Colonia San Luis Rey: My New Mexican Neighborhood in San Miguel de Allende

Years ago I was tasked by an editor to write a review of a book by Laura Fraser called All Over the Map. This was an Eat Pray Love style book, where the woman was down and out on love  and needed a jaunt across the world to reinvent herself. I remember being very intrigued and a little bit jealous when Ms. Fraser found herself south of the border in a little colonial mountain town called San Miguel de Allende, and impulsively purchased a home with her life savings.

Five years later, I have done the same thing. Well, other than the dismal love life part (I happen to be blessed with Steve, aka the best fiancé known to woman), but the impulsive purchasing of a home part in San Miguel de Allende is just the same.

We arrived in San Miguel on a Tuesday, and by the following Tuesday, we had decided to buy a house. The Tuesday after that, we had signed the papers and forked over the money, and by the third Tuesday we had received the keys. This is not something that we were planning to do by any means, but when circumstances work out as perfectly as they have for us (and if the home has an amazing garden you can’t live without like ours does), you just have to jump in and let fate take you along for the ride.

Our new home is set in a Mexican neighborhood called San Luis Rey, a 30 minute walk from the main square that houses the pink, gothic cathedral—the focal point of San Miguel. Dusty street dogs roam our sidewalks, and the neighborhood Monday market outside our door hawks onions and peppers as large as a baby’s skull. I am told that the church down the road does a very authentic re-enactment of the crucifixion on Good Friday, complete with crown of thorns and crosses—we’ll see for ourselves later this week. Down the street, a white warehouse-turned-brick-oven-pizzeria turns out crispy crusted creations that we are already all too familiar with. The proprietor Jose speaks English and has jovially welcomed us to the neighborhood.

Mucho gusto, nice to meet you, our friendly neighbors say as they shake our hands enthusiastically. I think we’re going to like it here!

A special thank you Carolyn and Roger for introducing us to our lovely new home!