Who each one is for, and the catch.
Pick it ifBudget-conscious movers who want central access without north-side prices.
The catchIt is dense and not especially green; the best blocks are quietly useful rather than glamorous.
Pick it ifPeople who want value, the H line, and a practical commute to the center or the south.
The catchThe tech district brought offices, not amenities; it is still thin on shops and restaurants next to the north.
Pick it ifBudget-first movers who need the trains and the C line and can live with a rough station district.
The catchThis is not a soft landing for everyone; visit at night before choosing it.
Pick it ifPeople who prioritize budget, centrality, doctors, transit, and commerce over polish.
The catchIt is intense. Visit at the hours you actually expect to come home.
Two or more points apart on the 1–10 scale, widest gap first. The tick is the median barrio.
Alike onenglish & expats (3–4) · healthcare (all 10).
Each lens weighs the marks differently; what each one weighs is in the note below.
First landing — Walkable, transit-rich, English-friendly, food and culture on tap — with reported crime included in the comparison. With kids — Schools and healthcare first, then the clubs, safety, parks, quiet and walkable streets. On a budget — Lower asking prices first, with transit, walkability and reported crime in the mix. Creative & nightlife — Culture, food and walkability — and the louder, the better. Quiet & green — Calm streets and green space, with reported crime and asking prices in the mix. Car-free — Transit and walkability only — live here without ever owning a car.
Averages of asking prices; crime as reported robberies and thefts per 1,000 residents.
Scores run 1 low to 10 high; “data” means derived from a source, “our read” is our considered opinion. Rents are averages of asking prices — the city statistics office for barrios (43 m² one-bedroom), the Zonaprop index for Zona Norte (50 m²) — converted at each table's bank rate. A missing dimension is left out of fit, never counted as neutral. Methods and every source with its date: how we score.