Retiring in Rosarito/Ensenada area. (rent, homes, school, living in)
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If you want to move to that area consider going a little further south of la linea.
I second Ensenada if you want proximity to the border and cooler Pacific temperatures.
I wouldn't even think about Rosarito with all the BS going there.
I live in San Diego and we have a place in Bahia de Los Angeles and we have spent significant time in all the border zones and we won't even stop there anymore.
Call me paranoid or call me prudent, frankly, I don't care but I would live in Ensenada if I were to choose a relatively close border city over Rosarito Beach any day.
Consider Punta Banda or Estero Beach area.
Plus, in Ensenada you are very close to some very cool stuff and awesome destinations further south.
0n edit look here: TalkBaja.com - Baja Mexico Travel, Living and Retirement - Powered by vBulletin
Those people are doing it and also very helpful and cool.
I was just wondering why you don't feel that Rosarito is safe. We have been down there many times and we like it a great deal. I am thinking of retiring and I would like to move to Mexico but close to the US border. Your input would be greatly appreciated. The reason I like Rosarito is its small town atmosphere and the close proximity to other small beach towns. I have been to Ensenada and felt it was a bit overwhelming in size and density of population. Are there smaller nice towns inbetween Rosarito and Ensenada that you might suggest?
Thanks
J
The Sea Of Cortez side of Baja (S.Felipe, even Mexicali) is awesome, I don't understand why people are so attracted by Ensenada and the much more urbanized Pacific side, is it because it's easier to commute to S.Diego from there?
Maybe because its hotter than crap out there 5 months a year.
Could some knowledged person please tell me what "BS" is supposed to be going on in Rosarito?
What the media plays over and over that has scared off those who think if they cross the border into Mexico they have maybe 30 minutes before they get kidnapped. I met a guy two weeks ago who lives in San Diego who is pretty certain he'd be robbed or worse on a daily basis if he went to Mexico.
My husband was afraid to retire in Rosarito. Everytime we used to go there, he would ask every American that had the chance to talk to, if he was happy living there, or if he had any legal or services problems, etc., he was surprise to find that every person he asked, was happy and had no problems living down there. We found that there are groups of home owners associations that meet every month, and that there is a very active social life for American retirees. I just met a lady that moved from Sacramento to Rosarito just like that and loves it, her money goes a long way in Mexico, works 3 to 4 months in the states, and can live for the rest of the year with no problem in Mexico, rents an apartment close to the beach for 300 dlls.
Mayor of Rosarito says that there are about 14,000 Americans in Rosarito area. I'm one of them going on 14 yrs in a couple of months. Still have not heard of any concrete BS supposed to be going on here.
Looking at the news see where crime is happening in the LA and San Diego area. NO place is amune.
Believe that a lot of hysteria is the problem. From what I understand the problems down here are with those in the Drug trade and NOT American tourists or those choosing to retire down here. I get along real well with my Mexican neighbors...feel sure others are in the same position.
Then again the guy a person meets at the local bar or at Home Depot says bad things and then hysteria takes over.
I could point out a couple of places in TJ that are not the best places to be in. Was there by accident and have not been back. Anyone looking for trouble is guaranteed to find it.
and what I perceive to be the BS going on there.
I used to spend a lot of time hanging out there from around 1992 through about 2003 and very loosely became acquainted with some locals, ex-pats as well as Mexicans. The Mexicans were business owners and they expressed a dim view of the changing environment in their city. I had an experience with a stolen truck and corrupt police that drug out just a bit. One other experience I had there the Mexican business owners that I spoke of discouraged me STRONGLY from even talking to the police about it and I concurred after my previous experience.
Hay mucha drogas ahora, especially with the meth. Which leads to significant petty crime. Next time down just take a little look around past the surface and you will see the tweakers. I know drugs are everywhere and you have to balance it with everything else but with the economic situation in Rosarito and border proximity combined with the drugs I, personally, would prefer a place that has less than rather than more of those issues.
Plus, that close of proximity to the border and the back side of Tijuana just doesn't blow my skirt up. I like to be a little further away.
I know that many people live there unmolested and love the heck out of the place. It is just my personal view after a fair amount of time there.
For me, Ensenada just has way more to offer and the areas south of town all the way down to Punta Banda have a lot to offer.
I would move there tomorrow and commute to East San Diego County if my wife would follow me but she is holding out for my retirement and La Paz.....damn it!
I know Ensenada has all the same problems but there are significantly more areas to stay well out of it.
Rambling, I know, but it is hard to coalesce everything down to a brief synopsis.
Sorry...don't consider a stolen truck and a couple other items as being BS.
The Police will stop traffic to allow a jay walker to cross the street be it a Mexican or an American. I was waiting for traffic to slow down one time and a Police truck stopped...backed up a couple of feet and motioned for me to cross. He stopped cars behind him that I would have had no problem waiting for them to pass by. In the states it would have been a hefty fine.
Yrs back there was the construction of a shopping center in the middle of town...never finished and finally torn down. Recently they opened up Home Depot, Walmart and some smaller businesses at the north part of town. The concept was nice but in my opinion there is not enough money...local or tourist wise to support the place. Many stores downtown are vacant. There is NO mfg in the area to speak of and many people commute to TJ for work. Tourists are not going to visit the Walmart etc when in Rosarito. Cops do not hassle anyone that I know of unless the person (generally those 18 and over) are making asses of themselves publicly because of the drinking. The city needs the money and depends on tourism.
The one thing that Americans do NOT understand is that Laws are different in Mexico. The people have more freedom in doing things that would be considered a violation or a warranted ticket with a good size fine. The city may need money nut NOT at the expense of the populace as it is done stateside.
Could go on with a lot more things that I've learned in 16 yrs living and driving all over Mexico...some good and some bad.
Like I stated, it's all perspective.
Personally? I don't care for the border zones and the drugs and what appears now to be a trend of more violent extortion attempts. Look at all the Mexicans that want to be in Eastlake. Of course the richer ones are in Coronado.
It wasn't an occasion of being hassled by cops but, rather, needing the cops to perform their duties and subsequently being vibed signicantly and squeezed for a not so little bite. Twice.
Of course the laws are different. Here corruption is legislated and in Latin America it is pervasive and cultural. It is viewed more as just getting business done.
The culture in that town is not completely dictated by Hugo Torres, believe it or not. If he were not so heavily invested he probably take his money and run. I mean, seriously, it is kind of a joke about his suppression of the press that he wants to insitute.
Like I said, for cooler Pacific temps and a more varied environment, in my opinion Ensenada is a better choice.
And Steve, I notice you are a bit south of Rosarito which makes a heck of a difference in daily living. In town? I don't think it is remotely the same as being 10 miles south of it. Wouldn't that be right around Popotla? Correct me if I am wrong.
Last edited by soulpatch; 02-15-2010 at 04:20 PM..
I am inquiring on the cost to install internet service in Rosarito. What company do you recommend?
Thank you!
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Why I don't like Rosarito
Cool.
