People (part 2)

Growing since the coming of foreigners in the 1940s, population has risen 43% from 77,624 to 110,692, between 1980 and 2000. It has slowed since with most of the drop due to the falling birthrates. 40% of the population is under the age of 15. 54% is between the ages of 15 and 64. As of the 2005 census the population was 139,297 about 46% or 59,691 people living in the town of San Miguel proper. Most of the municipality's population lives in rural areas in communities of less than 2,500 people. Indigenous groups, mostly Otomi and Nahuas, who account for 38% of the municipal population, live in these smaller communities. Other indigenous groups include the Mazahua, Huasteca and P'urhepecha.

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People

The number of foreign residents is estimated to range from 8,000 to 12,000. Of these 7,000 are from the United States alone; enough to warrant their own US consulate as well as chapters of the Lion's Club, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Mexico's only Audubon Society. Cultural opportunities, mild climate and low crime, along with a reasonable, ten-hour drive to the US border, make San Miguel de Allende very attractive. Canadian residents are next most numerous foreigners. Foreign residents have considerable economic and cultural influence, despite being less than ten percent of the total municipal population. Many cultural and civic institutions, including the Institute Allende, the Botanical Gardens and the public library (the second largest English language book collection in Mexico) were started by foreigners. Foreigners have had a constructive influence regarding social programs and governance.

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Historic Center 2

Commercial and residential properties are well-blended. About about one half of the colonial buildings have been fully or partially converted into businesses. Classifying San Miguel de Allendeis hard; either it is a small city or a large town. Even though it is rural and small, it has a wide variety of ethnic and upscale restaurants, stores, art galleries, specialty shops, workshops and hotels. Of course, all around the historic center there are bars and cantinas as well as various nightclubs, over 80 of them. There is no street crime during the day and even at night one may many wander the narrow streets with safety, except in the desolate wee hours. Its people are a mix of Mexicans, foreigners and indigenous. Its artistic and cultural reputation, as well as its relatively cheap prices, have brought many people to live here from Mexico and abroad. Various publications have named it one of the top 10 places to retire

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The Historic Center

Even as the municipality and the outlying areas of the town have over time changed, the historic center has stayed largely as it was 250 years ago. Since the 1920s, measures have been taken to preserve the center's charm. These include restrictions on construction, signage and also the color of paint which can be used on exteriors, only four are allowed.

The historic center is known for its narrow cobblestone lanes, falling and rising over the hill that it crowns. These scenic roads are lined with narrow sidewalks and high walls enclosing colonial era homes with marvelous courtyards. Flowering vines cascade down the imposing walls, which are often topped with potted plants and/or broken glass. Occasionally there is an iron-grated window framed by hewn wood. Many larger structures have large front doors, gates which were used by horses and carriages. Front yards are rare. Private outdoor space is behind the main facade in courtyards. These courtyards are usually gardens, protected from dust, prying eyes and crime
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20th Century On (part 2)

Led by bohemians, foreign, cultural and cosmopolitan influences have continued. In the 1960s, along with folks from Mexican film industry, the counterculture arrived from the US with Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. Neal Cassaday, drunk on the railroad tracks one night outside of town, died here from exposure. In the '70s, hippies drank in La Cucaracha bar, formerly Jack Kerouac's favorite local watering-hole. The city and nearby sanctuary were declared a World Heritage Site in July 2008 by UNESCO.

Ten thousand foreigners, mostly from the Canada and the US, today call San Miguel home, making up about ten percent of the population. San Miguel de Allende's vibrant housing market dropped in 2010. Mexican drug related violence (not present in San Miguel) and global economic problems effecting foreign residents seem to be the cause.
San Miguel Allende Vacation Guide

20th Century On

The city of San Miguel de Allende experienced a renaissance late in the 1930s. A ruin, full of magnificent churches and empty mansions, after discovering San Miguel, Mexican opera singer and movie star, Jose Mojica told friends about the town. This attracted celebrities, artists and writers, including future Nobel laureates, Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda. The lovely Escuela de Bellas Artes, an art and cultural school, was created in 1938 by Felipe Cossio del Pomar, a Peruvian writer. Cossio del Pomar, along with American director, Stirling Dickenson and Nell Fernandez established another prominent art school, the Instituto Allende in 1950. Both of these schools attracted former soldiers as students as U.S. veterans studying under the G.I. Bill were permitted to study abroad, where their checks stretched farther. In 1948, Life magazine declared the town a "GI paradise." The town's cultural reputation rose along with enrollment at the schools, in turn attracting more artists and writers. This, in turn, spurred the opening of hotels, shops and restaurants to cater to the new visitors and residents. Americans have been credited with saving the city as many of the veterans who came to study in San Miguel would later come back to retire.
San Miguel Allende Vacation Guide

Independence (part 2)

San Miguel's economic decline, along with decline in agriculture and population continued throughout the Mexican War of Independence and the 1800s. Unstable government hurt the country as a whole. Some recovery economic occurred near the end of the 1800s during which time aqueducts, dams and railroads were built. Due to the introduction of fruit orchards agriculture also made a comeback. However, the decline returned. What with the end of mining in almost all of Guanajuato, especially during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1917,) San Miguel nearly became a ghost town. Still San Miguel was known as both a quiet, beautiful place to live and an attraction for the wealthy with its natural hot springs.

In 1926 the government, designated the town a "Historic and Protected Town". It was declared a national monument establishing guidelines and restrictions aimed at keeping its colonial appearance (no neon signs or modern construction in the Center.) San Miguel Allende Tourist Guide