I would appreciate any help on the intricacies of living in TJ: specifically:
1. Can one open a checking or savings account in Mexico if one is not a Mex. citizen? How?

2. Do banks have safe deposit boxes as in the US?

3. Does anyone know the names of the Colonias in TJ? Searching the classified section of the local papers such as the Mexicano, for example, for finding a place to live requires knowing the names of the colonias.

4. In the past, Diego1 had provided some very useful info regarding living in TJ. If he can provide the answers to the above questions it will be greatly appreciated.

Answers can also be sent to the following e-mail:

Arez70@lycos.com

There are some 270 colonies in greater Tijuana - Good luck.

Foreigners can open accounts at Banamex and Banca Serfin with a passport. Before you move to Tijuana, Do something about the border. Either get a sentri pass or buy a bycycle (or motorcycle)
Also, if you are a native Southern Californian, you WON'T like Tijuana. Trust me. I have never yet met a California native who could live here for any length of time. If you are from a big city on the East Coast, you will feel almost at home.

Powerslave, I lived in NYC once for about a year. It was filthy, some of the people were often incredibly rude and dishonest (depending on their religious and/or ethnic background and screw the PC crowd), the food was fantastic, and the best times were just walking around the different parts of the city.

And you're right, I wouldn't want to had to live there for any amount of money. But it was a great experience.

hi

i lived outside boston for all my life.
true about new york being very rude.
the food on the east coast is 100 percent different than the trash they serve in california.
Powerslave was correct in stating that if you lived in any big city on the east coast you will feel at ease in TJ.
there are places in boston that make tj look very desirable.
IF it wasnt for my work i would be living in tj.

Milky

Powerslave, I am a native Southern Californian who has been living in Tijuana. It will be one year as of 1 Jan and I have no plans of leaving at the moment. Definitely a lot of attitude adjustments needed to be made.

Forj, get a city map that shows the colonia names. You can pick up a good one at a Tijuana AM/PM for about 5 bucks. You will run into the fact that the name some areas are known by is not the official name. But rather than chase ads not knowing what you'll find, I would recommend going to the area you want to be in and looking for "Se Renta" signs. If you don't speak enough spanish, enlist the aid of a friend who does.

CF_JA You are the exception that proves the rule. Most southern californians grew up with all the stereotypes that people in tijuana live in paper shacks etc, while those of us from elsewhere usually had never even heard of tijuana until we arrived here, and thus have no ingrained stereotypes to overcome.
Tijuana totally reminds me of DC. It is somewhat incompetently and corruptly run by people who do not look like me. At the same time, like DC, there are no asshole puritans seeking to improve my life, whether I want it improved or not.

Amen, Powerslave. I live in Juárez on the weekends, and it's the most live and let live place I've ever been. No Mexican gives a shit what any other Mexican is doing provided it does not affect him adversely. You can do what the fuck you want to do in México when the fuck you are in the mood to do it, and no one is going to bat an eyelash. I'd bet $100 TJ is the same way, although I've never been there.

Powerslave: As someone who lived right outside DC for the first 3/4 of my life, I'd say you're right on the money. The biggest difference between DC and TJ is that TJ has all the stories spread around about it about the poverty, sexual deviance (donkey shows, etc.), and corruption, while in DC we just get lurid tales of politicians.

Both cities have very nice areas and what are essentially warzones. It's odd that I feel much more comfortable walking the streets of Zona Norte than I do walking the streets of Southeast DC, though!

^C

Initially, I moved in with my girlfriend, so I never really had that much of a choice where I lived... later, when it came time to buy a house, we were again limited to certain areas, and didn't really have that much of a choice.

If I were some new guy, thinking about moving to TJ, I'd probably choose Playas. The rent is higher out there, and you've got to watch that they'll try to charge you a lot more(a Gringo tax, so to speak) - but it is more Americanized there. Besides, I've always liked the beach(you don't got such extreme summers and winters, like you would get in Otay, for instance).

I agree with those that recommend that you get a motorcycle. I have saved countless hours just over the last few months... but find someplace where you can keep the bike safe(like bring it in the house!).

Cardinal, I miss Marion Barry. Life is just, well, boring without him.

Uh, I'm pretty much a native CA, and loved every second of the TJ experience. Well, except for the bums and the cheeseplates. Oh, and I lived far too long on the WRONG Coast too.

Yes, Mayor Barry sure was an amusing part of living just outside the DC Beltway. The only person I can recall to have been re-elected as mayor AFTER being convicted of perjury AND being caught on tape smoking crack cocaine with a prostitute in a hotel room.

I always loved the positive outlook he gave us on life in Washington: "If you don't count the murders, Washington actually has a very, very low crime rate."

And without him, we wouldn't have gotten the immortal line: "goddamn bitch set me up!"

Though I guess someone probably said it before, too...

^C

His best quote was "What right does congress have to go around making laws just because they feel like it" And "People blame me because my security detail is larger than the presidents. But ask yourself are there more people who want to kill the prisident or me?"

And the one that really showed his intellectual superiority: "Those soldiers that served in Vietnam, more than 100% of which were black..."

He will be missed. One fine (early) morning, the Metropolitan Police raided a known crack house on North Capitol Street, and as they busted in through the front door, Marion (allegedly, but I have a good source on this) hauled his naked (they must have served up blow jobs as well as crack)ass out the back door, and was last seen hightailing it down the alley.

Yes, I miss the days of Barry campaigning in his Kinte-cloth hat and outfit, getting back to his "african roots."

So, putting this back toward the topic, are there any such amusing stories about the Tijuana city fathers?

Hey Guys,

I have been wondering what it's like to live in TJ and work in SD. Can any of you guys give us a short report on what it's like, downside and upside? Commute strategies, cost, income tax implications, medical coverage, mail/phone problems, employee/employer issues, language barriers, Mexican laws issues, renting as opposed to buying issues, etc? Are there many people doing this? Is it an accepted life style or are you the recipient of funny looks when people (Norte Americans) find out? Is it worth considering at all?

I've pretty much fell in love in SoCal on my recent trips out there, and even daydream of living in Mx and working in SD. I'm really curious if this is a viable idea.

Come on guys, feed my fantasy. - Or wise me up.

hey

your buddy cf did a good write up about this a little while ago.

This is no reliable mail
living in tj is great if working in TJ
If not shed 2 or 3 hours commute back and forth every day off your life.

When adding it all up , Cost is really not worth moving south when you can just live in south bay.

Most people that work in the usa and live in tj have a po box/mailing address here in the usa for tax/insurance issues.

i feel 100 percent at ease in TJ and i am accepted there by the locals , looking like one helps too !!

Rent in TJ is out of wack compared to the rest of mexico.

The people I do know that live in TJ pay between 300 to 500 a month for rent and some do not even have secure parking.

TJ also has a small ? car theft problem. -lol

When you do drive around it is tough to find decent parking or free parking.

So expect to pay for it.
Dining in TJ can be fun but at the same time , its cost about the same as eating in San Diego.

Renting is always better than buying unless you are a local.

Usa residents are not allowed to own land for so many miles from the border - i think 150.

I have had apartments in TJ while living in San Diego. I enjoyed it , never a problem .

When the economy gets better I will probaly get another one.

take care

MilkfromTJtryingtohelpBillmovetoheaven

I moved to SD partly because I was going to MX often enough that I wanted to live closer. I also moved because it's much more affordable to live in my part of San Diego County than it was up in LA. I have about a 50% longer commute to work, but it's much less of a hassle because of the train service available.

At this point I don't entertain any serious thoughts of commuting across the border on a daily basis. The crossing is just too unpredictable for me. There have been plenty of news articles in recent months about employers in San Diego being frustrated with employees who are either consistently late because it takes two hours to cross into the US, or are more tired than usual because they get up two hours earlier in order to get to work on time.

I think that unless the border situation changes drastically (and I don't see that happening for a long time in this political climate), the only way I would live in TJ and "work" in the US would be if I could telecommute, and maybe come into the office once a week or so.

That being said, in my current situation I wouldn't mind living and working in the south part of SD county as opposed to the north. I wouldn't want to move south and work at my current job because I'm right now living pretty close to the southernmost stop of the commuter train that goes up into Orange County and LA.

^C

I have had three places there that I rented to stay in on the weekends when I lived in L.A., but never lived there full time. I would be doing so right now if I had a SENTRI pass.

I agree with Milkman on the P.O.Box. Mail service is either bad or mediocre, depending on where you live. There are quite a few Americans living in TJ, although not as many as in the Rosarito or Guadalajara areas. I seldom encountered much surprise except when in lower income areas away from the main part of town. Hostility was even rarer. Americans think you are crazy for living in TJ, however. It amazes me how many native San Diegans have never, or rarely, been to TJ.

I disagree on the cost of living there, although it is certainly expensive by Mexican standards. Rent is far cheaper than the anywhere in the SD area for the same quality, although AC is damned hard to find. $50-$70 will get you a surprisingly good house of in a suburban colonia with electricity but no running water or indoor plumbing. $350 a month will get a nice house in a so-so area. $500 will get a nice apartment or house in a good area. $800 will get a great 3 bedroom apartment right by the border with marble floors, brand new appliances, and a washer and dryer. $1000 a month will rent an awesome place. Renting is usually the way to go. Non-Mexican citizens can't own propert in TJ, or at least most of it, due to its proximity to the ocean and border. There are a couple of ways around this, but they are expensive and/or cumbersome.

Food is a lot cheaper in TJ, especially restaurants and basic foodstuffs. Packaged USA brand foods can actually be more expensive than here.

Parking, especially free parking, can be a little hard to find, but nowhere near as bad or expensive as in Chicago or San Francisco or several other large US cities. The drivers are agressive, but you get used to it, or at least I did. There is a bit of a security issue, and secure parking is a very good idea. You will not want the neighbors to know about exepensive electronics, etc. if you live in one of the cheaper areas.

If considering a move to SoCal, and living in TJ is an essential ingrediant, I would suggest a trial run first. Take you vacation here and spend the time in TJ. Find a hotel away from centro and the zona, and rent a kitchenette. Buy a map or two and drive around. Eat at the restaurants the locals use. Go to the supermarket. Drive across the border and all the way to North County at morning rush hour.

Do not move here without a job! The job market here sucks right now.

hi
good post hippie
well put
I agree with the rents
perhaps I didnt word it correctly
Did you every have problems with pests ?
I had some horrible times trying to get rid of them !!
One thing about the job sector in San Diego it has been bad for a while and the pay rate doesnt compare to other parts of the USA.
take care
Milky

Thanks for the reponses, and I absolutely agree with Hippie in that a trial run would be the way to go. Looking over the apt costs though brings up a question, just how expensive would a decent, 2 bedroom apt in Chula Vista (for example) cost? I spent a little time in Chula Vista my first trip out, and except for the traffic on Friday afternoon, really liked it. The look and "feel" of the place was a real pleasant surprise.

Lechero, also found your statement of having a second apt in TJ interesting, did you swing it yourself or share it with others?

Shows you what a newbie I am, I didn't realize there were restrictions on property ownership in Mexico. The commute time is of course a major issue, and I guess the sentri passes either don't solve it entirely or are difficult to get.

Hippie, of course number one (or at least one of the top issues) even before considering a move would be a job. This will take some investigation, but I suspect that in at least my profession, wages are pretty comparable between Reading and San Diego even heavily weighing in Lechero's comment about pay rates.

This is all great topics for discussion. I really enjoy thinking about the possibilities.

Here's a Pro/Con list I posted elsewhere..

Pro: Lower rent costs
Con: Lower quality housing
Pro: Lower utility costs
Con: Higher telecommunication costs
Pro: Lower Food costs
Con: Lower food quality
Con: Higher costs on about everything else
Pro: You are exotic (if not Latino)
Con: You are the minority (if not Latino)
Pro: Girls come home with you
Con: Girls know where you live
Pro: You get to learn a new language and all that that entails
Con: You MUST to learn a new language and all that that entails
Pro: Learning a different culture
Con: Coping with a diffent culture
Pro: Sharpening your driving skills
Con: Traffic
Con: Smelly gasoline
Con: You are always a mordita target (so are locals)
Con: Border crossing
Con: Burn-out due to over exposure
Con: Many of your American friends/family won't visit
Pro: BEAUTIFUL WOMEN EVERYWHERE!!!

Con: High crime rate {credit to Explorer}

Some of the con's may be pro's for some people and vice-versa. SENTRI pass eases the border crossing to almost a non-issue. If you can telecomute or work in San Ysidro you got it made. I think us self-employed technogeeks should get together and share a small office space within walking distance of the border.

Non-Mexican citizens can not own land within 50 km of the coast and 100 km of the border. This pretty much eliminates anything in Baja. There are ways around this if you really want to. But rent first.

CF, nice post. BillFR, a JOB? To quote the immortal SPICOLI: WHAT FOR???

Pork, To occupy my time between sessions. LOL

Bill, thoroughly check various job search websited before leaning too heavily on that assumption. SD has one of the worst pay rate to cost of living ratios in the continental USA. Hence the term sunshine tax. The same situation also exists in Aspen, for the same reasons - weather, scenery, and recreational activities.

cf, great list, although I somewhat disagree with two items (that we agree on all but two is rather amazing). I would argue against the lower food quality, although I think I see what you mean. I would also say that the only things which are higher are gasoline and big ticket items (cars, TV's, appliances, etc.) which you can buy in the US if they will fit in your trunk. The other thing that comes to mind which is higher are brand name manufactured goods, which I would also suggest buying in the USA.

Hey Hippie, you're the expert in living in TJ. How does the import tax apply if you're gonna to bring over something...like a TV, a stereo, a bedroom set??? I've heard something like above 50bones worth would be taxed? If I bring a trunk fulled of "personal", will I be taxed on all?

Hippie: You're right about the pay vs. cost of living in SD. That's why I live in north county (cheaper than a lot of places in SD) and work in Orange County (higher pay!).

By taking the commuter train to work, it's actually cheaper for me to live here, 60 miles south of my Irvine office, than it was living 40 miles north of Irvine, up in LA County.

And being only an hour from the border is fine with me. It keeps me from being down there so often that I get in trouble financially.

^C

100 km (62 miles) from the border & 50 km (31 Miles) from the shore ! Unless you have a Fideocomiso (bank trust) which costs about $100/month and up, after a maybe 3,500 dollar setup fee. A real hassle. An US citizen can bring in $50 bucks worth of stuff at a crack, but to buy a house, you need an FM-3 ("forma migratoria de extranjero #3" - one step above a "tourist card") which is about $130.00/YEAR. Add your SENTRI pass (also about 130/year - a maybe 9 month lead-time) and it starts to add up.
Good Luck.

OOPS, I left out mail boxes - "COPY PRONTO" (branches in Plaza Rio & other places will rent you a box that has an address in the US, they bring it down and put it in your box, avoiding the Mexican postal system.

Thanks Hippie for the advice. If I really get motivated to the point where I'm seriously considering the move, I'll certainly do my homework. Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I'm some kind of expert in salary ranges. Having lived so long in an area back east here where the pay scales are very much lower (at least 20-30%) than the nearby metro areas of New York and Philadelphia, I just assumed that anywhere in SoCal would be at least comparable. As you say, maybe not, and I must consider that possibility in any future plans.

Not sure how to use a web job search facility for finding salary ranges though. Something else to learn.

Sounds like Cardinal has a great idea, though if I go for that big of a change (moving right to left), SD still is my siren call.

But I'm still curious about apt rentals in SD. Anyone have an idea of average rents for a decent apt in say the Chula Vista area?

There are web sites out there where you can plug in locations around the country and get an approximate cost of living ratio between the two locations. Unfortunately, I don't have any of them bookmarked... does anyone know of any sites like this?

Earlier this year, when I was giving serious thought to moving to SoCal and interviewed for a job out there, I checked a couple of these sites. If I remember correctly, the Chula Vista area has a 10% higher cost of living than my current area of residence. Most other places in the SD area were quite a bit higher than that.

Despite that, when I got around to talking salary with this prospective employer in the SD area, I was surprised that the pay they were offering was about the same as what I earn in my current job on the East Coast, which is basically identical to the one I was interviewing for.

So... same salary, cost of living at least 10% higher, probably more. Hippie's right, the ratio is lousy. That's one (but not the only) reason why I ditched this idea, or at least postponed it to a more realistic point in my life.

Bill: Note that I am still technically in San Diego, but in the county, not the city.

I live about 25-30 miles north of downtown SD; it's nice and quiet here, with affordable housing, yet still close enough to both San Diego and the border.

And, as I said, it's convenient by rail to the higher salaries available in the LA/Orange County areas.

^C

Cardinal,

I'm curious and have a question. We on the right coast pretty much assume (or at least I do) that public transportion in SoCal is pretty much non-starter, if using it commute to work. You guys seem to be so hung up on private transportation and all. So it sounds like I might be wrong about this? The train you're talking about, does it go to downtown LA? And excuse my ignorance, but is there such a thing as "downtown" when talking about LA? Sorry for the stupid questions, but most of my impressions of LA come from the media, and all I ever see is endless freeways packed with cars and little in the way of a central downtown business area the way we are used to seeing back here in the east.

So, after the train, more public transportation (bus) to work, or are there that many stops and high enough business density that there's a chance of locating jobs close enough to the stops to walk? (This would be the norm in a city like Philly where the business center is compact). Oh, are we talking commuter rail service? Boy - I didn't even know you guys had anything like that out there.

Oh, and one more, what's your commute times look like. Sorry for being a pest. But working in LA/OC and living within an hour of the zona is opening up some new vistas. I know that my profession has more job opportunities in that area.

Bill here are my unsolicited 2 cents: San Diego is far more expensive than a place like Reading, PA. Besides the proximity to TJ it has numerous benifits and I never regretted to have moved here. Moving to TJ, however, is something I play with a lot in my mind, but after beeing sober on a Monday norning it looks much different than on a hot steamy Saturday night with a chica half your age. Housing standards, amenities, safety, noise are so much worse in TJ than in SD that living there full time does not seem to be very appealing to me anymore. I have close personal contacts in TJ. My GF lives in a "nice" area of town in TJ, but it still can't compare with most of the neighborhoods in SD. We can't even find a good restaurant in TJ. People talk about La Costa as a good restaurant, but there must be 100 better places to eat in SD.
If SD would be close to TJ I would die of bpredom, but who wants to live on a carnival?

Robertx,

Yeh, it's beginning to look like not such a good idea. But I'm intrigued by the idea of living in SD (maybe even a little north of SD) and renting/sharing an apt in TJ. Oh well, it's nice to dream anyway.

After years of disparaging the West Coast (the place where all the nuts roll to), I've finally had a chance to spent some time out there and found out how easy it is to fall in love with the place. Of course having TJ and our favorite hobby so close doesn't hurt either.

Hey all,
Having just helped a friend find a place by San Diego State, I have a reasonable idea of what rental market is like right now. 1st, the rental market is very tight. I keep hearing numbers like 2-3% availability. 2nd, my friend found several places around San Diego that had a ROOM renting from $400 to $500 a month. The further inland you go the cheap rent tends to get. I'm currently paying $900 for a two bedroom, but my neighbor is paying $1250 for the same place. So rent can vary vastly depending on how good of a kiss ass you are. There is a weekly paper in SD called the 'Reader'. I don't know if they have a website but the appartment adds in it are very complete and this is what I use when looking for a new place.

xhohner

http://www.sdreader.com

If you have an "FM-3", you can take across $150.00 worth of stuff at a time.

Senor Pauncho, I thought an FM-3 was good for 5 years. Was I told wrong? Also, a SENTRI pass only costs $129 for the first year. After that it is $79 a year. There is currentky about a 9 month delay from the time you call to the time you actually get your pass.

Sakebmb, there are people on this board who know far more about living in TJ than I do, but your question is one I researched myself. Officially, if you are going to live in Mexico for more than six months, you need at least an FM-3 visa. While many people do not bother with one, it has one big advantage (besides the fact that they can't deport you as easily if you piss off someone in authority). You are allowed to declare and bring in any personal items, furniture, etc. that you already own. This is pretty much a one-shot deal, and they strongly prefer that it all be brought over in one load. Other than this, you are not allowed to bring over more than $150 worth of items a month, I believe. If the items will fit in your car, especially the trunk, and you don't get sent to secondary, you are in the clear. If you do get sent to secondary, there are a couple of options. If the stuff is not brand new, you can try really low-balling on the value and they might let you through. If you do not tell them you live in TJ, you can make up some excuse for why the stuff is in your car. Just don't tell them you were bringing into TJ to leave it there. If that does not work and you do not want to pay the tax, you can return to the USA, then drive to another border crossing and try it there. I have been told by numerous people that they can't impound the items if you are not a Mexican citizen. I have not actually seen that in writing on any official documents, however, so you might want to check further.

Thanks Hippie.

Bill:
You're in some ways right about public transportation being really downplayed out here. Thing about it is, it works really well IF it's conveniently located relative to your home and work! It's underdeveloped in a lot of areas of L.A., but I managed to make it work for me.

I happen to work only 10 miles from a station, so that was a good start. When I lived in L.A. county, there really wasn't a good way to get to that station, though -- I would have had to ride one train into downtown L.A. (yes, there sort of is a downtown, although LA is very spread out) and then switch to another to go into Orange County. So I moved down into the north part of San Diego, where there's a stop on the same rail line, only three stops away from the stop at work. I drive ten miles there, take the train 50 miles, and then have ten miles to go.

I started by leaving a second car at the station near my office, but then settled on biking ten miles each way. It's really helped me out health- and weight-wise, although I've slacked off with the winter weather!

If you like to bicycle, or are willing to pick it up, San Diego welcomes you -- there are a LOT of bike trails in the city proper, with more coming all the time. San Diego was named one of the best cycling cities in the US by Bicycling magazine earlier this year. The more "planned" areas of Orange County (such as Irvine) are also bike friendly.

Right now my commute is an hour each way because I am driving to stay warm. When I use public transport, I drive 20 minutes, ride the train for 40 minutes, and then bike 45 minutes. I almost don't even count the train portion as "commute time," though, since I put it to good use by catching up on my reading, or studying Spanish. (that's how I've learned all the Spanish I know so far -- studying on my train ride every morning!)

^C

When I lived in L.A. and my company was talking about moving to downtown, I had every intention of using the train. The new North Hollywood station was only a mile from where I lived, so it would have worked well. Like Cardinal says, it all depends on exactly where you live and work.

By the way, OC, L.A., and SD all have distinctly different feels. It is very possible to like one but not another. Personally. I like most of L.A. and S.D., but don't care for most of OC.

Hey...be nice about OC....j/k, I used to live in Huntington Beach and Yorba Linda (very close to Nixon Library). Still my favorite place to live due to its proximity to LA, SD, and THE BORDER....yeahhh....weeekend mongering.

For out-of-towners, affordable livings in SD are still possible if you're willing to settle for a lil' further north or south of downtown, or the case of LA, you need to go Eastward. OC livings are getting out of control even still after 9/11. Unless you want to live in the heart of Santa Ana, Stanton, or Garbage Grove.

Farsider, here is a site for you on cost comparisons, real estate, rentals, and a whole lot more. I use it a lot to track home listings but it has links to nearly everything that deals with living expenses.

http://www.realtor.com/

The salary conversion link is:

http://www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/salcalc.html

Tight-fit, Cardinal, Hippie,

Thanks for all the detailed responses. You guys have really opened up some attractive alternatives. Tight-fit, that realtor website is great, some nice apts north of SD that would be in my potential price range. (And that would position me for jobs in both LA and SD, Cardinal.)

Sounds like that during my next trip out, I'll have to cut back on my zona time and do a little exploring north of the border.

Hippie:
An FM3 is annual and the price has increased every year since Ive been getting one.
Billfromreading:
The rental prices coupled with the "sunshine tax" (employers feel they can pay less because of the desirable location)makes affordability a challenge. My last roommate and I were paying $1200/month for a 2 bedroom apartment just north of MCAS Miramar (Mira Mesa area).
I would suggest looking at the Union Tribune website, signonsandiego.com
If youre open to a roommate situation, shoot me an email and we can talk. (at least we know we have ONE common interest!! LOL)

LTZ

I just renewed my SENTRI and the renewal price is $105, not $79. My one bedroom apartment in Mira Mesa next to the freeway last year was $845 and sucked. My two bedroom condo in Tijuana next to the beach is $600 and is great. Never got the FM3 but bought my furniture in Tijuana. Have an FMT but have never actually needed it.

Anyone know how easy/difficult it is to get a Sentri pass nowadays? Also, do you need a specific reason for getting one like living in TJ?