BajaNomad

Living in Playas de TJ

SlyOnce - 3-19-2014 at 04:01 PM

Here is what it's like to live in Playas de TJ.

Most evenings we have a walk on the beach



Watching other couples walking down the malecon




Watching the full moon set at dawn from our patio




My sweetheart in La Bufadora




10 minutes to TJ's Zona Rio and CECUT





Sending up a "Globo de Cantoya" on Sunday evenings




Happy hour every night on the patio




Dinner is served!




View from the window




The main beach area




I live like a king because of her


yellowklr - 3-19-2014 at 04:44 PM

AWESOME

Udo - 3-19-2014 at 04:50 PM

Great life, Sly, and a great looker for a sweetheart!

Udo - 3-19-2014 at 04:53 PM

I forgot to mention in my earlier post...

I had no idea Playas had a malecón. Really a nice one.

willardguy - 3-19-2014 at 05:06 PM

AND a carls jr and KFC for those days when you just can't look at another taco!:P

DENNIS - 3-19-2014 at 05:35 PM

Thanks for the foto tour.

SlyOnce - 3-20-2014 at 07:14 AM

Playas is a great blend of two cultures. You can dine on birria, homemade tamales and empanedas, or sushi, or American fast food. There are a couple of outstanding pizza places. There is a great Mariscos place. Its safe and clean. TJ is 10 minutes, the border 15, and the Home Depot in Rosarito is about 20.

The south end of Playas is the MX end, the north end much more gringo. The south end has the "sobre ruedas" (street swap meet) on Monday.

My novia and I have been together a year now, we get along great. Since we are a bridge between 2 cultures, we have endless things to teach each other. She put herself through college, with a 4 year degree. She speaks near perfect English, and we're working on my Spanish. She just got her BCC (US visa) this week!

As a couple, we both have things to give that the other needs.

We are making plans for a life together, perhaps in southern Baja or maybe right here in Playas, its like heaven on Earth to the 2 of us right now.

SlyOnce - 3-20-2014 at 07:34 AM

Before we got the apartment, when we were still dating, a lot of Baja mornings began like this



Playas has lots of car shows.



Suzy picked a favorite



I made a project this summer to photograph the murals on the Malecon


TMW - 3-20-2014 at 12:29 PM

Excellent pictures, thanks. The sunset was my favorite, but the cars are really cool. I had a red plymouth that looked like the green car.

Sanborn's Coffe Shop

Gypsy Jan - 3-20-2014 at 02:17 PM

A branch of the legendary restaurant in Mexico City, where you can get an American or Mexican breakfast, lunch or dinner

The menu is an encyclopedia that includes many items - you can get a breakfast with eggs, hash browns and toast with sausage (not chorizo), or a Club sandwich or Caesar salad for lunch.

Taco al Franc(es) - Yumm!

And a very busy fish taco shop near the bull fighting ring that always has crowds around it - I never remember the name, only the deliciousness of the food.

dasubergeek - 3-20-2014 at 02:56 PM

Don't forget Mariscos Becerra... mmmm, those smoked clams!

sdraul - 3-20-2014 at 04:14 PM

Very nice. When are the car shows? Every week or ?/

Bajahowodd - 3-20-2014 at 04:53 PM

Venice beach without the high prices. Good for you!

DENNIS - 3-20-2014 at 05:26 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by TW

I had a red plymouth that looked like the green car.



:lol::lol: Early happy hour in Bakersfield, TW??

willardguy - 3-20-2014 at 05:30 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by TW

I had a red plymouth that looked like the green car.



:lol::lol: Early happy hour in Bakersfield, TW??
if it was a red 58 Fury, that be Christine!

DocRey - 3-20-2014 at 10:14 PM

Happy for youz. Have a blessed future.

SlyOnce - 3-21-2014 at 10:46 AM

The impromptu car shows are most Sunday mornings during the summer. The photos I posted are from a really big, organized show, that they had near the end of the summer. There must have been 500 classic cars, most lowered, on hydraulics, with the works done to them, truly works of modern art.

I will post here when the next one is planned.

For anyone wishing to visit, there are some nice, safe, secure but small beach hotels 1 block from the water in the $MX 350 peso / night range.

Playas is a simple family place and it would not be unusual to see us sitting in a beach coffee shop on the malecon at midnight on a Saturday watching kids play in the sand and surf.

There's lots of great places to eat and drink but this is not a party all night kind of town, you can go into TJ for that.

willardguy - 3-21-2014 at 10:56 AM

when I lived down the road in SADM I always enjoyed visiting the playas but paying the toll in and out to go 10 miles really peesed me off. bet they would get more visitors from down the toll road if they had a free way in! (not counting the looong way around on the free road):yes:

oh and I found by standing by the fence I could lock onto an ATT cell tower and make calls!
yeah, im a cheapskate.;D

[Edited on 3-21-2014 by willardguy]

TMW - 3-21-2014 at 10:57 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by TW

I had a red plymouth that looked like the green car.



:lol::lol: Early happy hour in Bakersfield, TW??


Every hour is happy hour, as they say it's 5 o'clock somewhere. I did have a red 48 plymouth back in the 60s, fun car. Bought it for $50 at a junk yard. Rebuilt the engine and had it painted red.

sdraul - 3-21-2014 at 10:58 AM

Yes please do...my grandson and I go to car shows..so he would get a kick out of going to one in Baja...My e-mail is still the same if you have it...PM me otherwise

fdt - 3-21-2014 at 11:43 AM

Felicidades a los dos and thanks for the good report.

phoenix2121 - 3-24-2014 at 01:24 PM

Looks like quite the life. Can't wait to make the trip in May.

I'd love to meet you and your novia once we get down. Assuming you don't mind hanging out with an 11-year-old and his dad, who might be 20 years older, but still questions whether he's in charge. :biggrin:

SlyOnce - 3-26-2014 at 07:52 AM

Phoenix, we would love to meet you, and any other nomads who are passing through Playas. I am trying to make our patio a place where exotic people have interesting conversations and fantastic meals.

durrelllrobert - 5-12-2014 at 09:14 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Udo
I forgot to mention in my earlier post...

I had no idea Playas had a malecón. Really a nice one.

When they were building the new bull ring there was a paved road where the Malecon is now and every Sunday they had drag races there. A bunch of us used to drive down from SD to race and when you paid your entry fee they always gave you a free shot of tequila. Kinda made the drags more "interesting".:tumble:

willardguy - 5-12-2014 at 09:44 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by durrelllrobert
Quote:
Originally posted by Udo
I forgot to mention in my earlier post...

I had no idea Playas had a malecón. Really a nice one.

When they were building the new bull ring there was a paved road where the Malecon is now and every Sunday they had drag races there. A bunch of us used to drive down from SD to race and when you paid your entry fee they always gave you a free shot of tequila. Kinda made the drags more "interesting".:tumble:
hey bob here's a drag race down memory lane!

durrelllrobert - 5-12-2014 at 10:05 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by willardguy
Quote:
Originally posted by durrelllrobert
Quote:
Originally posted by Udo
I forgot to mention in my earlier post...

I had no idea Playas had a malecón. Really a nice one.

When they were building the new bull ring there was a paved road where the Malecon is now and every Sunday they had drag races there. A bunch of us used to drive down from SD to race and when you paid your entry fee they always gave you a free shot of tequila. Kinda made the drags more "interesting".:tumble:
hey bob here's a drag race down memory lane!


Yep, dats da place. Can still taste the tequila. Where you a contestant there? I was driving my 57 ford with the 312 / 2 4brl police interceptor engine.

churro - 5-12-2014 at 07:23 PM

Thanks for the post... Looks like you have a happy life and great future ahead of you

Ken Cooke - 5-12-2014 at 08:59 PM

Good to hear great things are happening for you and your significant other in TJ. Its a great city with lots of nice people.

SlyOnce - 5-13-2014 at 07:47 AM

Playas to Rosarito has the best of everything - good climate, peaceful neighborhoods (knock on wood), relative cheap living on the beach, decent police, local government that actually fixes potholes, good food, there are everything from local stores to Walmart, Home Depot, great culture and local art and entertainment. Homemade tamales to Carls Jr. People are friendly. There is always something going on in Playas - last weekend was an art festival with live music - we loved the flamenco dance/guitar group.

My novia has her US BCC (Border Crossing Card) now and so we can cross to San Diego anytime. She also got her I-94 Permit (US tourist visa) and so we can travel anywhere in the US.

By the way, I met her on online dating, and I found a jewel. We are having our 1 year anniversary this month. She's college educated, bilingual, works for the Baja government, and we are compatible on every level. We both have things to give freely that the other needs.

In my opinion, gringos are returning to northern Baja, the great narco war scare and fear of MX seems to be diminishing.

sancho - 5-13-2014 at 10:42 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SlyOnce



In my opinion, gringos are returning to northern Baja, the great narco war scare and fear of MX seems to be diminishing.






I'm the only one in my group of friends that never changed
my Baja travel over the last few yrs. Some aquaintances, folks who spend $,
long time Baja border travellers, recently made their first trip
to Rosarito in 5 yrs. The fear factor is one that appears to
have lessened considerably. I was curious as to the # of
US citizens with Passports, there are a few numbers, CNN
has as of of 2011, 30% of the 308 mil. in the US have passports. Most US gringos believe, without a doubt, one needs a Passport to travel to Baja, we all know that is not enforced,
but average Gringo Tourist doesn't know that. Some other
factors, the percieved Police extorcion, the need for separate Mex
Auto Ins, and the 3-4 hr. wait on a weekend to get back,
those are hurdles that keep the number of casual tourists away

[Edited on 5-13-2014 by sancho]

SlyOnce - 6-9-2014 at 07:36 AM

Update - weekend vignette

Saturday was the 1 year anniversary of our first date.

Friday night coming home from work I stopped and bought one of those 10 x 10 foot canopies like you would take to the beach. We set it up on the patio covering our barbeque area, garden, and part of the lawn. We moved tables and chairs to the lawn where we could sit and read with a cool drink, and watch the sea.

Saturday we were up late, we went to the beach and had breakfast at a new place. We used to love Senior Waffle (now sadly closed) and we love Casa del Mole, but we tried a new place. I had strawberry pancakes and bacon with coffee for 75 pesos. My novia had a big MX platter.

We went to the market and I bought her a new book, then we returned to the apartment and enjoyed the shady patio. In the late afternoon we drove to CECUT (cultural center in TJ) where they were having a book fair, and there was live music and food stalls, too. We enjoyed that, then we watched a contemporary dance performance in the theater. It was quite sophisticated. Later, we walked to Plaza Rio mall and had dinner at Sanborn's - in the exact same table as our first date 1 year ago.

On Sunday we were up late. We had a nice breakfast on the patio. We did some more reading. We had planned to cross to San Diego but it was getting late and we were so comfortable. So we went to Walmart and bought fish and shrimp and came home and made a feast of fish and shrimp tacos, beans, home made salsa, and tortillas. We had coffee and cheese cake on the patio to watch the sunset.

It was getting cold so we went in and watched a movie.

Only 3 more years to retirement and this will be our life every day!

Oh and she is finally starting to realize that when I retire, she does, too.

Garcam - 6-9-2014 at 11:50 AM

Hello Sly,
I'll be there in a few days and will look you guys up!

Looking forward to being there!

Regards,
Gary

sancho - 6-10-2014 at 10:44 AM

Walking across at TJ, anyone know an alternative way to
get to Playas TJ, besides just a reg Taxi? I've heard of
route/collective taxis, am familiar with the TJ City busess.
Thinking of going down for a Sat. lunch
thanks for your time
gracias Sly

[Edited on 6-11-2014 by sancho]

SlyOnce - 6-11-2014 at 02:44 PM

Sancho, there are ruta (collectivo) taxis, I will ask my novia what corner they are on. Of course, you catch them in Centro. They are yellow and say Playas on the windshield. Cost $MX 12 pesos one way.

sargentodiaz - 6-15-2014 at 11:40 AM

I rented an apartment once there and it was definitely a great place to be.

Very good police presence and no crime.

rayfornario - 7-3-2014 at 10:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by sancho
Quote:
Originally posted by SlyOnce



In my opinion, gringos are returning to northern Baja, the great narco war scare and fear of MX seems to be diminishing.






I'm the only one in my group of friends that never changed
my Baja travel over the last few yrs. Some aquaintances, folks who spend $,
long time Baja border travellers, recently made their first trip
to Rosarito in 5 yrs. The fear factor is one that appears to
have lessened considerably. I was curious as to the # of
US citizens with Passports, there are a few numbers, CNN
has as of of 2011, 30% of the 308 mil. in the US have passports. Most US gringos believe, without a doubt, one needs a Passport to travel to Baja, we all know that is not enforced,
but average Gringo Tourist doesn't know that. Some other
factors, the percieved Police extorcion, the need for separate Mex
Auto Ins, and the 3-4 hr. wait on a weekend to get back,
those are hurdles that keep the number of casual tourists away

[Edited on 5-13-2014 by sancho]

rayfornario - 7-3-2014 at 10:57 AM

My reply did not post...Despite what US insurance companies say, always have Mexican Auto Insurance. I have an 80 year old friend who,after an accident spent 2 days in jail because he never bothered to get insurance. :bounce:

bajacalifornian - 7-3-2014 at 11:48 AM

I enjoy watching the old cars cruise the malecon from my son's balcony. Sundays.