Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I do despise HOA's and everything connected with them as well. To me, it's a sign of an ever-expanding nanny state where everything needs to be regulated, since it's impossible just to talk to your neighbours and sort out a problem in a polite way.
Mexico, on the other hand, is the complete opposite: Nobody really cares what you do etc. but they also expect YOU not to care what they do. That could include but is not limited to (depending on the area and socio-economic standards): Loud music, parties till 6 A.M. (on a work day!), cars not parked properly, trash just outside the house, nobody calling the police in case of robbery, etc.
To sum it up: Black and white, a bit of grey on both sides would be nice.
A special thing about Mexico: The higher the socio-economic level around a WIDE (extremly important !) area where you live, the more civilized and organized it usually appears to be. However, you really know reality after you moved in.
I agree!
One of my Mexican friends could not grasp why a person could not run, say, a taqueria out of their house. After all, it's HIS house, and only HE determines what goes on there, right?
I would also say Mexicans tend to (generally speaking!) have a very high noise tolerance, even an appreciation of noise at times. At one friend's house I awoke to pounding trance beats and an instructor shouting "5..4..3..2..1..Arriba!" Turned out to be dance exercises from the nearby gym. (Don't get me started on how many "salones de fiesta" ... party halls ... there are right next to houses!) At another friend's house, her neighbor would play LOUD music, and that truck selling cooking gas would pass by with its speakers blaring that loud recorded advertisement. My Mexican friends have both used "triste" (sad) to mean "quiet" or "peaceful". Although I do not share their cultural upbringing, I can see the logic behind that connection...the presence of quiet is also the absence of activity and life.
One of my Mexican friends could not grasp why a person could not run, say, a taqueria out of their house. After all, it's HIS house, and only HE determines what goes on there, right?
I would also say Mexicans tend to (generally speaking!) have a very high noise tolerance, even an appreciation of noise at times. At one friend's house I awoke to pounding trance beats and an instructor shouting "5..4..3..2..1..Arriba!" Turned out to be dance exercises from the nearby gym. (Don't get me started on how many "salones de fiesta" ... party halls ... there are right next to houses!) At another friend's house, her neighbor would play LOUD music, and that truck selling cooking gas would pass by with its speakers blaring that loud recorded advertisement. My Mexican friends have both used "triste" (sad) to mean "quiet" or "peaceful". Although I do not share their cultural upbringing, I can see the logic behind that connection...the presence of quiet is also the absence of activity and life.
The fact is you can not do what ever you want in you home in Mexico. This is a misconception I read all the time. You still need to get a permit to build or run a business in most major cities, which is difficult. Obviously if you live in a small ranch you might not have to, but that's the same in the USA.
This thread was started just to make people fight about what country is better. Mexico is definitely not more modern then the USA period. More colorful yes in some part's of the their cities, other parts are really depressing, because the people don't have money to finish their homes and all you see is grey blocks every or they build huge fence around the property and never finish it.
Any country that has as many toll roads as Mexico is archaic, please lets get rid of the casetas. How much fuel is wasted waiting for the f$%6king caseta? As long as Mexico has them, the country will always be behind the USA.
American cities and towns looked more colorful in the past too. Today many cities and towns cannot even maintain older more colorful buildings that far less "prosperous" past generations managed to build. The price of construction, especially the price of labor went up beyond reason. In the USA, unremarkable Stick and Sheetrock box would cost you a small fortune to build, anything outside of the box is for very wealthy individuals (whose lack of taste is directly proportional to their wealth). People don't have skills and time to do construction themselves, frequently it's illegal too. Besides, increased aesthetic appeal will definitely increase your tax bill. As Mexico "develops" it will become less and less colorful. Enjoy while you can.
Last edited by RememberMee; 08-11-2012 at 08:18 PM..
The fact is you can not do what ever you want in you home in Mexico. This is a misconception I read all the time. You still need to get a permit to build or run a business in most major cities, which is difficult. Obviously if you live in a small ranch you might not have to, but that's the same in the USA.
This thread was started just to make people fight about what country is better. Mexico is definitely not more modern then the USA period. More colorful yes in some part's of the their cities, other parts are really depressing, because the people don't have money to finish their homes and all you see is grey blocks every or they build huge fence around the property and never finish it.
Any country that has as many toll roads as Mexico is archaic, please lets get rid of the casetas. How much fuel is wasted waiting for the f$%6king caseta? As long as Mexico has them, the country will always be behind the USA.
C'mon...do you really think Mexico has as strict zoning and business permit regulations as the U.S.? Actually, they may be on paper, but really, how often are they enforced? Running a business seems to be a far more common experience in Mexico than in the U.S. Even my middle-class friend's mother, an attorney, thought of running a cocina economica from her house on the side, to make extra money. She and her daughter (my friend) would prepare the food in the night, and it would be delivered during the day to a market stall or wherever. I jokingly recommended a crock-pot to my friend who took it seriously and was concerned about how much electricity they consumed.
I agree about the unfinished houses, too. In Mexico it seems that nobody but the rich build entire homes, and buying a used house or spec house is much less common (though they have programs like INFONAVIT). Rather, what people seem to do is start with one or two rooms and build out from there, often slowly, as they accumulate money. I've read that a large percentage of Mexicans have most of their assets in building materials.
C'mon...do you really think Mexico has as strict zoning and business permit regulations as the U.S.? Actually, they may be on paper, but really, how often are they enforced? Running a business seems to be a far more common experience in Mexico than in the U.S. Even my middle-class friend's mother, an attorney, thought of running a cocina economica from her house on the side, to make extra money. She and her daughter (my friend) would prepare the food in the night, and it would be delivered during the day to a market stall or wherever. I jokingly recommended a crock-pot to my friend who took it seriously and was concerned about how much electricity they consumed.
I agree about the unfinished houses, too. In Mexico it seems that nobody but the rich build entire homes, and buying a used house or spec house is much less common (though they have programs like INFONAVIT). Rather, what people seem to do is start with one or two rooms and build out from there, often slowly, as they accumulate money. I've read that a large percentage of Mexicans have most of their assets in building materials.
They do, Ive builtt three homes in mexico and it's not easy. One house I had to pay 3,000 dollars in permit fees. That house was in a area with dirt roads and no public water or sewer. My wife is a mexican citizen and they only knew of her, so its not because I,m a gringo. It was still very difficult . In fact ive built here in the USA much easier.
If you go pretty far out from DF you get to the brand new suburban sprawl. These pics are from Ecatepec, a city of 1.5 million. My observations made me think Eca is a moderate to low income area. These must be the working class folks who choose a longer commute in exchange for a decent area. Cute colorful neighborhoods, although mature trees are apparently in short supply. A lot of the city fits the "colorful" bill, although as a pp noted, often the homes are unpainted or partially painted.
I asked a young lady on the bus about the quality of life in the San Carlos area and she said so-so.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
