Mexico City (Spanish: México, Ciudad de México, or D.F. (pronounced deh eh-feh)) is the Capital of Mexico, and one of the world's largest and most populated cities.
Districts
The city is officially divided into 16 "Delegaciones" (boroughs) and thereafter into smaller "Colonias" (neighborhoods), however, it is better to think of the City in terms of districts to facilitate the visitor getting around. Many older towns like Coyoacán, San Angel and Tlalpan got merged into the urban sprawl, and each of these still manages to preserve some of its original character.
The outer area of Mexico City includes:
Understand
Mexico City, sometimes considered the world's largest and most populated city, forms a rough oval of about 60 by 40 kilometers, on the dry bed of lake Texcoco, surrounded on three sides by tall mountains and volcanoes such as the Ajusco, the Popocatepetl and the Ixtlacihuatl. It's a massive urban sprawl, stretching from Mexico State in the north, through the Federal District (Distrito Federal), and into the state of Morelos in the south. Estimates place the population of the full metropolitan area at somewhere between 25 and 30 million people.
The Distrito Federal part of the city, which is where most tourists will spend the majority of their time, is divided up into 16 delegations, similar to the boroughs of New York, which in turn are divided into "colonies" (colonias), of which there are about 250. Knowing what colony you're going to is essential to getting around, almost all locals will know where a given colony is (however, beware that there are some colonies with duplicate or very similar names). As with many very large cities, the structure is relatively decentralized, with several parts of the city having their own miniature "downtown areas". However, the real downtown areas are Centro, the old city center, and Zona Rosa, the new business and entertainment district.
The city is located 2200 meters above the sea level. Some people not used to high places have experienced difficulty when breathing, however these symptoms fade a few minutes after arrival.
Mexico City's night life is like all other aspects of the city; it's huge. There is an enormous selection of venues: clubs, bars, restaurants, cafes, and variations and combinations thereof to choose from. There is incredible variation, from ultramodern lounges in Santa Fe and Reforma, to decades-old dance halls in Centro and Roma. There are also pubs in Tlalpan and Coyoacán and clubs of every stripe in Insurgentes, Polanco, and the Zona Rosa.
Also, when going out, check the date, since this is an important indicator of how full places will generally be, and how long you might have to wait to get in. Salaries are usually paid twice per month, the 30th/31st-1st, and the 14th-15th. On or right after these dates is when most Mexicans will go out, especially if pay day coincides with a weekend. In the more expensive places, people might leave for Acapulco or vacations farther afield during the summer and long weekends. Mexican weekends, in the sense of when it's common to go out drinking, are Thursday night to Sunday morning, and sometimes throughout Sunday.
History
The origins of Mexico City date back to 1325, when the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan was founded and later destroyed in 1521 by Spanish conqueror Hernan Cortes. Then the city served as the capital of the Viceroyalty of the New Spain until the outbreak of the Independence War in 1810. The city became the capital of the Mexican Empire in 1821 and of the Mexican Republic in 1823 after the abdication of Agustin de Iturbide. During the Mexico - U.S. war in 1847, the city was invaded by the American army. In 1864 the French invaded Mexico and the emperor Ferdinand Maximilian of Habsburg ruled the country from the Castillo de Chapultepec and ordered to build Avenue of the Empress (today's Paseo de la Reforma promenade). Porfirio Díaz assumed power in 1876 and left an outstanding mark in the city with many european styled buildings such as the Palacio de Bellas Artes and the Palacio Postal. Diaz was overthrown in 1910 with the Mexican Revolution and this marked a radical change in the city's architecture. The 20th century saw the uncontrolled growth of the City beyond the Centro Historico with the influx of thousands of immigrants from the rest of the country. In 1968 the city was host to the Olympic games which saw the construction of the Azteca stadium, the Palacio de los Deportes, the Olympic stadium and other sports facilities. In 1985 the city suffered an 8.1 Richter grade earthquake that tore down several buildings in the Centro Historico, Colonia Roma and other old neighborhoods.
Climate
Mexico City has clearly distinct seasons but overall mild weather, never too hot, never too cold, with the highest temperature in summer around 31 °C and the lowest -2°C in winter.
Air Pollution
The city sits in a valley, formed by mountains and volcanoes, making this the worst of the environments to locate one of the largest cities in the world. In 1987 pollution reached its worst when one day thousands of birds appeared dead on the sidewalks of the city. Environmentalists attibuted this to air pollution. This situation obliged authorities to implement measures to improve air quality, resulting in the transfer of most of heavy industry (glass, car and steel factories) and oil refineries outside of the city and the introduction of unleaded vehicle fuels. Today, the air quality is in much better shape and ozone and carbon dioxide are on the fall. Although the smog layer is visible nearly every day, its effects in terms of breathing and eye irritation should be barely noticeable and it shouldn't be something to worry for the visitor. Pollution could be at its worst in the hot, dry season of Spring, from late February to early May and there's a greenhouse effect that appears during winter from late November to early February. You can check the current air quality at the Atmospheric Monitoring System website from the secretary of environment. This government body established an index denominated IMECA (Metropolitan Index for Air Quality) in order to make population aware of the current air pollution situation. When the index exceeds 170 points, a "Environmental pre-contingency" is issued and people is asked to refrain from performing open-air activities such as sports. If the index exceeds 200 points, an "Environmental Contingency" is issued and part of the vehicle fleet, depending on the last number in its license plate. For instance, if the contingency is issued for Monday, cars with plates ending in 5 and 6, cannot circulate, if the contingency is issued for Tuesday, cars with plates ending in 7 and 8, Wednesday 3 and 4, Thursday 1 and 2, Friday 9 and 0 and all foreign cars cannot circulate on Friday.
Earthquakes
The catastrophic earthquake of 8.1 degrees richter that took place in the morning of September 19th 1985 and took the lives of between 9,000 and 30,000 people, remains fresh in the memory of the majority of Mexico City's inhabitants. Since the city was established in the dry bed of lake Texcoco and several geological faults that originate in the pacific coast reach the city, earthquakes are a common phenomena. Right after the 1985 earthquake many constructions were reinforced and new buildings are designed to meet structural criteria by law and no major building collapse has happened since, even after several strong earthquakes. You can check the latest earthquake activity at the National Earthquake Center an institute of the National University (UNAM). Should you happen to be in the middle of an earthquake, there's no better thing than to remain calm. Most buildings have clearly marked exit paths, follow it out to the street.
Addresses
The addressing system is fairly simple, starting by street name, house number, colonia (neighborhood), city and postal code. A typical address could be something like Colima 15, Colonia Roma Norte, Mexico, 06760
Get in
By plane
Benito Juarez International Airport () ()
Most travelers arrive to Mexico City by air, to the Benito Juárez International Airport, located in the eastern part of the city. There are frequent flights to and from most larger cities in the Americas, as well as Amsterdam, London, Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt and Tokyo. Some of the international airlines that operate regular flights to Mexico City include (as of April 2007): Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air France, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Avianca, British Airways, Continental Airlines, Copa, Cubana de Aviacion, Delta, Iberia, Japan Airlines, KLM, LAN, Lloyd Aereo Boliviano (recently grounded), Lufthansa, Mexicana, Northwest, TACA, United Airlines and US Airways. The airport has a plane spotting area. To reach it, take the subway and go to the Hangares station.
=Arrival=
If you arrive on an international flight, after picking your luggage you will go through Immigration, and then Customs. Make sure you fill in all forms prior to landing to make this an expedite process. There is a $300 Dollars duty allowance that include new clothing, tobacco and liquors. The Mexican customs law allows passengers to bring free of duties a laptop, an mp3 player, a digital camera, a tripod, a video camera and used clothing. The entire process, from when the plane arrives to when you are done with customs, usually takes about an hour. After completing customs you will go through large doors to the waiting area for international arrivals. Be prepared to see a lot of people in this area. It is a custom for families to pick up their beloved ones at the airport and the hall is rather small for a city of its size. There are carriers who will offer to carry your luggage. This is a service authorized by the airport and is safe - they will be uniformed with white shirts, navy blue tie and dark blue pants, and will carry a wheelie (or keep it nearby) with the union logo on it. There is no fixed price for this service, but 15-25 pesos should be fine, unless you are travelling in a group or have a lot of bags.
=Ground Transportation=
Licenciado Adolfo López Mateos International Airport () ()
Located in the City of Toluca 50 kilometers northwest of Mexico City. This airport recently transformed itself from a general aviation airport into the hub of several domestic low-cost carriers such as Interjet and Volaris which serve destinations as Monterrey, Cancún, Guadalajara, Tijuana and many other Mexican cities. As of April 2007, Toluca is served internationally by Continental Airlines from Houston. Reaching the Toluca airport is not easy since you will need to drive your own car or hire a Taxi that could result expensive. Volaris offers free airport shuttle from its Santa Fe office in Vasco de Quiroga Avenue, while Interjet offers shuttle from several hotels around the city, including the Santa Fe Sheraton hotel.
Depending on your overall trip, it might also be worth considering flying to nearby cities as Cuernavaca (CVJ) and Puebla (PBC), however reaching Mexico City from these places could result troublesome or expensive.
By Bus
Although most of foreign travelers will reach Mexico City by air, it is also possible by Bus. Greyhound offers several connecting routes from the United States and it is possible to buy your ticket from many major cities in the U.S. to Mexico. Traveling by bus in Mexico is comfortable compared to other countries, since most of Mexicans use to travel by bus until the recent introduction of several low-cost airlines.
The city has 4 major bus stations:
Some of the most common bus lines in Mexico:
By Train
Passenger Train service ceased operating in Mexico some ten years ago, only freight trains ride to and around Mexico City.
Get around
Mexico City is a huge place, but driving is definitely not a way to see it even if tourist attractions are scattered throughout the city. A good way to plan your trip is to stop by Guia Roji to identify the location of the "Colonias" (neighborhoods) you intend to visit.
Mexico City has several public transport alternatives. Metro is reliable and runs underground, the City government operates the RTP bus system and Electric Trolley buses. There are also plenty of franchised private buses which are less reliable and safe because of their driving habits. And finally thousands of Taxis, many of them old Volkswagen bugs in their famous green paint scheme.
By Metro
Officially named "Sistema de Transporte Colectivo", but simply known as Metro is one of the largest and most used subway systems in the world, comprised by 11 different lines that measure more than 170 km and carry 4.4 million people every day. It's relatively quick and efficient, especially as an alternative to taxis during rush hours, and extremely cheap (tickets for one trip with unlimited transfers within the system are 2 pesos - around 20 US cents). Trains are often filled to capacity, specially at rush hours and sometimes it can be hot and uncomfortable. There are also a few incidences of pickpocketing. A good way to avoid being robbed is to wait for the train at the end of the tracks where is less crowded. The Metro is most useful when your destination is on a Metro line you're already close to, to minimize train changes. In those cases, the metro can be the absolutely quickest way to travel longer distances within the city.
Although the Metro system lacks of information in English, the system was designed to define Lines and Stations using pictorial signs and colors, originally intended for people who couldn't read, therefore using the Metro shouldn't be a big problem. A few stations may not be in good shape and their signs may have been destroyed, so be sure you get information on which stations you have to use before hopping in.
There are often people walking through the carriages trying to sell stuff. Act as if you were used to them. Often they advertise their merchandise with songs. It's quite amusing, but don't laugh... this is how they make a living and they deserve respect.
One important thing about the Metro is that, from start to finish, one should look businesslike and look as uninterested as if you had done it every day for twenty years; many people on the system do just that. The place is, after all, a means of transportation and not an attraction. As in other Western countries, it's considered good manners to offer your seat to the aged, pregnant or disabled, all cars have clearly marked handicap seats.
Be aware that the Metro does not run between midnight and 5:00AM (6:00AM on Saturday, 7:00AM on Sunday). If your plans will take you beyond midnight, be sure to have alternate transport.
Some lines run through more tourist-related spots than others. Line number 5 (yellow) connects the Mexico City International Airport (Terminal Aerea station) with the rest of the Metro system. Line number 7 (orange) runs through many touristic spots such as the Chapultepec Forest (Auditorio Station) and the Polanco neighborhood (Polanco Station). Line number 9 runs near the Condesa neighborhood (Chilpancingo). Line number 2 (blue) runs through the Centro Historico (Allende, Zocalo and Bellas Artes stations) and reaches the South Bus Station (Tasquena). Line number 3 (green) runs near Coyoacan (Coyoacan and Miguel Angel de Quevedo stations) and also near the University City (Copilco and Ciudad Universitaria stations). Line number 1 (pink) also runs through many tourist spots, such as Centro Historico (Salto del Agua station), the Chapultepec Forest (Chapultepec Station), Condesa and Roma neighborhoods (Insurgentes and Sevilla stations) and the Northwest Bus Station (Observatorio station).
The following are a few Metro signs translated into english that will help you get you going through the Metro:
By Bus
There are two kinds of buses. The first, are full-sized buses operated by the City Government known as RTP and cost $2.00 anywhere you go. Make sure to pay with exact change, they don't give change back. The second kind of buses are known as "Microbuses" or "Peseros". These buses are private-run and come in small and bigger sizes. Peseros cost 2.50 pesos for shorter trips, 3 for 6-12 km trips and 4 pesos for 12+ km trips. Full-sized private buses are 3.50 pesos for shorter trips, and 4.50 for longer
Both type of buses usually stop at the same place. Riding RTP buses is probably a safer and more comfortable way than the private franchised and smaller microbuses who are known to have terrible driving habits.
Buses can be packed during rush hours, and you have to pay attention to your stops (buses make very short stops if there's just one person getting off, so be ready), but they are very practical when your route aligns with a large avenue. If it does not, be prepared to get down at a moment's notice, since you can get very, very lost in five minutes of ride. There's usually a button above or close to the rear door to signal that you're getting off; if there isn't one, it's not working, or you can't get to it, shouting Bajan! (pronounced "BAH-han") in a loud and desperate voice usually works.
By Metrobus
Established in June 2005, the Metrobús operates in a confined lane along Insurgentes Avenue. Plans exist for additional routes. It costs 3.5 pesos to ride during the day, but a card must be bought in advance (11 pesos). After 11:30 or so, it's 5 pesos. There are stops approximately every 500m. Expect it to be crowded around the clock.
By Trolley Buses
"Trolebuses" are operated by the Electric Transport Services. There are 15 Trolley bus lines that spread around for more than 400 km. They usually do not get as crowded as regular buses, and they are quite comfortable and reliable. They can be a little slower than regular buses, since they are unable to change lanes as quickly. There is a flat fare of 2 pesos (around 20 cents USD), and bus drivers give no change.
By Light Rail
"Tren Ligero" , operated by Electric Transport Services, consists of one single line that runs south of the City. Useful if you plan to visit Xochimilco or the Azteca stadium. Connects with the Metro system at the "Taxqueña" station (Line 2). The rate for a single ride is 2 pesos, and your Metro ticket is not valid to transfer into the Tren Ligero.
By Taxi
The more than 250 thousand registered cabs are one of the most efficient ways to get around, especially outside of rush hours, and prices are low, a fixed fee of about 6 pesos to get into the cab, and about 0.7 pesos per quarter kilometer or 45 seconds thereafter, for the normal taxis (taxi libre). The night rates, supposedly between 11 at night and 6 in the morning, but this may vary with the cab driver's mood, are about 20% higher. Some taxis "adjust" their meters to run more quickly, but in general, cab fare is cheap, and it's usually easy to find a taxi. At night, and in areas where there are few taxis, cab drivers will often not use the meter, but rather quote you a price before you get in. This price will often be high, however, you can haggle. They will tell you that their price is good because they are "safe". If you don't agree on the price, don't worry, another cab will come along.
Catching cabs in the street can be dangerous, since free-range cabs are not accountable to anyone. Taxi robberies, so-called "express kidnappings", where the victim is robbed and then taken on a trip to various ATMs to max out their credit cards, do occur, but there are some general precautions that will minimize the risk:
By Turibus
The Turibus is a sightseeing double-decker hop-in hop-off bus that is a good alternative to see the city if you don't have too much time. The one-day ticket costs $120 pesos (around USD $11) and its route includes the Zona Rosa, Chapultepec Park, Polanco, Condesa, Roma and the Historic Center. There is a secondary route which just started in late May 2007, and runs from Fuente de la Cibeles in Condesa to Coyoacan and Xochimilco. Your ticket should be valid for both routes.
If you get lost
If you get absolutely lost and you are far away from your hotel, hop into a pesero (mini bus) or bus that takes you to a Metro station; most of them do. Look for the sign with the stylized metro "M" in the front window. From there and using the wall maps you can get back to a more familiar place. If you are in downtown area you are always close to a metro station, but the line stops at the National Auditorium, so hotels in Santa Fe are only reachable by car.
By Car
The least advised way to visit the City due to the complicated road structure and the 3.5 million vehicles moving around the city. Traffic jams are almost omnipresent on weekdays, and driving from one end of the city to the other could take you between 2 to 4 hours at peak times. The condition of pavement in freeways such as Viaducto and Periferico is good, however in avenues, streets and roads varies from fair to poor since most streets have fissures, bumps and holes. Most are paved with asphalt and only until recently some have been paved using concrete. Because people tend to speed when traffic is not present, many avenues and streets are full of speed bumps and some of these are really high. Since the city grew without planned control, the street structure could look as a labyrinth. Driving can turn into a really challenging experience if you don't know precisely well where are you going. There is only one company that has been able to map the entire city, Guia Roji. Shortcuts are complicated and often involve about six to eight turns.
Street parking (Estacionamiento in Spanish) is scarce around the City and practically unexistant in crowded areas. Where available expect to pay between $12 to $18 pesos an hour while most of hotels charge between $25 to $50 pesos an hour. Some areas of the city such as Zona Rosa, Chapultepec, Colonia Roma and Colonia Condesa have parking meters on the sidewalks which are about $10 pesos an hour and are free on weekends. It is possible to park in other streets without meters but is likely there will be a "parking vendor" (Franelero in Spanish) which are not authorized by the city, but will "take care of your car". Expect to pay between $10 to $20 pesos to these fellows, some of them will "charge" at your arrival, the best advise is to pay if you want to see your car in good shape when you come back.
The visitor should take into consideration the following tips when driving: avenues have preference over streets and streets over closed streets. Continuous right turn even when traffic light red is allowed. Seatbelts are mandatory for both front seats. If you're stopped by a police car, it is likely they will try to get money out from you. It is up to you if you accept to do so, the latest trend is to refuse giving them anything.
See
Downtown Mexico City has been an urban area since the precolumbian 12th century, and the city is filled with historical buildings and landmarks from every epoch since then. It is also known as the City of Palaces, because of the large number of stately buildings, especially in the Centro. In addition, Mexico is the city with the largest number of museums in the world without taking into account Art Galleries, being New York #2, London #3 and Toronto #4.
Museums:
Mexico is the city with the largest number of museums in the world.
Do
Mexico City has everything for everyone, shopping from haute-couture to hand made crafts , from museums to parks, from chic restaurants to street vendor food, from decades-old dance clubs to chic clubs. The most usual schedule foreign travelers do is a visit to the Centro Historico, a visit to the ruins of Teotihuacan in the outskirts of the City and probably a visit to Xochimilco.
Amusement Parks
Car Races
Sport Events
If you're into sports, then Mexico City has plenty to offer. Soccer Football is the national sport and Mexicans go crazy about it. The city was host to two FIFA world cups, one in 1970 and the other in 1986. Other important sport is Baseball, being Mexico a good supplier of professional players to the U.S. The city has been the only Latin American host to an Olympiade in 1968, when the majority of the City's sport facilities were built.
Horse Racing
Bullfighting
Plaza Mexico Augusto Rodin 241 corner with Holbein street Colonia Nochebuena. Is the largest bullring in the world, with a seating capacity of 40,000.
Alternative Travel'''
Learn
Learn Spanish in Mexico City: various schools offer Spanish courses for foreigners, for example:
Work
Mexico has very strict immigration laws. In order to work you should obtain a permit known as FM2 or FM3 which is very hard to get unless you're marrying a Mexican citizen or you are an expat working for a multinational company. Most foreigners working without a permit perform jobs such as language teachers, waiters or salesmen. Others own a restaurant or shop. If you're working without a permit and an immigration officer finds out, it could mean a fine, deportation or spending some time in a detention facility of the National Immigration Institute.
Buy
Mexico City is famous among Mexicans for its huge malls, streets like Presidente Mazaryk offer haute couture stores.
Shopping Districts
Shopping Centers
Outlet Malls
Arts and Crafts
The National Fund for the Development of Arts and Crafts (Fonart), Avenida Patriotismo 691, in Mixcoac, Avenida Paseo de la Reforma No. 116 in Colonia Juárez and Avenida Juarez 89 in Centro
Flea and Antique Markets
Although street vendors can be found almost anywhere in Mexico City, the following are more "formal" flea markets selling handcrafts, furniture and antiques.
Supermarkets
If you're staying longer you may want to buy groceries and food at any of the hundreds of Supermarkets. These are some of the most common:
Eat
You can find almost any kind of food in Mexico City, both specialties from all regions of Mexico, to international cuisine. Vegetarian alternatives are commonly available in most larger restaurants. For those who want something familiar and safe (but probably rather bland in comparison to what else is available), most international food chains have franchises.
There are also Mexican chains that can be assumed to be safe and similar no matter where you are, including Vips, Toks, and the most traditional, Sanborns. If you're on a budget, you can also try one of the myriad of "comida corrida" restaurants (set menus). Most of these offer very good food, and it is usually safe. Most office workers eat in these places. Try the tacos al pastor.
Also there are stands selling tortas (filled bread rolls) or tacos, but caution is advised since some places may lack the necessary hygiene. If you feel like trying this, look for places with lots of people, popularity is generally proportional to quality.
For a quick snack you can always try a tamal bought on the street or specialized shops, accompanied by atole, which is the breakfast of the humble on their way to work. Shopping malls will offer a respite of international franchises mixed with local chains that may offer interesting fare.
[[*El Cambalache, Insurgentes Sur, (Close to the corner with Felix Cuevas, Col. Del Valle). M-Su. One of the city's absolutely best
[[*Hookah Lounge: Dont miss this small supercool lounge located in Condesa, Campeche 284. It has been voted "best lounge" in Mexico city. The club serves middle eastern food as well as Flavored tobacco "hookahs" at your table. THe music selection is extremely good ranging from Electro-arabic, to house. 5584 1742 for reservations.
steaks, go here. Some variant of arrachera is bound to be good, also the salads are great. Extensive bar. MXP300-600.
Asian
Mexico has seen several waves of immigration from Asia through the last 100 years, and every ethnic group that comes to Mexico eventually makes its way to Mexico City. Asian restaurants are abundant, and the quality is good (Korean, Japanese and Chinese are most common, Indian, Thai and Indonesian can be harder to find).
Spanish
Relatively close to Chapultepec, the Centro Asturiano is where some of the Mexican-Spaniards gather. It has an excellent restaurant offering delicious Iberian treats.
Italian
French
Drink
The typical Mexican place to go to drink is the cantina, a bar where food is usually free, and you pay for drinks (exact policies and minimums vary). Cantinas serve a wide range of Mexican and foreign drinks, prices are usually reasonable compared to prices in the US, and you'll be continually served various Mexican food, such as tacos. If your tolerance for Mexican music (mariachi or otherwise), smoke-filled rooms, and lots of noise is low, however, this might not be your kind of place. Cantinas are open moderately late, usually past midnight at the very least. However, some cantinas, like La Victoria, near the Plaza Garibaldi, have a familiar atmosphere and also open at midday for lunch.
In addition, there are bars of the kind most travelers will be used to, many of these play a combination of Spanish- and English-language rock, electronic music, and some Latin/Caribbean music. These also close around 3-4.
There are clubs, falling into three main categories, pop, rock and electronic music. The pop places generally play what's on the music charts, Latin pop, and sometimes traditional Mexican music, and are frequented by a younger (sometimes very young) audience, often more upper class. The rock places play rock in the wide sense, in English and Spanish. Most people are at least over 18 in these places. The electronica clubs, which attract everyone from Mexico City's large subculture of ravers and electronica fans, of all ages. Some of these clubs have a strong upper-class bent, check the crowd outside before you enter to see if it's people you enjoy spending time with. Most clubs close late, 3-4 at the earliest, and some are open until 7 or 8.
Around the Zocalo there's a club called "Pervert Club", which is overpriced and generally quite empty, even on a Saturday night. Your best bet is to head for Zona Rosa, which has a large number of street bars with rock bands playing and a large selection of clubs. One of the best clubs "Africa" is reasonably priced (after the entrance fee) and plays a great selection of latin and English pop. They also provide African hats and balloons for everyone's entertainment! A very good part of town is San Angel / Pedregal, a lot of wealthy young adults in this area provide for a very good vibe of clubs. Be forewarned - Appearance is a must to get in, and to get a table a minimum 2 bottle service is required, unless slow night . Otherwise slow, but cheaper bar service is available. All kinds of "hit" music plays, and the best crowds are located here. Some cater to specific types of music though
The other common Mexican-style thing to do when going out is to go dancing, usually to salsa, merengue, rumba, mambo, son, or other Caribbean/Latin music. This is considerably more fun if you're a somewhat competent dancer, but even complete beginners who don't mind making fools of themselves will likely enjoy it. If you are single, this is an excellent way to hook up with someone; Mexicans will generally take pleasure in teaching you basic dance steps. Most dance places close late, 3-4 is common.
The legal drinking age is 18. It is illegal to consume alcohol in public ("open container"). This is strictly enforced and the penalty is at least 24 hours in jail.
Sleep
Mexico City leading hotels tend to be spread out thru the city. However, in the Polanco region there is a good concentration of high-end hotels, including Presidente Intercontinental, Nikko Hotel, W Hotel, Four Seasons. Any business area such as Pedregal, Polanco, Reforma, will have a great variety of hotels. The Centro Histórico specialises in budget hotels, and attracts backpackers.
The Hotel Catedral is a clean and safe midrange place in a perfect location. It is just off the Zocalo and is a much more economical option than the luxury hotels that dominate the neighborhood. Some rooms have partial views of the rear of the cathedral, but these are noisy due to the church bells.
The Hotel Habana in the Calle República de Cuba has well-appointed rooms for a good price. The neighbourhoood, however, is not that good. A couple of blokes should have no problems, though.
If you are low-budget you can find hotels as low as 20 - 30 USD. Just remember you get what you pay for.
Contact
To stay in contact while traveling in México City.
Phone
If someone is calling you the country code is +52 then the area code is 55 then the phone number. If you want to make a Long Distance call out of Mexico , you should dial the prefix 0 for national calls followed by the area code. If you are making an International Long Distance call, you must dial 00 followed by the country code, in example if you're calling the U.S. you should dial 00+1 and the area code, if you're calling the U.K., dial 0044 and the area code, and so on. If you want to use your cellular phone you can get your phone unlocked before you go. When you arrive in México City, you can purchase a Télcel(there only reliable service provider) Sim (GSM) card, called a "Chip". Then you will get a Méxican Cell phone number. Remember this is a prepaid cellular option. Most of the time you can get free incomming calls from inside the city.
Mobile Telephones
There are four main cell phone operators in Mexico.
Iusacell got recently merged with Unefon.
Internet
Mexico City has amazing access to the internet considering the availability in the rest of Latin America. There are several Internet Cafes throughout the city, many of them in Zona Rosa. Price varies from 10 to 20 pesos an hour.
Radio
Unfortunately there are no full-time English spoken radio stations in Mexico, however these are a few options to listen:
Newspapers
You will normally not find newspapers in English or other foreign languages in regular newsstands, however, you can find many at any Sanborns store. Many U.S. newspapers have suscriptions available in Mexico, including the Wall Street Journal , Today, the New York Times and the Miami Herald.
Some of the most read local newsspapers include:
Stay safe
Travel in Mexico City is generally safe. Much of your travel within the city will be done via public transportation or walking. Mexico City is an immensely crowded place, and with any major metropolitan area, you can expect a few bad apples.
Plan ahead - know where you are going and how you will arrive. Mexico City is quite hospitable, and people who work for hotels and other hospitality-oriented businesses will help. This will help in avoiding confusion, becoming lost or stranded. Also, you can ask a local for advice to get somewhere, though you should speak good spanish to do this. In the Polanco district, all policemen speak English, and so do many business people and younger children as it is very common to learn in school.
Catching cabs in the street can be dangerous, since free-range cabs are not accountable to anyone. Taxi robberies, so-called "express kidnappings", where the victim is robbed and then taken on a trip to various ATMs to max out their credit cards, do occur.
Protect your personal information. There are many pickpockets in Mexico City. Purses and bulky, full pockets are quite attractive. Do not keep your passports, money, identification, and other important items hanging out for someone to steal. Use a money belt or place these items in a hotel safe, or tuck them away inside your clothes.
Do not show money in front of others, this generally attracts pickpockets.
The Mexico City Government recently opened a specialized prosecution office (Ministerio Público in Spanish) for foreigners that find themselves affected by robberies or other crime situations. It is located in Victoria Street 76, Centro Historico. Multilingual staff available.
Cope
Some people may consider Mexico City has a bad reputation, in terms of crime statistics, air pollution, and more contrived issues, such as earthquakes, however, crime and pollution levels are down over the last decade and Tourists shouldn't face trouble if they stay within tourist areas. As in any large city, there are areas that are better to be avoided, especially at night, and precautions to take, but Mexico City is not a particularly dangerous city.
When walking in the city you could be approached by people. Usually they are just trying to sell something or begging for a few coins. Remember, if you are not interested in what they're selling, do not even acknowledge their presence. It is not considered insulting, only just a sign you are not interested. Also, if someone of importance approaches (a police officer for example) you they will definitely let you know. If you are approached by someone wishing to do you harm you won't even see it coming. Just remember the best way to navigate the city, especially if you do not know a lot of Spanish, is with horse blinders (not physically of course, just the frame of mind).
If it is a Police officer, understand that there are three different types of police officers. There is the Policia (Police), which are usually driving around the city with their lights always on. There is the Policia Auxiliar (Auxiliary Police), which are like security guards. There is the Policia de Transito (traffic police) which just simply direct traffic. Overall, Police officers do not interfere with tourists, but if you find yourself
Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México, D.F., or simply México) is the capital city of Mexico. It is the most important economic, industrial and cultural center in the country, and the most populous city with 8,720,916 inhabitants in 2005. However, Greater Mexico City (Zona Metropolitana del Valle de México) extends beyond the limit and covers 58 municipalities of the State of Mexico and 1 municipality of the state of Hidalgo, according to the most recent definition agreed upon by the federal and state governments. In 2005 Greater Mexico City had a population of 19.2 million, making it the largest metropolitan area in the western hemisphere and the second largest in the world. In 2005, it ranked as the eighth-largest urban agglomeration GDP in the world.
Mexico City is also the Federal District (Distrito Federal in Spanish, and hence the abbreviation D.F. that officially follows the name of the city). The Federal District is coextensive with Mexico City: both are governed by a single institution and are constitutionally considered to be the same entity. This has not always been the case. The Federal District, created in 1824, was integrated by several municipalities, one of which was the municipality of Mexico City. As the city began to grow, it engulfed all other municipalities into one large urban area. In 1928 all municipalities within the Federal District were abolished, an action that left a vacuum in the legal status of Mexico City vis-à-vis the Federal District, even though for most practical purposes they were traditionally considered to be the same entity. In 1993, to end the sterile discussions about whether one concept had engulfed the other, or if any of the two entities had any existence in lieu of the other, the 44th Article of the Constitution of Mexico was reformed to clearly state that Mexico City is the Federal District, seat of the powers of the Union and capital of the United Mexican States.
Mexico City is located in the Valley of Mexico also called the Valley of Anáhuac, a large valley in the high plateaus at the center of Mexico, at an altitude of 2,240 meters (7,349 feet). It was originally built by the Aztecs in 1325 on an island of Lake Texcoco. The city was almost completely destroyed in the siege of 1521, and was redesigned and rebuilt in the following years following the Spanish urban standards. In 1524 the municipality of Mexico City was established, known as México Tenustitlán, and as of 1585 it is officially known as Ciudad de México.
History
:For the Pre-Columbian detailed history of the city, see: Tenochtitlán and Tlatelolco.
Prehispanic era
Mexico City was founded as Mexico-Tenochtitlan circa March 18, 1325 by the Nahua Aztec or Mexica tribe, which rapidly became the capital of a sophisticated growing empire. Located on a small island on the middle of Lake Texcoco, the layout of the city forced the Mexica to build artificial islands (chinampas) and create a series of canals to allow the growth of the metropolis. In fact, although the lake was salty, dams built by the Aztecs kept the city surrounded by clear water from the rivers that fed the lake. Two double aqueducts provided the city with fresh water; this was intended mainly for cleaning and washing.
After centuries of pre-Colombian civilization, the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés first arrived in the area in 1519. He did not succeed in conquering the city until August 13, 1521, after a 79-day siege that destroyed most of the old Aztec city.
In 1524 the rebuilt city served as the capital of the viceroyalty of New Spain and the political and cultural center of Mexico. The importance of the city was such that the Captaincy General of Guatemala, Yucatán, Cuba, Florida, and the Philippines were administered from it. This colonial period culminated with the construction of the baroque Metropolitan Cathedral and the Basilica of Guadalupe.
Independence
The outbreak of the War of Independence in 1810, and the eventual independence of the country in 1821 were unable to hamper the influence of the city even though it shook internal politics. The capital became host of the first ruler of the Mexican Empire, Agustin de Iturbide, and the year after he abdicated and the nation became a republic in March 1823.
In 1824, the Mexican Federal District was established by the new government and by the signing of their new constitution, adapted off of the American one.
The war with the United States led to an invasion into Mexico City by U.S. General Winfield Scott on September 14, 1847, and obligated Mexico to cede the States of California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and parts of Utah and Wyoming to the U.S. and recognize Texas as independent. The invasion culminated at the Castillo de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Palace), the military center of the country where, according to the legend 13 young Mexican cadets (see Niños Héroes) fought helpless and outnumbered to keep the Americans from taking the symbolic castle. This event is remembered by a series of monolithic columns that bear their names at the base of the Castle. The short lived monarchy in 1864, led by Maximilian of Habsburg left its mark on the reconstruction of Chapultepec castle and other urban planning that was said to have been modeled after the Champs-Élysées to help his wife Carlotta adjust to the city.
A three decade long dictatorship under Porfirio Diaz left a French influence upon Mexico City. The stunning, gold Angel of Independence was built under his administration to celebrate the first centenary of the beginning of the War of Independence. Other urban highlights built at the time were the Palacio de Bellas Artes and the expansion of Paseo de la Reforma a la Champs-Élysées. Mexico City suffered from the Decena Trágica in February 1913. The Decena Trágica was a battle between Francisco I. Madero's forces and Felix Diaz's. The result was a massacre of civilians and a destroyed city.
The post-revolutionary government of Mexico following the Mexican Revolution of 1910 reinforced the importance of the city which saw an important influx of immigrants during the rest of the 20th century. Most of the growth of Mexico City in population occurred in the late 20th century. In 1950, the city had about 3 million inhabitants. By 2000, the estimated population for the metropolitan area was around 18 million.
Modern history
In 1968, the city hosted the Olympic Games, an event marred by the massacre of hundreds of students in what came to be known as the Tlatelolco Massacre. Another sporting event hosted by the city was the 1970 FIFA World Cup, the final match of which took place in the Estadio Azteca.
At 07:19 on September 19, 1985, the city was struck by an earthquake of magnitude 8.1 on the Richter scale which resulted in the deaths of between 5,000 (government estimate) to 20,000 people and rendered 50,000-90,000 people homeless. One hundred thousand housing units were destroyed, together with many government buildings. Up to USD $4 billion of damage was caused in three minutes. There was an additional magnitude 7.5 aftershock 36 hours later. When Mexico City hosted the FIFA World Cup again in 1986, the event was seen as evidence of its rapid recovery.
During the 1990s, Mexico City continued to grow as an economic and cultural center of international importance, which has spurred the construction of new skyscrapers such as Latin America's tallest building, the Torre Mayor (a literal translation of which is Greater Tower) and a remodeled World Trade Center México originally the Hotel de México built in the 1970s.
Mexico City, as a municipality, had mayors (alcaldes, later known as presidentes municipales) until 1928 when the municipality (officially known as municipalidad de México) was abolished and its ayuntamiento (city hall corporation) disbanded. The municipality has never been recreated but starting in 1987 major constitutional changes allowed a greater autonomy of the Federal District. In 1997 the residents of the city were allowed for the first time to elect a Head of Government of the Federal District (Jefe de Gobierno del Distrito Federal), who was previously appointed by the president of Mexico. Leftist leader Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas was the first elected Head of Government. The Head of Government of the Federal District is often presented to people outside of Mexico as the "mayor of Mexico City."
Geography
The Federal District is located in central-south Mexico. It is bounded by the state of Mexico on the west, north and east, and by the state of Morelos on the south. Mexico City and its metropolitan area which extends over the state of Mexico, are located at the Valley of Mexico or Anáhuac a 9,560 sq km (3,691 sq mi) valley that lies at an average of 2,240 m (7,349 ft) above sea level but below the Tropic of Cancer. This valley is surrounded by mountains on all four sides creating a basin with only one small opening at the north, trapping all exhaust emissions of the city. At the southern part of the basin the mountain range reaches an altitude of 3,952 m (12,965 ft) above sea level; and to the east the volcanoes reach an altitude of more than 5,000 m (16,000 ft). The region receives anti-cyclonic systems, producing weak winds that do not allow for the dispersion of accumulated air pollutants, produced by the 50,000 industries operating in the metropolitan area and the 4 million vehicles circulating. Both the federal and the local governments have implemented numerous plans to alleviate the problem of air pollution, amongst them a constant monitoring of environmental conditions, mainly of the concentration of ozone and nitrogen oxides, which are reported real-time over the Internet at specific intervals through the media. If the levels of these two pollutants reach critical levels, contingency actions are implemented which may include the shutting down of some factories, a change in primary school hours and the extension of the A day without a car program to two days of the week. Some of the measures implemented to reduce air environmental pollution include the improvement of industry technology, a strict biannual vehicle emission inspection and the improvement in the quality of fuels (both gasoline and diesel). In 1986, the non-urban forest areas of the southern boroughs were declared National Ecological Reserves by president de la Madrid. Other areas of the Federal District became protected in the following years.
Given the topography of the city, the lower region of the valley receives less rain than the upper regions of the south; the lower boroughs of Iztapalapa, Iztacalco, Venustiano Carranza and the west portion of Gustavo A. Madero are usually drier and warmer than the upper southern boroughs of Tlalpan and Milpa Alta, a mountainous region of pine and oak trees known as the range of Ajusco. The average annual temperature varies from 12 to 16º C (53 to 60º F) depending on the altitude of the borough. Lowest temperatures, usually registered during January and February may reach -2 to -5º C (28 to 23º F), usually accompanied by snow showers on the southern regions of Ajusco, and the highest temperatures, perceived during May, may reach up to 32º C (90º F).
Originally, the Lake of Texcoco occupied the great majority of the valley. This lake was actually a system of interconnected lakes with varying altitudes. The northern lakes, located at lower altitudes were salty, whereas the higher lakes to the south were fresh. The Aztecs built impressive dikes to separate the fresh water used to raise crops in chinampas and to prevent recurrent floods. These dikes were destroyed during the siege of Tenochtitlan, and during colonial times the Spanish preferred to drain the lake to prevent floods. Only a small section of the original lake survived, however it is located outside the Federal District, in the State of Mexico in the municipality of Atenco.
The boroughs are composed by hundreds of colonias or neighborhoods, which have no jurisdictional autonomy or representation. It is plausible that the name, which literally means colony, arose in the late 19th, early 20th centuries, when one of the first urban developments outside the city's core was inhabited by a French colony in the city. Some colonias have identifiable attributes: la Condesa is known for its Art Deco architecture, and for being the artistic center of the city; Santa Fe is the business and financial district, Roma is a Beaux Arts neighborhood and probably one of the oldest in the city, Polanco is an important commercial center known for its large Jewish community, and Tepito is known for its impressively large flea market.
Economy
Mexico City is also one of the most important economic hubs of Latin America. The city proper (Federal District) produces 21.8% of the country's Gross Domestic Product. According to a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers with information coming from the United Nations, Greater Mexico City (19.2 million people) had a total GDP of $315 billion in 2005 (at purchasing power parity), ranking as the eighth-largest urban agglomeration GDP in the world after the greater areas of Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Paris, London and Osaka/Kobe respectively and the richest in Latin America, in 2020 it will climb to the seventh-largest with a $608 billion placing Osaka/Kobe in the eighth position. Mexico City alone would be the 30th largest economy in the world with a higher GDP than whole countries like Sweden and Switzerland.
The city proper (Federal District) produces 21.8% of the country's Gross Domestic Product. In terms of GDP per sector, the Federal District is the greatest contributor to the country's industrial GDP (15.8%) and also the greatest contributor to the country's GDP in the service sector (25.3%). Due to the limited non-urbanized space at the south -an most of which is protected through environmental laws- the contribution of the Federal District in agriculture is the smallest of all federal entities in the country.
The city's nominal GDP per capita is the highest in Latin America at $17,696. Mexico City's Human Development Index (HDI) is the highest in the country at 0.8830, higher than the national average. Amongst other welfare indicators 50% of the habitants of Mexico City have access to the Internet, 58% own a cell phone, with virtually each household having a phone line, and while 17% of Mexicans nationwide live in poverty, 15% of the residents of Mexico City do.
Mexico is also one of the largest financial and commercial hubs in Latin America. The Mexican stock exchange (Bolsa Mexicana de Valores) and the country's largest banks and insurers as well as many international financial services conglomerates for Latin America are headquartered in the city. Amongst them Banamex (acquired by Citigroup) is the largest, which generates almost three times as much revenues than all 16 Citigroup's branches in the rest of Latin America.. Most of the conglomerates are headquartered at Santa Fe, the business district of the city.
Over the last two decades the economic base has shifted strongly, as the manufacturing activities move to the state of Mexico (Mexico city suburbs) and even to other states. Part of this was due to an environmental program of tax incentives offered by the government to manufacturers: existing companies could be eligible to tax-certificates if they installed pollution control equipment. New plants, on the other hand, were only eligible to the same benefits if they were to be located outside Mexico City.
Demographics
Historically, and since pre-Hispanic times, the valley of Anáhuac has been one of the most densely populated areas in Mexico. When the Federal District was created in 1824, the urban area of Mexico City extended approximately to the area of today's Cuauhtémoc borough. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the elites began migrating to the south and west and soon the small towns of Mixcoac and San Ángel were incorporated by the growing conurbation. Today the city could be clearly divided into a middle and high-class area (south and west, including Polanco, Lomas de Chapultepec, Ciudad Satélite, Jardines del Pedregal and Santa Fe), and a lower class area to the east (Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, Pantitlán, Chalco and Moctezuma).
Up to the 1980s, the Federal District was the most populated federal entity in Mexico, but since then its population has remained stable at around 8.7 million. The growth of the city has extended beyond the limits of the Federal District to 40 municipalities of the state of Mexico and one of the state of Hidalgo, and with a population of 19.3 million it is one of the most populated conurbations in the world. Nonetheless, the annual rate of growth of the Metropolitan Area of Mexico City is much lower than that of other large urban agglomerations in Mexico,
While they represent around 1.3% of the city's population, indigenous peoples from different regions of Mexico have immigrated to the capital in search of better economic opportunities. According to INEGI, náhuatl, otomí, mixteco, zapoteco and mazahua are amongst the indigenous languages with the greatest number of speakers..
Mexico City is also home to large communities of immigrants, most notably from South America (mainly from Argentina but also from Chile, Colombia, Brazil and Venezuela), from Europe (mainly from Spain but also Germany, Italy, France and Poland), the Middle East (mainly from Lebanon and Turkey), and recently from Asia (mainly from China and Korea). While no official figures have been reported by INEGI, population estimates of each of these communities are quite significant. Due to the economic integration of all North American countries under NAFTA, Mexico City is also home to a large American community.
The great majority (90.5%) of the residents in Mexico City are Roman Catholic, higher than the national percentage, even though it has been decreasing over the last decades.
Landmarks
The Historic Center (Centro Histórico) and the "floating gardens" of Xochimilco in the southern borough have been declared World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO. Famous landmarks in the Historic Center include the Zócalo (officially known as the Constitution Square), the main central square with its time clashing Spanish-era Metropolitan Cathedral and Palacio Nacional, and ancient Aztec temple ruins Templo Mayor are all within a few steps of one another. (The Templo Mayor was discovered in 1978 while workers were digging to place underground electric cables.)
The most recognizable icon of Mexico City is the golden Angel of Independence. found on the wide, elegant avenue Paseo de la Reforma, modeled by the order of the Emperor Maximilian of Mexico after the Champs-Élysées in Paris. This avenue was designed to connect the National Palace (seat of government) with the Castle of Chapultepec, the imperial residence. Today, this avenue is an important financial district in which the Mexican Stock Market is located. Another important avenue, is the Avenida de los Insurgentes, which extends 28.8 km (18 miles), and is one of the largest single avenues in the world.
The Chapultepec park houses the Castle of Chapultepec now a museum on a hill that overlooks the park and its numerous museums, monuments and the national zoo and the National Museum of Anthropology (which houses the Aztec Calendar Stone). Another magnificent piece of architecture is the Fine Arts Palace, a stunning white marble theater/museum whose weight is such that it has gradually been sinking into the soft ground below. Its construction began during the presidency of Porfirio Díaz and ended, after being interrupted by the Mexican Revolution in the 1920s. The Plaza of the Three Cultures in the Tlatelolco neighborhood, and the shrine and Basilicas of Our Lady of Guadalupe are also important sites to visit. There is a double decker bus known as the "Turibus" that circles most of these sites, and has timed audio describing the sites in multiple languages as they are passed.
In addition, the city has around 160 museums, over 100 art galleries, and some 30 concert halls. It has the fourth highest number of theaters in the world after New York, London and Toronto. In many locales (The Palacio Nacional and the Instituto Nacional de Cardiología to name a few), there are murals by Diego Rivera. He and his wife Frida Kahlo lived in the southern suburb of Coyoacán, where several of their homes, studios, and collections are open to the public. Nearby is the house of Leon Trotsky, where he was murdered in 1940.
In addition there are several restored Haciendas that are now restaurants such as the San Angel Inn, Hacienda de Tlalpan and the Hacienda de los Morales, all of which are stunning remnants of Mexican glory and house some of the best food in the world.
Sports
Football is Mexico's most televised sport. Several first division teams, including Club América, Cruz Azul and Pumas, are based in Mexico City. The Aztec Stadium (Estadio Azteca), has capacity to seat approximately 126,000 fans. Mexico City also has an Olympic Stadium in Ciudad Universitaria, which is home of the Pumas soccer team. Cruz Azul plays in the Estadio Azul, which is located within Mexico City as well.
The country hosted the Football World Cup in 1970 and 1986 and Azteca is the only stadium in the world to host the final match of the Football World Cup twice. Mexico City also hosted the 1968 Olympic Games, winning bids against Buenos Aires, Lyon and Detroit, and being the only Latin American city to host such an event. Mexico City hosted the 1955 Pan American Games and then the 1975 Pan American Games after Santiago and São Paulo withdrew.
Baseball is also another popular sport with a growing fan base. Mexico City is home to the Diablos Rojos de Mexico (Red Devils) of the Mexican Baseball League, with the team playing their home games at the Foro Sol Stadium. The Red Devils used to share the stadium with the baseball club "Tigres" until the club moved to Puebla, where they are now known as the "Tigres de Angelópolis". Also in Mexico City are located around 10 little leagues for young baseball players.
Starting with the 2005 season, NASCAR will hold annual Busch Series races at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Drivers Carlos Contreras, Michel Jourdain Jr., Jose Luis Ramírez, and Adrian Fernandez enjoy a homecoming with the race; all are from Mexico City originally.
In 2005, Mexico City became the first city to host a NFL regular season game outside of the United States, and has also hosted several NBA pre-season exhibition games along with exhibition matches among MLB teams at the Foro Sol.
Other sports facilities in Mexico City are the Palacio de los Deportes indoor arena, Francisco Márquez Olympic Swimming Pool, the Hipodromo de Las Americas horse-race track.
Transportation
Mexico City is served by the Sistema de Transporte Colectivo Metro, an extensive metro system (207 km), the largest in Latin America, the first portions of which were opened in 1969. The system has 11 lines in 175 stations and a 12th line is planned to be constructed in the year 2008 among with a suburban rail system (currently under construction) similar to the French RER system. One of the busiest in the world, the metro transports approximately 4 million people every day, surpassed only by Moscow's (7.5 million), Tokyo's (5.9 million), and New York City's (4.9 million). It is heavily subsidized, and has the lowest fares in the world, each trip costing MXN 2 (around EUR 0.13 or USD 0.19). A number of stations display Pre-Columbian artifacts and architecture that were discovered during the metro's construction. However, the Metro does not extend outside the limits of the Federal District and therefore an extensive network of bus routes has been implemented. These are mostly managed by private companies which are allowed to operate buses as long as they adhere to certain minimal service quality standards.
The city government also operates a network of large buses, in contrast with the privately operated microbuses, with fares barely exceeding that of the metro. Electric transport other than the metro also exists, in the form of trolleybuses and the Xochimilco Light Rail line. The city's first bus rapid transit line, the Metrobús, began operation in June 2005 on Avenida Insurgentes. As the microbuses were removed from its route, it was hoped that the Metrobús could reduce pollution and decrease transit time for passengers. There are plenty of lime-green colored taxi cabs, which, while occasionally unsafe if taken randomly from the street instead of designated locales, are economical. For safety reasons, tourist are adviced not to take the small beetle-type taxis, and to only hail takis with a license plate that starts with an L which signifies that the taxi has a license. Since late 2002, the white and green taxis have been joined by red and white ones as part of a program to replace older vehicles with new ones.
The freeway system is so dense that an elevated highway that runs on top and parallel to a part of the main ring road (the Periférico) was constructed and finished in 2007. This elevated highway is colloquially called segundo piso ("second level" ).
Mexico City is served by Mexico City International Airport (IATA Airport Code: MEX). This airport is the largest in Latin America in traffic, transporting close to 25 million passengers per year. This traffic, however, exceeds the capacity of the airport, which had historically centralized the majority of air traffic. The government has recently engaged in an extensive restructuring that includes the building of a second adjacent terminal and the enlargement of 4 other airports (at the nearby cities of Toluca, Querétaro, Puebla and Cuernavaca) that, along with Mexico City's airport conform the Grupo Aeropuertuario de la Ciudad de México, distributing traffic to different regions in Mexico. Mexico City's airport is the main hub for 10 of the 12 national airline firms.
The city has four major bus stations (North, South, Observatorio, TAPO), with bus service to cities across the country, and one train station, used for commercial and industrial purposes (interstate passenger trains are now virtually non-existent in Mexico). It was recently announced that a Tren Suburbano (suburban rail) will be built to serve the metropolitan area. There are also several toll expressways which connect Mexico City with several other major cities. The city does not have an expressway network that connects points within the city; all cross-city trips must be done on arterial roads. This is one reason why the city's streets are so congested. However, in the late 70's many arterial roads were redesigned as ejes viales; high-volume one-way roads that cross, in theory, Mexico City from side to side. (In practice, however, this applies only to the inner city area.) The eje vial network is based on a quasi-Cartesian grid, with the ejes themselves being called respectively (Eje 1 Poniente, Eje Central, Eje 1 Oriente for north-south roads, and Eje 2 Sur, Eje 3 Norte for east-west roads).
There is also an environmental program, called Hoy No Circula (known in English as "One Day without a Car"), whereby only vehicles with certain ending numbers on their license plates are allowed to circulate on certain days in an attempt to cut down on pollution and traffic congestion. The program groups vehicles by their ending license plate digits, and every weekday vehicles having any of the day's two "hoy no circula" digits are banned from circulating. For instance, on Fridays, vehicles with plates ending in 9 or 0 may not drive. This program is controversial since it has resulted in many better-off households buying extra cars reducing the program's benefits; also, newer vehicles are exempt from complying with the program, a move said to have been pushed by auto makers to boost sales of new vehicles.
Culture
Education
Mexico City is the location of National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). UNAM is North America's oldest university (established in 1551), the most prestigious public university in Mexico, and the largest with 269,000 students. Three Nobel laureates and most of Mexico's modern-day presidents are among its former students. UNAM conducts 50% of Mexico's scientific research and has presence all across the country with satellite campuses and research centers. The National Autonomous University of Mexico ranks 74th in the Top 200 World University Ranking published by The Times Higher Education Supplement in 2006, making it the highest ranked Spanish-speaking university in the world.
The second largest university is the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN). Other major universities in the city include the Metropolitan Autonomous University (UAM), ITAM, ITESM (3 campi), Universidad Panamericana (UP), Universidad La Salle, the Universidad del Valle de Mexico (UVM), Universidad Anáhuac.
Contrary to what it is in the constituent states of the Mexican federation, the curriculum of Mexico City's public schools is managed by the federal level Secretary of Public Education. Funding is allocated by the government of Mexico City.
Media
Mexico City is the country's most important center for the television, advertising, music, newspaper and book publishing industries. Two national newspapers are published in the city: El Universal and Excélsior. Other important regional newspapers are Reforma (from Grupo Reforma), and La Jornada.
There are 60 radio stations operating in the city and 11 free-access TV channels. The two most important private Mexican broadcast networks (Televisa and TV Azteca) are headquartered in Mexico City. Other important local networks are Canal 11, Canal 22 and Teveunam.
Art
Mexico City is one of the most important cultural centers in the world boasting more museums than any other city. It is also the fourth city in number of theaters just behind New York, London and Toronto.
Having been capital of a vast pre-Hispanic empire, the richest viceroyalty within the Spanish Empire, and capital of the Mexican federation, Mexico City has a rich history of artistic expressions. Since the Mesoamerican pre-Classical period the inhabitants of the settlements around Lake Texcoco produced many works of arts, some of which are today displayed at the National Museum of Anthropology and the Templo Mayor Museum. While many pieces of pottery and stone-engraving have survived, the great majority of the Amerindian iconography was destroyed during the Conquest of Mexico.
During colonial times the first art produced was that of the codices produced to preserve or recuperate Amerindian iconography and history. From then, artistic expressions in Mexico were mostly religious in theme. The Metropolitan Cathedral still displays works of Juan de Rojas, Juan Correa and an oil painting whose authorship has been attributed to Murillo. Secular works of art of this period include the equestrian sculpture of Charles IV of Spain, locally known as El Caballito ("The little horse"). This piece, in bronze, was the work of Manuel Tolsá and it has been placed at the Plaza Tolsá in front of the Palacio de Minería.
During the 19th century, an important producer of art was the San Carlos Academy, founded during colonial times, and which later became the National School of Visual Arts. Many of the works produced by the students and faculty of that time are now displayed in the National Museum of San Carlos. One of the students, José María Velasco, is considered one of the greatest Mexican landscape painters of the 19th century. It was during Porfirio Diaz's regime, the government sponsored arts, especially those that followed the French school. In spite of that, popular arts in the form of cartoons and illustrations flourished like those of José Guadalupe Posada and Manuel Manilla.
After the Mexican Revolution, an avantguard artistic movement originated in Mexico City: the muralism. Many of the works of muralists José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Diego Rivera are displayed in numerous buildings in the city, most notably at the National Palace and the Palace of Fine Arts. Frida Kahlo, wife of Rivera, with a strong nationalist expression, was also one of the most renown of Mexican painters whose house has become a museum that displays many of her works.
During the 20th century, many artists immigrated to Mexico City from different regions in Mexico, like Leopoldo Méndez an engraver from Veracruz, who supported the creation of the socialist Popular Graphics Workshop, designed to help blue-collar workers find a venue to express their art. Other painters came from abroad, like Catalan painter Remedios Varo and other Spanish exiles. It was in the second half of the 20th century that the artistic movement began to drift apart of the Revolutionary theme. José Luis Cuevas, opted for a modernist style in contrast to the muralist movement associated with social politics.
Nicknames
Mexico City was traditionally known as la Ciudad de los Palacios ("the City of Palaces"), a nickname attributed to Baron Alexander von Humboldt when visiting the city in the 19th Century.
During López Obrador's administration a new nickname was introduced: la Ciudad de la Esperanza, or "The City of Hope". It has been replaced by Capital en Movimiento, "Capital in Movement" by the recently elected administration headed by Marcelo Ebrard.
The city is colloquially known as Chilangolandia after the locals' nickname (chilangos). Some argue that the term "chilango" refers to workers who have come to Mexico City looking for employment. Still others think that it comes from the word chili, which was cultivated by the Mexicas. "Chilango" has also been adopted by the some young urban classes of the city. There's even a magazine called Chilango which covers Mexico City's numerous entertainment possibilities and other subjects related to the city. Residents of Mexico City are properly called capitalinos (in reference to the city being the capital of the country) or, more recently defeños (in reference to the postal abbreviation of the Federal District in Spanish: D.F.).
Sister cities
External links
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