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Other Locations with Large ExPat Communities


lakeside7

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San Miguel de Allende... restaurants, music, art and artists, classes of all kinds to occupy your time and a lot of historical relevance... cold in December and January.

Puerto Vallarta/Sayulita/San Pancho... stinkin' hot and humid from June to the end of October... beaches, ocean, dining but not much of historical interest

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I live in San Carlos and love it. Now it is hot in the summer. About 4 months of heat and humidity. I like San Carlos because it is a community. Lots of good restaurants, bars, and friendly people.Keep in mind it is a no hassle zone. Which means no visas required, cars with any plates anyone can drive. 

I am in Jocotepec for a few weeks now and which I was in San Carlos. 

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40 minutes ago, Jim Bowie said:

Guanajuato: similar to SMA, but about 1/2 the cost.

 

I liked Guanajuato to visit but found the tunnels intimidating and it still felt claustrophobic even above ground. Lots of history there and Cervantino Festival is fabulous.  Which reminds me, I forgot to mention El Teatro Angela Peralta in San Miguel de Allende. Dining in Guanajuato? meh. I passed on the "mummies"... downright creepy. Backroad from Dolores Hidalgo to Guanajuato has beautiful scenery.

 

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7 hours ago, dichosalocura said:

What about Álamos Sonora.  I have never been there but have heard its a nice attractive colonial city in the desert with something of an expat community.

We didn't care for it.  Stayed there once. Typical MX City, church in the center, museum and not much else.  The bay of Agiabampo, is about an hour away, devoid of infrastructure but splendorous in its pure nature.   We preferred the municipality of Navojoa which is the fifth-largest in Sonora, with 145,000 residents. Approximately 100,000 of those residents live in the city of Navojoa, which is a bustling city in one of the most productive agricultural regions of Mexico.  But when deciding where to live, we chose San Carlos.  Hands down winner.

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15 hours ago, vetteforron said:

I live in San Carlos and love it. Now it is hot in the summer. About 4 months of heat and humidity. I like San Carlos because it is a community. Lots of good restaurants, bars, and friendly people.Keep in mind it is a no hassle zone. Which means no visas required, cars with any plates anyone can drive. 

Sounds inviting. What's the cost of living like in San Carlos? Thanks.

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4 minutes ago, Frijoles said:

Sounds inviting. What's the cost of living like in San Carlos? Thanks.

Not cheap. A one bedroom will cost $600.00 and up. Now like anywhere you can find deals. I usually do. The sea is incredible. People have had Orcas swimming in the wake of their boats like dolphins. I like Paradise realty for rentals. formally known as Siesta. Ask for Brad and mention my name. 

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Moved to San Miguel de Allende from CA in 1984 because of the arts reputation.  Three years later, moved here to Lakeside.

Downside of SMA:  Very high altitude.  In a "bowl" location so that all the air pollution stays.  My doc there said that downtown air was like smoking 3 packs of ciggies a day.   The only tree visible from our house was...dead.  Lakeside was great improvement.

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7 minutes ago, Ferret said:

As with everything, location is key.

My location in SMA was on a hill above town.  As little air pollution as possible.

One very good thing about  SMA was that the Lions Club there arranged regular trips all over Mexico.  All were welcome and the cost was reasonable. Great opportunity.

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I was also on the hillside above town in Atascadero. No pollution and an overabundance of trees. I believe you were in Balcones which, although it had better views, did not have that many trees at the time. Lived there happily from May of 1996 until October of 2005. Went back for a visit in 2013 and did not like all the rapid growth and expansion. It happens everywhere.

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1 hour ago, Frijoles said:

Sounds inviting. What's the cost of living like in San Carlos? Thanks.

We found it less expensive than here, with the exception of electricity.  Air conditioner/s are a must.  We had room air conditioners on from  the end of March until mid November which became cost prohibitive for us.  It can be 90 degrees with 95% humidity for a long time, and, no rain, except for a few days a year.  It is beautiful, friendly and I miss some of the perks of living there.  The major shopping city is Guaymas and is about 15 minutes drive from SC.  Hermosillo is the capital and is about 50 minutes away.  They have international airport,  Home Depot, malls and major MX stores.   

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We had a place in San Miguel de Allende, in Los Balcones, with incredible views of the mountains and the Obraje. We chose it and loved it for the climate: cool (even cold) nights (on January mornings you might find frozen pools of water); hardly any humidity, even during the rainy few weeks. Incredible countryside with plenty of Otomi holy sites, excellent hiking and biking and sightseeing. Close enough to larger urban areas such as Queretaro and Guanajuato, and good inexpensive shopping in Dolores Hidalgo. 

What we did not like was the huge expat community, too huge, which does not help to integrate. But what really ruined the city to us was the insane development, with thousands of houses in dozens of sprawling subdivisions, which stole precious natural land but remain uninhabited. Also the town itself and labour are very expensive compared to elsewhere in Mexico. Good place to visit, but not sure it is an attractive place to live any more...

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23 hours ago, Ferret said:

I was also on the hillside above town in Atascadero. No pollution and an overabundance of trees. I believe you were in Balcones which, although it had better views, did not have that many trees at the time. Lived there happily from May of 1996 until October of 2005. Went back for a visit in 2013 and did not like all the rapid growth and expansion. It happens everywhere.

No, I didn't live in Balcones.  I lived in a completely Mexican hilly area on the other side of town.  Same story about the problems, and now I understand that the traffic is a real mess.

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