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ejhollan

Sep 6, 2003, 5:24 AM

Post #1 of 3 (354 views)

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living in TJ, commuting to SD

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Buenos Dias!

I am a graduate student at UC-San Diego, but the San Diego rents are getting out of hand. Besides, my Spanish (once good) is now almost lost. I'm hoping to remedy the two situations at once by living in Tijuana and commuting to San Diego. Am I crazy? Do y'all know anyone who has tried this? Hopefully, I will only have to come in to work 3 times a week.

I guess my questions are the basic ones: How long does the border crossing take these days? (I know it varies by time, but let's say at 8am or 9am on a weekday.) Are there passes that make the crossing easier and quicker for people who cross so frequently? What are apartments like in Tijuana, and how would you go about finding one? Basically, I'd like whatever information I could get on the subject ... hopefully I'm not the first person to do this!

Thanks, and feel free to respond to me directly if you don't want to clog up this listserve with my silly queries.

Ethan ejhollan@ucsd.edu

alex .

Sep 8, 2003, 7:42 AM

Post #2 of 3 (314 views)

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Re: [ejhollan] I only know of about 30,000 people doing this,

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crossing everyday at San Ysidro. Some moms do it twice a day taking their kids to school and picking them up. What I would do first is take the trolly to the end of the line one morning during the week, walk across into Mexico, find a place to sit down under a shade tree and watch the crossing for a little while. Then come back across thru the pedestrian crossing so you know what that is like. Report back here if you still think its a good idea and I'll fill you in on the details of the Sentri pass, apartments and such.
Alex

alex .

Sep 8, 2003, 10:31 AM

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Re: [ejhollan] its what I didn't say that is important.

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Why would I send you to sit under a tree and observe? I want you to sense what its like to see the brightly colored storefronts, smell the combination of diesel smoke from the blue and white busses and the rich aroma of the tacos prepared on the street, the sound of a foreign tongue mixed with blaring car horns, the hubub of people going every which way, and what its like to prove who you are and where you belong each day.

You see its not just a matter of transplanting your present life to a cheaper place. I, and many others here, will be happy to share what we know with you, but you have offered us little to go on. For instance, if you don't need to live near downtown where all the action is ( an unspoken goal of many newbie Tijuana transplants) then I could recommend living near the Otay crossing on the east side near the airport. It recently opened up for 24 hour operation and San Diego bus route 905 connects there. Grad students typically live frugally, but are you willing to part with heating in the winter for example? Apartments rent typically unfurnished which means no stove, fridge, carpet, hot water tank, propane tank, light fixtures. Without a fiador it will be a little tougher, but all things are possible.

You DID specifically ask about a frequent traveller pass:
http://www.immigration.gov/...t/inspect/sentri.htm

It takes months of time and some expense to get one, assuming enrollment is still open.

Help us help you,
Alex

(This post was edited by alex . on Sep 8, 2003, 1:45 PM)