| | |  Puerto Vallarta Real Estate | September 2008 
Northern Baja California's Development Future
 Brian Flock - MexiData.info
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 |  | A moderated and realistic path towards retirement and tourism. |  | | | |
Some Baja California real estate discussions during the now-cooled "boom" of 2004 to 2006 would associate northern Baja California’s progress and future to that of Los Cabos, in Baja California Sur, and other high-profile Mexican resort destinations. This general high-mindedness was a disservice to northern Baja California because it didn’t acknowledge from whence the area sprang or the elements that it takes to become an international resort destination. It also misplaced expectations of what new visitors would see when they came to visit. Natural evolution now has the region getting back on track towards its primary-suited purposes as a retirement destination for Baby Boomers and as a drive-to vacation market for the middle-class residents of Southern California, Nevada, and Arizona.
Stepping back, I recall my first visit to Baja California, a two-hour walking tour within Tijuana in the early 70's. I recall fluorescent paintings of Elvis on black velvet, nursing mothers begging on the sidewalk, and a one peso coin that I took back as a souvenir of my "conquest."
In the early 80’s, Baja California was a science trip to the shores of the Sea of Cortez. Tijuana was a midnight bus change with constant silhouettes of crooked tarpaper shacks. By daylight Baja California was an otherworldly desert with crooked cirio trees and cardón cactus. The occasional pueblo market sold meat in unrefrigerated glass cases. Ensenada sold fireworks and switchblades. A swarm of trinket vendors surrounded our bus as we waited to return at the San Ysidro border crossing.
Rosarito rose to my consciousness in the early 90’s when I heard about the small town where visitors could ride (then bony) horses along miles of sandy beaches and camp right on the beach.
The point of this walk down memory lane is to help frame what the region is and what it is not based on a perspective of over 35 years. Northern Baja California has been – and more than ever is – a Mexican extension of coastal Southern California, a San Diego "suburb" of sorts.
Equally, it is really not an international resort destination such as those near the Tropic of Cancer, including Spanish-era colonies such as Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco; and the more recent Mexican government investments such as Cancun, Los Cabos, and Ixtapa. (Notably, Rosarito did have a zenith in the 1920’s when the Hollywood elite came for booze and just about anything else that they wanted. However, that party settled down with the end of Prohibition in the early 30’s.)
The vast majority of visitors to northern Baja California must drive through the Tijuana border crossing, and the southwestern US press has especially direct access to any shred of unpleasant regional news which tends to proliferate for weeks, months, or even years as reprints to other parts of the globe. (See Mexidata column about news bias towards Baja California, June 30, 2008.)
The climate along the Pacific Ocean here is similar to coastal San Diego with idyllic summer temperatures and mild winters of low precipitation. Yet few adults will enter the Pacific Ocean waters without donning a wetsuit. Instead of polished duty free shops at the airport, visitors experience car fumes and trinket hawkers on their return to the border (which can be somewhat mitigated with a SENTRI border pass). This overall experience has an adventurous appeal to some and a folkloric appeal to others, but it is not the stuff of the pampered, international tourist.
When we compare northern Baja California to the international resort destinations of Mexico we lose sight of what the area can truly become: an improved version of itself, a Mexican twist to the Southern California coastline at a fraction of the price.
Even this modest vision of improvement requires great amounts of political will and infrastructure investment. Political will – completely outside the control of visitors and foreigner residents – is required to improve security for all, eliminate corruption, improve city oversight and planning, eliminate litter and graffiti, avoid aggressive street vendors, and streamline border crossings. Concrete results in these areas will welcome additional investment in multilingual health services, coffee shops, family-oriented activities, art and jewelry shops, and help foster a more favorable image and relationship with the media.
The net, long-term result will be an improved future for the northern Baja California real estate market, and make the area increasingly popular as an affordable alternative to Southern California coastal towns for vacationing and retiring.
Brian Flock is a degreed and certified real estate broker in Baja California, Mexico. Founder of the Baja Fair Trade registry, he may be contacted at Baja Ocean Realty or (619) 793-5224. |
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