From what I’ve heard (and read) up until the 1990s, Playa was a little village on the beachfront. You basically had to go down off the highway and drive for a few minutes before reaching the town.
Now, with all the growth over the past 2 decades, the highway pretty much divides the city in half, with as much – if not more – development on the side of the highway away from the beach.
That’s the “Other Sideâ€
When we speaking of the side of the highway away from the beach, we usually call int the “other side†of the highway – with “other†definitely indicating that it’s not the normal place to be.
Yet, on the other hand, all expats spend time over there by necessity and for pleasure; in fact, a good number of expats actually live on the other side of the highway as well.
Lots of Great ServicesÂ
The reason we all spend so a good deal of time over there is that, since it’s the newer part of town, that’s also where the newer services are located, including all of these:
- 2 large, nice malls
- 2 modern, large-screen movie theaters
- A brand-new bowling alley
- A new commercial area with a Walmart, Radio Shack and many other stores
- A beautiful community park with plenty of events
- Great bars (nice ones!) and local taco shops
Now, Fifth Avenue, right down by the beach, is definitely the hang-out spot and the areas nearest are still the first neighborhoods people consider for Playa del Carmen real estate, as you can see for so many other things, we find ourselves over on the “other side of the highway.â€
Hidden Gems of Communities
While there are a few neighborhoods that are visually rough around the edges (although by no means dangerous,) the areas around the shopping malls are emerging as nice, new communities that would probably be attractive to many expats. Some have gated entrances, several community pools, paid security and maintenance and generally just nice design of houses.
 The nice thing is that one of the malls is usually a walk away. A bike ride will get you to restaurants and other shops. Bike lovers would easily go downtown in about 15-20 minutes on the city’s new bike trails.
For, those who prefer not to bike, the drive to the beach and the heart of downtown is about 10 minutes. Taxis are also inexpensive, charging about $3 for the ride. (They tend to charge about 50 cents more for the way back.)
The Price Factor
Since, simply because there is a highway between it and the beach, this has been considered the less favorable part of town, prices are noticeably lower. This can be a strong point for some expats as well.
Your Home in Paradise?
For some buyers, this could be the key to finding a beautiful Playa del Carmen home for sale, near many amenities only 10 minutes from the world’s nicest beaches that they can afford – even much more than an average home back up north. Some buyers might simply prefer being closer to the day-to-day services.
Some Examples to Check OutÂ
- Spacious 3-bedroom home for only $160,000 USD
- A very large 3-bedroom condo for only $120,000 USD
- Condos in a nice complex starting at only $104,000 USD
- A beautiful home in a gated community called “Bambu”
So, if you’re looking to get a bit more for your money, or you’re simply someone who prefers to be closer to those day to day services, when you come down for your property tour, ask your agent to show a house or two “on the other side†of the highway; it may just be the part of Playa you fall in love with.
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Doug Morgan was born in Dayton, Ohio and went to college at Buckeye State. Â Moving to Louisiana after college, he became President of his New York Stock Exchange company at the age of 28. Â His later career shifted to Florida and the investment business, where he was a financial advisor and branch manager for over 30 years. Â He bought his first condominium in Mexico in 2008 (from Top Mexico Real Estate), initially as a vacation home, but a year later he retired and moved full time to Playa del Carmen. Contact Doug at (512) 879-6546.
The TOP Mexico Real Estate Network; “Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!â€