¿Ciudad Vertical? HighRise City?

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Monterrey has been growing at a steady pace. There is more construction going on than you can shake a stick at. Home prices are soaring and there is a good reason why. Monterrey is surrounded by mountains and we can only go so far up them. Land and home construction is out of sight so people are turning towards high rise apartments. These aren't cheap either. The ones in the pictures below are $250,000 to $350,000 and that's in dollars. I know you may not believe me so tomorrow I will post a new neighborhood that has two-story homes starting at $380,000 dollars with a view no one would die for.

However, there is a saving grace for any retiree who would want to spend six months or more here living in the big city. In the top four neighborhoods, you can still find rentals ranging from 300-500 dollars a month. Very nice 1 and 2 bedroom units, some are houses that have been converted in to apartments or a retired couple that has turned their second floor into an apartment for additional pension income.
Transportation has improved so much over the years. We now have air-conditioned buses on all the routes and they are packed. They cost one peso more but in the summer everyone uses them as well as the cold and rainy season when it gets down to a shivering 40F degrees :).

Monterrey is a great city to visit as well as to live. It runs the gamut from traditional street markets to posh shopping malls and the prices can be the same. A typical "comida corrida" set meal of the day, can run as little as 25 pesos or eat at Chili's, Subway, or any other chain restaurant. So many tours to take, trips to Chipinque Natl Park which is right in the middle of the city or a trip out to the countryside where I live to experience Cola de Caballo (Horsetail Falls) a boat ride on the lake, fish dinner, or a trip up to the mountains at over 7000 ft.
As a side note, we are in the full moon phase. I took a picture last night. Pretty cool don't you think?

More ON LEDs
As you know by now, I am becoming a real fan of LED bulbs. Hard to find here but I did run into a spot light version over the weekend at Walmart. I have three spots across the front of the house under the porch but I never turn them on except when company comes for the effect. They consume a ton of energy even with a dimmer switch. I brought these home and put them in. 1 Watt for each 18 LED spot. I can also use the dimmer with them so you can imagine, as low as .5 Watts for all three. You tell me if you think they do a good job? I took the picture in the dark so you may want to click on the photo to enlarge it.

Watch over someone today because someone is always watching over you!