Cinderella properties
By Jennifer Hamilton

House & Garden Tour
Sun, Dec 16, Noon
Doors open at 11am
Biblioteca Pública
Insurgentes 25
US$15 or 150 pesos
Breakfast at Café Santa Ana starting at 9am


The House & Garden tour leaves the Biblioteca Pública each Sunday at noon to take guests through the doors of the most spectacular homes in San Miguel. All ticket sales support the Biblioteca’s community scholarship fund which each year grants over 100 secondary, preparatory and university-level scholarships to qualified applicants. The front doors of the Biblioteca Pública at Insurgentes 25 open at 11am to begin selling tickets, but you can come to the Café Santa Ana at 9am for breakfast while you wait.

First house 

Nestled surreptitiously behind massive iron doors, this nonconformist property was purchased and renovated a few years ago when a debris-filled basement was found under the main dilapidated building and run-down land surrounding it.

Nonplussed, the owner immediately saw its potential, and went to work. All of the casitas are painted in smashing colors, blending effortlessly wall against wall, and decorated with colorful folk art, paintings, knick-knacks and adornos from all over the world. The owner moved to San Miguel in 2001 and immediately set to work creating a program which offers teens and young adults an assortment of classes in art, dance, writing, body movement and Spanish.

Second house 

These owners moved to San Miguel in 1991 and this is their fourth home which we have shown on the House & Garden Tour.

Having no intentions to move, these avid equestrians found this run-down former stable on a Thursday, bought it on Saturday and sold their other home the following Friday. In an unprecedented seven months they renovated the existing structure, constructed an addition, furnished it and moved in. Their goal in building this home was to have a place with plenty of light, comfort and areas where they could enjoy their art pieces which were brought from their previous homes in Philadelphia and New York and purchased from local San Miguel artists. This enchanting garden was designed by local landscape architect Timeteo Wachter.

Third house 

This beautiful home is, indeed, one of the surprising “hidden gems” behind an inconspicuous door on a small street.

Found as an abandoned lot a few years ago, and after spending months and months cleaning away the rubble, the owners started construction on this brilliant house which you see today. A wraparound veranda gives additional space for entertaining and watching the beautiful sunsets and offers a view of many of San Miguel’s downtown church domes.