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Page 24 of 82
What to Make of Living in Mexico City
December 3, 2008
Your correspondent has spent a total of 17 years living in 10 different cities located in 5 countries in Europe and North America. Despite having the opportunity to stay in what many consider "ideal" places (Madrid, Switzerland, California, etc.), I live in a city that the US State Department considers a "hardship" post. I'm not alone. Many thousands of foreigners from "developed" countries, as well as rich cosmopolitan Mexicans choose to live here, as well. Given that conventional wisdom says that we should hate it here, is there a "secret" to happy Mexico City living?
Actually, yes. There are several things that Chilangos can do to improve their lot. Perhaps foremost among them is to live as near as possible to where one works, socializes, and shops. The biggest mistake a new arrival can make is to condemn him or herself to being stuck in the Periférico. Further, the capital's 3000+ road-blocking demonstrations per year can turn an already difficult drive into a day-long ordeal. A secret to stress-free driving: check routes/traffic on the radio (AM790) or via one of many cellphone and GPS services.
Fortunately, a suburban lifestyle can be found in central Polanco/Lomas and San Angel/Pedregal. It is even possible to be a pedestrian in certain areas of the city. One can walk to homes, apartment buildings, offices, and hundreds of world-class restaurants and shops in and around both Mazarik in the west, Altavista in the south, as well as the Condesa. If you like the walled security of gated communities (and can locate your office in Interlomas), giant Bosque Real provides it, along with a whopping 27 hole golf course by Nicklaus.
Apartments can be much safer than houses and many have ample green commons and amenities. High-rise city living is also available in excellent new buildings along Reforma, with shops, restaurants and even movie theaters in-house. By simply locking the door you can take advantage of Mexico City's incredible array of direct flights to pretty much everywhere, without having to worry too much about your belongings.
Apart from traffic, the other tremendous liability to Mexico City living is, of course, crime. While there is no "secret" to avoiding it, you can reduce your exposure to it. First, adopt a relatively low key lifestyle, especially in terms of the two things that every Mexican criminal looks for: a late-model luxury car/SUV and an expensive watch. If your ideal is to drive around in a Lamborghini, waving a gold Rolex-clad wrist out the window, this is not the city for you. Fortunately, there are so many Mercedes and BMWs here that relative driving obscurity can be maintained in a well-equiped family sedan (British: "saloon"). An unpredictable schedule and extensive vetting of the household help are also very important, while "Express" kidnappings can be avoided by carrying only cash. Also, don't use ID with your real address and leave the family pictures at home.
City of God v City of Man
Of course, for every happy expat who chooses to be here, there is another who is looking to be transferred back home. For every willing Chilango there is an upper-middle class professional Mexican who lives here only because they have to. At the same time, a nasty run-in with the city's notorious criminals can quickly turn the most ardent DF-booster into one more crime exile, running to the relative safety of an American or European suburb. And, obviously, none of the aforementioned mitigation techniques apply to the majority of Mexico City's inhabitants, who endure hardships as chronicled by David Lida in his new book, "First Stop in the New World: Mexico City, the Capital of the 21st Century".
But for those of us lucky enough to be able to choose where and how to live, Mexico City can be a blast. The weather is incredible, the food is both varied and tasty. Plus, it has easy access to everywhere else. The city has hundreds of museums, pyramids, cathedrals and world-class musical offerings. Crucially, the people can be great, both in terms of service and social life (Chilangos are often darkly hilarious). Air quality, a big problem in the past, has improved markedly, with over 160 days in the clear in 2008 (versus 9 in 1991). Lastly, as terrorism in London, Madrid, New York and now, unfortunately, Mumbai, have shown, no major city is immune to terrible acts of violence.
So, whether one is here by choice, or not, both visitors and residents should take some time to plan their stay. In a place with such dramatic contrasts and dangers, intelligent lifestyle choices can make the difference between loving it and hating it. That's the secret.
For the latest thought-provoking article by Agustin Barrios Gomez please go to our Opinion Column page
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