Mexico City - Post Report Question and Answers
What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
Live in Polanco. - Jan 2024
How bad the pollution can be. And how noisy Polanco apartments can be... - Jul 2023
How spread out it was. Really took some getting used to the sheer size. And that the embassy community is fairly diffuse. - Apr 2021
This may sound silly, but I wish I had packed more umbrellas and layers in my luggage we brought here (versus UAB or HHE)! The summer is smack dab in the rainy season, and it's quite chilly at night, not to mention to the daily downpour in the afternoon! - May 2020
How bad the traffic can be, and how it can impact your daily life. - Apr 2019
I expected to like it here, and I do. I might have been more prepared for how chilly the winters are. - Sep 2016
The poor quality of embassy housing, and how very polluted the city is. - May 2016
Mainly the truth about the schools, since there are real issues with the American School. - May 2016
We were not excited to come here but LOVE IT. I will be sad to leave. It's beautiful and interesting and a pretty easy place to live. It's much safer than the average American perceives. - Oct 2014
How ridiculously rude the Mexican drivers are. - Aug 2014
That apartments are not heated. - Mar 2014
1. Service is horrendous. Over the phone, in person, etc. - you will constantly be frustrated if trying to resolve an issue. Think setting up internet, opening a bank account, trying to get a credit card to work when you know it's not your fault, getting something fixed, airline problems -- anything that would require a little bit of customer attention or help is missing from this culture - EVEN THOUGH maybe 10% of people work in the "customer service industry." It sure doesn't feel like it. That being said, Mexicans are generally nice - they just don't budge when it comes to accommodating clients. 2. The roads are terrible. See the above section on driving. 3. Airfare is expensive. Don't move here thinking you can get cheap tickets home or to other parts of the country. I went home once in two years. My friends/family spent less on their total vacations to Cancun than I did when we would meet there. 4. Altitude can be a problem for some. I had stomach issues the whole time I was there, but general fatigue wears off after a few weeks. Also, living at altitude is seriously a lifestyle commitment I didn't plan on making. You have to boil water for 5 minutes past boiling point to make sure it's actually sterile. Baking is completely different at altitude. Pasta takes 20 minutes to cook. It's an adjustment if you like cooking. 5. True vegetarianism/veganism is almost impossible, unless you cook for yourself. Expect no one to understand the concept outside of big cities, and even in big cities you are certain to find bits of meat find their way onto your plate or tortilla. There are some veg restaurants, though, and if you keep looking, you'll find some great options (try tlacoyos filled with fava beans (haba) and smothered in cactus leaves (nopales) and salsa - scrumptious). - Dec 2013
