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Place in Mexico City, Mexico
Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Avenida Insurgentes runs south of the central downtown areas cutting through two large, mostly residential neighborhoods: Colonia del Valle and Narvarte. Del Valle is a wealthy and inviting neighborhood in Mexico City with upscale shopping and restaurants. Narvarte is more middle-class and has developed a number of immigrant neighborhoods where the sounds and flavors of the old country can be experienced in sidewalk cafes and restaurants. These neighborhoods are located in the south central area of the city. Another upscale neighborhood, Colonia Napoles, is just west of Colonia del Valle. The development of this area started in the early 20th century, and also includes various European enclaves, mainly Spanish and German. All of the neighborhoods south of downtown but north of Coyoacan are quiet, mostly residential neighborhoods. It is a good area for nomadic ex-pats looking to rent an apartment for a few months as they work their remote gigs.
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Poliforo Cultural Siqueiros
This auditorium, housed in an eye-catching 12-sided building, houses the world's largest mural, La Marcha de la Humanidad (The March of Humanity), painted by the Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros in the 1960s. The outside of the building is also covered with enormous murals, as is a wall partly encircling the building. During the week, the murals inside are dimly lit, but on weekends, visitors can attend a sound and light show, with a recording by Siqueiros describing his vision
San Lorenzo Xochimanca
One of the oldest churches in Mexico City, this was built in the 16th century of brick and volcanic stone and is now a national monument.
It was built in the 17th century, and was extensively rebuilt in 1959 in a modernized colonial style using 20th century materials and techniques including concrete covered in stucco with inset blue bricks and a starkly elegant interior of plain wood.
Inmaculado Corazon de Maria Reina de la Paz / Temple of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The church at which parts of the Baz Luhrmann's Movie Romeo + Juliet (1996) were shot. Locals tauntingly call it the car driver's church because of its concrete exterior.
Mixcoac Archaeological Site
These temple foundations are one of the sole surviving pre-Hispanic ruins from the Nahua settlement of Mixcoac. The site was inhabited from ca. 900 BCE until the Spanish conquest, and the temple was rebuilt by the Aztecs shortly before the Spanish arrival. The site is not generally open to the public, but can be viewed from the street, with the best vantage point from the elevated sidewalk along Anillo Periférico.
Metro Museum
Attractive, fun, fascinating museum about the history and technology of the city's Metro system with exhibits chronicling how the subway has molded Chilango culture and identity.
A new headquarters for the Department of Communications and Transportation (SCOP) was built in the early 1950s and is famous for being covered in spectacular mosaic murals by John O'Gorman and several other well-known muralists. The murals are constructed of small pebbles that were sent in by school children throughout Mexico. The murals are similar to those O'Gorman creted at the UNAM campus and are some of the city's largest and most visually stunning murals. During the 1985 earthquake, the building was heavily damaged but repaired. Another earthuake struck in 2017 causing severe structural damage that rendered the building unsafe. Since 2017, the government has been removing parts of the murals preparing the site for demolition, but several of the largest murals remain and can be seen from nearby streets (though the building itself is condemned).
Large urban greenspace that is popular with families on weekends. The park features about 50 reproductions of pre-Hispanic sculptures including a large Olmec head.
Historic park set in a complex traffic roundabout (glorieta) that was closed to traffic. Shaded walkways under towering mature hardwood trees. The center of the park is the Kiosko Mariscal Sucre, also known as the French Kiosk, which isn't just a kiosk, but also a fountain with sculptures of lions resting on pedestals in a pool. There are nearby restaurants and pubs.
Plaza México
The largest bullring in the world is hosting bullfights again as of 2024. The spring season runs from January to March. New for 2024 are events for female matadors to demonstrate their skills (and yes, some of them do have pink capes).
Estadio Azul
Home of top tier (Liga MX) professional Mexican football (soccer) team, Cruz Azul. There is no parking available at the stadium.
Parque Pancho Villa
Large neighborhood park with playgrounds, walking paths, and a dog area. Home to a famous sculpture of deer (giving the park its name).
A branch of a Mexican chain of coffee shops.
Inexpensive, home-style Japanese food. This is a restaurant attached to a Buddhist temple.
Bright, cheery taqueria with various types of tacos including suadero and tripa as well as gorditas and quesadillas.
Basic taqueria specializing in spit-roasted meats for tacos al pastor (flavored with achiote) and tacos arabes (flavored with herbs).
Steak house founded in 1989.
It has a Neo-Retro style atmosphere.
Classic traditional Mexican restaurant that is one of the most popular breakfast restaurants in all of Mexico City, Bon Apetit magazine calls it "...the home-style Mexican breakfast that dreams are made of." While some of us dream of winning the lottery, others dream of home-style Mexican breakfast. If you want to try one of Mexico's most celebrated and most traditional restaurants, this is a place worth making a special effort to try. Gotta do it for breakfast though...they don't serve lunch or dinner (though you can order a steak for breakfast).
Authentic Yucatan regional cuisine in a stylishly modern dining room. Cochinita pibil, sopa de lima, even cazon! It's like a deliciously tasty meal in a great Merida restaurant. Even the salsas are made with habanero.
Authentic Oaxacan regional cuisine like tlayudas (giant corn tortillas stuffed with beans, meat and cheese), salsa de queso, mole negro, and oaxacan style hot chocolate (with a touch of chile).
Cozy Italian-style cafeteria, part of a chain.
Some of the best sushi in the city, relatively low priced. Try the luna maki or the dinamita, a foil-wrapped and baked pile of seafood, cream, and herbs.
Restaurant full of luxury and good taste.
One of the city's absolutely best steaks, go here. Some variant of arrachera is bound to be good, also the salads are great. Extensive bar.
Mexico's best Japanese restaurant. Enjoy its gardens.
Rivaling El Cambalache both in quality and price, but with somewhat more swanky service (having three or four waiters at your table is not uncommon). Try the arrachera and the inflated potatoes.
Trendy cocktail bar on the second floor over the Deigo Japanese restaurant. The all-female staff whips up some surprisingly innovative cocktails and the bar features DJs and guest bartenders who are treated like rock stars. Some odd drinks are named after Japanese cartoon characters, like Pkachu and Godzilla.
Friendly neighborhood cantina where locals and families gather to drink and eat botanas (light plates or "snacks"). Besides cold beer and micheladas, locals come for the house specialty, molcajetes, which are bowls made of volcanic stone that are filled with delicious stews just begging to be eaten with pieces of fresh tortillas.
Trendy artisanal craft brewery with a hip vibe and a mind-boggling array of taps. Stylistically, you can find everything from a light golden ale to a huge black stout. The Chilangolandia Belgian golden ale is a nice departure from mediocre light pale beers without being overwhelming. The food trailer serves up fresh grilled burgers and good-sized pizzas.
Amazing coffee drinks with a wide range of baked goods for noshing on from breakfast through lunch, including croissants, bagels, and a delicious pain au chocolate. Comfortable patio area on the street with free WiFi that's okay when the place isn't too busy but that can get too slow for video calls.
Local chain of coffee shops specifically marketed toward digital nomads. They have a co-working business model based on hourly charges for sitting and using their broadband internet connections. Rates start at M$45 per hour, including coffee and a snack. For M$75 per hour you can get a private space or better snacks (like breakfast entrées). There's another location in Del Valle, plus locations in Condesa and Roma.
Basic coffee shop with various coffee beverages and light snacks with work tables in a common area. For M$50 per hour, you can use a small meeting room or a private call room (coffee and snacks extra).
Excellent pastries are the reason to prefer this out-of-the-way bakery to the more work-oriented coffee shops. The cinnamon rolls are delicious, though the constant smell of them can be distracting if you have to take a work call. Excellent selection of coffee and tea drinks. The dirty chai is outstanding!
Small coffee shop serving hot and cold coffee drinks and fresh pastries.
Large, comfortable rooms at affordable prices. Room furnishings show wear and are a bit dated. In-house restaurant with traditional Mexican cuisine and friendly service. Convenient to public transit as the Metrobus BRT routes run along Insurgentes, right outside the hotel.
Moderate hotel with spacious, comfortable rooms with cold air conditioning. WiFi strength varies depending on location of your room. On-site parking. Some rooms are jacuzzi suites.
Moderate hotel with spacious, very clean rooms and breakfast included in the nightly room rate. Metro stop next door (Nativitas station, line 2). Abundant cheap street food within 1 block or a Buffalo Wild Wings if you simply must have American chain food.
Budget hotel with comfortable, clean rooms.
Pretentiously elegant love hotel with jacuzzi suites and rooms with poles for pole dancing. 6-hour rates available, discretely private garages available. Normally one must go to Ecatepec to find such tawdry accommodations.
Flashy hotel with contemporary furnishings and good service. Breakfast included. 100 meter walk to Metro (Villa de Cortes station).
Spacious, clean rooms with comfortable beds. Rates include light breakfast. Odd hotel in that there's no signs or markings to help find it. One block walk to World Trade Center and Metrobus stops on Av Insurgentes.
Large traditional marketplace with extensive selections of produce, meats and seafood. A huge number of fonditas cook regional dishes and some of the tastiest food in Mexico City can be found here at very low prices. A budget traveler can find a delicious lunch for as little as M$40. The market is known for having a large flower market. Another large section is devoted to non-food items and services, including hair stylists and locksmiths. On the streets adjacent to the market are similar businesses, such as bakeries and tortillerias.
Popular street market stretches for about 4 blocks along a large avenue. Flower vendors are regularly here as are various cooks preparing regional dishes such as barbacoa and quesadillas made from scratch (handmade tortillas).
Government-operated store that is part of the Ministry of Culture. FONART promotes traditional craftsmen creating Mexican artesanias that preserve historical and cultural traditions. Every item in the stores is certified authentic (no Chinese plastic junk here!) FONART pays craftsmen a fair, sustainable price so don't expect bargains. The store is a gallery of some of Mexico's most outstanding works of folk art.
Centro Comercial Galerías Insurgentes
A modern shopping mall with a number of international chain stores.
Built in a futuristic and elegant style that marked the era of modernism. The building complex includes a shopping center and a number of restaurants.
By metro
Line 3 (green) Stations: Etiopia, Eugenia, Division del Norte, Zapata, and Coyoacán.
By bus
Many Metrobus stations stops in the del Valle area along Insurgentes, beginning with La Piedád, Polyforum, Nápoles, Colonia Del Valle, Ciudad de los Deportes, Parque Hundido, Félix Cuevas, and Río…
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