Newbies in San Miguel de Allende

I would love to hear all about your experience.  I hope to retire in about 18 months.  I do not want to spend Winters in Ohio if I can help it.  I like Mexico for the climate and generally it is affordable.  How did you decide to move there? And what made you decide on Allende?

We have been travelling here for a number of years and liked everything it has to offer.  The weather is lovely even when it is cold.  It is not cheap to live but not as expensive as the US.  We pay $900 a month for a beautiful house near the center of town - 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and lovely garden for us and our two dogs.  Food is more expensive than we thought.  But there is a lot to do here, lots of cultural events which we like.  We have thermal springs outside town and we have started going there once a week to soothe our aching bodies.

We really enjoy the English Library and all the events they have to offer.  We are members of the Botanical Gardens and walk up there at least once a week.  They have concerts too.   We are members of St. Paul's Anglican Church and have made a lot of friends through that.   Everybody does volunteer work.  I am working with the Centro Infantil.   I am also working on improving my Spanish.

Two sites to hook into are Portal San Miguel and Atencion San Miguel.  They will keep you up to date on things that our happening.

I wish you the best of luck.

Renee Jones

Thanks

Hi Renee,
Like the previous poster, my husband and I will be retiring in SMA in 12-18 months.  It's great to see you are there and enjoying the life style.  We, too, have spent many vacations in the area and feel it will be a good retirement home for us.  Hope to meet you when we arrive.  Take care!

You have to do the obligatory things.  When everything is settled you might take the bus or drive over to the State Capital if you have not already.  The bus is decent enough, and it will give you and idea of how convenient and inconvenient it is...it can all be done in one day.   But, you will want to go back.  You will be passing places that need to be investigated during your estancia in the San Miguel de Allende area, not the least of which is the rather commonplace looking town the "Birthplace of Mexican Independence" Dolores Hidalgo.   Lots of  mediocre talavera ceramic ware that is good for common everyday use.  They have some finer work as well....
    Lots of poker-faced Tarascan Indians....but they are very solid and civilised folks...one of the advantages of hanging around in San Miguel - Guanajuato - Marfil ...etc.   You chose a winner...and the more you adapt the more you will like it.
    About the food costs, we have lived in Mexico for several generations and so we are perhaps a little too unsuspecting. We splurge a bit when in San Miguel, but almost all the little second-class places have first-class food.  Some of the little mom and pop places can be a joyous encounter at times and it is interesting to see the imagination and/or the conservatism of the little five table places.   Never had a bad meal in one....or in the hootsy-tootsy tourist and chilango places.  We liked them all.   My mother died a little sooner than she wanted to, because her next objective was to live three years in San Miguel and/or Guanajuato.
David Christian Newton
El Gringo Viejo
Quinta Tesoro de la Sierra Madre
privatouring.blogspot.com

People ARE nice.  The best crossiants and some good coffee and great service can be had at La Mesa Grande at Pila Seca and Zacateros.  Also, in El Centro is El Pegaso, a block off the square, which is great.  Enjoy.