Dude,
Given how I refuse to fall a slave to demon alcohol (in other words I don't drink), the assorted ads for beer and whatnot passing through my television on a regular basis have no effect in terms of selling product. Some of them are extremely entertaining, though. Lately I've enjoyed the "dude" commercials being presented by Anheuser-Busch on behalf of Bud Light. In case you haven't seen them, they feature a somewhat shopworn twentysomething in assorted momentary scenes where his only line in response to whatever is happening consists of "dude." I suppose one of the reasons I find the ads funny is that I often find myself doing the same thing, as I have done for many years. Comes with being raised in California, where the goal of achieving a state of true dudeness is one of our main pursuits in the not so Golden State. It's rather like catching the perfect wave when you're out surfing without hassling with the board and ocean and waves and sharks (deep pained sigh... wait'll next year!) and stuff. But I digress. "Dude" is a prime example of the multi-purpose statement, useful in many situations: an expression of joy, warning, disgust, camaraderie, and so on. It’s most common usage is as a deliberate pause when you're trying to get someone else in tune with the obvious without having to actually spell out the scenario. That it has no gender attached to it is one of its finest qualities. Combining "dude" with an "uh..." before it is reserved for especially urgent situations when the other person is in dire need of observing, comprehending, and taking appropriate action on whatever may be currently transpiring. Or about to transpire with unfortunate results should the present course be maintained ("uh... dude... you know that girl you're getting ready to ask out has an insanely jealous ex with a full-body tattoo, pierced everything, and a permanent place in America's Most Wanted hall of fame, right?").
One of the best qualities about "dude" is that it has no gender.
Taking this to Baja Real Estate, there are so many individuals therein to whom a simple "dude" needs to be spoken in hope it will give cause for their catching the vision and seeing the world around them. To wit:
Dude:
"Didn't you know that hairdo went out of style in 1950 and people are laughing at you?"
Dude:
"Didn't you know that guy never built anything, let alone condos in Cancun?"
Dude:
"Didn't you know that the water in front of that development comes directly from the Tijuana sewer system?"
Dude:
"How long do you think it will be before the cartels pay off the army as well as the police?"
Dude:
"Did you really think there was finance in Mexico?"
Dude:
"Did you really think they meant that "Donald Trump?"
Dude:
"Did you really believe that real estate agent when he or she said they bought several of these units themselves and you should buy several so you can get rich too?"
Dude:
"Did you think that developer was ever really going to build road to your house?"
Dude:
"Didn't you turn over your real estate agents card and notice the name on the other side was different and that person was a taxi driver?"
Dude:
"Do you really think people really spend $300.00 night on a vacation rental in Rosarito so there’s no problem paying $500,000 for this one bedroom condo?"
Dude:
"Don't you wish you had bought at the Residences at Playa Blanca instead of one of those condos that is still just a whole in the ground in Puerto Nuevo?"
Dude:
"Why do you think all those Mexicans are trying to get you buy their house so they can move to the U.S.?"
Baja California tourism officials say they saw a significant increase in visitors during the four-day Easter weekend compared with the past few months, bringing much-needed income to economically struggling tourist destinations.
At a news conference Monday, Tourism Secretary Oscar Escobedo Carignan said 143,000 U.S. and Mexican travelers spent about $18 million from Thursday to Sunday. Last year, the state tallied 149,000 visitors during the popular vacation period, when spring break and Christian Holy Week coincide.
“We consider it a success story,” Escobedo said. “We feel there's a turnaround as far as tourist activity.”
Tourism officials say a range of factors contributed to the decline in visitors to the state last year, including reports of crime, lengthy border lines, an economic downturn in California and the announcement of stiffer U.S. proof of citizenship requirements for border crossers.
Hotel occupancy was highest in the Gulf of California community of San Felipe, which registered average occupancy rates of 99.4 percent for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. In Ensenada, the figure was 84.5, and Rosarito Beach, the average occupancy was 62.5 percent, according to the tourism secretariat's tally.
I am in the ocean, doing nothing, just bobbing.
I am facing a golden-sugar beach a low pink hotel, a thatched shack baking in the morning sun. To my left, a long crescent stretch of bay, a cradling arm around a basket of blue. To my right, a stone jetty. Beyond it, a harbor full of oceangoing boats and the houses on the side of the mountains of the city of Lahaina. Behind me, the limitless Pacific. All around, sea birds loitering in the swells, which lift and gently drop me, my arms out, toes brushing velvet sand.
“He’s working on his wave theory. This morning for breakfast he brewed and drank enough weed to put a horse in orbit. He’s been out there for three hours with his eyes closed ... imagining that he’s a piece of kelp or a jellyfish.”, says Captain Charlie's wife. She watches from the beach while pondering his oracular musings. “It isn’t by getting out of the world that we become enlightened, but by getting into the world ... by getting so tuned in that we can ride the waves of our existence and never get tossed because we become the waves.”
A boat laden with genetically engineered pigs sunk this morning off the coast of Tijuana. The lone survivor later died at a hospital of explosive diarrhea of the battery compartment.
The identity of the survivor who died at hospital was revealed as Faker McJobs of Tijuana, the on-ship entertainer. Mr. McJobs, 2GB, lived a somewhat infamous lifestyle as he claimed to be the love child of the Apple iPhone and a Mexican prostitute, conceived during a drunken spring break excursion. The iPhone disavows any relationship to Mr. McJobs, but did admit to a weakness for cheap tequila.
Mr. McJobs is survived by his cousin, Meizu, who was recently deported from Germany under suspicion of running an illegal media transport ring between China and Western Europe.
The cause of the boat’s explosion is still under investigation.
Savvy vintners from all over the world are betting that Mexico’s Guadalupe Valley may well be the next frontier for New World wine.
Located less than 100 miles southeast of San Diego — and only a few minutes drive from Ensenada, Baja California’s third largest city — Guadalupe Valley is only now being recognized for its potential as a world-class winegrowing region.
Although wine has been made in the region for centuries, it’s only in the last two decades that producers from around the world began investing in its winemaking operations.
The present and future of Guadalupe Valley was the focus of a seminar and public wine tasting at Copia two weeks ago.
Three representatives of the region’s wine trade brought locals up to date during a morning question-and-answer session, aided by a local vintner who knows Guadalupe Valley well — Mexico-born Amelia Ceja, partner in Ceja Vineyards.
The visitors from Guadalupe Valley represented cellars with varied production totals: Marco Antonio Amador, senior marketing director for the 600,000 case L.A. Cetto; Israel Zenteno, vineyard manager for the 40,000 case Monte Xanic; and Thomas Egli, winemaker for 3,000 case Casa de Piedra.
They spoke about the region’s ideal climate for growing grapes, similar to that of San Diego. Temperatures top out at 90 to 95 degrees on average during summer months and rarely soar above 110 on a few hot days, with winter lows bottoming out at 25 degrees.
Water is scarce, they noted. The winter rain season is short and the area is prone to prolonged droughts.
During the growing season, the temperature ranges from 60s at night to 90s in the daytime, and the area is prone to fog.
Situated at 1,400 feet above sea level, Guadalupe Valley is about 10 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean.
On average, soils on the flat valley floor are sandy, those on the hillside more alluvial in composition.
At present, the loosely knit association of 27 producers is undertaking a project mapping the region’s diverse soils, and trying to define the valley’s terroir.
About two-thirds the size of the Napa Valley, some 2,200 hectares are planted to grapes. Dry farming is rare, they said, as most vines are irrigated.
The first cabernet sauvignon was planted in Guadalupe Valley in 1974, Zenteno noted, and cabernet is the largest planted grape variety at present. Malbec, tempranillo, grenache and syrah also do well in this clime, he added.
The majority of the (grape) plantings are red,” Zenteno said. “It’s a little tricky to make white wine, although chenin blanc does develop nicely in the valley. But we are just now experimenting (with various grape varieties).”
Amador revealed that his company, L.A. Cetto, has just launched a 10-year vineyard experiment incorporating 50 varietals.
“Guadalupe Valley reminds me of what Napa Valley was in the 1970s,” interjected Ceja, “especially with the experimentation. I believe you will see exceptional wines coming from Guadalupe Valley.” Ceja feels the region will become a prime supplier of first rate cabernet sauvignon.
“Water is the key to growing grapes in Guadalupe Valley,” declared Egli. “We’re running out of water.” He said valley grapegrowers have to share existing water supplies with the city of Ensenada, which is experiencing considerable growth at the moment.
Also discussed were the difficulties in the export/import business involving Mexico and the United States. Ceja said regulations contained in NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) have seriously curbed wine trade with our neighbors in Canada and Mexico.
“We can ship (wine) to the rest of the world, but we can’t ship to our neighbors,” she noted.
On top of that, border states impose their own restrictions. For example, an individual returning from Mexico may only bring one liter of wine into California. In Arizona, that amount jumps to six liters.
“Most producers (in Guadalupe Valley) are interested in quality, not in making huge volumes for export,” concluded Egli.
And quality was indeed evident in the wines Egli offered during the afternoon walkaround tasting:
Arenal 2005 Ensemble ($35): a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, barbera and petite sirah for the experimental effort label from Casa de Piedra. A spicy, fruity nose leads to a mouth full of ripe blackberries, with a sweet/tart finish of cassis. A lush, well structured wine from a leader in Guadalupe Valley wine quality.
Casa de Piedra Vino de Piedra Tinto ($55): Piedra is Spanish for stone and this particular medium-bodied red has a mineral edge that undoubtedly speaks to the vineyard’s stony makeup. It’s an attractive blend of tempranillo and cabernet sauvignon (50/50) with lots of strawberry and spice.
For lunch that day, Jeff Mosher, executive chef of Julia’s Kitchen, put together a tasting menu featuring a few of the wines from Guadalupe Valley.
Monte Xanic 2005 Limited Edition Malbec ($15): Paired with the chef’s seared ahi dish — which incorporated quinoa/citrus salad, avocado puree and chipotle beurre blanc — this lush, velvety, well-balanced malbec offered red fruit flavors, integrated with ripe tannins, a touch of mint on the lengthy finish and a hint of oak, that made this exceptional dish even better. It was the best pairing of the day, a smooth, easy-to-drink Bordeaux grape south-of-the-border style, and a bargain at that.
L.A. Cetto 2003 Nebbiolo ($15): Paired with pan-seared beef tenderloin slices and sweet potato puree, this Italian varietal seems to like its new Guadalupe Valley home. An elegant, silky nebbiolo with soft tannins and tasty ripe blackberries from entry to finish. While it’s a bit short on finish, its soft palate and fruity flavors made this an exciting pairing.
A couple of other wines worth seeking out:
L.A. Cetto 2005 Petite Sirah ($6): An inky, perfumy red with sweet tannins and cherry/grape flavors. Lots of stuffing, a vibrant example of this variety with a pleasant ripe blackfruit finish. A great deal.
Monte Xanic 2006 Chenin Blanc/Colombard ($10): Since there’s little more than 1 percent colombard in the blend, it’s anybody’s guess why the firm displays the varietal name so prominently on the label. Slightly off-dry, it tastes of ripe peaches and honey and smells the same. A little zing on the finish makes it a nice sipper to be paired with any number of hors d’oeuvres.
At this point, you’ll have to drive down to Baja to taste and pick up the Casa de Piedra wines. The wines of L.A. Cetto are abundant in the Los Angeles area and are winging their way northward as winery principals have complied with U.S. label regulations. Monte Xanic will be available in California any day now, its owners having jumped through all requisite NAFTA hoops.
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When we first joined Point2 Homes it seemed more organized and much more effective than today. We have noticed the neighborhoods are now being created by anybody using any name without even a little editorial supervision. This is the criteria below once used by Point2 Homes to keep it effective and organized in the past. None of this is being followed today and less than half of the "Neighborhoods" meet this criteria.
“In order for our neighborhood directory to be effective, we need to eliminate confusing MLS area names, zip code/postal code references, and provide real area names understandable by every home buyer.
When a neighborhood is moderated, there is certain criteria that we follow in order to ensure that only valid neighborhoods are added. This criteria is as follows:
- A neighborhood averages approximately 4,000 people in size but can vary from 2,500 to 8,000 people (this is in line with government Census Tracts).
- Cities cannot be submitted as neighborhoods. Towns, boroughs, etc. can be submitted as neighborhoods if their population meets the criteria specified above.
- Gated communities, retirement villages, condominium complexes, trailer parks, etc. are not considered neighborhoods unless their population meets the criteria specified above.”
Until Point2 cleans up the “Neighborhoods”, we won’t be buying anymore.
Come on, Point2, wake-up and smell the coffee!
TIJUANA – With cross-border visits showing marked declines, business and tourism officials in Baja California are going into full-scale damage control in hopes of regaining ground lost over the past year.
“The image of the security problem has hit the state very badly,” said Baja California's tourism secretary, Oscar Escobedo Carignan.
At a news conference yesterday at state government offices in Tijuana, Escobedo described a new program aimed at luring visitors back.
The program, called “Get Your Passport,” offers discounts at hotels, restaurants, bars and shops to those holding a U.S. passport.
On the promotional posters and other materials being printed for the campaign are the words, “Come Back!”
Escobedo also told reporters that the state was contracting with a public relations firm to help Baja California deal with what he termed “crisis management.”
The problem lies in a major falloff of visitors driving to Baja California from the United States. Escobedo said there were 1.5 million fewer visitors in 2007 than in 2006.
“We have over 80,000 people who are U.S. citizens who live in Baja California. They are aware of what the situation is, and we don't have any problem with those people,” Escobedo said. “The problem is with people who do not understand the border.
“It's a challenge and we're working on it.”
Escobedo said the region has suffered a significant blow to its image with reports of organized crime and violence in Baja California, as well as of robberies and assaults on foreign tourists in the last year.
That image wasn't helped by news videos broadcast around the world showing a 3½-hour gunbattle last week between Mexican police and soldiers and gunmen believed loyal to the Arellano Félix drug cartel. Six bodies of presumed kidnap victims were found in a house after the shooting ended.
Escobedo insisted that stepped-up patrols along what he termed “secure routes” between Tijuana and Ensenada had taken hold, and that no additional highway banditry had been reported since Nov. 17.
“This is something that will be permanent by the state and federal government, and we feel confident that this will not be an issue anymore,” Escobedo said.
Escobedo said that people who view Baja California as a dangerous, crime-ridden region do so because of what he described as heavily repeated news accounts of robberies and assaults. He said that the coverage gives the impression that the incidents are more frequent and recent than they actually are.
“If my children go to school in the United States, I'm not going to pull them out just because of Columbine,” Escobedo said.
The long waits at the ports of entry to return to the United States present more of an impediment to travel, he said. Escobedo also insisted that with the Mexican federal government beginning to take a hard line against organized crime, the region's image would improve.
“We are going through a maturing process, and we're not going to put up with this anymore,” he said.
The “Get Your Passport” program begins as the region braces for U.S. border-crossing rules that take effect Jan. 31. The rules require U.S. citizens to show proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, naturalization papers or a passport, to re-enter the United States through any land crossing. Some businesses fear the rules will further hurt tourism.
By Greg Gross
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Two years after a high-profile sales event, Baja project stuck in red tape, slow market.
TIJUANA – Donald Trump's decision to lend his name to a lavish coastal condo-hotel project in Baja California brought worldwide visibility to the region's unprecedented building boom.
But two years after a San Diego sales event that drew hundreds of would-be purchasers, the planned three-tower Trump Ocean Resort has yet to break ground and development has slowed along the Tijuana-Ensenada strip known as the Gold Coast.
A 10-mile drive from the border, a half-dozen workers poured concrete into a trench yesterday. Orange fencing surrounded a large deep hole. A wind-tattered billboard displaying a giant photograph of Trump rose over the 17-acre site overlooking the Coronado Islands.
Tijuana officials say the developer received a land use permit in 2005, allowing 526 units to be built on the property that juts out into the Pacific Ocean at Punta Bandera. But the developer has yet to receive a construction permit from Tijuana's Urban Development Department, the key city agency that gives the go-ahead for new projects.
“Going through the files, we can't find an application,” said director Miguel Angel Zavala.
Trump's Los Angeles-based partner, Irongate, said the much-publicized project is moving forward, despite delays, and that they are in the final stages of presenting documents to City Hall. Tijuana's Municipal Planning Institute, which conducts initial reviews and submits recommendations to the Urban Development Department, received plans earlier this month, the developer said.
So far, U.S. buyers make up more than 90 percent of the project's clientele, said Carlos Palafox, director of development for Irongate. To date, 167 units have been pre-sold in the first tower, which will have 232 units on 26 stories and is scheduled to open at the end of 2009, about six months behind initial projections, Palafox said.
About 40 percent of the space has been spoken for in the second 26-story tower.
Buyers who sign a contract agree to put down 30 percent of their unit's cost over a specified time period, Palafox said.
Trump said in an October 2006 interview that the Trump Organization will be a “significant” equity investor in the $200 million project. But Palafox said Trump has yet to invest in Trump Ocean Resort in Baja. Palafox described Trump as a “branding partner,” meaning that he has lent his name.
“The only thing I am at liberty to say now is that we are working with Irongate on a project there,” Rhona Graff, Trump's executive assistant, wrote in response to a written query.
Palafox said Trump's participation is significant for the project, as “Trump has become a highly recognized brand,” Palafox said. “With branding comes a very serious partnership. Trump has to protect their quality standards.”
Trump, a celebrity real estate developer known for his TV show “The Apprentice,” has found success in becoming the public face for many developments that carry his name but not his investments.
Like other developments along the Tijuana-Ensenada coastline, Trump Ocean Resort has suffered from the U.S. real estate downturn, as fewer buyers have the equity to purchase second homes in Mexico.
“I think that all U.S. projects that target U.S. buyers have been significantly impacted by the U.S. housing markets,” Palafox said. Another factor accounting for the delay has been finding banks willing to lend the capital for the project, Palafox said, as “almost all U.S. and European banks are going through a much stricter authorization and underwriting process.”
Palafox said the financing agreements are confidential.
Construction on the first tower is set to start in March and the second tower in July.
Palafox said that work has been going on: Workers have been grading the land and installing utilities. “The reason it's not visible is that it's all underground.”
Just two years ago, a booming U.S. housing market was a key factor fueling a frenzy of purchases along northern Baja California's coastline. The chance to own oceanfront property at a fraction of U.S. prices lured many baby boomers to take equity from their U.S. homes to invest in Mexico.
But with the downturn in the U.S. market, Baja California's coastal real estate sales have fallen. Rafael Liceaga, a well-known Baja California real estate broker, said sales have fallen about 40 percent to 50 percent since the height of the boom but remain above pre-boom levels.
“There continues to be much movement, many transactions,” said Eduardo Rosales, president of the Rosarito Beach branch of AMPI, a national realty agents group.
Despite recent setbacks, “the location is strategic,” said Rosales. “People are investing and are going to continue to invest.”
But now a new market is developing, as buyers have begun scouting for foreclosure properties and “properties that people are trying to sell ASAP,” said Gustavo Torres, a broker in the Rosarito Beach area and vice president of the local AMPI branch.
At Trump Ocean Resort, “we have not reduced prices at all. Our sales have had a slowdown, but we are still selling,” Palafox said. Prices now range from the mid-$300,000s for a studio on the lower floor to $2.5 million for a penthouse.
A saleswoman said amenities will include four infinity-edge pools, tennis courts, a full-service day spa, five-star restaurants, bars and convention space.
Tom Pfleider, an Inland Empire entrepreneur, purchased a one-bedroom unit in the first tower during Trump's 2006 San Diego sales event.
“We relied a lot on Trump's name and the fact that he was doing due diligence,” Pfleider said. “We remain excited and expect it to be a first-class property.”
By Sandra Dibble
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Take a fishing pier, chum it up with a lot of bait, invite some kids for a tournament with the long-range goal to improve underwater habitat and structure, all for better fishing.
That would be a great concept here in Southern California, right? But considering all the legal, environmental and bureaucratic hoops organizers would have to jump through, don't look for it happening here any time soon.
Instead, it's happening 15 miles south of Tijuana, at the Rosarito Beach Hotel's Sportfishing Pier, a 500-foot structure that hotel owner Hugo Torres has big plans for.
He'll start it off Jan. 20 with the inaugural Martin Luther King Weekend Barred Surf Perch Tournament at the Rosarito Beach Hotel Sportfishing Pier. There will be free bait and refreshments for kids 14 and under. It goes from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., with prizes for the biggest and most fish. Tom Gatch, author of “Hooked on Baja” and an authority on Baja travel and real estate, will host the tournament along with Torres, who also is the mayor of the town.
“They plan a regular chumming regimen and also have plans to build up the reef in front of the pier,” Gatch said.
For more information about the tournament or Rosarito Beach Hotel and Sportfishing Pier, call (800) 343-8582.
Closer to home, Gatch will be at Borders in Mission Valley (1072 Camino Del Rio North) on Thursday night at 7 to discuss his book and sign copies of it.
Gatch's book is a must read for all who want to visit Baja for fishing, diving or other adventuring. In addition to some very good fishing information, maps, GPS and waypoints around key islands and bays, he also spices the book with some terrific recipes, invaluable real estate and travel tips and personality profiles of Baja characters.
By Ed Zieralski
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
As investors depart, retirees and vacation homeowners will fuel housing’s expansion in Baja.
Baja California’s housing is pointing at American baby boomers and homeowners with a little equity to invest. The enticements include a good return on investment, reasonable cost of living and affordable health care. But the real courtship is in the location.
“It’s basically the same area except with a line down the middle,” says real estate attorney Pepe Larroque, principal partner of the Tijuana office of Baker & McKenzie, referring to where Southern California ends and Baja California starts. “If you look on a satellite map, you can’t even tell where the line is. So it’s part of the same community.”
Mexico’s housing market has grown over the past five years and though most experts tie the two regions together, Baja is expected to stay hot, despite a cooldown in California.
“It is going to have an effect on the area,” says Larroque, who specializes in real estate and infrastructure and is active in professional communities on both sides of the border. “But the market is going to continue because there is a significant number of people who are going to retire in the next 20 years and living on retirement in California isn’t always possible.”
Hector Bustamante, chief executive of the Bustamante Group, a real estate and marketing firm, estimates that half of his company’s sales are to the California market. Bustamante Group doesn’t broker sales, but rather works in partnership with developers to create the right brand for the right market. He and his father, Luis, started the firm 13 years ago, but only in the last three years have begun to focus on marketing to American buyers. They have good reason: Americans make up to 80 percent of the sales along the Baja coast.
Bustamante’s company estimates $4 billion in projects are being built within this year and the next. The demand for residential properties in Baja California has skyrocketed over the past three years. In 2003, there were 300 new units for sale in communities along the coast of Baja. That number has jumped to nearly 17,000 units, with the average sales price ranging from $129,000 to $500,000, depending on the project and location.
Even with the huge leap in business, Bustamante foresees a softening in the market if California home prices continue to decline, as fewer homeowners will have the equity to purchase a second home. He also expects a change in the makeup of buyers, with the focus shifting away from short-term investors to those looking to live the Baja experience.
“There will still be a lot of sales,” Bustamante says, “but only for the ones who are doing things right. We have to make sure our projects have very good branding, that we do very good quality in construction and that we do very good marketing. Most of all, customer service and financing will have to be very well thought of to be successful.”
One of the most significant effects on the Baja real estate market — residential or commercial — has been the availability of title insurance. While title insurance is pretty much a standard part of any real estate transaction in the U.S., it was absent from most dealings south of the border until recently.
Stewart Title Insurance, which has been in operation for 113 years in the United States, started its Mexico division a little over a decade ago. In 2005, Stewart Title insured more than $1.2 billion in Mexican properties (about 20 percent of which was in the housing sector) and that number is expected to continue to increase. In addition to its underwriting headquarters, the company now operates six offices throughout Mexico, and expects to expand its operations next year.
A title search by an attorney or a certification of a notario publico (notary public) doesn’t come with the same guarantee as the services offered by a title company. “At the end of the day we’re issuing a policy that secures your investment 100 percent,” says Oscar Lara, who works out of Stewart’s Tijuana office and oversees much of the company’s operations throughout northwest Mexico.
The insurance is easing Americans’ fears of purchasing property in Mexico, giving them something familiar in an unfamiliar country. Stewart Title also recently introduced escrow services as another safety net for buyers, an alternative to giving deposits directly to the developer.
“Before the money goes to the developer, you have a commitment from Stewart Title that the property is insurable,” says Lara. After all, real estate, he says, is the biggest investment for most people and they want that investment to be safe.
As with San Diego, the scope of development in Baja California will be tied back to the environment. Malissa McKeith, national chair of the Real Estate Practice Group at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, says that everything will be limited by how much water is available on the coast.
“One of the concerns that I have right now is that a lot of growth is happening rapidly because there is quick money to be made and that tends to overtax the available resources of local municipalities,” says McKeith, who works out of the firm’s Los Angeles office.
The first developer may make a windfall, but over the long term healthy growth can only be possible if a plan is in place from the start. Otherwise, McKeith warns, growth is limited by the fact that there’s no more capacity for water or sewage.
Lewis Brisbois specializes in infrastructure finance and planning for water delivery, sewage and overall planning. Its goal is to help cities expanding through large developments to do so in a way that is sustainable. The issue has become a passion for McKeith, who personally works with state and local entities to show them what has worked — and what hasn’t worked — in the United States. in hopes of influencing the decisions Mexico’s leaders make regarding future growth.
Stories By Rene Carmichael
Warmed by breezes filled with the scent of spice and flowers, Rosarito Beach embraces the endearing Mexican tradition and charm that lure international travelers.
A playground for all ages and all tastes, Rosarito Beach sits between the Tijuana and Ensenada corridor that stretches across 20 scenic miles of Baja California's gold coast. Life the way it used to be still exists in this magical retreat.
The area was officially put on the map when the Rosarito Beach Hotel was built in 1925. The original owners, Manuel Barbachano and his wife, Maria Luisa Chabert, played host to Ali Kahn, a son of the shah of Iran, many Mexican presidents, and screen legends such as Rita Hayworth, Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, Dolores Del Rio, Mickey Rooney and Gregory Peck. When word of this illustrious retreat got out, the attraction to the alluring Mexican town grew.
It's a place where everyone can have a great time doing a lot or a little. The beaches lure sun worshippers, swimmers and surfers. It's paradise for fishermen, as the waters off Rosarito are productive. For those who are up for more excitement, there's body surfing, body boarding, beach volleyball, parasailing, riding all-terrain vehicles, rock climbing, mountain biking, and hiking along the low bluffs and beaches. Horseback riding and walking trails range from laid-back to extreme.
Golfers can play at ocean-view links such as Real Del Mar and Bajamar on the scenic road south of Rosarito. Sporting events include the traditional Rosarito-Ensenada bike ride, three-wheeler competitions, triathlons, 5- and 10-K runs, and sand castle contests.
A major highlight from January to March is the sighting of gray whales passing through the waters off Rosarito Beach on their migration from the Sea of Cortez to Alaska.
Acquaint yourself with a leisurely stroll downtown. With only three traffic lights in the entire city, everything of interest for poking around is in walking distance. You can dine in restaurants that feature traditional Mexican, Chinese, Italian, French, American and Continental cuisine. Shopping along the lively main street, Boulevard Benito Juarez, you'll find clusters of open-air stalls offering Mexican folk art, souvenirs, rustic arts and crafts, handcraft silver, leather goods and clothing, all waiting for eager bargain-hunters. Dollars and pesos are accepted.
You might also want to check out the magic of moviemaking by touring Foxploration, the new theme park in Fox Studios Baja. You can mingle among the waterfront movie sets, some of the largest in the world. You might also be interested in the interactive sound effects and prop rooms, including those of "Planet of the Apes." The tour of the "Titanic" set is followed by a video clip that includes the building of the ship intermingled with actual footage from the movie.
Popotla, once known as a tiny coastal fishing town, has emerged into a cross-culture of art galleries, lofts and craft shops showcasing locally talented artisans. There's a mix of professional-quality fine arts that reflect the soul and warmth of the people. Along with the colors and scenes that are captured on canvas, there's earthen pottery, tile, metal, glassware, furniture, statues and fountains all ready to purchase in these eclectic roadside shops.
The fishing village of Puerto Nuevo, just 15 miles south of Rosarito proper, is known for its fresh lobster, fried and served with rice, beans and hand-made flour tortillas. A favorite is the Puerto Nuevo-style lobster, still prepared from the original 1956 recipe at the Puerto Nuevo II Restaurant. Strolling mariachi bands, playing traditional Mexican music, add to the atmosphere.
Ensenada, with its wine country and seaport, is a 40-mile drive along a highway that offers breathtaking ocean views. An artist colony is thriving, and a marina project is being planned.
More than 14,000 Americans now call Rosarito Beach home. Many of them came for a day, but decided to stay forever.
Their numbers are growing rapidly as high-rises reach into the sky by the Pacific.
Legislature brings back tax break for boats delivered offshore allowing new boat owners to dock their boats in Ensenada for 90 days to avoid paying sales tax in California.
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To keep a real estate boom going, Tijuana is cracking down on cops who press tourists for bribes. Baja California sees a lucrative future in the luxury residential towers sprouting up along its coast, and officials are hoping developments by the likes
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Bite on tourists spurs some not to visit again.
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In an effort to combat corruption, Tijuana's police department is introducing a new way to pay traffic tickets: Swipe a credit card through the officer's handheld computer.
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