How to Best Experience Mexico City? One Neighborhood at a Time

Cynthia Dial

Confession: While I person traversed the globe, visited each 7 continents and countless superior cities, I had not experienced Mexico City . . . until recently. So, articulation maine connected my find of Mexico’s largest city, the Western Hemisphere’s astir populous and a metropolis recognized arsenic 1 of the world’s apical 10 successful size. At archetypal glance, this municipality utopia of 22.5 cardinal was overwhelming successful size. Yet erstwhile explored, Mexico City amazingly conveyed a small-town vibe erstwhile wrong 1 of its innumerable neighborhoods.

Cynthia Dial

“Buenas tardes,” we were greeted arsenic the wheels of our Aeromexico’s formation deed the tarmac. From the air, the scenery appeared dusted with colour – the lilac hue of the seasonally blooming jacaranda (typically February to May) amid splashes of vivid pink, yellowish and turquoise location exteriors. Imaginative murals appeared similar surround-sound, adjacent connected ever-busy roadways. Spurred by its energizing appearance, archetypal excitement was generated, too, by the unknown.

Cynthia Dial

I recovered a metropolis defined by awesome stats – 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, six Aztec temples, 31 archeological spots, 100 five-star hotels, 180 museums, 478 galleries and a postulation of each different, each one-of-a-kind section communities. This was besides a metropolis characterized by a dichotomy of attributes – from quaint cobbled streets and on-the-road nutrient stalls to multi-lane roundabouts and a gastronomy country anchored by astir 58,000 eateries (calculation: if 1 were to dine astatine a antithetic edifice for each repast connected each time for much than a half-century, further eating spots would remain).

Overwhelmed? Understandable. My advice: Follow the guidance of the legendary proverb, “How bash you devour an elephant? One wound astatine a time.” Then, plan an itinerary of a fewer “must-see” districts. The cardinal is to go acquainted with 1 portion astatine a clip – connected your ain timetable.

Cynthia Dial

Neighborhood by Neighborhood

My choices – each projecting its ain charismatic quality – helped maine uncover a portion, albeit small much than a fraction, of Mexico City’s galore layers. From experience, suggested guidelines would beryllium to equilibrium your programme with aged and new, question curated civilization arsenic good arsenic on-the-move encounters and analyse via your palate.

Centro Histórico – At its nucleus was Plaza de la Constitución – the city’s monolithic main square. Surrounded by past dating backmost arsenic acold arsenic the Aztec Empire, a 360-degree rotation astatine its halfway revealed the Metropolitan Cathedral, National Palace (the authoritative residence of Mexico’s president), Federal District buildings and the excavated find of Templo Mayor (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), alongside a postulation of table-top merchants, indigenous performers and spiritual artifact retailers.

An further one-mile-long stroll on adjacent pedestrian-only Calle Madero – a thoroughfare that showcased trademark shopping, America-inspired skyscrapers and the commemorative sculpture of Pancho Villa – further immersed maine into Ciudad de México.

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Coyoacán – If determination were lone 1 crushed to sojourn this locality, it would beryllium Casa Azul (Blue House), the moving residence of noted artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera – present a museum. Named for its cobalt bluish coloring, this peek down the curtain of the legends’ tumultuous lives acold rewarded the effort made to get a must-get-in-advance ticket.

But the assemblage offered overmuch much – beckoning greenish space, Frida “everything” successful tribute to the area’s astir beloved nonmigratory and the adjacent artisans’ marketplace (bring currency successful tiny bills arsenic galore bash not judge recognition cards).

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Xochimilco – Another burst of colour and accompanying amusive was recovered on Mexico City’s historical web of canals meandering passim this prolific flower/vegetable-producing community. Representing the past vestiges of yesteryear’s immense h2o transport system, it was an awesome instauration of the Aztecs – contiguous a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Here, flamboyantly painted gondola-like boats (called trajineras) commandeered by gondoliers (known arsenic trajineros) negotiated mile aft mile of floating gardens. On-the-water food, portion and trade vendors, alongside trajineras of floating mariachis provided immoderate boaters desired. Depending connected the day, it could beryllium a party-boat-like ambiance oregon a peaceful, hours-long soundless interval (weekends were liveliest; aboriginal Monday mornings the astir serene).

I enjoyed an insider’s brushwood connected 1 of the “farms” with luncheon prepared by Rosa – section landowner/guide. Cooked with nutrient handpicked by my group, our repast was served beneath a covered awning connected the family’s outdoor picnic area. “Provecho” (enjoy your meal), she announced and the plein aerial feast began.

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Roma – “Food trends commencement here, and I privation to stock Mexico done its cooking,” said Alma with Sabores Mexico Food Tours successful the instauration of our guided, five-hour culinary travel of Colonia Roma. As the gastronomic gathering spot for each the country’s flavors, Mexico City has been deemed the “best spot to sensation Mexico.”

Cynthia Dial

Discovering the vicinity by walking it, I learned its 61 murals were painted to proclaim “Roma is back” aft its adjacent demolition by the 1985 earthquake. And I became enchanted with its Art Deco and French Art Nouveau architecture, arsenic overmuch arsenic its food, creation and taste scenes.

Cynthia Dial

Through the exploration of six food-and-beverage stops, I was introduced to this country, metropolis and borough’s nutrient culture. Located successful the charming halfway courtyard of a 1900s home, Chef Marco Margain’s Broka Bistrot replicated past century’s romanticist narration with dining. Casual successful style, yet offering first-class flavor, was Tres Galeones which served an assortment of taqueria-style options – galore reflective of owner/chef Rodrigo Malvido’s affinity for seafood. Café Deraíz was known for its exceptional tamales. Cooking from a postulation of much than 400 tamale recipes, owners Pola Carballo and her member Mardonio Carballo person created a important pursuing for this humble café’s cuisine.

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The extremity of Chef Diana López del Ríos, proprietor of Mux, was “to instrumentality customers connected a culinary expedition.” Specializing successful mole – a rich, analyzable condiment – López del Ríos shared that “everything was made with overmuch love.” Along the aforesaid sentiment, Francisco, the proprietor of 1 of Roma’s newest eateries, Kaaj, explained: “In Mexico, nutrient is however we say, ‘I emotion you.’” He additionally advised the due mode to portion mescal – “in tiny sips, similar small kisses.” The evening ended astatine Café Barajas, a java barroom known for its much than 20 ways to hole the beverage. My drink, Café Olla – a Mexican-ground java enhanced with cinnamon and earthy acheronian sweetener – was the evening’s faultless finale.

Cynthia Dial

One Last Look

To get an overview of this 570-square-mile city, I additionally traveled on Paseo de la Reforma, the wide boulevard that dissected it. Comparable to immoderate of the world’s astir celebrated avenues – from Paris’ Champs-Élysées to Russia’s Nevsky Prospekt successful St. Petersburg – the immense thoroughfare was dotted with towering bureau complexes, globally-recognized edifice brands and revered monuments, astir notably the Angel of Independence. This trek on Reforma embodied “the Mexico City” I initially envisioned. And coupled with my visit’s nods to the neighborhoods, it validated its well-earned estimation – “the metropolis that has it all.”  

Tips

Relax and ever program to return. Mexico City could ne'er beryllium captured successful 1 visit.

For easiness and savings (30-50%), alert from Tijuana to Mexico City, utilizing the San Diego-connected dedicated borderline crossing, CBX (www.crossborderxpress.com). Open 24/7, it’s a elemental locomotion crossed the 390-foot enclosed pedestrian entity span from the U.S. into the Mexican airport.

While a assortment of airlines run the Tijuana-Mexico City route, Aeromexico serves up the top fig of regular flights on this route, with each operations – home and planetary – expanding successful 2024.

For more, visit https://mexicocity.cdmx.gob.mx.