Cultural map of Mexico - who can translate please?

Last activity 30 September 2009 by seattleite

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seattleiteMember30 September 2009 00:26:57

Hello everyone!

I am new to the forum and I welcome all the help I can get:)

I am looking for a "cultural map" of Mexico. I don't want to move to an "expat" community, a "beach community", but would like to move to an area in Mexico with decent weather, access to universities, some public transportation, and a middle class life style. The less "Americanized" the better. I have to started to take intensive Spanish classes.

Think of it this way.....if I was to introduce a foreigner to the USA (I myself came here from Scandinavia) it would have been helpful to go thru the following (non-politically correct) exercise.

East coast: - especially NY, MA, and so forth folks are direct, it's all business, weather is hot in summer and cold in winter. Great public transportation - high % of college educated population, first . rate art, museums, technology.

LA, AL, GA,MS, SC and NC "deep south" friendly, somewhat racist, much more more laid back than the east coast. Hot and humid.

WA,OR,CA much more liberal, into healthy lifestyles, expensive real estate, not much public transportation, etc.

Clearly all generalizations and one can argue the finer points of liberals in Austin even though it's Texas, conservatives in rural Oregon while Portland is liberal, etc.

However, all I am looking for are the general trends if that's even possible...

Then there's the issue of "machismo".....how bad is it really?

Thank you!

Mrs. Larsen

aveMember30 September 2009 19:52:59

hi,
Will you be working?
Are the uni's for your children? or for your work, etc.

Mexico city is the melting pot. You'll find everything there.
However, the D.F. is big, dirty and very overcrowded. Also, relatively unsafe, but one learns what not to do. Public transport can be clean & efficient ( metro) but it can also be very overcrowded at times. Driving in Mexico City can be a nightmare.

Puebla, has more universities than anywhere else, and is a good place to live. It's very hot.

Almost anywhere you go you will find foreigners, mainly americans.

Mexico is friendly, everywhere. The three main cities are Distrito Federal (mexico city), Monterrey & Guadalajara.
Monterrey is very clanish, if you not from there your not one of them. & extreme hot and cold.
Guadalajara is ok. also very hot.
Unless you like very extreme weather (hot & cold) your probably better off further south than north.
It's difficult to help you, most people come to a job, which designates where they live. Or wish to retire, which gives then a great deal of latitude to pick and choose.
You have to make allowances, the further from the main population centers, the services are less well defined. (hospitals, schools). If you need good schools, hospitals and transportation you may be better off in Mexico City and its surroundings.
I live about an hour outside the southern section of Mexico City, on a golf course just outside a little village. It's beautiful, and the people are very friendly. But work opportunities are limited. And you need a car. I don't know if I have helped at all, but refine your questions and I will try again.

seattleiteMember30 September 2009 22:40:56

Thanks for you reply!

Ideally I'd make a spreadsheet......listing each "state" region across horizontally and then categories vertically such as:
culture
cost of living
transportation
temperature
education/schools/universities
arts
rural/city.,etc.

I am going to look into Puebla and may have an opportuity to go there soon. naturally feet on the ground counts......but there's a lot of ground to cover.

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