staying in City X instead, then maybe you could use $3K of that to enjoy a few bus trips and concert tickets and hotel rooms. I imagine it's often easier and safer to stay in town than try to drive back late from an event anyway.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

WomanOnTheGo said:


> I'm just mentioning the following as a possibility. If you budget a set amount for occasional weekends in DF, then maybe it isn't essential to live there to take advantage of culture. I can definitely see the attraction, and if I were to move to Mexico, I would probably want to live in DF. But if you save (just for example) $10K by staying in City X instead, then maybe you could use $3K of that to enjoy a few bus trips and concert tickets and hotel rooms. I imagine it's often easier and safer to stay in town than try to drive back late from an event anyway.


That is exactly how I live
Being a Chilango myself, I find it much better to live 1.5 hr from Mexico City, and visiting when I want or have to


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## JaunMadera (Dec 9, 2013)

Id actually be interested in hearing why you are leaving Mazatlan

We will be visiting this next May with "do we want to live here" eyes

Thanks


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

That would be an interesting read. We also like Mazatlan, especially downtown near Plaza Machado and within walking distance to the malecon and the mercado publico. Admitedly, we have only been there as late as June; never in the July-September season of maximum heat and humidity, which might be the reason for a departure.


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## JCMAvila (Dec 13, 2013)

ojosazules11 said:


> I had initially responded to your post in the “Introduction to the Forum” thread with information regarding Tepoztlan, Morelos. When I read your criteria above, I really do think Tepoz could be a good fit for you, unless you prefer a bigger city setting. In terms of sustainability, there have been many initiatives in Tepoztlan, in part related to the fierce connection between the original local inhabitants and the land, in part because Tepoztlan is actually located within a National Park/Protected Area, the “Tepozteco National Park”, and because many of the people who have moved to Tepoztlan over the years are interested in and committed to sustainability. Here is a link to a document by CONAP (Comisión Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas) regarding Project Management of the Parque Nacional Tepozteco (within the Biological Corridor Chichinautzin). It is in Spanish, but hopefully you’ll be able to get the gist.
> http://www.conanp.gob.mx/anp/consulta/Anteproyecto16may08.pdf
> 
> As background, my husband (who is Mexican) lived in Tepoztlan for many years and raised his older sons there (now adults). His family still lives there, and we have many friends in the community. We are currently based in Toronto, but have purchased a home in Tepoz - for vacations now, planning to live there in the future. Since we are not currently living in Tepoztlan, I am sure there are many sustainability initiatives in the municipality of which I am unaware, but as an example there is a Municipal Composting Center and a Recycling Center. Given that this is a water-stressed area in an ecologically sensitive area, I find most people are very aware of the need to conserve water and in general reduce our environmental footprint. The little house we purchased has an indoor “dry toilet”. I was concerned it might have an odour, but I haven’t noticed any.
> ...


WoW! Thank you for the thorough response and I look forward to reading up on the sustainability in that area. Thank you for taking the time to give me so much detail! sounds like a great place!


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## JCMAvila (Dec 13, 2013)

JaunMadera said:


> Id actually be interested in hearing why you are leaving Mazatlan
> 
> We will be visiting this next May with "do we want to live here" eyes
> 
> Thanks


Mazatlan is a great city and we do like it. The reason we are moving is mainly because of the heat and humidity during the summer. We are hoping to find a milder climate or even cold as we have both lived in hot places our entire lives. 

Also, as a sustainability major there is not much opportunity for me to find a job in that field. 

Finally, we really would llike to be close to D.F. so that we can easily and cheaply travel there for concerts and other sorts of events, since we both enjoy those things very much. :music:

Otherwise Mazatlan is a great place. The humidity is just too much for us, I come from Arizona and hated the dry heat there, the humidity and heat is much worse (during the summer months)


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

_


JCMAvila said:



Hello, 

My husband and I would appreciate any input/information you may have to help us.

We are planning to move from Mazatlan, Sinaloa further south, near DF. We have narrowed our options down to these 5
We want to stay close enough to DF to be able to travel there for concerts and other events. 

Toluca
Cuernavaca
Pachuca
Queretaro
Puebla

We are still considering DF as well but the size of the city is what is turning us off, so maybe you could sway us 
*We just cam across an expats blog about his neighbor hood La Condesa, trendy, multicultural, art deco architecture which sounds right up our alley. Anyone know of any other afforadble areas like this? or any info about this one?

Here are our list of things to consider

Cost of living
Work opportunities (sustainability)
Affordable Universities
Saftey
Location
Education quality (For our future children)
Weather
Entertainment
Public transportation
Proximity to nature (I enjoy hiking and camping)

Any information even just one thing would help! Thank you!

Julia

Click to expand...

_
Oddly limited choices as opportunities to escape Mazatlan which is a sentiment with which I fully agree and, preferably as soon as possible if I were stuck there. You left out Metropolitan Guadalajara (1551 Meters average altitude including the Lake Chapala area) which walks on all of your choices for extraordinarily pleasant and almost constantly sunny climate, endless urban and semi-rural amenities and cultural opportunities including reasonably priced flights of less that one hour to Mexico City when you feel the need for that DF fix which most of us do on occasion. 

We also live in the Chiapas Highlands in San Cristóbal de Las Casas (average altitude 2100 Meters) and, while many think that Chiapas is an isolated wilderness, the non-stop flights from nearby Tuxtla Gutierrez to DF are also of short duration and relatively inexpensive. Meanwhile, while you are there in Chiapas you are living day-to-day in a charming and beautiful environment among a diverse and incredibly interesting group of both native and immigrant populations. 

All of the criteria you delineate as features of a good place to reside are met in spades in both Metro Guadalajara and selected parts of Chiapas. However, let´s discuss places you have chosen as alternatives:

TOLUCA: The capital of the state of Mexico situated at an average altitude of 2680 Meters and one cold place where it is not unknown to see some light snow in the deep winter. The highest city in Mexico and cold as a witch´s patoot in the winter season. Although it is close to Mexico City, the roadway infrastructure from Toluca to Mexico City through Santa Fe makes the drive - while scenic - often congested and not easily negotiated so the notion that you are going to drive this route to the big city for entertainment or a fine meal at a famous restauraunt and then return home to Toluca is a pipe dream. Maybe you will do this once or twice just after arriving there and then that´s over.

PACHUCA: A cold and high altitude isolated city about twice as far from any place else you might wish to be on the planet. 

PUEBLA: A fun town but huge, spread out and at an average altitude of 2162 Meters, a bit on the coolish side. The Greater Los Angeles spread-out metropolitan zone of Mexico but in the shadow of the Mexico City Megalopolis and nursing an ongoing inferiority complex as a result. Good food and cultural opportunities but isolating in its complexity. 

QUERETARO: We explored Queretaro (average altitude 1834 Meters) a few years ago as an alternative place to live from Lake Chapala and think of the town as attractive and prosperous but a bit hilly. I think of the city, based upon my very superficial view from a couple of short visits, as three charming plazas in search of a city. A nice town, I think, but perhaps a bit expensive and, correct me if I am wrong, not pedestrian friendly.

CUERNAVACA: Probably a nice town with a great climate if you settle in the climatic zone that suits your needs but I won´t discuss the altitude there since it varies significantly in various poarts of the city. Perhaps your best choice among those places you designated but I haven´t been there so don´t look to me for advice. 

Remember that these are simply my personal opinions after having lived in Mexico for some 13 years and having explored some of the areas you suggest with the purpose of possibly moving to those areas. Those who disagree with my asertions should post contrary opinions. This is, after all, a forum whiich should invite contrary discourse as long as it´s civil.


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## JustinChase (Dec 26, 2013)

This is a very informative post. Being in a similar situation (looking for next home in Central Mexico) I've gotten a lot of useful information from reading this.

Also, as a person pretty familiar with some of the areas being discussed, perhaps I can contribute also.

Toluca - I'm very familiar with Toluca, and am currently living about an hour away in a small village. My (Mexican) Wife's family lives there, and we're in Toluca at least once a week.


Traffic SUCKS - They say it's worse than Mexico City. I've driven in Mexico City in a car and on a motorcycle, and it was very unfun. Toluca is every bit as bad, IMO
Very industrial - Not much in the way of parks or open spaces or pretty views in the areas of Toluca that I'm familiar with. There are some, and I'm sure many that I'm not aware of, but for the most part, it's dirty buildings and lots of traffic.
Very dirty - Cleaner than it was 10 years ago, by far, but still one of the dirtiest places I've seen in Mexico.
Not inexpensive - Housing in all price ranges, but not what I would call cheap, from the little price shopping I've done there.
Becoming Americanized - Like much of Mexico, and Central America for that matter, big corporations are taking over, and the Malls and Wal-Mart and Home Depot, etc are popping up more and more
Close to Mexico City - If you want to go visit, it's not *that* bad driving into the city, but the bus system is outstanding, so it's cheap to take very nice bus from Toluca into Mexico City.
Cold - Everyone talks about how cold it is in Toluca, and yeah, it's colder than much of the rest of Mexico, but that means low 30's occasionally, upper 30's to low 50's at night in the winter, but it's still in the 70's during the day. it's actually a nice range, IMO.
Public Transportation - I hate it. ALL the Taxi and bus drivers are in constant competition with each other and all drive like maniacs. They cause much/most/all of the traffic problems. Mainly because there are so MANY of them. The positive side, I guess, is that you can get most anywhere pretty cheaply, if you can stand the stress of how they drive.

I lived and studied in Cuernavace for about 3 months about 9 years ago. I loved Cuernavaca. It's close to a lot of great places to visit and the weather is outstanding. They refer to it as the City of Eternal Spring for a good reason. The town center is a great, fun, interesting place to spend an evening. It's not cheap, but it was definitely on my list to consider, but everyone I talk to about it tells me the violence is too frequent and random to even visit. I think that's probably an exaggeration, but still, I'm not sure I'd consider owning property there at this time. I've not done much other research into it, but thought it worth mentioning.

Queretaro is on my short list also, and am planning a trip soon to take a good look around. Most people I ask around here think it's beautiful and affordable and safe. I appreciate the information offered earlier about Queretaro, and will take it into consideration in my decisions also.

San Miguel de Allende is on our list, but I don't expect I can afford to purchase anything there. I'll definitely be looking into land in that area, including up towards Dolores Hidaldgo and down to Celaya, and over to Guadalajara. Next week, we'll head up towards San Luis Potosi, specifically near Ciudad Valles for a look around. I saw a large property at an affordable price, but I don't know much more about the area, other than what my Wife's Sister and husband have told us.

Good luck with your search, and I'm looking forward to reading all the good advice and ideas on this site. If I can help with any information about the Toluca area, let me know.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

I agree on each and every point about Toluca!
Cuernavaca is indeed very nice, but the increased violence gave it a bad reputation lately

Queretaro is a very nice city, lots of things going on, and I should also advice you about San Juan del Río, whenever you come, send me a message, I would be more than happy to show you guys around!


Saludos!


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## JustinChase (Dec 26, 2013)

GARYJ65 said:


> Queretaro is a very nice city, lots of things going on, and I should also advice you about San Juan del Río, whenever you come, send me a message, I would be more than happy to show you guys around!


If you're serious about showing us around, I'm definitely going to take you up on your offer! We're thinking about heading up that way this weekend, or early next week. I'm trying to search for properties online, so we have some things to look at while there, but we also want to just sort of look around at the whole area, to help us narrow down our search a bit. We've driven thru both Queteraro and San Juan del Rio, but just in passing (GPS gave bad directions), so we haven't seen anything other than what we saw from the highway on our way thru, but we did like what we saw.

My Sister-in-Law told us this morning that when they visited San Luis Potosi earlier this year that they were stopped by many 'retenes' because the Narco traffic was above average in that area, so my wife is a bit afraid to consider that area. I personally see it as a way to purchase more for less, since everyone is 'scared' right now. Any thoughts about that?


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

JCMAvila said:


> We are still considering DF as well but the size of the city is what is turning us off, so maybe you could sway us.


I live in a fairly small village — small enough that market day is only once a week*. I hear the horses clip-clop by our window every day. Our kids’ school (when they were in primary) is just around the corner from our house. Exotic birds from the marsh and the bush (herons, falcons, woodpeckers, parrots, etc.) fly over our yard and perch in the trees in the park across the street. The proprietor of our local _tiendita_ knows all of our family by name and exchanges friendly words with us every time we stop by to buy something.

Where is this rural paradise**? In Mexico City!

True, we are a considerable distance from the trendy downtown areas and concert venues, but we’d be even farther away if we were in another city altogether.

The point is that although Mexico City is big, it is also a conglomeration of many, many neighbourhoods of liveable size.

-----
*But the huge _delegación_ market is only 1.5 km away, while 6 km away we have Costco and other supermarkets, along with a commercial zone with malls, cinemas and stores both big and small. So we don’t suffer the commercial disadvantages of being in the boonies.
**OK, it’s not 100% paradise — there are some downsides to village life, too, but I wouldn’t want to put you off. Let me just mention that some of the neighbours bring in rather big sound systems when they host a fiesta.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

maesonna said:


> The point is that although Mexico City is big, it is also a conglomeration of many, many neighbourhoods of liveable size.


:amen:


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

JustinChase said:


> If you're serious about showing us around, I'm definitely going to take you up on your offer! We're thinking about heading up that way this weekend, or early next week. I'm trying to search for properties online, so we have some things to look at while there, but we also want to just sort of look around at the whole area, to help us narrow down our search a bit. We've driven thru both Queteraro and San Juan del Rio, but just in passing (GPS gave bad directions), so we haven't seen anything other than what we saw from the highway on our way thru, but we did like what we saw.
> 
> My Sister-in-Law told us this morning that when they visited San Luis Potosi earlier this year that they were stopped by many 'retenes' because the Narco traffic was above average in that area, so my wife is a bit afraid to consider that area. I personally see it as a way to purchase more for less, since everyone is 'scared' right now. Any thoughts about that?


I am very serious about my offer, I could do it next weekend, you let me know.
Send me a PM when you can

I would not know about San Luis, I lived there for 5 years and liked it a lot, but lately things have been rough there. My thought would be; if you really like the city and have something to do there, you have to buy, if not, look for other place.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

maesonna said:


> I live in a fairly small village — small enough that market day is only once a week*. I hear the horses clip-clop by our window every day. Our kids’ school (when they were in primary) is just around the corner from our house. Exotic birds from the marsh and the bush (herons, falcons, woodpeckers, parrots, etc.) fly over our yard and perch in the trees in the park across the street. The proprietor of our local _tiendita_ knows all of our family by name and exchanges friendly words with us every time we stop by to buy something.
> 
> Where is this rural paradise**? In Mexico City!
> 
> ...


Wow, I´m from Mexico City and don't know a place such as you are describing. Horses, market once a week, where is it?


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## maesonna (Jun 10, 2008)

GARYJ65 said:


> Wow, I´m from Mexico City and don't know a place such as you are describing. Horses, market once a week, where is it?


One of the _pueblos_ in Xochimilco. Also I confess I exaggerated about the horses, I don’t hear them every single day, just often.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

San Gregorio is such a pueblo and it is surrounded by such pueblos all around Xochimilco and still part of DF.


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## dallasteacher (Dec 29, 2013)

Querétaro is a great place. I lived there for about 9 months. I have to agree with what everyone else has posted about Querétaro. 

Employment: I didn't work when I was down and I am actually wondering about this myself.

Affordable housing: In 2009 I rented a 2 bedroom 1 bath home for about 130 a month. 

Security: I always felt safe there and I lived alone for awhile.

Traffic: I find this to be a problem in most places in Mexico. Then again I am very impatient so traffic drives me CRAZY!! I did drive my own vehicle while I was down there and I never had a problem. 

I really loved it there and as soon as my husband and I set a date this is where we will be going. 

I enjoyed Querétaro because it offered everything I loved about Mexico, but when I missed home I could go to Chili's/Hooters/Starbucks/etc.


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## JustinChase (Dec 26, 2013)

GARYJ65 said:


> I am very serious about my offer, I could do it next weekend, you let me know.
> Send me a PM when you can


I don't seem to have enough posts yet to PM you, but I would guess you could PM me if you wish.

Time has not allowed us to make plans yet, but we're committed to heading up that way this coming week, probably middle of the week, probably for a few days.

We're working on making some appointments to see some places, but are still in the early stages.

I'd like to take you up on your offer, if you're still able. If not, no worries. I'm certain we'll be back in the area before too much longer.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

JustinChase said:


> I don't seem to have enough posts yet to PM you, but I would guess you could PM me if you wish.


You need to make 5 posts before you can send and receive PMs.


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