There are certain neighborhoods in the city that have less congestion and more parks. Geographically, the city is divided into 16 delegaciones and further into colonias. These areas all have obvious socioeconomic differences ranging from extreme poverty to immeasurable wealth.
Below, find a brief description on the following areas: Ciudad Satelite, Tecamachalco, Iterlomas and La Herradura, Bosques de las Lomas, Lomas de Chapultepec, Santa Fe, Polanco, Condesa, San Angel and Coyoacan.
Neighborhoods in this area are typically middle class. Although there is a lot of commercial activity along Periferico Norte and Via Gustavo Baz, inside the residential areas it's suburban. There are a lot of jokes about people from this area because they tend to be a little "slicker" than the rest: often souping up cars with accessories and chrome wheels; wearing gold chains and using hair gel. In many ways, it's a lot like "the Valley" in Los Angeles, where there's a well-defined suburban culture.
One place in this area that is culturally excluded is the Club de Golf Hacienda, which is more exclusive and has a typical golf club atmosphere. You can find just about anything you want or need in Ciudad Satelite without leaving, but most offices, cultural and social activities are much further south.
This area is considered more or less upper-middle class and contains a relatively large Jewish community. The feel in this area is described as "concrete suburban," which is suburban without the gardens and green spaces associated with American Suburbia.
Tecamachalco is a nice place to live and is a bit removed from the cultural activities of town. There are plenty of stores and restaurants for basic needs, but if you want more of a variety Tecamachalco is close to both Interlomas and Polanco, which will take you to other neighborhoods that have more to choose from. Also keep in mind, access to public transportation is limited in this area.
- Interlomas and La Herradura:
Just like Tecamachalco, this area is considered middle- and upper-class, although Interlomas is a lot newer. Interlomas has a large array of shopping centers, restaurants and fitness facilities which makes for easy suburban living. Mexico City's most modern hospital, the Angeles Interlomas, is based here.
La Herradura is a smaller neighborhood than Interlomas and has much more greenry with beautiful views and parks. Getting to La Herradura can be a bit bothersome because you have to go through Tecamachalco to get there, from the center of town. Similar issues regarding access to cultural venues and hot spots affect this area as it does Tecamachalco. The Anahuac, a small, private university for the wealthy is also located here. And, like Tecamachalco, public transportation access is very limited.
Originally, "Chapultepec Heights," the American developer's plan was for this area to be the ultimate suburban development. This area is where Mexico City's most expensive housing is located. Accessibility to the area is among the best because of the fact that it is near the north, south, and center of the Mexico City.
Also, El Bosque de Chapultepec ("Chapultepec Park") is Mexico City's largest park. It lines the southern border of the entire development, providing for a lot more green than you normally would see in such an urban setting.
In order to capitalize on the success of Lomas de Chapultepec, the newer developments in this area also have their share of office buildings, exclusive shopping malls, and many restaurants. It's access, via Reforma, is a little easier than Tecamachalco, Interlomas and Lomas de la Herradura and its residents consider themselves the social equals of the people who live in Lomas de Chapultepec.
This area has their own little city within a city having hired private "Bank and Industry" police officers to patrol their streets, making the area is relatively safer than most. Once inside "Bosques", the streets are quite wide and well paved and the surroundings are very pleasant.
Santa Fe is Mexico City's newest addition to its massive urban sprawl and was built on a huge landfill. It is located in next to some of the best office space in the city, with the head offices of GE, EDS, IBM, Daimler-Chrysler, Televisa, and other big companies. Santa Fe also has the Universidad Iberoamericana, a Jesuit university with a good reputation among the elites, as well as what is considered the largest shopping mall in Latin America.
Lately, a number of very good restaurants have established themselves along the main street, including the best Indian (as in the Asian subcontinent) restaurant. Also, the Sheraton Suites hotel is located conveniently in town for visitors to the area.
The gated housing communities that have been built follow the "townhouse" row-housing model and security is very good. As for apartment living, they are typically upscale and were built along the incline of a hill that divides Santa fe with Bosques de las Lomas. The view of the Valley of Mexico is striking, especially at night. Road access is fairly good via Reforma and Constituyentes, although public transportation access is limited.
Upscale and a bit pricey, Polanco is a mixture of commercial and residential areas with a lot of offices, boutiques and department stores. Affluent shopping malls and three of Mexico City's best hotels (housed in skyscrapers that line the zone's southern edge) are thrown in for good measure.
It is centrally located with respect to the center, west, and northern parts of the city and it also has good access to Mexico City's largest green area, Chapultepec Park. Besides excellent shopping and restaurants, Polanco also has a great cultural scene, being the home of both the Museo Rufino Tamayo and the Anthropological Museum. It also has a theatre, many cinemas and two of the most important musical venues in the city, the National Auditorium and the Hard Rock Live. Despite all this activity, Polanco is still fairly residential, although the anonymity of the Really Big City has eclipsed community life.
More so than Tecamachalco, this area has a very large Jewish community and Orthodox Jews are often seen leaving the synagogues. Although parking is a problem and the traffic can get a little annoying in the afternoon, if you can afford it, Polanco is an excellent choice to live for those who want an active urban lifestyle.
Currently in the hippest part of town, a variety of restaurants, bars and cafés are opening up in the Condesa area. This area has some pretty nifty buildings because it was built up during the heyday of the Porfirio Diaz regime, which was known for its francophilia.
The Roma-Condesa zone is definitely considered accessible because of its central location and travel to the south and west of the capital is very easy. It is good to keep in mind that the area is sometimes blocked by demonstrations at the Ministry of Economy (exSECOFI), which has its headquarters at the western edge of the Condesa. Also, its central location which is on top of the old lake bed means that earthquakes can be very strong.
The Roma is also the place to find several important galleries and the "Casa Lamm", a beautiful mansion where many interesting art, history and literature classes are currently given. The crime ratefor this area is a little higher than in Polanco and it still hasn't been completely "gentrified", which means that many buildings are not in the best conditions. And, since this area has become very popular and interest has bubbled amongst the "too-cool-for-you" crown, prices have risen.
Surrounded by the Megalopolis, many of this areas plazas and cobblestone streets retain much of their charm. In fact, in a little eerie way it can seem that you are far away from the surrounding urban sprawl. What now is considered Mexico City's Historical Center, these two "colonias" used to be independent towns where some of Mexico City's well-to-do residents would have country houses. Considered the intellectual heart of the City, this part of what is known as "the South" has more than its fair share of bookstores and cafés. Some trendy restaurants have set up shop as well and there are all sorts of galleries to be found.
During one of your first visits to the City you'll probably be taken to "el Bazar del Sabado" in San Angel, which is a big market full of neat art and trinkets. The whole place is an extremely wonderful area to live in, but traveling anywhere north, including downtown can become a hassle, especially during rush hour. |