La Casa de Playa en TJ

[Shivani]

I do encourage you to check out Baja Malibu. The price is better, the neighborhood is better and I will bet you will love it if you choose to move South.

 

[Pompal 09.]

I am not getting the feedbacks I hoped for.... I think I will live in TJ for a week during vacation... they have those weekly rentals for like $120....

I will definately test the water before moving down there permanently...

 

[fhotoace]

He signed off about a year ago formally (although he stops by every once in a while and posts). I searched for the thread but could not find it. It was something about him being caught by his wife and he had become too psychologically dependent upon mongering and I can't remember what else. Yes, Fireballs usually has a lot to say about just about everything ...

 

[Rosalie]

Hey guys,

Do you know what happened to Fireball.... I have always enjoyed his comments. He disappeared about a year ago and haven't come back. I am sure he would have a lot to say about livng in TJ.

 

[Pompal 09.]

thebadguy: I say NO to the plan. It sounds great in theory but in practice it's a pain in the ass. In California, even in luxurious posh neighborhoods, crime occurs. But Mexico is a 3rd world country and simply put, I don't believe the police will protect you as vigilantly compared to USA. You would need to have 2 sets of wheels, your good car and your shitty commuter car. That would be two sets of insurance, two sets of maintenance schedules, and at least two garage spaces to house your autos at night.

Driving across the border and waiting would become a pain in the ass. If you have family and friends, I doubt they will visit you in Mexico with the perceived dangerous crime stories.

I believe those Gringos who reside in Mexico either work in Mexico or are retired. I cannot see the daily commute between Mexico and USA being pleasant at all.

I say, just rent a beach house for weeks at a time and have a great vacation!

 

[snwflkdue1209]

Lots of Surenos in Playas de Tijuana now. You cannot go anywhere and not see graffiti on the walls. Crime is really bad there.

You may want to go a bit further South as I believe you will find Baja Malibu much safer. I don't live in any great neighborhood, but I would not want to live in Playas. It has really gone downhill in the last 10 years.

I have friends that have nice 2 bedroom apartments on the beach...I think they pay $650 and I promise it is much nicer and much safer than Playas.

 

[CandM]

It is very tempting, to say the least and can be a great deal. A couple of points to make:

1) Get the SENTRI pass first! Crossing the border can be a multi-hour ordeal without it. How will your boss react when you are three hours late for work two days in a row?

2) Even with a SENTRI pass, the crossing can be arduous. Are you ready to make that commitment each working day?

3) I am not sure if it still is available via the local TJ cable TV service but look into getting the Border Channel. It is simply a camera pointed at the border crossing. There is a web cam on the Internet but it really does not help, in my opinion.

4) Do much more research. There are many web sites that discuss gringos living in TJ.

Good luck! Be sure to keep us updated.

 

[sh0rtea d0o wh0p]

I have been thinking about renting a beach house in TJ for years; but never acutally followed through for various reasons. Lately, I have heard from a friend of a friend, who recently got a divorced and moved down there. He is having the time of his life there. A two bedroom beach house costs only $850 a month is a safe location, only couple of blocks from the beach. A similar house costs at least $3,000 in San Diego.... he comutes to work in Chula Vista (only 5 mile from the boarder) everyday, and has a centri pass. The commute time, including boarder wait is 45 minutes, which is pretty standard by So. Cal standard.

I have been thinking about getting a 3 bedroom house in TJ for around $1,500, that would put me right on the beach.... I can share it with someone I know, and the total cost would be less than an apartment in San Diego.... I can buy a $2,000 car and not attract attention in TJ.

I can go down to the beach everyday afterwork and the entire weekend... chit chat with local chicas, and basically live the beach life at 1/3 the cost.... Finally, I can finally take my Spanish to the next level.... I have been stuck at the intermediate level for ages...

What do you guys think about the plan?