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Hi everyone,
My husband and I are in the late 40 something catagory and we are looking for a new adventure and place to live. We are originally from UK and have also lived in Australia and Canada for many years. We moved to the latter two without knowing anyone so that aspect of moving is not too daunting for us.

We are looking for a warm, friendly and lively place and we are wondering if somewhere in Baja might fit that bill. We enjoy really lively nightlife with lots of busy bars/pubs, resteraunts both nice and greasy spoon or somewhere in between. I suppose a good after pub kebab shop would be totally out of the question but we can only hope. We like alcohol and probably even some more alcohol, good shopping, and boating facilities/launch ramps are very important. we are looking for a reasonable level of safety although we know total safety is almost impossible anywhere in the world.

I know that it is a big ask but we also want decent infrastructure, reasonable priced homes, a lowish cost of living (especially alcohol) and to be close to a beach. We have also looked at Panama but have a few reservations regarding the lack of nightlife in the surrounding beach areas although alcohol does seem plentiful and cheap but we don't want to drink alone . Panama is also being heavily pushed by the developers and real estate companies who are also controlling most of the information flow about the place.

Could anyone please tell us if either Rosarito or Ensenada would fit most of the requirements we either separately or in concert. Any info on the pros and cons of these areas would also be very helpful. Oh and did I mention that we also like alcohol and bars/pubs. Finally, what is tijuana like for a good night out, we have been during the day but never at night.

Many thanks in advance
Jan

I would like to give you a simple answer but the reality is a bit more complicated than I could honestly reply in just a sentence or two. the Tijuana / Rosarito / Ensenada area does fit many of your requirements. They are all on or very close to the ocean, offer reasonably priced housing and have a lot of nightlife action - Tijuana and Ensenada probably a bit more than Rosarito right now. The weather is San Diego like - if you were thinking about something warmer you would probably want to consider southern Baja or the mainland coastal areas although on the mainland it tends to also come with higher humidity.

The downside with southern Baja and mainland is that most of the coastal areas with an active/busy nightlife tend to be a bit more expensive as far as housing.

Downside to Tijuana / Rosarito and Ensenada? They are in the middle of a narco war between competing factions and the government. That is something that has received a lot of press and you probably already knew that. The true effect of the narco violence on the Baja expat community is debated and many feel that although they take more precautions than before, they don't feel directly threatened. Others have left for north of the border while others are trying to sell their homes so they can join them.

That is a decision that only you can make as to how you will see it - nobody else here can gauge your own personal comfort level. Take your time, ask questions and then spend some more time asking questions and doing your own research.

Good luck and welcome to the forum...

Hi again,
Many thanks for your quick reply. The narco wars sound like a normal Saturday night in many of UK,s inner cities. Whilst I am posting I thought that I would mention just how good this site really is. It seems to be one of the most friendly informative forums that I have ever come across and only wish all forums were like this so thanks for that.
Jan

Oh, just give us some more time - I am sure we will screw it up like the rest of them...

Jan,
sounds like the Todos Santos area might be right for you.
Only a short jaunt to Cabo with all the nightlife you can handle.
You mentioned alcohol a lot in your initial post. This doesn't mean you like to imbibe with the best?, does it ? If that is a Yes, you,ve landed at the right place.
Bottoms up !!!

Hi edinnopolo,
Thanks for the info I will look at it.
jan

Hey there~

Welcome Jan!





Lots of great info here and good people too.

In celebration of jjan's posts, let's sing a song!
One tequila, two tequila, 3 tequila, floor...




Others will have better info for you about what areas will suit you. It's at least a great reason for an extended road trip!

Good evening, Jan

just a short reply to your "where to live" question..........

You may want to check out Ensenada in depth. We have a place at the Baja Country Club, just south of town. And yes, there are a bunch of Canada ex-pats, part time and full time.....well, at least 3 families living at the BCC that I know of

http://bajacountryclub.com/

Ensenada is a "real town" with social events, community events, shopping, hospitals and "night life", close to the US border.

If you want, I can provide some Canadian contact info, or you can contact me for additional details.

I would also go with Ensenada. It has been somewhat insulated from the border drug violence. It does fit into the idea of having reasonably priced real estate, has a number of nightclubs, and some very fine restaurants. The post about Todos Santos failed to mention that it is at least a 45 minute drive each way to get to where the action is. Alas, La Paz is not known for its nightlife and the Cabo area is pricey. But, there are some condo developments along the highway between Cabo and San Jose that are fairly reasonable.

Howodd:
Don't know when you went out for night life in La Paz but I have seen the hardest rocking bars and party house's anywhere but it is a local's scene and they don't get started until midnight, and that is not Baja midnight at 9:00pm. for gringo's. I think for a warmer enviroment, close to the beach, affordability of housing and party time without the Cabo scene, La Paz would be worth looking at. Remember these people are in their 40's still.
Party till you puke:
UM

I think LL should chime in with her take on the La Paz night life...

What on earth ever led you to believe I'm a party animal, BG? That was in my much younger days....ya know, back in the old days when things like night vision & sex appeal remained intact....before Sir Isaac Newton invented gravity which makes more than apples head south! In the days when decibel level was an awesome thing, when our energy levels were still fresh & strong & it took much less sleep to recharge our batteries!

Not to mention my annual alcohol consumption is less than many peoples' daily consumption.

In summary, my personal experience with La Paz night life is....

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZ

Did I forget to mention the squadrons of mosquitoes who are out in force at night trying to convince their victims that they're official Cruz Rojo donation drive representatives?

So I might not be the best person to chime in on La Paz nightlife! I think Teniente might be a good source to listen to since I feel Cabo is excessively $$$$. But I think it'd be wise to inquire how Jan & hubby cope with the "3 H's"....heat, humidity & hurricanes. Jan, IMO you'd be well advised to research more than just the nightlife of various areas lest disillusionment rear it's ugly head.

Originally Posted by longlegsinlapaz

So I might not be the best person to chime in on La Paz nightlife! I think Teniente might be a good source to listen to since I feel Cabo is excessively $$$$. But I think it'd be wise to inquire how Jan & hubby cope with the "3 H's"....heat, humidity & hurricanes. Jan, IMO you'd be well advised to research more than just the nightlife of various areas lest disillusionment rear it's ugly head.

Great advice...

Hi Again everyone,
Thanks for the continued responses which are very much appreciated. Nightlife to us is very important as we believe it can be a great help if you have somewhere lively and different to go a few times a week and which does not cost the earth. We are originally from England where the pub scene is huge and almost second nature and fantastic but unfortunately the weather sucks and there is an ever increasing trend of absolutely senseless violence, robbery, burglary and vandalism comitted in many cases for absolutely no reason other than boredom. This has become the norm as well as the knife, drug and gang culture. At least in Mexico there does seem to be a reason for people getting killed albeit drugs, unlike the UK where many are killed for no reason at all. Because we also hold British passports, we have access to numerous countries in the EU which we have also looked at. However, there are not many cheap places to live there anymore because of the Euro standardisation and there are major problems with some of the European countries property laws, one just has to look at Spain and Cyprus to get some insight. Many British expats especially retirees, are now returning to UK because of the rising costs in Europe.

We lived both on the East and West coast of Australia for many years, one is dry and hot and the other is humid and hot. Australia is getting quite expensive, up to $4 for a cup of coffee in many places in shopping malls. Australia is just a bit too far away from anywhere and although very nice, this does become an issue for many expats there. As for weather traits such as humidity and unpredictable storms, one has just got to look at the weather patterns in both Australia and UK over the past few years. The last time I visited England I was woken by an earthquake 5.2.

We now live in Canada, beautiful,beautifil people and are definately among the nicest people we have met anywhere in the world. We lived in BC where the scenery was out of this world but lots of grey skies. Great people who loved to go down South on vacation for the weather. We then moved to Ontario where the nightlife is pretty good but the winters are long and taxes very high, over $4000 alone for property tax and $4000 for car and home insurance. That's $8,000 to live in a house and drive a second hand cars. We are lucky enough to be mortgage free but we sometimes don't feel that way. After paying just those two payments, you really need a drink to prepare you for your income tax and other taxes. We have also visited and considered living in Thailand which is vey cheap and has a really vibrant nightlife with many, many expats, but the property laws are not too good for foreigners as they give you absolutely no long term security in anything you buy. If the Thais did improve property buying conditions for foreigners, then Thailand would definitely be on the cards for us and indeed many more expats, but I can't see it happening very soon because of the political issues there.

All things considered, Baja would seem a sensible choice for us. We love visiting the USA as there is so much for us to do and see there, we like the people and the shopping and culture is great. We also like long lasting warmer weather so England and Canada fall down on that aspect. We are after a place that offers a cheap cost of living ie cheap booze/eating out, reasonable housing either to buy or build and a slightly different culture, We personally don't mind tourists as we think it can sometimes add to the atmosphere of a place. We will just need a good boat ramp to complete the picture.

We have been around enough now to realise that there are pros and cons about living in most places, and if you could only find a place which has the best of everything it would be great but you can't. To us, a vibrant nightlife in a warm reasonably priced place creates a feelgood healthy, holiday atmosphere. We are aware that even in Baja life may probably become just routine like anywhere else with bills, frustrations, unpleasant weather at times, differing levels of infrastructure, poverty and all other stuff involved in living, but life with cheap booze, makes it all the better. We are also big enough and ugly enough to know that a true shangri la does not exist, but in our experience some places are better than others you just have to find them. If Baja doesn't work there are still other places to try, but it sounds as good as and in some cases than many other places at the moment.

I have went on for too long but now I hope that people now know what we seek and may be able to direct us to a location that can offer maybe not all, but most of the things we feel are important to us. If my spelling sometimes seems a bit out of wack, please forgive me as it is a mix of UK, Australian and North American English (and some other stuff that I have made up)

Jan

I would suggest then that you look at the Ensenada area. Lots of nightlife, pubs, clubs, bars, coastal area and lots of things to do as well as very reasonable cost of housing. I would suggest you look at the area south of Ensenada to live as there are some areas I would consider quite safe and still just a short drive into town. Punta Banda and Baja Country Club would be my suggestions of where to start looking. We have members here living in those areas that should be able to give you lots of help and advice...

You really should take some vacations to baja and see the place for yourselves... Talk to people... You already speak Spanish? If not, you can go to the Baja California Language College in Ensenada Baja California Spanish Language School offering Spanish Immersion Programs and live with a Mexican family while you learn!

Baja is a place full of adventure... be prepared for always having something to do or see! Get Walt Peterson's fabulous guide 'The Baja Adventure Book' ... and start reading (Englishman) Graham Mackintosh's adventure books: http://grahammackintosh.com

Originally Posted by UnoMas

Howodd:
Don't know when you went out for night life in La Paz but I have seen the hardest rocking bars and party house's anywhere but it is a local's scene and they don't get started until midnight, and that is not Baja midnight at 9:00pm. for gringo's. I think for a warmer enviroment, close to the beach, affordability of housing and party time without the Cabo scene, La Paz would be worth looking at. Remember these people are in their 40's still.
Party till you puke:
UM

You pegged me! By midnight, the only party going on is in my dreams!

Originally Posted by David K

You really should take some vacations to baja and see the place for yourselves... Talk to people... You already speak Spanish? If not, you can go to the Baja California Language College in Ensenada Baja California Spanish Language School offering Spanish Immersion Programs and live with a Mexican family while you learn!

Baja is a place full of adventure... be prepared for always having something to do or see! Get Walt Peterson's fabulous guide 'The Baja Adventure Book' ... and start reading (Englishman) Graham Mackintosh's adventure books: http://grahammackintosh.com

David- as Jan noted, they have always lived in places that purported to use some form of English. While I recognize that becoming fluent in Spanish is immensely helpful when living in Mexico, one can navigate fairly well with English in the Ensenada area, what with its proximity to the border and long standing tourist-oriented economy.