Boho Lofts & Studios

Indoors, the condo was decent, clean, and reasonably priced. I picked a ground-floor unit to avoid stairs. It had a basic kitchen with dishes and cooking gear, a large fridge, hair dryer, iron, air conditioning, ceiling fan, private bathroom, queen bed, bistro table and chairs, and enough room to unpack and hang clothes. Wi-Fi worked in the unit and on the rooftop, and there was access to a washer and dryer. The roof deck had two pools and plenty of seating. A few things in the unit were rough. The kitchen cabinet under the sink smelled strongly of mildew. The ceiling fan wobbled, was noisy, and didn't move much air with its three shallow blades, though the air conditioner's fan setting worked fine. This is a working residential neighborhood, with little corner shops nearby for food basics and water. I'd skip the store across the street because they overcharge. Three corners north, on the east side of 15th Ave, there's a larger shop where prices are visible on the register and the people are kind, helpful, and honest. It's open all day into the evening, and in the morning has still-warm tortillas from the bakery across the street. It has nearly everything for cooking. For flavorful food at good prices, I liked Antojitos Colosi on the west side of 20 Avenida Norte, just north of Ave CTM. Check the hours and days online. It's cash only, no alcohol, eat in or take out, and they only speak Spanish. My excellent dinner cost 150 P. The neighborhood is rough and noisy, mostly from dogs barking nonstop and loud motorcycles. Taxi rides to 5th Ave cost 60-150 pesos, depending where you hail one and how much you bargain. These condos are in Zazil-Ha, not Louis Donaldo Colosio, which is useful to know when negotiating a fare. I'd walk a couple of blocks to catch a taxi. I rented a motor scooter while I was there, which gave me more access to places, and scooter parking was always free. I didn't feel very safe walking around, though I had no person-to-person problems. Mostly I saw graffiti and trash. The beaches in Playacar are raked daily to clear sargasso, with plenty of public access points. The best access I found was north of here at Calle 88. It has free facilities, a lifeguard, changing rooms, and showers, though the showers were out of order when I visited. Bring your own food and drinks. It's handicap accessible. Overall, the accommodation was decent inside, but the neighborhood isn't very good.