Notes on a Visit to Mexico City

Key Narrative

Mexico City is one of the world’s great cities—and one that Americans systematically underrate. With 22 million people, world-class architecture, extraordinary food, and a cultural depth that rivals any European capital, it deserves more serious attention than it typically receives north of the border.

These are notes from a week-long visit: observations on the city, its architecture, its food, its contradictions, and what an American visitor might learn.

Outline

I. First Impressions

• Scale: the city that keeps going
• Altitude: 7,300 feet, noticeable
• The juxtaposition: wealth and poverty, old and new, order and chaos
• Traffic as weather: constant, unpredictable, shaping everything

II. Architecture & Urban Form

A. The Historic Center (Centro Histórico)

• The Zócalo: scale and presence
• Palacio de Bellas Artes: Art Deco meets Art Nouveau
• Palacio Nacional and the Diego Rivera murals
• The Cathedral: sinking, beautiful, contested
• Walking the historic core: Madero, the arcades, the palaces

B. Condesa & Roma

• The neighborhoods Americans discover first
• Art Deco apartment buildings, tree-lined streets
• Why it feels like Barcelona or Buenos Aires
• Gentrification in progress: coffee shops, remote workers
• The 1985 earthquake and reconstruction

C. Coyoacán

• The old village, absorbed
• Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul
• Plaza Hidalgo: Sunday atmosphere
• Colonial churches and cobblestones

D. Modern Architecture

• Luis Barragán’s Casa Barragán (pilgrimage site)
• Barragán’s other works: Cuadra San Cristóbal, Casa Gilardi
• Ciudad Universitaria and the UNAM campus
• Juan O’Gorman’s mosaic-covered library
• Museo Soumaya (Romero’s controversial tower)

III. Museums & Culture

A. Must-See

• Museo Nacional de Antropología: One of the world’s great museums. The Aztec calendar stone, the Maya rooms, the Olmec heads. Overwhelming—plan multiple visits.
• Museo Tamayo: Modern art in a great building.
• Museo Jumex: Contemporary art, corporate collection done well.
• Palacio de Bellas Artes: Rivera, Orozco, Siqueiros murals.

B. Worth the Time

• Casa Luis Barragán (book ahead)
• Museo Frida Kahlo (book ahead; manage expectations)
• Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL)
• Museo Dolores Olmedo (if time)

IV. Food

A. The Basics

• Tacos: street tacos vs. taquería tacos vs. restaurant tacos
• Al pastor: origin story, best spots
• Carnitas, barbacoa, suadero
• Why tortillas matter (and what bad ones taste like)

B. Recommendations (subject to change)

• Mercado Roma: for tourists, but fine
• Pujol: if you want the high end
• Contramar: famous for reason (the tostadas, the tuna)
• Street food near La Merced market
• Breakfast: chilaquiles culture

C. What to Drink

• Mezcal culture and education
• Pulquerías (if adventurous)
• Mexican wine (surprisingly good, underexplored)
• Coffee: the third-wave scene

V. Observations & Contradictions

A. Wealth and Poverty

• The contrast is starker than American cities
• Polanco vs. surrounding areas
• Private security everywhere
• What this reveals about Latin American urbanism

B. The Pace

• Later start, later nights
• Comida as the main meal (2-4pm)
• Weekend culture vs. weekday grind

C. Safety

• The American perception vs. reality
• Reasonable precautions
• Where to go, where to avoid
• Uber as solution to many concerns

D. Language

• Possible without Spanish, but impoverished
• Even basic Spanish opens doors
• English widely understood in tourist zones

VI. Practical Notes

A. Where to Stay

• Condesa or Roma for walkability and food
• Polanco for luxury and quiet
• Centro for architecture and grit

B. Getting Around

• Uber works well
• Metro is excellent (crowded, but efficient)
• Walking: possible in neighborhoods, less so citywide

C. Timing

• Avoid late June through September (rainy season)
• Day of the Dead (late October) is special but crowded
• Winter months are ideal

VII. What I Learned

• American parochialism about our neighbors
• Megacity urbanism: what works, what doesn’t
• Colonial history, present tense
• Why this city rewards repeated visits

VIII. What I Want to Explore Next Time

• Teotihuacán (the obvious day trip)
• Xochimilco (the canals)
• More neighborhood exploration: San Rafael, Santa María la Ribera
• The murals, more systematically
• Contemporary art scene

Sources & References

Before Going

• David Lida, First Stop in the New World — Essays on the city, essential reading
• Claudio Lomnitz, Death and the Idea of Mexico — Deeper cultural context
• Alma Guillermoprieto, The Heart That Bleeds — Latin American reportage

Architecture

• Keith Eggener, Luis Barragán’s Gardens of El Pedregal — On Barragán
• Architecture guides (Phaidon, etc.)
• Casa Luis Barragán official site for booking

Food

• Lesley Tellez, Eat Mexico — Recipes and context
• Enrique Olvera, Mexico from the Inside Out — From the Pujol chef

Practical

• Roma Condesa walking maps
• Chilango magazine for current recommendations
• Local fixers/guides for specific interests