What's it like to live in San Miguel de Allende? How’s the lifestyle?

San Miguel de Allende is a hill-town. The streets are very narrow and made of rock or stone. It amazes me how the local women still wear super-high heels. I highly recommend lower heels and or good walking shoes. The city is very walk-able, but you'll appreciate shoes with good support. Taxis are everywhere.  If you find yourself loaded down with purchases and not wanting to walk back up-hill; just stick your arm out when you see an empty cab. Daytime fare is 35 pesos and 40...

San Miguel de Allende is a hill-town. The streets are very narrow and made of rock or stone. It amazes me how the local women still wear super-high heels. I highly recommend lower heels and or good walking shoes. The city is very walk-able, but you'll appreciate shoes with good support. Taxis are everywhere.  If you find yourself loaded down with purchases and not wanting to walk back up-hill; just stick your arm out when you see an empty cab. Daytime fare is 35 pesos and 40 after dark (around US $2). You can take the bus from one end of the city to the other for 6 pesos (about 30 cents).

 

The lifestyle here is anything you want it to be. Tennis, golf, horseback riding, swimming; it's all here. This is a great place for learning something new.  There are plenty of language schools; art classes; musical instrument and vocal training. You'll keep fit by walking, but you can also join a gym, practice yoga, Tai Chi and QiGong, and Pilates. For spiritual up-liftment there are church services in English, a Universalist Church (known as the “You, You's” is popular) and many meditation groups throughout the week. If you need a vibrant nightlife, you will find that here, too. Music is everywhere and so is dancing. There is an Arthur Murray Dance Studio to learn many styles, but there are also places where the lessons are free. Argentine tango is on my bucket list; I just need to make it a priority. Concerts, plays, open-mic nights with poetry reading; all here. There is also a charming little used bookstore that has mostly English titles and has just about every category of book you can think of. Bring back the books when you've finished and you get credit towards your next purchase.

 

Lately, I have enjoyed a bit of pampering. At “The Spa” hotel on Mesones, I get a 90-minute massage for about $35 US and mani/pedi combo for $19. Acrylic nails? Why not! About $19 for the initial and $14 for fills. A girl can get used to this!

 

Be prepared if you are moving here for loud cars through the neighborhoods, barking dogs, roosters, loud parties with music, church bells, and oh yes, firecrackers. Parties and firecrackers are mostly on the weekends, but they can happen during the week. Really it depends on the neighborhood you live in. If you are sensitive to these things, check out the neighborhood before you move in or you could find yourself living next to a bunch of dogs that bark all the time or neighbors who love to party all night with the volume cranked up.

 

What you will enjoy is the beautiful views that can be seen here, especially if you find a home with a rooftop patio. The full moons and pink and orange sunsets, the fragrant flowing trees and plants, the occasional colorful hot-air balloon floating in a blue sky, the amazing array of bird-song in the mornings and the firecrackers too are all pretty cool!    

 

(Garrison and Garrison bookstore, San Miguel Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

Living in San Miguel de Allende is amazing in a way that you have time for everything. There is very little to no traffic here. We usually experience traffic only on the weekends because we get lots of visitors or tourists from other places during that time. That gives you a lot of time compared to other cities in Mexico where you get stuck in traffic and you spend 1 or 2 hours in your car. That is not a good quality of life for me. Here in San Miguel de Allende you can be anywhere...

Living in San Miguel de Allende is amazing in a way that you have time for everything. There is very little to no traffic here. We usually experience traffic only on the weekends because we get lots of visitors or tourists from other places during that time. That gives you a lot of time compared to other cities in Mexico where you get stuck in traffic and you spend 1 or 2 hours in your car. That is not a good quality of life for me. Here in San Miguel de Allende you can be anywhere you want in a short period of time. You have time for everything here. You have time to socialize, work, and learn new things.

 

There are a lot of schools here. We have art schools, language schools, etc. People here in San Miguel truly enjoy their time. San Miguel is especially good for lonely people or people who live here without any family or friends. These expats just decide to come here, which I admire because they don’t speak Spanish and they moved to a place that is totally different from what they are used to. What they usually do is walk and go to the Jardin, which is the main square, sit, and in a couple of minutes you’ll see them talking to children or to passersby. They start making friends and I think that is very good. It is a therapy for them.

 

(Parade in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

I could not have imagined in the early 90’s, when I was living in the States, that I would have the opportunity to live the lifestyle that I am living now in San Miguel de Allende. It is magic. 

 

Granted I do work, but that’s what I enjoy doing. And I also enjoy being taken care of. I have a cook, a driver, and a maid. I have someone who comes and picks up my dogs once a week, gives them a bath and brings them back groomed. I have my own...

I could not have imagined in the early 90’s, when I was living in the States, that I would have the opportunity to live the lifestyle that I am living now in San Miguel de Allende. It is magic. 

 

Granted I do work, but that’s what I enjoy doing. And I also enjoy being taken care of. I have a cook, a driver, and a maid. I have someone who comes and picks up my dogs once a week, gives them a bath and brings them back groomed. I have my own personal assistant. 

 

In San Miguel de Allende, I live life where I am taken care of. It’s just wonderful because then that frees me up to do what I love to do, because I don’t have to worry about the little stuff. For example, I’m not at all worried about what I’m having for dinner tonight. It is already in my refrigerator because my cook left my dinner on a plate that’s ready for me when I get home. She cooks every meal for me. She buys it, cooks it, and cleans up after. I don’t do any of that, and it’s just fabulous.

 

I like living in San Miguel de Allende because I always have fresh air as opposed to being in air conditioning or heating. I also get to eat fresh vegetables and fruits all the time that are not available in other places.

 

(Courtyard and balcony home in San Miguel de Alllende, Mexico, pictured.)

I find San Miguel de Allende to be a great place to live, but it’s true that San Miguel de Allende is not for everybody. Most people need to give San Miguel de Allende a week or two before they realize this is where they want to be because the weather's always better here than somewhere else. San Miguel de Allende is filled with people from the south and southwest during the summer to get away from the heat. In the winter months, people from the north generally tend to come...

I find San Miguel de Allende to be a great place to live, but it’s true that San Miguel de Allende is not for everybody. Most people need to give San Miguel de Allende a week or two before they realize this is where they want to be because the weather's always better here than somewhere else. San Miguel de Allende is filled with people from the south and southwest during the summer to get away from the heat. In the winter months, people from the north generally tend to come down here. The weather is great and the people are friendly in San Miguel de Allende.

 

San Miguel de Allende has more festivals for patron saints than almost anywhere else in Mexico. There's always something to do in San Miguel de Allende and for people who like to be active culturally with classes and art galleries, we're really coming in to our own as far as that goes.

 

Generally, San Miguel de Allende has been an awesome place to live where people are friendly and in some ways you can save money on things but people are willing to spend a good bit of money to fly in even for a couple of days. I fell in love with San Miguel de Allende back when I was a student and now that I work 6 days a week with a family and responsibilities, I still love San Miguel de Allende as much as I did back then.

 

(All year golfing possible at Ventanas de San Miguel, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, pictured.)

Readers, there is a reason Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards voted San Miguel de Allende the #1 City in the World!  Those of us that live here and sell homes to people that want to live here, too, could write a novel-length answer to this question.

 

I have buyer clients who, when they first came to see me, were afraid they would be too bored in a town of only 85,000 people. Now they joke how exhausted they are! The scene for...

Readers, there is a reason Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards voted San Miguel de Allende the #1 City in the World!  Those of us that live here and sell homes to people that want to live here, too, could write a novel-length answer to this question.

 

I have buyer clients who, when they first came to see me, were afraid they would be too bored in a town of only 85,000 people. Now they joke how exhausted they are! The scene for social, cultural, arts, music (and I mean way more than just the mariachi band you see here), opera, theater, gallery openings, international culinary events, vendemia (grape harvest) wine events, historical tours, well, the list is endless of the activities that make this city the best lifestyle destination in the world!

 

If you’re just a beach person pursuing a George Hamilton bronze, this is probably not your ideal venue.