MEXICO CITY (Distrito Federal)

THE STORY OF MEXICO CITY

The capital of Mexico is a city of ancient origins and it is recognized as the largest city in the world. It is a metropolis with financial, political and vast cultural centers that offer many recreational activities. It has monuments, parks, buildings, restaurants, museums, shops, fountains and skyscrapers that populate its streets and avenues.

ART AND CULTURE FOR THE SENSES

The Distrito Federal has a very important,  artistic and cultural heritage. It is the city with the most museums in the world (more than 100). Within the city, there are examples of significant art and architecture contribution that date from its Pre-Hispanic history to the present that can be found everywhere. Among the most recent important contributions are:

• Historic Center of Mexico City. Was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. It is considered the most important historical center of America primarily because of the monumental wealth it possesses. The historic center includes Tenochtitlán, the Aztec city that marked the birth of the four major roadways that are still preserved and trace the routes of the city: Tepeyac, in the North; Tacuba, in the West; Iztapalapa, in the East and Coyoacán, in the South. In the center, there are also many public squares such as Plaza de la Constitución, or Zócalo (the second largest in the world after Red Square in Moscow) and the Plaza de Santo Domingo (the second largest in the country, where there was once a Dominican convent from the XVI century). Historic Palaces and buildings (some in turn serve as museums) such as MUNAL National Museum of Art (home to a rich collection of Mexican art that spans from the 16th Century to the mid-20th Century), the Palacio de Minería (Neoclassical work by Manuel Tolsa where the city’s Annual Book Fair is held), the Palacio de Correos (with a beautiful staircase, it elegantly mimics the Venetian architecture), the Palacio Nacional  (home of the Mexican government’s executive branch, where murals by Diego Rivera can be found), the Palacio de Bellas Artes(offers a museum, a theater and prominent murals), the San Carlos Academy (museum with a collection of European art and Mexican sculptures), the National Museum of Popular Arts, the National Museum of Cultures, the Pinacoteca Viceregal San Diego, the City Hall building, the Museo del Templo Mayor (which exhibits pieces of Mexican culture), the Old College of San Ildefonso (the archaeological, historical and artistic heart of Mexico where you will find murals by José Clemente Orozco) and the Palacio de la Inquisición (houses the Museum of Mexican Medicine) are all a part of the historic center.

• The city also has temples like the Templo Mayor (ruins of the great Mexica Temple where the "Sun Stone" was found), the Metropolitan Cathedral (amazing work of colonial architecture) and the Santo DomingoTemple (ancient convent of the XVI Century). It also has parks such as La Alameda (oldest public park in the city), and markets like Abelardo Rodriguez (its interior paintings date back to the beginning of the 20th Century) and the Mercado de Sonora (herbal and esoteric items), all serves as reference points and have survived the passage of time.

• The Moorish Kiosk. Located in Santa Maria la Riberam, it contains samples of the significant developments of the Mexican culture.

• Paseo de la Reforma. Is Mexico City’s main avenue. A boulevard with many important monuments such as the Angel of Independence (which has become the emblem of Mexico City) and the sculpture of Diana the Huntress. Along the avenue there are also modern office buildings such as the Torre Mayor, embassies, luxury hotels, colonial mansions and pedestrian streets protected by shadetrees.

• Monuments. Across from the MUNAL is "El Caballito," which is a sculpture of Charles IV by Tolsa, as well as the Juárez Chamber, the Monument to the Revolution, the Monument to the Mother, the fountain for petroleum workers, the Monument to the Brave Children, the Christopher Columbus Monument, and many more.

• Buildings. The Santa Fe City Towers, the Latinoamericana Tower, the Altus, Pemex, Prism Tower, Caballito, WTC, Arcos Bosques Corporativo and the Freedom Towers,  as well as the Torre Mayor, and many others.

• Basílica de Guadalupe. Catholic shrine dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe, located in the hill of Tepeyac. It is one of the most visited catholic temples in the world.

• Chapultepec Castle. The only castle built in America. A residence located at the top of the hill of Chapultepec Park. It was built by the Viceroy Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid. Maximilian of Habsburg lived there with Charlotte, his wife, in the 20th Century. It is now a museum.

• La  Zona Rosa. Offers antique stores and craftwork shops, among many others, plus cafes on the sidewalks and some of the most popular restaurants and clubs.

• La Condesa. Considered the "artistic neighborhood" of the city. A place that has many bars, cafes, restaurants, shops, parks and recreational facilities.

• Polanco. An exclusive commercial and residential district full of elegant shops, boutiques and shopping malls.

 •Cuicuilco. An archaeological site located in Pedregal de San Angel. Has one of the first and most important ceremonial centers in the valley of Mexico. It has a pyramidal base built between 800-600 B.C., which remains as the main structure of the place.

• Coyoacán.  A colonial neighborhood of old Mexico where you can stroll around, drink coffee, buy crafts and other objects. The Mercado de Coyoacan sells food and many attractions. The Casa de Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera is located here.

• San Ángel. A picturesque and elegant neighborhood south of the city. Here you will find the famous "Saturday Bazaar" where every Saturday and Sunday artisans sell high quality crafts, jewelry, clothing and Mexican objects.

• Santa Fe. A city near Toluca and at the top of Paseo de la Reforma. It an important economic and corporate center. There are many skyscrapers and it has the biggest shopping mall in Mexico and Latin America.

• Ciudad Universitaria and UNAM. An area created by the city government in which UNAM University, the football stadium, museums and gardens reside.

• El Centro Cultural Ollin Yoliztli. Is the space for the advocacy, outreach and education for the cultural arts.

• Plaza Loreto. Located south of the city, it is place with shops and where concerts and exhibitions take place. The Soumaya Museum is located here.

• Theater. In Mexico City there are many theatres and concert halls. Some of the most important are:

- The National Auditorium
- Cultural Ollin Yoliztli
- Antiguo Colegio de San Ildelfonso
- Helénico Cultural Center
- Isidro Fabela Cultural Center
- San Ángel Cultural Center
- Metropolitan Theatre
- Wilberto Cantón Theatre
- National Center for the Arts
- I N B A
- Palacio de los Deportes
- Nezahualcóyotl Hall
- Coyoacán Theatre  and José María Fernández Unsain Cultural Center
- Insurgentes Threatre
- Siqueiros Polyforum Cultural Center
- Foro Sol
- Azteca Stadium

 • Among the hundred most important museums (besides those already mentioned in the historical center of the city) are:

- Rufino Tamayo Museum
- Museum of Contemporary Art
- Casa de la Bola Museum
- Casa de León Trotsky Museum
- Casa Frida Kahlo Museum
- Arte Carrillo Gil Museum
- Museum of Modern Art
- Del Carmen Museum
- Museum of Natural History
- Olmedo Patiño  Museum
- Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo Studio Museum
- National Museum of Anthropology and History
- Soumaya Museum 
- University Museum of Arts and Sciences (MUCA) C.U.    
- UNAM Universum Museum of Sciences

SAMPLE REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CUISINE

Mexican cuisine is characterized by one of its main ingredients, which is the hub of much of the main dishes of Mexico: the chili pepper. In the city there is a wide variety of establishments that offer traditional, national dishes made with ingredients like the chili pepper. There are also many international cuisine restaurants in some of the most important areas of the city. The historic center has food establishments that offer a traditional atmosphere. In the periphery of the city —in areas such as Polanco, Zona Rosa and Avenida de los Insurgentes— you’ll find French, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, German, Argentinean, Spanish and other restaurants from almost any region of the world. Some of the most famous are:

• Adonis. Lebanese food with a live music show.

• Angus. Its specialty includes dishes made with the finest cuts of Certified Angus Beef.

• Antigua Hacienda de Tlalpan. Offers sophisticated Mexican cuisine and other international cuisine, with a wine cellar stocked in an old mansion with gardens.

• Arroyo. The specialty is barbacoa, carnitas and chicharrón. It also presents bullfights, as well as other cultural and social activities.

• Las Mercedes. Sophisticated Mexican food. Offers maguey worms, escamoles and other seasonal exotic dishes.

• Benkai. Japanese cuisine in a traditional and refined ambience. The house specialty is a blowfish dish.

• Cambalache. Traditional Argentine cuisine.

• Champs-Elysees. Refined French cuisine.

• La Torre de Castilla. Spanish cuisine.

• Hacienda de los Morales. An old colonial hacienda surrounded by gardens and patios. The restaurant combines Mexican dishes and international cuisine.

• San Angel Inn. A luxurious 18th Century hacienda with a menu that includes sophisticated domestic and international dishes.

• Suntory. Japanese cuisine with traditional decor and gardens.

• Hunan. Chinese cuisine.

EMERGE YOURSELF IN A FUN AND NATURAL WORLD

NATURE / ACTIVITIES

• Teotihuacán (in Nahuatl, it means city of the gods). An archaeological site located 40 kilometers from Mexico City. It is still unknown who the true founders of this site were because the buildings that have been discovered clearly show influences of various peoples, including the Zapotec, Mixtec and the Maya. This site highlights the Pyramid of the Sun and the Moon, as well as the main hub of the city, ''Calzada de los Muertos," which houses the most important buildings in this Pre-Hispanic city.

• Xochimilco. Its channels are approximately 700 years old and are still used. Canoes can be rented and then visitors can enjoy nature while they eat food and beverages sold on other canoes.

• Chapultepec. A green area covering 809 hectares. Some of the most important museums of the city such as the Papalote, the Natural History, Modern Art, Rufino Tamayo, Anthropology and History, and The Lake House Museums reside here. An amusement park, The Fair and the Castle of Chapultepec, and Mexico’s largest zoo can also be found in Chapultepec. Los Pinos, the official residence of the Mexican president, is also located here.

• Six Flags. Located south of the city. An amusement park with rides. It also offers a dolphin show, river rides, restaurants, and more.

• Tlalpan Forest. Full of pines, oyamel, cedars, oaks and eucalyptus trees ideal for hiking or field days. Offers parking, cabanas, kitchens, children's play areas and activities at the Casa de la Cultura.

• Parque Hundido. Its main attraction is a floral clock created by a prestigious watch-making house in Puebla.

• Desert of the Lions National Park. With an area of 866,000 hectares, it protects a wide variety of pine trees and animal species as well as a monastery of the Carmelitas Descalzos Order.

• Ajusco Summits. 920 hectares located in the Cerro del Ajusco called the Eagle Peak. From there you can see the Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl Volcanoes.

• Loreto y Peña Pobre Ecological Park. 21,000 square meters of green areas that are part of an ongoing environmental education program. It has a bookstore that specializes in ecological subjects, specializing in organic farming for self consumption, greenhouse activities and plastic workshops, among other things.

SHOPPING

In Mexico City you can find all sorts of objects, clothing, food and crafts. It is has department stores, small shops, markets and other venues where you can browse or get almost anything.

 Malls:

• Centro Santa Fe. The largest shopping mall in Latin America with a first class cinema complex, restaurants and other entertainment.

• Centro Coyoacán. Located in Coyoacán, it offers large department stores.

• La Ciudadela. Artisan center that has the largest exhibition and sale of Mexican craftwork (including for export) in more than 300 stores and workshops.

• La Condesa. With several shops devoted to art with outlandish objects, books and galleries.

• Av. Miguel Ángel de Quevedo. Lies south of the city, and after Donceles Street, it is where the most number of bookstores are located.

• Av. Presidente Masaryk. Located west of the city. Throughout this glamorous street are the most exclusive boutiques and world-renowned designer shops.

• Av. Altavista. The equivalent of Masaryk Avenue but located south of the city.

• Mundo E. A huge mall located near Ciudad Satélite with department stores, cinemas and other establishments.

• Perisur. Located south of Mexico City with areas of entertainment, department stores, cinemas and many shops.

• Zona Rosa Offers boutiques and galleries that exhibit the work of national and international artists.

 Markets:

• Central de Abastos. The most important food distribution center in Mexico.

• La Merced. Offers domestic and commercial agricultural products. It is considered the second most important in the city.

• Mercado de San Juan. Offers a variety of domestic and foreign products. It is well known for the sale of exotic meats such as crocodile and snake.

• Mercado de Sonora. Offers a variety of herbs used in alternative medicine and African religions. It is known for the sale of live exotic animals and a variety of Mexican crafts, earthenware pottery and clay items.

• La Ciudadela y Buenavista. Specializes in the sale of Mexican craftworks.

• La Lagunilla. Specializes in clothing, accessories and antiques.

• Mercado de Jamaica. Sales flowers (24 hours a day), fresh fruits and vegetables.

• Mercado de La Viga. Originally the center of distribution of fish and seafood in town, but today it is down to just a few local restaurants.

EXPERIENCE THE NIGHTLIFE

NIGHTLIFE

The Mexico City nightlife offers endless entertainment, partying and recreation which can only be found in the greatest cities of the world. The bars offer plenty of options to satisfy those night owls looking for fun. Some of the highlights are:

• Bulldog Café. Best known as the home of Rock and Roll. It has the reputation for giving talented unknown Mexican rock bands a chance to perform in front of large crowds. Many of those bands have later become famous.

• Celtics Condesa. Typical Irish pub with British and Irish music.

• El Colmillo. A classic underground place in Roma where you’ll find DJs spinning electronic music.

• Living. A cosmopolitan bar that features dancers, DJs and topless male entertainers located in Roma. Plays electronic and pop music.

• Blackout. An exclusive place for those who enjoy the New York-style nightlife. Club goers, between 20 and 30 years of age, enjoy the club’s electronic music.

• El Hijo del Cuervo. A mansion with a garden view of Coyoacán where intellectual activity takes place. The music played is mainly rock.

• El Hotel. Classic disco club for the eager young night owls who likes pop and electronic music.

• Mama Rumba. Perfect for dancing cumbia, salsa or Afro-Antillean rhythms with delicious mojitos. 

• Pasagüero. Possibly one of the most versatile clubs in the city. Here you can see live rock and jazz music, as well as performance and visual arts shows.

• El Zinco. The jazz bar for excellence. Here, many talented musicians have been discovered and later have become very famous.