BajaNomad - Reality Check on Rosarito now.

Reality Check on Rosarito now.

Iflyfish - 10-21-2009 at 05:13 PM

I really appreciate my fellow BajaNomads and the information that you provide on an ongoing basis. This is an invaluable site to those of us who love Baja. I know that many of the questions I am asking have been addressed under various posts over a long period of time. I would like a current reality check on living in Rosarito now. I have never spent any time there, have only blasted through on my way south. I ate some great lobster there in the day and recall liking the place and the people there.

Do you think that Rosarito is a good place to retire now?

Do you feel safe and comfortable living in Rosarito? If so why?

If you don’t feel safe living in Rosarito then why?

Have you moved away from Rosarito due to crime/violence?

Are there areas that you would consider safer than others in Rosarito? What are those areas.

Are gated communities more secure from violence than other types of communities?

Is there much crime against gringos?

Are the police more prone to extort from Gringos in Rosarito than in say Ensenada?

How prevalent is kidnapping and does this worry you?

I know that there is a pier that was built for cruise ships that have not chosen to dock there. Is that pier now used for fishing? Is the entire pier open or just part? How is the fishing off this pier?

Thanks,

Iflyfish

noproblemo2 - 10-21-2009 at 05:23 PM

Do you think that Rosarito is a good place to retire now? YES, WE ARE HERE AND LOVE IT...

Do you feel safe and comfortable living in Rosarito? If so why? 100% FEEL SAFE, WHY THERE IS STILL LESS CRIME HERE THAN CALIFORNIA....

If you don’t feel safe living in Rosarito then why? N/A

Have you moved away from Rosarito due to crime/violence? NO...

Are there areas that you would consider safer than others in Rosarito? What are those areas. WE PERSONALLY ARE JUST SOUTH OF ROSARITO BUT GO IN NUMEROUS TIMES A WEEK, SHOPPING ETC..... SAFE

Are gated communities more secure from violence than other types of communities?
THE VIOLANCE IS OVERALL THE GANGS AGAINST EACH OTHER NOT US.....

Is there much crime against gringos? NO NO NO......

Are the police more prone to extort from Gringos in Rosarito than in say Ensenada? AGAIN, NO

How prevalent is kidnapping and does this worry you? DOES NOT BOTHER US, WE ARE NOT INVOLVED IN THE DRUG STUFF.....

I know that there is a pier that was built for cruise ships that have not chosen to dock there. Is that pier now used for fishing? Is the entire pier open or just part? How is the fishing off this pier? DON'T FISH SO DON'T KNOW....

Iflyfish - 10-21-2009 at 05:30 PM

Thanks a bunch noproblemo2. I read so much about the crime, corruption etc. in and around Rosarito, you can see why I would ask such questions.

It is very hard to see the entire picture from here in the US and like a cavity in our tooth, the problem may feel like it is way bigger than it is.

Iflyfish

Von - 10-21-2009 at 06:11 PM

Being from Rosarito, La Barca Familia. Where JR use to rent from my

Grandfather I still think its not safe but at the same time its kinda of safe i

live in San Diego. Thats where i feel safer. I have lots of family that lives on

our land there and they feel safe but i do know theres the secuestradores.

I guess when theres only a few streets going in and out of Rosarito it

gives you the impression that its not safe well for me. I do stay at my place

once in a while. Just dont be flashy.You dont have to be in drug trafficing

to get kidnapped. Extorsion na its not like it use to be its tight now

and Rosarito seems to have slowed down on that old habit.

As long as you dont brag and drive a brand new car everywhere youll be ok.

i do plan one day staying there more im 37 right now so its aways still. My

friends around town the locals.

Tell me its cooling down a little but its still hot. Just get feed back from

everyone and go from there.

Thats my two bits and good luck.

Iflyfish - 10-21-2009 at 06:31 PM

Von, I appreciate your two bits a lot. Thanks.

Iflyfish

arrowhead - 10-22-2009 at 08:04 AM

Quote:

Gays to Rescue Rosarito?

Rosarito plans to launch a promotional campaign to make the beach resort a vacation center for gays. Efarid Rodriguez Carrillo is in charge of the project, modeling it on several similar “alternative tourism” projects that he worked on in Spain.

Rosarito, once a tourist hotspot, has suffered a significant decline in business for several years, and officials are looking for ways to revive the industry. Gays make the ideal tourist, Carrillo said, because they have more disposable income than straights, in general, and are willing to spend it on travel, dining, entertainment, and passports.

Carrillo said that at present there are no areas in the beachside city that cater exclusively to gay tourists, but there have been several gay weddings feted at some of the local hotels, and with good results.

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2009/oct/21/gays-rescue-r...

Woooosh - 10-22-2009 at 08:37 AM

I guess that's why Torres has made the gay bar across from his hotel his second office.

my two cents on your survey...

Do you think that Rosarito is a good place to retire now? (Yes. if you own the land/house already. Prices are still ridiculously high (30% at least)- as if no economic downturn exists.)

Do you feel safe and comfortable living in Rosarito? If so why? (Today yes, last year and the one before it- definatley no. See answer below about security)

If you don’t feel safe living in Rosarito then why? (n/a)

Have you moved away from Rosarito due to crime/violence? (No but I have moved some Mexican family in with us so we don't stand out as a "gringo" household. I also mix up and have changed my daily routines.)

Are there areas that you would consider safer than others in Rosarito? What are those areas. (Don't wander around the residential areas east of the Toll road in central Rosarito.)

Are gated communities more secure from violence than other types of communities? (Definately not. How much integrity does a $20/day guard have and wobbly barbed wire fences aren't much secuirty? Make your own securtiy system (alarms, cameras) and have an emergency security plan in place)

Is there much crime against gringos? (There is property crime against everyone- pretty much equally I would think. If you leave something unsecure or unattended the street crooks figure you don't care about it that much.)

Are the police more prone to extort from Gringos in Rosarito than in say Ensenada? (I don't know about Ensenada- but we have never been asked for a mordida in Rosarito except for the time when we ran a red light)

How prevalent is kidnapping and does this worry you? (Yes, it is still a problem for everyone. It's not possible to look poor enough to not be a target.)

I know that there is a pier that was built for cruise ships that have not chosen to dock there. Is that pier now used for fishing? Is the entire pier open or just part? How is the fishing off this pier? ( I think they built the pier years ago in anticipation of casino cruises that never happenned)

[Edited on 10-22-2009 by Woooosh]

bajabass - 10-22-2009 at 08:46 AM

Because the macho narcos would not get caught dead or alive there!!

DENNIS - 10-22-2009 at 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by arrowhead

Quote:

Gays to Rescue Rosarito?

Gays make the ideal tourist, Carrillo said, because they have more disposable income than straights

Rosarito ---- Hillcrest......Mister Sister Cities? This is unbelievably desperate.
Where do they draw the parallel between homosexuality and wealth? Seems to fly in the face of the gay mantra...."It's the way we were born."

Oh well...first sound of gunfire and they'll be diving for cover inside of each other's Speedos. What a joke.

Woooosh - 10-22-2009 at 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajabass
Because the macho narcos would not get caught dead or alive there!!

Actually El Teo enjoys Macho Taco a few late-nights a week. Nothing like hiding in plain sight.

Woooosh - 10-22-2009 at 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Originally posted by arrowhead

Quote:

Gays to Rescue Rosarito?

Gays make the ideal tourist, Carrillo said, because they have more disposable income than straights

Oh god- no speedos please. Having worked in the casino industry I can tell you Rosarito is not alone in trying to attract this demographic group.

Yes Dennis, they do have more money because they have no ex-wives and ungrateful kids to keep them poor.

Woooosh - 10-22-2009 at 09:16 AM

Is this Letter to the Editor in today's San Diego Union Tribune a "Rosarito reality check?" :

"Narco-trafficers and Baja tourism:

Your Oct. 17 front page story "Mexican marines criticized for shootings" did little to explain how a heavily armed narco convoy of SUV's could disappear from the tourist-heavy toll road between Rosarito Beach and the Lobster Village (Puerto Nuevo) on a Sunday afternoon, let alone how the Mexican marines could mistake a single Jeep off-roading for that convoy and open fire on the youths inside. That same day both free roads to Rosarito Beach from Tijuana and Otay Mesa had mutilated bodies hanging from the bridges.

It may be statistically safe for tourists to visit Rosarito Beach, but the memories and visuals of a trip to Rosarito Beach could take a family a lifetime of therapy to overcome and is hardly worth the deep fried lobster at the other end."

DENNIS - 10-22-2009 at 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Woooosh
Yes Dennis, they do have more money because they have no ex-wives and ungrateful kids to keep them poor.

So...If gay marriage becomes legal, which one will be the wife when the honeymoon is over and they end up in divorce court? I can see it now...."I'm the wife." "No, I'm your wife." "No No...I'm the little woman, your wife. Pay me forever." No. You pay me. You may be a b-tch but, you're not the wife. I am. You pay me."
On and on. Equal rights, huh? What a can of worms to open.

Bajahowodd - 10-22-2009 at 12:35 PM

Actually, in places like California with community property laws, it probably wouldn't matter. And in fact, many prominent folks in the gay and lesbian community who have, in fact, taken advantage of legal marriage tend to use there terms along gender lines. Ellen is Portia's wife and Portia is Ellen's wife. They refer to each other as such.

tripledigitken - 10-22-2009 at 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Actually, in places like California with community property laws, it probably wouldn't matter. And in fact, many prominent folks in the gay and lesbian community who have, in fact, taken advantage of legal marriage tend to use there terms along gender lines. Ellen is Portia's wife and Portia is Ellen's wife. They refer to each other as such.

I don't think I am as well versed on the subject as you Bajahowodd, but I have noted one thing however. I would say Portia is the wife! :spingrin:

Ken

bajajazz - 10-22-2009 at 01:17 PM

Ellen is Portia's wife and Portia is Ellen's wife? I think this thread has been hi-jilled.

The stability of marriage is exactly what the gay community needs. In the interests of ameliorating issues like the spread of STDs and the excessive drinking that goes along with cruising, marriage between gaze should be encouraged, not denigrated.

It's too soon for any longitudinal studies to prove it, but I'm certain that the divorce rate between lesbian couples is going to be far below that of heterosexual relationships which, at 50 percent of first marriages, is nothing to write home about. Hard to see what's so sacred about marriage between straights when their relationships die at that rate. Gay men, not so much, there's lots of fickleness in that scene. But there'll be an improvement over the status quo of serial one night stands which in the long run will be good for everyone.

I think the gay marriage consulting business will be a growth industry, along with tatoo removal and hearing aids for the disco set. :spingrin:

Bajahowodd - 10-22-2009 at 01:24 PM

jazz- I'll buy everything you said, except for what appears to be slightly sexist, about fickleness. I'm a firm believer in the notion that much of the negative stereotypical behavior among gays and lesbians is rooted in the pressures that have been placed on them by a dismissive society. The more acceptance, the less pressure.

DENNIS - 10-22-2009 at 01:25 PM

Who's Portia? I thought that was a car.

Bajahowodd - 10-22-2009 at 01:27 PM

Porsche De Rossi

Woooosh - 10-22-2009 at 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

Quote:

Originally posted by Woooosh
Yes Dennis, they do have more money because they have no ex-wives and ungrateful kids to keep them poor.

I think Rosie O'Donnell is going through this conversation with herslf today with her high-profile gay marriage break up. Many children involved. Sadly, marriage- straight or gay isn't taken as seriously as it shoud be for all the political battles being fought over it. JMHO

Did anyone vote for gay divorce? Now that would be cruel- to make unhappily married people like Rosie stay married forever... :saint:

DENNIS - 10-22-2009 at 01:31 PM

Rosie doesn't count....for anything that I know of.

Iflyfish - 10-23-2009 at 09:08 AM

Thanks for the posts and U2U messages. You can count on the Nomads for the straight scoop!

Iflyfish

It's good to be the wife

Dave - 10-23-2009 at 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DENNIS

So...If gay marriage becomes legal, which one will be the wife when the honeymoon is over and they end up in divorce court? I can see it now...."I'm the wife." "No, I'm your wife." "No No...I'm the little woman, your wife. Pay me forever." No. You pay me. You may be a b-tch but, you're not the wife. I am. You pay me."

Dan was a single guy living at home with his father and working in the family business.

When he found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, he decided he needed to find a wife with whom to share his fortune.

One evening, at an investment meeting, he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away.

"I may look like just an ordinary guy," he said to her, "but in just a few years, my father will die and I will inherit $200 million."

Impressed, the woman asked for his business card and three days later, she became his stepmother.

Women are so much better at financial planning than men.

DENNIS - 10-23-2009 at 12:34 PM

:lol:

Good one.

Woooosh - 10-23-2009 at 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bajaeng
I've lived here for about 3 years and honestly I don't feel as safe as before. I used to walk on the beach daily, but no more. Probably what freaked me out the most was the poor retired gringo who was kidnapped a few months ago and rescued from a narco safe house in the Oceana Condos. These condos are fairly upscale and cater to gringos. Not only was there a narco safe house in the complex, they found grenades inside.

The cop killings here in Rosarito are scary.

I don't recommend my family to visit here now until things settle down some more. I don't feel safe here anymore. I don't feel safe and cheery when stopped at checkpoints with a kid holding a loaded machine gun inches from my face.

I can understand those feelings. I don't agree with them all- but I understand them. It's hard to feel comfortable here in Rosarito when the only information you get is missing, filtered or manipulated. When you can't get the facts of what is happening around you- you think and assume the worst. It's always better to err on the side of caution.

(BTW- I thought that kidnapping/Oceana/narcosw with grenades incident involved them holding an elderly local Mexican man who helped park cars or something like that. This is the first I heard it was a "gringo". It did make no sense to hold a very poor old man for ransom money now that you mention it. See how no info makes bad info?)