Mexico City Neighborhoods
La Condesa
We stayed in La Condesa—Roma Norte’s hip, bohemian sibling. It’s a neighborhood where tree lined streets meet an endless amount of bakeries, torterías, and tiny little hole in the wall tiendas.
What struck me most was how seamlessly the dining scene blends into its surroundings. Restaurants are tucked into art deco buildings, surrounded by leafy tropical plants. We visited in January & February and enjoyed every meal outside – open air restaurants are the rule here, not the exception.
At the heart of it all, Parque México, Parque España and the bordering Bosque de Chapultepec are the real joys of this area – very lush & full of walking paths and cafe filled streets surrounding the green space. You’ll find many dog walkers weaving through buskers, salsa dancers, and vendors offering everything from handmade crafts to street snacks on the outer walkways.
Roma Norte
Roma Norte feels a bit bigger and more on the radar for tourists. It leans slightly edgier, with a livelier bar scene and appears to have street food vendors on nearly every corner. One moment you’re admiring a row of elegant art deco façades, the next you’re posted up at a sidewalk bar, sipping a beer and people-watching. If Nightlife is your jam, then this is the spot for you. If maybe you’re an “in bed by 11pm” person, then you perhaps would prefer Condesa.
Polanco
Polanco is known as the wealthier neighborhood and you immediately notice it – perfectly manicured sidewalks (a luxury in CDMX, IYKYK [if you know, you know – i had to look this acronym up, lol -M]), high end malls & luxury stores and the beautiful parks surrounded by a more upscale restaurant scene for foodies.
Coyoacan
Coyoacan- this area is a must see, it’s extremely “authentic” but also nothing like the rest of the neighborhoods. We wish we had spent more time here and would consider staying here for another trip. The colonial architecture and cobblestone streets immediately draw your eye. A maze of pastel colored low rise houses, lots of murals & artwork and a beautiful “town square” style plaza with lots of places to sit & people watch. Notable, Casa Azul, the Frida Kahlo House Museum is also located in this neighborhood.
Centro
And finally Centro [Zocalo] , this area has the main square known as Plaza de la Constitución. The square has a European feel with its grand buildings surrounding an active area that has frequent events, buskers and people selling items on blankets and tables. It immediately abuts an ancient ruins of Templo Mayor. You can view them walking near them or a restaurant that overlooks them or you can walk through them if you get a museum pass. There’s multiple walking/shopping streets that snake around the main plaza and if you walk down a few side streets, there seems to be a permanent flea market in the form of stalls & blankets of goods being sold off the sidewalks. A lot of these micro stores & storefronts sell one type of item like lighting fixtures. This area is a chaotic, but definitely in an exciting way.
