Buying in San Rafael

Buying in San Rafael means buying into a streetscape of early twentieth century buildings: Porfirian facades next to Art Deco blocks from the 1930s and 40s, many of them now split into apartments. The neighborhood's best known landmark, the Museo Experimental El Eco, sits on Sullivan, the avenue that divides San Rafael from Tabacalera to the south, inside one of those blocks, and the shuttered Art Deco Cine Ópera on Serapio Rendón is a short walk from most addresses. Prices for houses and apartments in San Rafael sit in the middle of the pack for this part of Cuauhtémoc, not the cheapest option around but well short of the priciest.

What to consider before buying

Because so many of the buildings predate modern construction codes, it's worth checking the construction year and the condition of shared installations (wiring, plumbing, the elevator if there is one) before making an offer, especially in the older converted buildings near Serapio Rendón. If price matters more than the art deco setting, apartments for sale in Santa María la Ribera, just across Ribera de San Cosme, cost less for a comparable size.