Mexico City - tips for living?

Question

I am about to move my life in Mexico City for 3 month.

Can you please tell me in what part of town I should look for an apartment (in the sence that is a safe part of town). I've heard that Polanco and Condesa are considered to be safe part. Is it true?

Do you know any houses-hotels, with only apartments to rent?

I tried various web sites but the prices listed seems to be incredible enormous. Is it possible that the suite costs 1000 -1500$?

Is it safe to use ATM machines?

What bank is the most popular?

I’ve heard that is not safe to use metro and public transport. How it can be possible?

Is it true that it is recommended to use only state taxi? How I can recognize them? How much cost taxi from Polanco to Santa Fe?

I am coming from Eastern Europe and I would welcome all suggestions.

Thnx in advance!

Yassmin

Answer 1

I divide your questions by topics, and hopefuly, that will help more:

A) Place for living:

I love Coyoacan, and Condesa is fine. Polanco is just OK.

Take a good look at:

http://www.metroroommates.com/

Coyoacán:

http://www.metroroommates.com/spider/Sup...

Condesa:

http://www.metroroommates.com/spider/Sup...

More options:  http://www.segundamano.com.mx/

B) Banking:

Scotiabank (Inverlat) is in town as well. HSBC and BBVA-bancomer are popular, along with Banamex and Santander are fine.

ATMs: avoid using them during night and/or at isolated places.

C) Transportation:

C.1) General Public trasportation (metro, metrobus, etc). It is generally safe, there are  even women-only routes

C.2)  Taxis: Do not miss: http://www.mexicocity.com.mx/taxis2.html is an objective source of information.

My own choice:

http://www.solunet-infomex.com/mexbdir/c...

Price from Polanco to Santa fe about 100 pesos or 10 CAD or 10 USD.

Mexico city drivers' are usually unpolite, agressive and don't consider pedestrians as humans, so be extremely careful at crossing streets and avenues. Frantic cars and lorries circulate all day and night and traffic jams make drivers even more anxious. Speed is usually override and a red lights don't mean that a car will stop.

As a tourist you should ask for a special drivers licence if you dare to drive.

If you use public transport consider this:

Underground is efficent, safe, fast, cheap and clean. Runs from 6.00 AM to Midnight. Unlimitted distance fare.

Trolley cars are neat, cheap and efficient but there are only few routes. Fixed price.

Coaches are less confortable but they have even a lower rate.

A curious mean of transport are the so called microbuses. Their design is pretty uneven, usually unconfortable but practical, since they cover any possible destination.

There is a fixed rate in taxis but sometimes you have to deal a reasonable payment. Giving a tip is a good idea because rates are still low.

Radio taxi service charge double fee but are very secure.

Some other radio taxi telephones:

Entire city: 5516 60 20, 5519 76 90, 56 48 28 28

South area: Cuicuilco 56 74 61 20, Tlalpan 5573 6857, Las Águilas 5680 3930

North area: Polanco 52 82 18 83, Palmas 52 82 46 98, Lomas Verdes 53 44 41 99

D) More general safety information:

Mexico City is as any otherr major city in the world when it comes to security and safety issues, the must important rule is: use your common sense. Avoid poor conflictive neighborhoods and/or walking alone in the street by night.

Look at:

http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p...

E) Assitance:

Canadian Embassy

Apartado Postal 105-05, Calle Schiller 529 (Rincon del Bosque), Colonia Polanco, 11580 México DF, Mexico

Tel: [phone]. Fax: [phone] (administration) or 724 7983 (immigration).

Consulates in: Acapulco, Cancún, Guadalajara, Mazatlán, Monterrey, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta and Tijuana.

F) Bonus! Travel information:

http://www.visitmexico.com/wb/Visitmexic...

http://www.mexicocity.gob.mx/index.php?i...

http://www.mexicocity.com.mx/indexen.htm...

Finally, to get more information, you may call toll free to: 1 888 401 38 80

That is the Mexican Tourism Integral Services Center (Government Agency) , they will serve you in English or in French.

Enjoy your stay!

Answer 2

I can recomend you this one :

3 Rooms with private bathroom, comfortable bed, in a private house. Conveniently located close to Aculco subway. Perfect for students. For more information, please contact us at

[e-mail]

Rent 3500.00 mexicains pesos per month for one person (+:- 218 euros) . All services and internet included.

Answer 3

I recommend staying at Casa de los Amigos. You can stay there for 9.00 per day or rent a private room for about 300.00 per month. They speak English and it is very safe. Polanco and Condesa are very expensive. It is safe to use ATM's but you need to use caution. Use HSBC or Banamex. The metro is very safe and so are the buses. Be careful with late night taxis. At night take sitio taxis for more safety. See the website below for Casa de los Amigos

Answer 4

Well you have several questions

Polanco is a neighborhood that is full with aparments intended for foreing executives and rents can be very expensive, more so in the "suites hotel" systems, Polanco is a place that along with this expensive apartments you will find Masarik ave. wich is like Rodeo Drive of Mexico city (gucci,Louis Vutton, Ferrari, Bentley among other stores are there)  is also where most of the jewish community lives, has a lot of office buildings, there are parks, malls, restaurants etc.

Condesa is a place  that is  "inn" is where you will find a lot of artists, lot of models, a lot of people into arts and enterteinment lives there, aspirig actresses etc, Michoacan Ave is where a bunch of not very expensive restaurants are, but with original menus, and there are also bars and night clubs near by,  bycicles are becomming very popular among condesas residents, and is full with art deco buildings and is not as expensive as Polanco but still expensive.

2.- try  www.segundamano.com.mx or www.vecasas.com.mx and you will have a lot of options to rent try  "casa de huespedes" or "Cuartos" since you only going to stay for 3 months. prices can vary from 300 usd/monthly and above for a room in a  descent place, there are cheaper places but not exactly nice.

3.- Mexico city is a dengerous place like any huge city just avoid to wear jewerly or an expensive watch, hide your ipod, hide your mobile phone, don´t take taxis right from the street but from a base called "sitios de taxi" and you have to ask where are the closest one to you, after that ,you can call them by phone and they will send a car to you anywhere around the city, .

A taxi ride from Polanco to SantaFe will be in the 70 pesos range, is like 15 km away.

subway is cheap (2 pesos like 20 usd cents for the ride) and can be crowded,  is safe enough but there  is some crime rate.

ATM are safer inside malls or big stores, not the ones right on the street.

Most popular banks are BBVA Bancomer, Banamex,HSBC,

West side of the city is always safer and prety, east side is ugly and with more crime rate also downtown can be dangerous. but ask the locals before going places.

Try to live near your job, school etc. since traffic is a major problem in the big city.

If you are blonde, tall  ( 1.70 mt or taller)  you will be a major eye turner in Mexico City, take that in consideration, but places like Condesa, Coyocan, Polanco are full with people from all over the world.

I 'll hope you enjoy your stay, and wish you good luck!!