34 replies to this topic

[janderson4645]

Hello,
I have lived in Tj for over a year and have enjoyed the freedom of the good ole days playing music respectfully without someone calling the cops, having my dog bark at the moon without someone calling the cops, burning stuff in the fire pit without someone calling the cops, maybe squealing the tires without calling the cops, etc., etc. AND watching kids enjoying unrestricted,encumbered,unpadded and overly protected fun. It's great here.

[gymbud]

hi janderson, Welcome to the board..sounds like you are loving Baja..great!! I was born there and left as a kid and lived in US ever since and looking to buy there sometime.

[otayBill]

Hello Janderson,

It sounds like your my neighbor.

[janderson4645]

Hey...Thanks for the welcome and reply. I live on top of a hill with an awesome 210 degree view and 5 blocks from the Calimax on Guadalahara in Colonial Verde and 6 from Pacifico and great,helpfull neighbors. My girlfriend and I came here to visit her daughter and family, found a rustic 1 room cabin with a huge yard for cheap and said " what the hell, Carpe Diem". Great for our camping blood and animals. Oh..this is great!!!! My girlfriend just got a job at K-mart and got lost using the busses on her way back from the border on the first day of work. She got off work at 2:30 and didn't get "found" by the cops at the cinco&dies Calimax until 9:30 at night. She's a redheaded women who speaks no Spanish AND survived 6 missed bus rides and a whole lotta walkin here in TJ but made it so I think things are now Ok due to her eye opening experience. I asked what was going through her mind and she said " I wanted to get my ass home, put my purse under my arm and walked with a big freakin purpose". It worked. By the way. she grew up on the north side of Milwaukee (where we are from; Waukesha) so I definatelly knew she could handle herself. OK ..more later and thanks again

[libertythor]

Welcome to the forum! We look forward to sharing experiences and advice.

Are you close to Colonia Sanchez Taboada and Reforma? That section is an interesting place, especially when the sobreruedas are held on the weekends. Most people are friendly, but be careful at night walking around. The crime rate in areas is elevated, but it depends on the street you are on. How much did you pay for the land and cabin? Do they have payment plans out there?

A friend of mine used to live in Emperadores, somewhat close to there.

[janderson4645]

Hi libertythor and mucho gusto,
Cablemas has me in colonial Verde and the waterbill says Colonial Sanchez Taboada but hey, I know I am on Huitzlipotli Calle and thats good enough for me. I rent at $75/mo for the 18x18 stud cabin and it's like camping with benefits. I don't miss a morning starting a fire and watching the sun rise over the "JESUSEXCELLSIOR" hill. If you Google Earth the view of TJ, My coordinates are: 32*28'4.40''N X 116*58'44.03''W and just asbout 3 blocks west of the Ortario Domingo Savio Church marked by a blue dot on the view. Being a Wisconsinite (weren't the Pack great yesterday?) I miss my 5:00 bar time but there just ain't no place anywhere I live. Are there ANY wateringhols outside the tourist areas?
ok....gotta go the the firepit and do fireplace/coffe/pet the dog/cat thing.
Later guys/gals

[otayBill]

I rent at $75/mo for the 18x18 stud cabin and it's like camping with benefits.

Janderson,

I think you're the most adventurous person on this forum.

[janderson4645]

Yo Otaybill
You are right as I am adventurous and curious about life in general. Gotta give it the best shot the one time we are here. I don't like wasting my time on trivial, nickle-dime shit and since my bi-lateral hip replacement has stopped my sports involvement, I seek and enjoy many other enriching experiences. So now Otaybill, where are these local bars or don't they exist like in the states?

[otayBill]

Janderson,

Tijuana has local bars and cantinas like the US.

I don't know about your neigborhood. In my barrio, Otay Modulos, there are a couple on Lopez Portillo south of Bellas Artes. They look like restaurants from the outside.

Beers costs between 10 - 15 pesos.

[libertythor]

For you exact location, I am not sure. In the 5 y 10 area there are several watering holes. El Bar Ejecutivo, Titanic Bar, etc. For that its best to ask trustworthy neighbors. Most pool halls are safe, and most neighborhoods have them. There is one a block away from where I live.

[janderson4645]

Guys thanks for the bar info. Sitting in my back yard doing the Antillano & coke /blaring classic rock/blues thing is cool but i like interaction and viewing the feminine scenery. I am in the Sanchez Taboada Colonia 4 blocks from the Calimax on Huitslipotli calle. Do all Billars have bars with them? I noticed there are 2 bars on Diaz Ordaz a couple of blocks from Guadalahara i want to take in. Hey.things are looking up and thanks.

[TJGringo]

Welcome aboard. It's nice to see new faces

[libertythor]

Most billares at the very least sell beer. Other places offer the full range of drinks. They are all pretty much reasonable unless you go into a place that is exclusive.

P.S. If you hear of another cabin like that, let me know please! It is hard to find a place in TJ with a yard that is decently priced. (Even upscale neighborhoods hardly have land space not taken up by the house)

[janderson4645]

libertythor
The house right next to me has an approximately 75'X90' yard with a 20'X25' cement block shell of a house that could easily be fixed up. I understand it has been vacant for over 10 years and nobody seems to know who owns it. I am sure there are records showing ownership somewhere. It too has an awesome view and great location. Also, do you know the proceedures for opening a small business in TJ. My future x and her daughter want to do some kind of a food thing. Later

[bluejeans]

libertythor,
You should just move in to 20'X25' cement block shell of a house. It might be 10 more years until the owners show up. In the mean time the rent would be $00.00 and when someone does show up, you can negotiate future rent or just move.

[janderson4645]

My landlady owns the property on the other side of me (supershack the rats won't even live in)and her son has said she is "eying" the vacant house to expand her holdings. As it is, quite often people are in there doing their whatevers so it is a popular place to be hidden from view. My dog just loves to let them know where the boundary fence is on HIS property. It does have a lot of potential but on my SSD income, I can just drool and imagine.

[libertythor]

LOL In a couple of years I will be eligible for citizenship. Three years after that it could be declared homesteaded. That is unless what I hear about the five year rule is just a rumor.

I would love to start a dairy goat operation here. My parents raise goats back in Missouri.

[George Costanza]

There is a small colony east of Otay about 15mins near some of the factories which is nothing but man made cabins located near some sort of sewer river or drainage. It sometimes smells horrible but you should see some of these places and the creativity that goes into building these things.
One person made a house out of those orange plastic pallets.

The thing that would scare me would be the flooding. Most of these homes are built in a small valley and if it were to rain for 2 or 3 days straight that could pose a problem. I will take some photos next time I am in that area.

There is a new up and coming area just east of there and we pass by often. New homes are renting for 400 dollars and they are huge.

[Chiquito]

I want to make a house out of old bottles. I've seen a couple of these and they're neat. Another one I want to do is get a very, very large wrecked ship and put in on a site in the middle of the desert. Homeowners associations and city zoners have problems with both these ideas.

"...unless what I hear about the five year rule is just a rumor."

If you give me more detail about this I could look it up for you.

I wonder if my wife needs to be involved in my getting citizenship? Since my California divorce won't show up in Mexico... hmm.

[libertythor]

Do you have two years with a Mexican visa while married to her? Either way 5 years of provable legal residence with a knowledge of Spanish and the history of the country is sufficient.

People have told me that one can squat on an abandoned property for 5 years. Upon proving this, they get title to the land.