Mexico City

Introduction

Mexico City is overwhelming in its size, and impressive in its culture, history and food. Home to more than 9 million people (greater than the population of New York City) and and dating back to its days as the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan in the 1300’s, with more than 150 museums and thousands of restaurants and shops, Mexico City offers more than you can ever attempt to experience in one trip.

Getting Around

One word: Uber. It’s insanely cheap (our average trip cost $2-$3) and it’s the easiest way to get around this vast city of neighborhoods and various cultural sites.

There is a bike share, which we used our first night in CDMX. The bikes themselves are a bit rickety but they are fine for a quick jaunt around a neighborhood or two.

Public transportation is even cheaper than Uber, however, you have to go to the effort of navigating the system to get to where you need to go. Taxis are plentiful as well but you always run the risk of hopping in the wrong one.

If you do want to rent a car, Hertz is our go-to. The times we have gone with Hertz, we’ve always had a seamless experience. It’s worth the extra money to deal with a professional company that isn’t trying to rip you off and you can enjoy your car and your vacation with peace of mind.

Where to Stay

With 350 neighborhoods, Mexico City is vast, and confusing for visitors trying to decide where to stay. For restaurants, shops, and tree-lined streets close to museums and cultural attractions, the neighborhoods of Roma Norte or Condesa are your best bet. They offer the hip city vibe and are also relatively safe. If you are looking for shopping at high-end boutiques and retailers and fine dining, look no further than Polanco. Someone looking for a more authentically Mexican experience might head to Coyoacan, the home of Casa Azul, where Frida Kahlo once lived.

Hotels are fairly affordable in the city, but Airbnb’s are often the better option. You can get a luxurious apartment in Roma Norte or Condesa for $50-$75 per night. We balled out and stayed in a two-floor condo with a large, private outdoor area in the heart of Roma and paid $425 for four nights.

Staying in Roma or Condesa and looking for fun things to do nearby? Check out this post for top things to do in Roma Norte!

Fun Activities

The main square is the Zocalo, where an Aztec archaeological site sits next to a massive 16th-century Spanish church, adjacent to the current home of the Mexican president. The square is surrounded by shops and restaurants, and historic buildings and museums are nearby. That is a good place to start!

Most tourists come to Mexico City for the museums, and there are no shortage of them–from the Palacio de Bellas Artes, where the building is a work of art in itself, to the Museo Nacional Antropologia, to Chapultepec Castle. Unfortunately, we visited during a time when the Covid-19 pandemic had shuttered a majority of cultural sites, so we did not get a chance to check them out.

Food

The food in Mexico City is usually pretty cheap, but delicious. You can start your day off with a traditional Mexican breakfast at a neighborhood restaurant, ordering huevos rancheros or huevos divorcados (eggs that are “divorced” by refried beans). Cafe con leche is made right at your table, making it hot and frothy.

While Mexican food is everywhere, the city is cosmopolitan and has a variety of dining options including Italian, Japanese and Mediterranean. They also have banging pastelerias (bakeries), such as Panaderia Rosetta in Roma.

If you are jonesing for pizza and are in Roma/Condesa, check out Pizza Felix. They offer a variety of specialty pizzas (funghi, fennel, prosciutto, etc.) and a light, pillowy crust. Their salads and small plates are tasty too!

Don’t forget to eat some churros at least once during your visit. Churreria el Moro has multiple locations across the city and not only offers churros, but combines them with ice cream as well. There is usually a line, but the euphoria from eating a warm churro either with chocolate sauce or ice cream is worth the wait.

On our last day in Mexico City, we decided to be fancy and go to Pujol, which is consistently rated as one of the best restaurants in the world. We ordered the 7-course tasting menu and wished we had opted for street tacos instead. Maybe we don’t have a sophisticated palate, but we did not enjoy mole cakes or amberjack ceviche with cacazuahinzle juice. I thought Tim was going to have a panic attack because I never finished any of the courses and the 9 different servers who waited on us kept asking us “Did you like it? Was everything ok?” The nutmeg churro for dessert was the meal’s saving grace, but we paid over $300 and came away unimpressed. Thumbs-down for us!

Running

Chapultapec Park and adjacent parks including Tamayo Park have miles of trails, shade and scenery. Many folks are out early doing group fitness classes, walking or jogging in the morning, so I felt super safe going for a run on my own.

Recovery Meetings

While there were English-speaking 12-step meetings advertised online, the ones we tried to hit were shut down. In fact, one night we walked to the address of a meeting that was listed, and it brought us to an apartment complex where a vicious dog was barking behind the fence. We asked a woman who was heading inside if there was an AA meeting there and she had no idea what we were talking about. So make sure you have some Zoom meetings at the ready before you go to Mexico City, just in case the same thing happens to you!