Job Discussion Forums

[e.alice]

I really appriciate the feed back on my first posting so I thought I would throw this out there... What are some of your experiences with Veracruz? I know it is a large city but I am wondering what kind of a large city it is. I know that I would have a really hard time living in Mexico City but I loved Oaxaca . Basically I am hoping it has a smaller town feel. Any thoughts on this? thanks much, e.alice

[moonraven]

It's a port city--very much the mixed bag one would expect, and with very little in the way of culture. In the state of Veracruz, Xalapa, the capital, is a much more interesting option.

[some waygug-in]

what? Veracruz just oozes culture. At least I thought so. Where else can you hang out in the central plaza and listen to live rumba ?

But then again, I was there as a tourist. Living there would be a different ball of wax, I'm sure.

I can't speak for the suburbs though, I only hung out near the centro historico and the beach.


If you are there during carnival, you are sure to enjoy yourself. Veracruz is one of my favorite destinations in Mexico, but then, I am speaking from a male perspective, if you know what I mean.

If you are looking for a rural, quiet experience, then Veracruz is not what you are looking for.

Try reading some other's experiences on http://www.mexconnect.com/

Suerte

[M@tt]

i felt like i should throw in my two cents since i spend almost every weekend in veracruz. "culturally" speaking, the highlight of veracruz is without a doubt the music and dancing. lots of jarochos love to dance and i have spent many weekend nights wandering from street to street listening to live music. much of it is latin music of various flavors, which is strangely hard to find in the other cities i have visited. also, because it is much smaller and safer than mexico city, for example, you get the feeling of a real nightlife with people out strolling through the plazas or on the boardwalk until 5am. try going out past 10pm in mexico city's center and you will feel like you are in a ghost town. for ambience, i find veracruz ten times better at night (the zona rosa is the only lively place i have been in mexico city at night but i find it much less enjoyable).

there are tons and tons of clubs with dance music/DJ's/bump and grind/alcohol, and a string of average beaches (great beaches if you're from the middle of north america and live 13 hours from the coast). but if you're looking for a rich arts scene, or a highly respected university, or a literary underground, etc., you will be looking for a long long long long long time. it almost seems like those things are in polar opposition to the essence of veracruz.

the drawbacks of veracruz, in no particular order, are: it stinks, it is painfully hot and sometimes humid, it is mostly run-down/dirty (relative to all the other cities i have visited in mexico), it gets boring if you're not into drinking/dancing/drinking/whores.

other things of note: marines, transvestites, lots of homeless people, people generally being very open/friendly with strangers, relaxed dress code, slow pace of life for the size of the city, interesting boardwalk, an aquarium and a nice zocalo (infested with huge rats but they only come out at night and tend to stay near the trees). in terms of size, the population is split between veracruz and boca del rio but the reality is an unbroken string of neighborhoods that connect them. i have never heard of anything interesting in the suburbs. size-wise, the crowding comes from tourists but you can't compare it to somewhere like acapulco. the city center feels small. there is no recognizable business center, for example, and the only tall buildings in the whole region are hotels.

i like veracruz but it is draining. if you are near the gulf coast, it is probably the prime spot. if you skateboard or like live latin music, it is fantastic. those are the reasons i spend a lot of time there.

ask a mexican what veracruz is famous for and you will probably get answers like carnaval, music, sex, and friendly people. caranval is essentially about music, sex, and friendly people. in that sense, it is a fitting symbol for the city.

hope that helps with whatever decision you are making.

[delacosta]

Veracruz city, in my opinion rocks! It is full of life, oozing a vibrant carribean sensuality. THe people that I met were some of the warmest and friendliest in all of Mexico. It sure has a different feel than the Pacific coast where I live. The food , the music, the streets full of people partying like there's no tomorrow (and I wasn't there during carnivval), the cafes with GOOD coffee. ANd the women, oh my god...overwhelming beauty, almost too much, I felt dizzy waqlking down the streets.
I stayed in the port section of town in a run down old hotel that doubled as a 'short timer' at night. I guess it was also the tranvesti part of town cuz I've never seen so many trani hookers on one square block. I've seen some stunningly beautiful trannies in my life but these guys-imagine your typical short pot bellied mexican man, a few days stubble covered with cheap make up and perfume-in a dress and heels beckoning to you as you walk by...psst guerito guapo...
Anyway I love Veracruz, the whole state, not just the capital. I'm not sure if I'd live there though, I think I might explode in a ball of overwhelming sensuality. Just implode you know too much of that sexy stuff in the air!
No better for me on the Pacific side, swaying in the hammock smelling the 'huele de noche' hearing the waves crash in the distance...