LGBT - CDMXTravel

Transcription

LGBT - CDMXTravel

Fascinating Culture, Food, Nightlife
and Urban Adventure in Mexico’s
Maximum City
THE MEXICO CITY MINISTRY OF TOURISM (SecturDF) considers
it a privilege to offer this special welcome to its lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transsexual, transgender and intersexual visitors. We think “the DF”
is soon to be one of your favorite places in the world.
Its cultural, social, gastronomic and nightlife options are as
diverse as you, ranging from grand historical spaces to fun bohemian
watering holes; edgy galleries and endless museums; hotels for every
budget, all manner of great restaurants, and incredible street life that
fires the imagination. Put together it adds up to tremendous fun and
sophisticated urban adventure.
Mexico City and SecturDF’s commitment to the LGBTTI
community—for citizens and visitors alike—goes beyond flying
a rainbow flag in this or that place and advocating for tolerance.
Instead, it is reflected in progressive actions designed to enhance
equality for all members of sexually diverse communities, most
notably exemplified by Mexico City’s landmark 2010 legalization of
same-sex marriage, a first for any Latin American jurisdiction. Legal
adoption by same-sex couples was enacted the same year.
It is also reflected in this official guide to LGBT Mexico City.
The first ever of its kind, it focuses especially on the neighborhoods
and attractions that LGBT visitors most enjoy, and leads to art,
architecture and history amid seven centuries of urban culture in
the Centro Histórico; to the alternative charms of artsy enclaves like
Condesa and Roma; to the high-end good life and sophisticated style
that is Polanco; and not least of all, to the Zona Rosa, the cradle of
Mexico’s LGBT rights movement, and of course, home to some of the
best gay nightlife in the world. Along the way you’ll read about the
city’s hidden gems and less well-known neighborhoods, too.
Best of all, it is the people of Mexico City—smart, fun, friendly
and hospitable—who complete the mosaic of city life and support
its free, open spirit. Look for great insider tips in every section
from some of the city’s most fascinating young personalities.
They—alongside nearly ten million DF residents—join SecturDF in
welcoming you to our spectacular urban celebration.
Mexico City Ministry of Tourism
CENTRO
MEXICO CITY GAY PRIDE PARADE
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MEXICO CITY:
MAXIMUM CITY
Where to begin when describing how much Mexico City appeals
to LGBT travelers? It helps that we love urban life. Because Mexico
City is Maximum City—and even more incredible when experienced
through the lens of queer creativity, wit and style.
Start with the history. The capital of the Aztec Empire from
1325, followed by three centuries as a viceregal Spanish city, and
Mexico’s center of intellectual, artistic and cultural life in every period
before and after independence, Mexico City has always thought big,
grand and palatial. Get ready for amazing architecture and a wild
combination of the old and the new, the high and the low, that makes
for pageantry, nostalgia, and fun, campy contrasts.
Then add style. Mexico City is at a high point when it comes to
design and the arts, with dozens of edgy galleries, museums that
challenge the boundaries, and hundreds of creators, established and
emerging, whose genius takes perennial inspiration from the city’s
dynamism, color and street life.
Then there are the pleasures. Food in infinite varieties,
impossibly delicious. Elegance and sophistication in hotels, smart
cocktail lounges and cutting-edge restaurants. Nightlife that only
ends when you call it quits.
And best of all, there’s the joy of city life. The great
conversations, the people-watching, the questions that only come
up when this many souls get together in one place. It’s also about the
LGBT community’s open existence and contributions; the characters
and the random encounters; making friends and maybe even some
flirt while you’re at it.
With all that in mind, we present the LGBT Guide to Mexico
City. A highly subjective invitation to take your place in the DF’s
dazzling urban pageant. We hope it whets the appetite for more
exploration and adventure on this trip and on journeys yet to come.
CONTENTS
CENTRO
HISTÓRICO
— P. 4 —
CONDESA/ROMA
— P. 14 —
POLANCO
— P. 24 —
ZONA ROSA
— P. 30 —
OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS
COYOACÁN
SAN RAFAEL/SANTA MARÍA LA RIBERA
IN THE FIELD: EXCURSIONS, SPORTS & ADVENTURES
— P. 40 —
Michael Parker-Stainback
AUTHOR AND EDITOR
LGBT GUIDE TO MEXICO CITY
LGBT GUIDE MEXICO CITY..
Segunda edición: 2013. © Travesías Editores, S.A. de C.V., Amatlán 33, col. Condesa, C.P. 06140, México D.F.
Queda prohibida la reproducción parcial o total de esta obra por cualquier medio —incluidos los electrónicos—
sin permiso escrito por parte del titular de los derechos.
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CENTRO
CENTRO
HISTÓRICO
REPÚBLICA DE PARAGU
AY
PEDRO MOREN
O
NICARAGUA
REP. DE PERÚ
PENSAD
OR MEX
ICANO
5
STA. VE
RACRU
9
Z
DONCELES
3
THE TIME MACHINE
8
ATEMALA
REP. DE GU
7
JUSTO
SIERRA
2
architecture, culture and just plain life—high, low and otherwise—as does
Mexico City’s ancient downtown, the Centro Histórico. From its legendary
BALDERAS
FEW NEIGHBORHOODS ON EARTH CONTAIN AS MUCH HISTORY,
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4
1
beginnings in the fourteenth century, until the last years of the nineteenth,
it was home to all of Mexico’s most important government, religious and
REP. DE UR
AYUNTAM
IENTO
cultural institutions.
REP. DE EL
After some recent tough times, the Centro is reasserting its central
UGUAY
SALVADOR
place in the urban fabric—and is an essential stop for every LGBT visitor. Its
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narrow streets are jammed with incredible architecture; great new hotels
and restaurants join old-schoolers that have been there forever; and the
museum-going is tremendous. Not least of all, LGBT nightlife is booming
IZAZAGA
downtown.
The neighborhood’s intangible urbanity, seemingly lost in time, is
something that LGBT people truly appreciate: the city as a place of
surprises and freedom; a pageant of the grand and the humble; the temple
of high culture, next door to the dive-y corner bar.
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1 Zócalo
6 Cantina Tío Pepe
2 Palacio de Bellas Artes
7
3 Plaza Tolsá
8 San Ildefonso
Cantina La Ópera
4 Hotel Downtown México
9 Museo Franz Mayer
5 Salón Marrakech
10 Museo de la Ciudad de México
9
S
2
S
Start in Mexico City’s main square,
the Zócalo. This was where the
Aztecs founded the city when, it is
said, they spotted an eagle alighting
on a cactus, devouring a snake.
(Sound familiar? Check out the
Mexican flag). An augur foretold a
great city would rise where the eagle
landed. And just look what happened.
Zócalo highlights include the
Cathedral (don’t miss the immense
baroque pipe organ and the splendid
altarpiece) and to the right is the
Palacio Nacional, the seat of the
Federal Government.
Begun by Cortés where Moctezuma’s
imperial residence once stood, the
Palacio Nacional now houses Diego
Rivera murals and other artifacts
from Mexican history. Between these
two structures—like a ghost between
church and state—lies the Templo
Mayor, i.e., the main Aztec temple,
where yes, the human sacrifices
happened. Today you explore its ruins
and extensive museum.
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From the Zócalo, stroll down Madero
Street—the people-watching is great
as you pass several magnificent
buildings and churches. Madero
ends in front of a white-wedding
cake of an auditorium: the Palacio
de Bellas Artes. Its creamy art
nouveau exterior contrasts with a
fabulous dark-hued art deco interior;
if possible, see an event at the
Palacio and with luck, they’ll lower its
incredible Tiffany-glass fire curtain.
Outside, walk toward the rear of
Bellas Artes and cross over to
the Palacio Postal (at Tacuba
Street), the city’s main post office.
Check out what state-of-the-art
communications looked like in 1903,
including amazing grillwork and a
grand staircase that’s grand enough
for even you.
End your tour in Plaza Tolsá, just
across the street from the post office,
whose centerpiece is an equestrian
statue of a tubby and none-too-bright
looking King Charles IV of Spain.
Plaza highlights include the Palacio
de Minería (the classical pile right
next door), and Mexico’s National
Art Museum, worth a look-see for its
architecture alone.
FROM THE ZÓCALO AND
THE PALACIO NACIONAL
TO BELLAS ARTES
AND PLAZA TOLSÁ
YOU COULD EXPLORE THE
CENTRO’S NARROW, BUSTLING
STREETS FOR DAYS AND RARELY
SEE THE SAME THING TWICE. THAT
SAID, THE FOLLOWING ROUTE LETS
YOU DO THE MUST-SEES IN A FEW
HOURS.
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FABULOUS
CENTRO
RESTAURANTS
AZUL HISTÓRICO. Isabel la
Católica 30 (on the ground level of
the Hotel Downtown México); 5521
3295; azulhistorico.com. Mon-Sat 9
am-11 pm, Sun 9 am-6 pm. Refined,
“modern” Mexican fare served in a
leafy colonial courtyard amid a chic,
bustling scene.
CAFÉ DE TACUBA. Tacuba 28;
5518 4950; cafedetacuba.com.
mx. Open daily 8 am-11:30 pm. A
classic, immaculate and kitschy
(like at Sanborns, dig the waitress
uniforms), featuring traditional
Mexican, like enchiladas and
tamales. Sundays can include a
habit-clad “nun” who hands out
breakfast pastries.
CASA DE LAS SIRENAS. República
de Guatemala 32; 5704 3345;
lacasadelassirenas.com.mx. MonSat 11 am-11 pm, Sun 11 am-7 pm.
Flavorful Mexican food in a lopsided
old townhouse; the terrace offers
marvelous views of the Cathedral.
Excellent tortillas prepared by old gals
that know what they’re doing.
CASINO ESPAÑOL. Isabel la Católica
29; 5521 8894. Mon-Sun 8 am-6 pm.
Impossibly palatial. Once you’ve
recovered from the grand staircase,
the soaring lobby and the 1000-lb
chandeliers, slip upstairs for Spanish
lunch with hard-coiffed señoras and
downtown fat-cats whose dining
companions look a little too young to
be their wives.
EL MAYOR. República de Argentina
17 (on the roof of the Librería Porrúa
bookstore); 5704 7580; porrua.com/
elmayor. Mon-Sun 10 am-8 pm. A chic
lunch spot with updated traditionals.
The views—from the Cathedral
to grand colonial palaces and the
namesake Aztec temple—are ghostly,
poetic and inspiring.
PADRINOS. Isabel la Católica 30
(on the ground level of the Hotel
Downtown México); 5510 2394;
bajodelatintorera.com. Mon-Fri 8 am11 pm; Sat 9-12 am; Sun 9 am-6 pm.
Mexican classics and steaks with a
hint of French bistro, in the patio of an
eighteenth-century palace.
ROLDÁN 37. Roldán 37; 5542 1951.
Mon-Thurs 10 am-7 pm, Fri-Sat 10
am-11 pm, Sun 10 am-6 pm. A hidden
gem, Roldán occupies a restored
CENTRO
SIGHTS
& STROLLS
CAFÉ DE TACUBA
townhouse on a street few visitors
reach. Make the pilgrimage for refined
Mexican iterations; the chic/barrio
combo is pure Mexico City.
SANBORNS (CASA DE LOS
AZULEJOS) Francisco I. Madero 4;
5512 7882; sanborns.com.mx. Open
daily 7 am-1 am and SANBORNS
(PALACIO CONDES DE XALA)
Venustiano Carranza 73; 5518 1463;
sanborns.com.mx. Open daily 7 am-11
pm. An essential experience, if only for
the waitress uniforms. The Azulejos
location’s dining room occupies
a fantastic colonial courtyard, a
routinely packed must-see; the
Xala outpost occupies a gorgeously
restored eighteenth-century palace.
Ideal for breakfast.
“THE CHIC/BARRIO
COMBO IS PURE
ROLDÁN 37
MEXICO CITY.”
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CENTRO
P
“THE CRUSTY
A
WAITRESSES
LOVE YOU, THEY JUST
DON’T GET STICKY
ABOUT IT.”
CHURROS EL MORO
Tequila, Trumpets
and Tears
FABULOUS DIVES IN
AND AROUND PLAZA
GARIBALDI
Dazzling hotels, restaurants and
museums are all part of Mexico
City, but its sub-rosa, underground
pleasures are also great fun. Plaza
Garibaldi, downtown along Avenida
Lázaro Cárdenas, is the authentically
tourist-tacky heart of mariachi music.
Hanging out in the plaza is fun (look
for “cocktail bars” perched on rolling
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start suffering if they’re going to
finish that symphony.
Churros El Moro. Lázaro Cárdenas
42; 5512 0896; elmoro.com.mx. Open
daily 24 hrs. Churro “doughnuts” and
the hot chocolate is to die for. The
crusty waitresses love you, they just
don’t get sticky about it.
Coox Hanal. Isabel la Católica 83;
5709 3613. Open daily 10:30 am-6:30
pm. Delicious Yucatán food in a
down-home atmosphere. Sundays
feature mind-blowing entertainment:
aging pop divas, EZ listening organ,
vintage-1947 “dirty” jokes…
Danubio. República de Uruguay 3;
5512 0912; danubio.com.mx. MonWed 1 pm-9 pm, Thurs-Sun 1 pm-10
pm. Old—and we mean old—school
seafood. Traditional, yet nostalgic fun.
Hostería de Santo Domingo.
Belisario Domínguez 72; 5526 5276;
hosteriadesantodomingo.com.mx.
Mon-Sat 9 am-10:30 pm, Sun 9-8 pm. .
Said to be the city’s oldest restaurant,
featuring classics like enchiladas,
carnitas, and carne asada—plus offkey live entertainment.
POSTER FROM MARÍA CANDELARIA (1944)
Churubusco Camp
Three Must-See Classics from
the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema
From the post-WW II period until the mid-1960s, Mexican movies enjoyed
a golden age, and film studios such as Estudios Churubusco made Mexico
City the cinema capital of the Spanish-speaking world. We recommend three
essential, campy Mexico City-set pictures to get you started.
carts); or go “classy” at Salón El
Tenampa (Plaza Garibaldi 12; 5526
6176; salontenampa.com. Sun-Thurs 1
pm-2 am, Fri-Sat 1 pm-3 am), an oldschool joint with strolling mariachis.
There’s also a brand-new Museo del
Tequila y el Mezcal (Plaza Garibaldi
[no number] 5529 1238; Sun-Mon,
Wed 11 am-7 pm; Thurs-Sat 11 am-8
pm; mutemgaribaldi.com.mx), that
celebrates the delicious, dangerous
elixirs. Finally, between the Centro and
Garibaldi, there are a series of gay
places that ride the line between hip
and abject: El 69 (Lázaro Cárdenas 15A), Bar Quiroga (Belisario Domínguez
13), and Go (Colón 30 at the corner
of Reforma) are popular at this
writing. Have fun, but take reasonable
precautions, i.e., don’t get fall-down
drunk or try to score something you
know isn’t good for you.
www.listal.com/viewimage/182346h
OTHER NOTEWORTHY CENTRO
RESTAURANTS (IN BRIEF)
Al-Andalus. Mesones 171; 5522 2528.
Open daily 9 am-6 pm. Authentic
Middle-Eastern fare served in an old
townhouse, a social center for the
city’s Lebanese immigrants.
Café del Palacio. Avenida Juárez 1
(in the lobby of the Palacio de Bellas
Artes); 5512 2593. Mon 12 pm-6 pm,
Tues-Sun 11 am-6 pm. Smart lunches
and cocktails amid the Palacio de
Bellas Artes’s art deco splendors. Rub
elbows with artsy types who’d better
Aventurera (1950). After her father’s
lurid suicide, Elena (the fierce Ninón
Sevilla) decamps for the big city, only
to become ensnared in prostitution,
intrigue and nightclub superstardom.
Empowered, she sets out to avenge
all who have wronged her.
María Candelaria (1944) stars
Dolores del Río as a (fair-skinned?)
indigenous flower vendor in the
floating gardens of Xochimilco. She
can’t seem to get a break (the piglet!)
until a foreign artist makes her his
model, yet association with the
bohemian set leads to repercussions.
Gorgeous photography by Mexican
cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa.
Salón México (1949). To send her
sister to an exclusive boarding school,
Mercedes (Marga López) works as a
“taxi dancer” in a tawdry dancehall.
Yet Paco (Rodolfo Acosta), hot but
bad news, keeps coming around to
abuse, steal and generally screw
things up. Will Mercedes sacrifice all
to hide the truth from her sister?
LA FARÁNDULA: THEATRE
AND THE PERFORMING
ARTS
Mexico City is a mecca for the
arts, with a breathtaking—if
not overwhelming—range of
options, often on the cheap.
On the high end there is what
happens at the Palacio de
Bellas Artes and other official
venues: ballet and orchestra,
opera and modern dance, pop
concerts and the world-famous
Ballet Folklórico, the colorful,
crowd pleasing, and quite
impressive traditional dance
show. Check out the “cartelera”
(i.e., “event calendar”)
sections on websites like
Bellas Artes’s bellasartes.
gob.mx or the Mexico City
Tourism Ministry’s mexicocity.
gob.mx/cartelera. In the
middlebrow range, there is
almost always an adaptation
of the latest (or not so latest)
Broadway musical hit, which
doesn’t require perfect
Spanish—if any—to enjoy. The
website carteleradeteatro.
mx has information on
blockbuster shows plus the
current theatrical offering,
including cabaret. Finally,
live music choices are nearly
infinite, ranging from old-style
bolero torch songs, danzón
or salsa, to folk music, and
even curious holdouts like
rockabilly, punk and metal.
Visit timeoutmexico.mx
for the latest listings and
recommendations.
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B
N
BUENAS NOCHES:
FABULOUS HOTELS
Hotel de Cortés,
Centro Histórico
Avenida Hidalgo 85 (just north
of the Alameda Central); 5518
2181; boutiquehotel
decortes.com
Occupying a recently
“boutiqued” eighteenth
century monastery, this
kicky hotel is now a hotspot,
especially weekend nights,
when its rooftop bar fills with
sexy, well-scrubbed youths of
all persuasions. Rooms boast
great colonial architecture,
then add edgy furnishings,
including clear glass look-atme showers that reward you
for all that time in the gym.
EL OASIS. República de Cuba 2-G;
5521 9740. Sun-Thurs 4 pm-3 am;
Fri-Sat 5 pm-5 am. Everyone is family
here, present for dancing, drag shows
and heartfelt karaoke. The crowd
spans from papa bears to twinks,
plus plenty of girls. More for fun than
hook-ups, but you never know…
EL VIENA. República de Cuba 2-E;
5512 0929. Sun-Wed 2 pm-1:30
am, Thurs-Sat 2 pm-2:30 am.
The grandmama cantina of the
burgeoning Cuba Street scene.
Weeknights are tranquilo, but once
Thursday hits, everyone’s here for
fervent jukebox dancing and major
eye contact. Mostly men.
LA PERLA. República de Cuba 44;
1997 7695; cabaret-laperla.com. FriSat 8 pm-3 am. Said to have opened
in 1946 (last remodel 1963?), now
everyone comes. Drag performers
range from pop-divas and traditional
señoritas to fierce 200-pounders
and refugees from German
expressionism. Arrive early (the
place is tiny) or wait to get in.
LA PURÍSIMA. República de Cuba
21; 5704 1995. Thurs-Sat 7 pm-2
am. Big-sister to Marrakech, La
Purísima gathers a cute, bohemian
crew for frenetic dancing, gogo boys, fun and flirt—amid
madhouse, Catholic-kitsch
appointments. The upstairs lounge
is good for a boozy tête-à-tête.
MARRAKECH SALÓN. República
de Cuba 18. Thurs-Sat 6 pm-3 am.
A bohemian hideaway that kicked
off the Cuba Street boom, typically
packed with artsy young men (and
women) who are easy on the eyes.
Camp décor and a friendly vibe
add to the charm.
OTHER CENTRO NIGHTLIFE OF
INTEREST
Bar La Ópera. Cinco de Mayo
10; 5521 8375; barlaopera.com.
Mon-Sat 1 pm-12 am, Sun 1-6
pm. More a gilded-age saloon
than mere cantina, style queens
love the art-nouveau and flocked
velvet wallpaper; sassy grrls thrill
to a bullet hole that Pancho Villa
left behind (ask a waiter to point
it out); and there’s tequila and
margaritas for all.
Cantina Tío Pepe. Independencia
26; 5521 9136. Mon-Thurs 12 pm10 pm, Fri 12 pm-11 pm, Sat 12
pm-9:30 pm. The working man’s
La Ópera (see above), with a stiff
shot of belle-époque (that’s taken
a few hard knocks). Trapped in
time—including the regulars—it
ain’t swank or chic, yet suitable
for all audiences (especially when
the crowd gets to singing its offkey torch songs).
Hotel Downtown México
Rooftop. Isabel la Católica 30;
5130 6830; downtownmexico.
com. Mon-Thurs 12 pm-12 am,
Fri-Sat 12 pm-3 am. The Centro’s
chicest new address, the vibe is
great at cocktail hour, lounge-y
and relaxed; a highly-heeled,
highly-tanned crush hits later on.
Miralto. Madero 1 (the 41st floor
of the Torre Latinoamericana);
5518 1710; miralto.com.mx. SunMon 1:30-9 pm, Tues-Wed 1:30-11
pm, Thurs-Sat 1:30 pm-2 am. The
lounge atop the city’s most beloved
skyscraper is more impressive than
strictly fabulous, but you cannot
argue with the views.
T
TOP 5
MEMO MARTÍNEZ, Broadcast Journalist
Carla Fernández. The smart
person’s couture, for every body
type, a celebration of Mexican
textiles unlike anyplace else.
Moliere 58, Polanco; 5912 8010;
carlafernandez.com.
El Patio 77. A quiet, lovely spot for
a “dirty weekend” with your Prince
Charming—or Marquis de Sade.
Icazbalceta 77, Colonia San Rafael;
5592 8452; elpatio77.com.
Sangre de Mi Sangre. Fantastic
silver jewelry for women and men
who can pull off a real statement,
FUN AND FLIRT—
AMID MADHOUSE,
CATHOLIC-KITSCH
APPOINTMENTS.”
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5
Mexico City’s Coolest Reveal Their Favorite DF Pleasures
“FRENETIC DANCING,
LA PURÍSIMA
CENTRO
CENTRO LGBT
CANTINAS,
BARS & CLUBS
EL OASIS
in style so extraordinary it’s timeless.
Orizaba 101 L-F, Colonia Roma; 5511
8599; sdemis.com.
Colonia Doctores Flea Market.
All the greatest old junk you never
knew you needed; the urge to
acquire seizes you like a fever. Av.
Cuauhtémoc at Colima, Colonia
Doctores, Saturdays.
The Hermanas Vampiro Show.
Always fierce, hilarious and fun; never
the same twice. Legendary Mexican
susperstars. Sundays 10 pm at Papi
Fun Bar, Amberes 18, Zona Rosa.
Memo Martínez is a reporter and on-air personality, host of Glam Show
(Channel 52) and Televisa’s Fashionet specials, among other programs, who
also works as a fashion producer.
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ANTIGUO COLEGIO DE SAN
ILDEFONSO. Justo Sierra 16; 5702
2991; sanildefonso.org.mx. Tues 10
am-8pm; Wed-Sun 10 am-5:30 pm.
Arrayed around a series of tranquil
cloisters, this art museum is home
to dazzling temporary exhibitions
that skew to contemporary work
from Mexico and around the world.
And don’t miss “El Generalito,” a
seventeenth-century chapel featuring
incredible hand-carved mahogany
choir stalls, pulpits, etc.
MUSEO DE ARTE POPULAR.
Revillagigedo 11; 5510 2201; map.
df.gob.mx. Tues-Sun 10 am-6 pm; Wed
10 am-9 pm. Dazzling folk art housed
in a great art deco building.
MUSEO DEL PALACIO DE BELLAS
ARTES. Avenida Juárez (no number;
at the corner of Avenida Lázaro
Cárdenas); 5282 1964; bellasartes.
gob.mx. Tues-Sun 10 am-6 pm. In
addition to its breathtaking concert
ANTIGUO COLEGIO
DE SAN ILDEFONSO
16
MUSEO NACIONAL DE ARTE
hall (see the stroll at the beginning
of this chapter), the Palacio de
Bellas Artes includes a museum
that often hosts international
blockbuster shows alongside
“brand name” murals by Orozco,
Siqueiros and Diego Rivera (among
others).
MUSEO DE LA CIUDAD DE
MÉXICO. Pino Suárez 30; 5542
0671. Tues-Sun 10 am-5:30 pm.
Focused on urban history and
culture, it contrasts permanent
exhibitions with edgier temporary
art and photography shows. Don’t
miss the building’s cornerstone: an
Aztec deity “recycled” as a brick for a
conquistador’s mansion.
MUSEO DEL ESTANQUILLO.
Isabel la Católica 26; 5521 3052;
museodelestanquillo.com. WedMon 10 am-6 pm. Late Mexican
writer Carlos Monsiváis’s brilliant
queer eye is the basis for a rotating
schedule of exhibits on everything
from cinema, history and design to
Mexican popular culture, mounted
from “treasures” Monsiváis culled
on trips to the city’s flea markets.
MUSEO MEMORIA Y
TOLERANCIA. Avenida
Juárez (in front of the Benito
Juárez monument); 5130 5555;
memoriaytolerancia.org. Tues-Fri 9
am-6 pm, Sat-Sun 10 am-7 pm. This
museum of memory and tolerance
bears witness to the twentieth
century’s most violent genocides
and builds awareness of everyday,
“harmless” bigotry.
MUSEO FRANZ MAYER. Avenida
Hidalgo 45; 5518 2266; franzmayer.
org.mx. Tues-Sun 10 am-5 pm. A
gracious colonial-era hospital now
houses a decorative arts collection
bursting with fab 16th to 19thcentury furniture, housewares, silver,
ceramics, tapestries, etc. Even the
butchest will catalogue decorating
ideas.
MUSEO NACIONAL DE ARTE.
Tacuba 8; 5130 3400; munal.com.mx.
Tues-Sun 10 am-5:30 pm. Mexico’s
national art museum features an
almost exhausting collection of
painting, sculpture, etc., from colonial
times to the early twentieth century,
alongside increasingly notable
temporary exhibitions. And the
museum itself—a mind-blowing neorenaissance, neo-baroque, neo-wedon’t-know-what-else pile—must be
seen to be believed.
OTHER NOTEWORTHY CENTRO
MUSEUMS (IN BRIEF)
Museo Archivo de la Fotografía.
República de Guatemala 34; 2616
7057. Tues-Sun 10 am-6 pm.
An immense photo archive in a
magnificent colonial townhouse.
Museo del Calzado. Bolívar 27
(upstairs); 5521 8380; museocalzado.
com. Mon-Sat 10 am-6 pm. The DF’s
shoe museum, for the diva in us all.
Museo del Juguete Antiguo
México. Dr. Olvera 15,
Colonia Doctores; 5588 2100;
museodeljuguete.mx. Mon-Fri 9 am-6
pm, Sat-Sun 10 am-16 pm. Located
south of the Centro, this raffish
antique toy collection is irresistible.
Museo Mural Diego Rivera. Calle
Colón at the corner of Balderas;
5512 0754; museomuraldiegorivera.
org. Tues-Sun 10 am-6 pm. Its
mural centerpiece is a Diego Rivera
masterwork that’s a who’s-who of
Mexican history and society. Miss
Frida features prominently.
Museo Nacional de la Estampa.
Avenida Hidalgo 39; 5521 2244;
museonacionaldelaestampa.
bellasartes.gob.mx. Tues-Sun 10 am-6
pm. Mexican printmaking and graphic
arts from the sixteenth century to the
present day.
Pinacoteca del Templo de la
Profesa. Isabel la Católica 21; 5512
7862. Sat 12-2 pm only. Worth
working around the odd hours:
colonial-era religious art that really
goes for baroque. Saints and martyrs
for days!
CENTRO
THE
CENTRO’S
BEST
MUSEUMS
B
N
BUENAS NOCHES:
FABULOUS HOTELS
Hotel Downtown México,
Centro Histórico
Isabel la Católica 30; 5130
6830; downtownmexico.com
The brand new Hotel
Downtown México is the
centerpiece of a grand
colonial palace said to have
belonged to Moctezuma’s
descendants (is that “old
money” enough?), and also
features two fashionable
eateries, a swinging rooftop
bar, high-end boutiques, etc.
Guest rooms are minimalist
to a monastic fault, with
chic, high/low design
appointments; if you can,
splurge on a deluxe suite,
which may be the biggest
hotel rooms we’ve ever seen.
“...A COLONIAL PALACE
SAID TO HAVE BELONGED
TO MOCTEZUMA’S
DESCENDANTS. IS THAT
MUSEO MEMORIA Y TOLERANCIA
‘OLD MONEY’ ENOUGH?”
17
TÍB
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ÁN PEN
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PA
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AN
DI DOR
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CA
GO
5
A
BUR
HAM
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VIL
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JOSÉ VASCONCELOS
CONDESA/
ROMA
PÁN
CENTRO
RÍO
UCO
RÍO
A
PUEBL
7
THE ACTION
9
A
COLIM
THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS KNOWN AS ROMA AND CONDESA
encapsulate a lot of what people love most about Mexico City: the old/
10
new mix, walkable/bikeable neighborhoods, a burgeoning art scene and
2
an overall buena onda (i.e., good vibe) when it comes to life in general. You
4
feel it as you walk the area’s leafy streets and parks, chat in a smart café or
meet up for a drink in its kicky, bohemian boîtes.
Hard to believe now, but Mexico City’s devastating 1985 earthquake
wrought a terrible toll on the area. All but abandoned, rents fell, so artists,
3
free-spirited types and yes, LGBT people moved in. Funky and fabulous
JARDÍN
RAMÓN
LÓPEZ
VELARDE
LEÓN
1
was only a matter of time. Things started getting fixed up, restaurants and
8
LA
TLAXCA
galleries began to proliferate, and a boom—chic, flirty and irresistible—is in
full swing. All in all, it’s hard to imagine a more thoroughly pleasant set-up
for urban life.
1 Merotoro
18
6 Vértigo Galería
2 Bistrot Máximo
7
3 Tom’s Leather Bar
8 Cine Tonalá
Sicario
4 Bar San Luis
9 Hotel Brick
5 Covadonga
10 Hotel Condesa df
19
S
FABULOUS
CONDESA/
•ROMA
RESTAURANTS
S
Avenida Álvaro Obregón (between
Tonalá and Frontera Streets, Colonia
Roma). The Roma’s main commercial
drag, with its sculpture decorated
median, is home to some of the
city’s most popular restaurants
and bars, great old apartments and
soignée design boutiques. Stick
to neighborhood galleries if you’re
looking to acquire.
Calle Colima (between Tonalá and
Frontera Streets, Colonia Roma). The
Roma street par excellence, quiet, yet
increasingly home to quirky shops
specializing in design, clothing and
accessories for local hipsters, artistes
and wannabes. Don’t miss the
spectacular residential architecture
as you perambulate.
Avenida Ámsterdam. (One block
from Parque México in any direction,
Colonia Condesa). This elliptical
street is one of the city’s most
charming walks, home to interesting
architecture, restaurants, and the
city’s flirtiest dog walking.
Calle Orizaba (between Puebla and
Querétaro Streets, Colonia Roma).
A buzzy Roma axis bookended by
two lively, lovely plazas. Both feature
cafés, restaurants, all manner of
loitering lovers, adorable children and
dogs of varying adorability.
Avenida Michoacán/Avenida
Nuevo León (Colonia Condesa).
Here creative types, business
execs and ladies who lunch crowd
around sidewalk tables to see, be
seen, and participate in the urban
milieu. Venues range from old school
holdovers, now rediscovered, to
trendy spots that come and go, or
even a traditional market where tasty
basics like sandwiches and tacos are
had on the cheap.
ALEKZANDER. Álvaro Obregón
130, Colonia Roma; 5264 3843;
alekzander.mx. Mon-Wed 1 pm-11
pm, Thurs-Sat 1 pm-1 am. Can there
really be room for another vintagelightbulb-illumined dining room
in the Roma? At Alekzander, yes,
especially when the surrounding
appointments—and denizens—evince
such impeccable style. A tight menu
focuses on tapas, salads and some
entrées.
BELMONDO. Tabasco 109, Colonia
Roma; 6273 2079. Mon-Fri 1 pm-12
am, Sat 10 am-12 am, Sun 11 am-5
pm. Officially inspired by the New
York deli, but more like New York
Fashion Week, the beautiful people
(including you) cram in, especially
nights, for artisanal sandwiches,
salads, and entrees plus sophisticated
cocktails and yummy desserts.
Parque España and Parque México.
(Parque España: where Avenida Nuevo
León meets Avenida Tamaulipas;
Parque México: surrounded by
Avenida México; Colonia Condesa).
For many, these two tidy gardens are
the true heart of the Condesa. Parque
México features pavilions, fountains
and pathways for taking a breather,
making out, or just general frolicking;
weekends are especially delightful.
BROKA. Zacatecas 126, Colonia
Roma; 4437 4285. Mon-Fri 2 pm-2
am. Total tops beware: Broka has no
set menu; everything depends on
what looked good that morning at
local markets. If you’re willing to roll
with it, the rewards are great: tapas,
paninis, etc., in a cozy bar-like space.
CONTRAMAR. Durango 200, Colonia
Roma; 5514 3169; contramar.com.mx.
Sun-Thurs 1-6:30 pm; Fri-Sat 1-8:30
pm. A hotspot that really delivers,
Contramar serves Mexican-style fish
and shellfish. The people-watching
is second only to the food’s rich, yet
delicate flavor.
EL CALIFA. Altata 22, Colonia
Condesa; 5271 6285; elcalifa.com.
mx. Daily 12 pm-5 am. A traditional
taco joint and not exactly chic, it’s
a resource—a very tasty resource—
when you stumble out of the bars,
wide-awake and ravenous. The later
it gets, the kookier the mix…be on
the lookout for bleary-eyed pop
music stars.
MÁXIMO BISTROT LOCAL. Tonalá
133, Colonia Roma; 5264 4291;
maximobistrot.com.mx. TuesSun 1 pm-11 pm. One of the city’s
hottest tables, living up to the hype.
Hype about exceedingly fresh,
CONDESA/ROMA
SIGHTS
& STROLLS
ROSETTA
contemporary recipes prepared with
impeccable local ingredients, plus
warm service and a cute bungalow
setting.
MEROTORO. Amsterdam 204,
Colonia Condesa; 5564 7799;
merotoro.com. Mon-Sat 1:30 pm-11
pm, Sun 2 pm-5 pm. Merotoro blends
Mediterranean and Mexican using
artisanal ingredients from heirloom
farms. Refined in that rustic, industrial
way, subdued and intimate.
LA CAPITAL. Nuevo León 137, Colonia
Condesa; 5256 5159; lacapital.com.
Mon-Wed 1 pm-12 am, Wed-Sat 1 pm-1
am, Sun 1 pm-6 pm. A chic room that
alludes to mid-century fabulous,
“...A VERY TASTY RESOURCE
WHEN YOU STUMBLE OUT OF
THE BARS, WIDE-AWAKE AND
RAVENOUS.”
BELMONDO
20
21
FLIRTY, ALMOST DISCOLIKE, BUT AFTERNOONS
C
B
COULD BE BEST...”
DIVINE LIGHT, COMPLETE
CONTROL:
ROMITA COMEDOR
serving up refined versions of Mexican
comfort foods along with just the right
amount of showmanship. The service
is almost humorously chop-chop.
ROMITA COMEDOR. Álvaro
Obregón 49, Colonia Roma; 5525
8975; romitacomedor.com. TuesWed 2 pm-1 am, Thurs-Sat 2 pm-2
am. Perched atop a fin de siècle
townhouse, Romita is pretty close
to stunning. Nights are jammed
and flirty, almost disco-like, but
afternoons may be best of all, when
the roof is retracted and sunlight
floods the dining room. Updated
Mexican classics plus tons of
cocktails that skew fruity and girly.
ROSETTA. Colima 166, Colonia Roma;
5533 7804. Mon-Sat 1 pm-11:30 pm.
Reckoned the city’s finest Italian,
delicately crafted and served with love
in a chic, antique-filled townhouse.
Wait for a table on the main floor; the
upstairs dining room is Siberia.
CASA LUIS BARRAGÁN
The spare yet somehow baroque
former residence of modernist
Mexican architect Luis Barragán—
a short taxi ride from Colonia
Condesa—demonstrates why his
work still fascinates and influences
the world over. Its blend of natural
light, stark geometries and spatial
progression is masterful; visitors
see Barragan’s furnishings,
books and artworks as they were
originally placed (and believe us,
don Luis put nothing—anywhere—
by accident).
General Francisco Ramírez 12-14,
Colonia Apliación Daniel Garza;
5515 4908; casaluisbarragan.org.
Mon-Fri 10 am-5 pm, Sat 10 am-1
pm. Tours available in English; call
ahead for required reservations.
ALT.CONSUMER
SHOPPING
CONDESA ROMA
B
BUENAS NOCHES:
FABULOUS HOTELS
NOW THAT YOU’RE COMPLETELY TUNED IN TO MEXICO CITY’S EDGY DESIGN
AND ARTS SCENE, you need the right souvenir to show off to bohemian
friends back home. There’s great stuff almost everywhere you turn, but avant
consumerism climaxes here in hipster heights, particularly along Colima and
Álvaro Obregón in the Roma. Check out our favorite alternative emporia.
DIME. Álvaro Obregón 185, Colonia
Roma; 2454 6790; dimetienda.com.
A little bit of everything, all of it cool:
bags, tees, apparel, accessories and
even retro bikes.
FASHION LOVERS. Álvaro Obregón
185, Colonia Roma; 5208 8290;
fashionlovers.com.mx. Forum for
Mexico City’s most innovative and
painfully chic fashionistas.
HEADQUARTER. Colima 244
(upstairs), Colonia Roma; 5511 1238;
headquarterstore.com. Casual, avant
togs plus books, toys and design
objects.
LEMUR. Jalapa 85 (at the corner of
Colima), Colonia Roma; 4622 9275.
N
CONDESA/ROMA
“NIGHTS ARE JAMMED AND
Maybe it kicked off the whole Colima
boom, with edgy looks and that very
edgy (but harmless) guard dog.
OCHÖ STORE. Nuevo León 8, Colonia
Condesa; 5211 0592; ochostore.com.
Chic but hardly tame, the collection
exudes a subdued but insistent sex
appeal. For men and women.
PIER 39. Ámsterdam 258, Colonia
Condesa; 5584 8549. Original local
designs in apparel for guys and girls,
alongside kicky knickknacks and
accessories.
SICARIO. Colima 124, Colonia Roma;
5511 0396. Apparel—especially highdesign tees—that look great on your
slim, Twiggy-like figure.
Hotel Condesa df,
Colonia Condesa
Veracruz 102; 5241 2600;
grupohabita.mx
Still a fundamental Condesa
reference and obligatory
neighborhood stop. Rooms
are tight, but beautifully
appointed; a striking lobby
conjures up a louche, MiamiBeach ’61 feel that makes
everyone look like a star, even
if you can’t quite place them.
Best of all may be the rooftop
bar. On afternoons it’s like the
deck of a luxury liner, sailing
through magnificent trees;
nighttime brings fashionable,
fast-talking crowds and lots of
hotties, male and female.
Mexico City’s
Bicycle Culture
A REVOLUTION
ON TWO WHEELS?
Once notorious for its smog, traffic
and far too many private cars, in
recent years the city has made
great strides toward cleaner skies,
improved public transportation,
spiffier parks, and pedestrian-only
streets. Maybe the best change of all is
an increasing embrace of the bicycle,
22
kicked into high gear by the popular,
even fashionable Ecobici shared-bike
network, which resident-subscribers
use for short hops in central
neighborhoods.
Visitors can get in on the twowheeled fun Sundays from 8 am to
2 pm, when the DF’s grand Paseo de
la Reforma is closed to auto traffic.
Bicycle lending stations (separate
from Ecobici) line the avenue between
Chapultepec Park and the Centro,
and some of the grooviest hotels have
bikes you can borrow. Soon enough
you’re sailing through the city, next
to families, lovers of every stripe,
old folks, costumed oddities and of
course, their dogs, drawn from almost
every class and condition.
And did we mention how hot and
eco-friendly some of these locals
look astride their bikes? You’re sure
to smile as everyone tools around,
listens to music and just feels free.
“...HIGH-DESIGN TEES—
THAT LOOK GREAT ON
YOUR SLIM, TWIGGY-LIKE
FIGURE.”
SICARIO
23
N
BUENAS NOCHES:
FABULOUS HOTELS
Hotel Brick,
Colonia Roma
Orizaba 95; 5525 1100;
hotelbrick.com.
The Brick galvanized Roma as
a zone of fashionable stores,
restaurants and, indeed,
neighbors. Common areas
occupy an early twentiethcentury mansion—once a
bordello—now beautifully
restored (we love the tile
floor) in chic antiques and
contemporary pieces. A
subdued tower features
rooms with a cool-luxe feel,
outfitted with Kiehl’s, iPods
and other amusing details.
The hotel terrace is marvelous
at breakfast or cocktail time.
KEN. Álvaro Obregón 291; Colonia
Roma; 4612 1755; Thurs only 10 pm6am. Named for Barbie’s ex, your
blond hair will go over big at the bar.
An ultra-popular Thursday club,
favored by a youngish, bohemianish, mostly male crew of flirty dance
fanatics, recently moved to a new
location in the heart of the Roma.
LIVING. Bucareli 144, between
Colonia Roma and the Centro; 5512
7281; living.com.mx. Daily 10 pm-3
am. One of the city’s largest dance
palaces, with lights, grooves and
go-go boys galore. Big nights feature
several dance floors whose djs push
the disco envelope; twinks cluster on
a pop-music patio. Going shirtless
is practically required, yet it’s more
about the hustle than the hook-up.
TOM’S LEATHER BAR. Insurgentes
357, Colonia Condesa; 5564 0728;
toms-mexico.com. Tues-Sun 9 pm3:30 am. Leather? Mostly found
on patrons’ feet. But beyond that,
Tom’s is wide-open, with blue
movies, immodest “interactive”
strippers and a raunchy backroom
(watch your valuables), set in a
Castle von Dracula meets Prince
Valiant setting. The crowd skews
late-twenties up and the cruising is
relentless. Men only.
OTHER ROMA/CONDESA
NIGHTLIFE OF INTEREST
Bar San Luis. San Luis Potosí 26,
Colonia Roma. Mon-Sat 8 pm-3
am. Havana before the Revolution
in a classically DF, swank/dive
combo, Bar San Luis comes from
the old school, serving up live salsa
bands, taxi dancers and loungelizards who still know how to move.
Service evinces a harmless cosa
nostra feel.
Covadonga. Puebla 121,
Colonia Roma; 5533 2922;
banquetescovadonga.com.
mx; Mon-Sun 1 pm-2 am. When
did fluorescent light get hip? It
looks like a VFW hall, but late
nights—particularly Thursdays—
Covadonga is catnip for the city’s
literary and media types, who share
space with domino-slamming
old-timers. Be ready for tablehopping, intense conversation,
edgy fashions and other bohemian
follies.
Félix. Álvaro Obregón 64, Colonia
Roma; 5264 0318. Tues 12 pm-10
pm, Wed 12 pm-12 am, Thurs-Sat 12
pm-1 am, Sun 12 pm-7 pm. A sexy
sliver of a bar packed nightly with a
mixed crew of convivials. N.B.: The
bartenders pour ’em tall.
La Bonita. Tamaulipas 104, Colonia
Condesa; 5211 7098. Tues 1-11 pm;
Wed-Sat, 1 pm-1 am; Sun 1-6pm.
Shall we call it “cantina chic”? La
Bonita might be the place you
try pulque, an ancient libation in
every flavor from strawberry and
pineapple to oats (full-disclosure:
even some Mexicans detest it).
Lilit. Orizaba 125-E, Colonia Roma;
5264 2669; lilit.mx. Tues-Sun
6 pm-2 am. Cozy and packed
with vintage style, Lilit serves up
carefully crafted cocktails while
attractive, chatty patrons fill small
tables, disport themselves on
thrift-store sofas or spill out into
the street.
M. N. Roy. Mérida 186, Colonia
Roma; mnroyclub.com. Wed-Sat, 11
pm-6 am. Well-heeled, well-funded
revelers shake their tail-feathers
till all hours, behind a dumpy barrio
façade. The crowd is über easy on
the eyes and the glam is palpable.
Prepare for time on line and other
velvet-rope-related gate-keeping.
SMALL TABLES, DISPORT
THEMSELVES ON THRIFTSTORE SOFAS OR SPILL OUT
24
T
5
TOP 5
TANIA SOLOMONOFF, Artist
Museo Anahuacalli. Diego Rivera’s
fortress like studio. Silent, intense,
monolithic. Calle Museo 150, Colonia San
Pablo Tepetlapa (near Coyoacán); 5617
4310; museoanahuacalli.org.mx. WedSun 11 am-5:30 pm.
Espacio Escultórico. A trippy, primal,
otherworldly sculpture garden. Great
toward dusk after a sunny day. Near the
Centro Cultural UNAM on the National
University Campus.
Café La Habana. Cuban coffee from the
old school. I love watching the waitstaff
as they hustle in and out of the kitchen.
Café La Habana, Morelos 62 (at Bucareli),
“CHATTY PATRONS FILL
LILIT
CONDESA/ROMA
CENTRO
B
CONDESA/
ROMA
LGBT
CANTINAS
BARS & CLUBS
TO THE STREET.”
Centro; 5546 0255. Mon-Sat 7 am-1 am,
Sun 8 am-11 pm.
Old folks dancing, Plaza Morelos.
Every Saturday at 12, seniors dress
up to dance the tango-like danzón in a
public park. It’s truly extraordinary! Plaza
Morelos, Emilio Donde at Enrico Martínez,
one block from Calle Bucareli, Centro;
Saturday afternoons.
Lucha Libre at Arena México.
I love the lights and the fans in their
favorite wrestlers’ costumes…the
euphoria is real and intense. Arena
México, Dr. Lavista 189, Colonia Doctores;
cmll.com. Fridays 8:30 pm.
Tania Solomonoff is an artist whose wide-ranging, thoughtful work encompasses
drawing, photography, installation, poetry and other media. Follow her at
taniasolomonoff.blogspot.mx.
FELIX
25
N
BUENAS NOCHES:
FABULOUS HOTELS
GAY FRIENDLY
B&BS
Mexico City’s B&Bs—though
few in number—offer a more
intimate option that many
LGBT travelers especially
enjoy, with in-home settings
(typically a grand old
mansion) and hosts more akin
to fun new friends than hotel
staff. Here are some favorites.
Casa Comtesse. Benjamin
Franklin 197, Colonia Condesa;
5277 5418; casacomtesse.
com. Refined, immaculately
run, and perfectly placed in the
heart of Condesa.
Condesa Haus. Cuernavaca
142, Colonia Condesa; 5256
2494; condesahaus.com. Great
antiques and clean lines—plus
the staff couldn’t be nicer.
El Patio 77. Izcabaleta 77,
Colonia San Rafael; 5592
8452; elpatio77.com. Reduce
your footprint at the DF’s
“Eco-B&B,” nestled in an edgy
up-and-coming area. Don’t
worry—they do hot water.
The Red Tree House.
Culiacán 6, Colonia Condesa;
5584 3829; theredtreehouse.
com. Warm and friendly,
just like the owners, and in
a gracious 30’s-era house.
Nightly wine tasting means
great conversation with fellow
travelers.
26
TALENT AND IMAGINATION ON THE PART OF DF ARTISTS, a lot of it on view
in Roma/Condesa galleries, is one of the city’s most extraordinary currentday superlatives. Some work presents revisionist iterations of traditional
muralism and twentieth-century graphic design, yet now something
entirely new. Other work advances the conceptual to create humorous
minimalism in contrast to the city’s chaos. Still other artists take up eyewinking “realism” to concoct pure fantasy. In any case, bold, passionate
expressions—abstract and figurative, edgy and beautiful—are never hard to
find, especially in these, our favorite Roma/Condesa galleries.
Note: Gallery hours can be capricious; call ahead for best results.
ANONYMOUS GALLERY. Zacatecas
173, Colonia Roma; 6305 0364;
anonymousgallery.com. An outpost
of the famed New York dealer, often
focused on Mexico’s urban artists.
ARRÓNIZ ARTE
CONTEMPORÁNEO. Plaza Río de
Janeiro 53, Colonia Roma; 5511 7965;
arroniz-arte.com. An influential
contemporary space, home to
work by Mexico’s most promising
creators.
CINE TONALÁ. Tonalá 261, Colonia
Roma Sur; 5264 4101; cinetonala.com.
A film forum featuring everything
from contemporary Mexican to
classics and cult favorites.
EDS GALERÍA. Atlixco 32, Colonia
Condesa; 5256 2316; edsgaleria.com.
Specialties include conceptual art,
photography and installation.
GAGA ARTE CONTEMPORÁNEO.
Durango 204, Colonia Roma; 5525
1435; houseofgaga.com. A newcomer
that promotes both established and
emerging artists. Provocation is a
prerequisite.
GALERÍA DESIRÉ SAINT PHALLE.
Colima 25A, Colonia Roma; 5207
2369; desiresaintphalle.com. A forum
CINE TONALÁ
CONDESA/ROMA
CENTRO
B
Old Mexico:
The City’s Flea Markets
ARS GRATIA ARTIS:
THE CONDESA/ROMA
GALLERY SCENE
For the queer eye that seeks the
unique, the beautiful, the nostalgic
or the kitschy, Mexico City’s flea
markets do not disappoint.
GARASH GALERÍA
for young and emerging artists and
the launch-pad for a number of
recent sensations.
GALERÍA OMR. Plaza Río de
Janeiro 52, Colonia Roma; 5511 1179;
galeriaomr.com. One of the Roma’s
most prestigious, and a regular player
at international art fairs.
GARASH GALERÍA. Álvaro Obregón
49, Colonia Roma; 5207 9858;
garashgaleria.com. The very latest
in contemporary trends, heavy on
installation, photography and collage.
GURÚ. Colima 143, Colonia Roma;
5533 7140; gurugalleryshop.com.
Contemporary pop art, low-brow,
surrealism, tiki, retro; urban art with
design sense and humor.
TRAEGER & PINTO. Colima 179,
Colonia Roma; 5525 4500; traegerpinto.com. Contemporary Mexican
painting, with some exceptions, is the
focus, plus an emphasis on young
and emerging artists.
VÉRTIGO GALERÍA. Colima 23,
Roma; 5207 3590; vertigogaleria.com.
Home to some of the city’s finest
graphic design, a major force behind
the DF’s current street level (and
above) design boom.
La Lagunilla. Sundays,
approximately 10 am-4 pm,
along the Paseo de la Refoma
between Comonfort and Jaime
Nunó Streets, northwest of the
Centro Histórico. Everything
from furniture and housewares
to artworks, vintage radios
and phonographs, eyeglasses,
furs (!) plus hats, books, toys,
ephemera, music... Not to be
missed.
Mercado la Ciudadela. Balderas
at Emilio Donde, Centro; MonSat 10 am-7pm; Sun 10 am6pm. Every possible souvenir,
from cheap magnets for the girls
in the office to guayabera shirts,
jewelry and silver candelabras
that would make Liberace blush.
Tianguis de Cuauhtémoc.
Saturdays and Sundays,
approximately 10 am to 5
pm, in and around Dr. Ignacio
Chávez Plaza on Cuauhtémoc
Avenue just east of Colonia
Roma. Originally focused on
books and toys, there’s also
ephemera, movie memorabilia,
eyeglasses and artifacts from
the high-design 1968 Mexico
City Olympiad.
LA LAGUNILLA
27
CENTRO
2
SOLÓN
POLANCO
MOLIÈRE
JUAN VÁZQUEZ DE
MEL
ALFREDO DE MUSSET
LA
1
AV. PRESIDE
NTE MASARY
K
3
8
GLAM
5
9
7
CAM
STAGE SET FOR SOME OF MEXICO CITY’S WEALTHIEST—and an
DE
BINA
SE
LÍS
EOS
ES
POS
CAM
EOS
ELÍS
LP
SA
LO
6
LUIS G. UR
PO
POLANCO IS HOME BASE, SHOPPING CENTER, PLAYGROUND AND
10 AV. PRESIDENTE MASARYK
4
impressive urban tableau, even if you don’t spend a peso.
ÉN
RUB
ÍO
DAR
As with any five-star bubble, there are excesses and follies. At the
RE
A MAD
SIERR
CALZ. C
HIVAT
for much of the city’s most creative design, fashion, art and décor; and is
ITO
same time, the neighborhood enjoys a dense urban fabric; is a showcase
chock-a-block with comely, well-turned-out neighbors (plus pampered
pooches) that you’ve got to check out.
Not least of all, Polanco is home to a great many of Mexico City’s very
finest restaurants; so a splurge (or two) is essential DF. Polanco’s chefs
BOSQUE
DE CHAPULTEPEC
often make great food sublime, in glam surroundings that bring out the
superstar in us all.
1 Museo Soumaya
28
6 Revés
2 Pujol
7
3 Biko
8 Carla Fernández
Ka
4 Dulce Patria/Hotel Las Alcobas
9 Common People
5 Patricia Conde Galería
10 Hotel Habita
29
AU PIED DE COCHON. Campos
Elíseos 218 (in the Hotel Presidente);
5327 7756; aupieddecochon.con.mx.
Open 24/7. More ostentatious than
chic, but where else can you get a
tasty coq au vin or steak frites at 4
in the morning? The wee hours are
best for spotting sloshy, misbehaving
celebrities.
BAR TOMATE. Emilio Castelar 229;
5280 6099; grupotragaluz.com. MonWed 1:30 pm-12 am, Thurs-Sun 1:30
pm-1:30 am, Sun 1:30 pm-6 pm. Rise
above the frenetic dolce vita along
Emilio Castelar to Bar Tomate, a cool,
loft-like space that’s home to salty
tapas and every possible iteration
of the eponymous red fruit. A rich
antidote to the icy, flavorless tomato
currently found north of the border.
BIKO. Masaryk 407; 5282 2064; biko.
com.mx. Mon-Sat 1:30-5 pm and 8-11
pm. Everyone looks great against
Biko’s creamy contemporary lines. In
the kitchen, intense, fun-loving chefs
double-track traditional Basque
(isn’t it time you tried it?) plus the
latest flavors and techniques.
CENTRAL BRASSERIE. Masaryk
123; 5545 5628; centralbrasserie.
com. Mon-Sat 1 pm-12 am, Sun 1
pm-7 pm. Get your French bistro on,
in a gorgeous room that’s cozy and
sexy at once. Pricey yes, but we’ve
never been disappointed. And the
welcome couldn’t be warmer.
DULCE PATRIA. Anatole France 100;
3300 3999; dulcepatriamexico.com.
Mon-Sat 1:30-11:30 pm, Sun 1:30
pm-5:30 pm. Here’s to the ladies
who lunch—in their fur-clad, dearly
coiffed glory. They love it at Dulce
Patria, where nouvelle Mexican is
presented in colors and forms you
might sooner expect at an art gallery.
EL BAJÍO. Alejandro Dumas 7; 5281
8245; carnitaselbajio.com.mx. MonSat 8:30 am-11 pm, Sun 9 am-10 pm.
El Bajío is fun and gaily-colored, and
the Mexican food they throw down
is pura tradición—rich, delicious and
delightfully comforting.
ENO. Francisco Petrarca 258; 5531
8535; eno.com.mx. Mon-Fri 7 am-10
pm, Sun 9 am-5 pm. Pujol’s celebrity
chef posits his Eno outpost as a
refined “corner store,” with artisanal
sandwiches plus soups, salads, fruit
ades, desserts and other “simple”
delights.
HACIENDA DE LOS MORALES.
Vázquez de Mella 525; 5283 3054;
haciendadelosmorales.com. Open
daily 1:30 pm-12:30 am. Remember
lunch with mother at the Country
Club? Relive the moment at
this splendid hacienda awash in
conquistador chic. Who cares if you
and your date are the youngest ones
in the place?
LE MAT. Emilio Castelar 149; 5281
1962; lemat.com.mx. Tues-Sat 8 pm12 am, Sun-Mon 8 am-5 pm. Stylish
Le Mat highlights French-inspired
cuisine with no fear of cream, cheese
or butter (from which fellow diners
seem to suffer no weight gain). Frilly
tableware connects you with your
inner grandmother.
PUJOL. Francisco Petrarca 254; 5545
4111; pujol.com.mx. Mon-Sat 1:30
pm-5 pm and 7 pm-11 pm. Routinely
rated one of the top restaurants on
the planet, eating is believing. Chef
Enrique Olvera never stops searching
for the perfect balance of ingredients,
delicate presentation and all kinds
of Mexican flavors. The results are
extraordinary.
QUINTONIL. Newton 55; 5280 2680;
quintonil.com; Mon-Sat 1-5 pm and 7
pm-11 pm. Is Quintonil looking to give
“FRILLY TABLEWARE THAT
CONNECTS YOU WITH YOUR
LE MAT
30
INNER GRANDMOTHER.”
POLANCO
CENTRO
FABULOUS POLANCO
RESTAURANTS
Pujol a run for its money? Imaginative
Mexican that delights as it dances
across the palate. And we love the
casual tables on the patio.
SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL’S.
Manuel A. Camacho 67; 5280 6070;
winstonchurchills.com; Mon-Sat 1
pm-1 am. Prime rib and Yorkshire
pudding amid the campy pomp of an
Olde English manse. Absurd yes, but
delicious—better than what you last
ate in London.
TORI TORI. Temístocles 61; 5281
8112; toritori.com.mx; Mon-Sat
1-11 pm; Sun 1-7 p. A spectacular
modernist “honeycomb” creates the
far-out setting that is Tori-Tori, one of
the city’s very best for sushi plus the
full slate of Japanese noodles, curries
and entrees.
“THE WEE HOURS ARE
BEST FOR SPOTTING
SLOSHY, MISBEHAVING
CELEBRITIES.”
T
5
TOP 5
MACARIO JIMÉNEZ, Fashion Designer
BAR TOMATE
Delirio de Mónica Patiño. The
celebrity chef’s market and “deli,”
a garden of chic, yet earthly
delights. Monterrey 116, Colonia
Roma; 5584 0870; delirio.mx.
Restaurante Los Tolucos. The
city’s best pozole verde—a rich,
herby variation of the pork and
hominy stew, great for soothing
hangovers. Juan Hernández
y Dávalos 40, Colonia Algarín
(near Metro Lázaro Cárdenas);
5538 1651.
Café de Tacuba. Old Mexico in
food, color and tradition, a total
nostalgia trip. Tacuba 28, Centro;
5518 4950; cafedetacuba.com.
The Ciudad Universitaria. The
national university’s 1950s-era
campus, with mid-century
architecture at its boldest and
most stylish. Near the 2600
block of Av. Insurgentes Sur.
The fabulous downtown post
office. El Palacio Postal is like
no other building in the world—a grand golden cage—and a
Mexico City must-see.
Main post office, Tacuba 1,
Centro.
Macario Jiménez is known for women’s clothes that emphasize flowing
lines, sensuality and rich, understated glamour. His namesake Polanco
atelier opened in 1994; feel the glam at macariojimenez.com.
31
N
BUENAS NOCHES:
HAUTE HOTELS
THREE POLANCO
SUPERSTARS
Camino Real. Mariano
Escobedo 700; 5263 8888;
caminoreal.com. By architect
Ricardo Legorreta, built
for the 1968 Mexico City
Olympiad, the Camino Real
reflects an exuberant design
moment in Mexico, now
subject to re-appreciation.
Dig the fascinating, ocean-like
fountain at the porte-cochère
as well as the Rufino Tamayo
mural in the restaurant. Hot
pink and taxicab yellow are
your new favorite colors.
Habita. Presidente Masaryk
201; 5282 3100; hotelhabita.
com. Mexico’s first
design hotel and an early
manifestation of what led
to the city’s current design
renaissance. Minimalist
rooms posit a marvelous zen,
but there is whimsy and sexy
where you least expect it. And
that scene on the roof just
won’t quit.
Las Alcobas. Presidente
Masasryk 390; 3300 3900;
lasalcobas.com. Shop, then
drop, in this chic, warm,
creamy retreat enlivened by
bold furnishings and beautiful
burnished woods. No buyer’s
regret here.
32
BOOM CONTEMPORÁNEO:
THE POLANCO ART SCENE
SILVER,SILKEN SPECTACULAR:
SHOPPING POLANCO
GALLERY GIRLS, ART QUEENS, AND AESTHETES
of every stripe discover another pole of the DF art scene in Polanco. Its galleries
are a big part of the contemporary Latin American art boom that has so many
global collectors in a frenzy. And while bargains are hard to find, the work is edgy,
original and beautiful. Gallery hours can be capricious; call ahead for best results.
YOUR MONEY IS JUST AS GOOD AS ANYONE ELSE’S IN MEXICO CITY’S
flashiest, most glittering quarter. So if you’re the type who can’t go a
week without Saks, LV, Ferragamo or Gucci, Polanco’s main drag, Avenida
Presidente Masaryk, plus nearby malls like Plaza Antara, Plaza Moliere and
Plaza Carso have got you covered. And when you’re ready to act locally, check
out the following hometown boutiques for luxury that acts globally.
GALERÍA ENRIQUE GUERRERO.
Horacio 1549, Polanco; 5280 5183;
galeriaenriqueguerrero.com. A winning
mix of emerging talent alongside
“name-brand” creators. Here you may
find anything—except boring.
GALERÍA LÓPEZ QUIROGA.
Aristóteles 169, Polanco; 5280 1710;
lopezquiroga.com. Stellar works
by twentieth-century masters,
particularly photographers.
KURIMANZUTTO. Gob. Rafael
Rebollar 94, San Miguel Chapultepec;
5256 2408; kurimanzutto.com. Now
considered one of the most influential
galleries in Latin America, the work is
routinely brilliant and always merits a
look-see.
LABOR. General Francisco Ramírez
5, Ampliación Daniel Garza; 6304
8755; labor.org.mx. A transplant from
Colonia Roma, Labor adds an edgier,
often conceptual perspective to the
Polanco mix.
LUIS ADELANTADO MÉXICO.
Laguna de Términos 260,
Colonia Anáhuac; 5545 6645;
luisadelantadomexico.com. An outpost
of the famed Spanish gallery, the
emphasis is edgy and conceptual.
MUSEO SOUMAYA. Miguel de
Cervantes Saavedra 303, Colonia
Ampliación Granada (aka Polanco
Nuevo); 5616 3731; soumaya.com.
mx. The world’s richest man, Mexican
communications magnate Carlos Slim,
displays his extensive art collection
at the Museo Soumaya. Some say its
eclecticism (antique furniture, oodles
of Rodins, some sketchy late Dalí,
plus not-uninteresting “second-tier”
stuff) makes it a glorified attic; others
defend a democratic gift (entry is free)
to those who normally cannot afford
museums. And the Soumaya’s spaceage structure (an armored blender?)
is worth the “price of admission”
alone.
PATRICIA CONDE GALERÍA.
Lafontaine 73, Polanco; 5290 6345;
patriciacondegaleria.com. Mexico’s
sole gallery focused on photography,
the work shown is never less than
beautiful.
LUIS ADELANTADO MÉXICO
CELESTE HOUSE
“...MAD,
EDGY,
FUTURISTIC...
AND TOTALLY
BADASS.”
CARLA FERNÁNDEZ. Moliere 58A; 5912 8010; carlafernandez.com.
Mon-Fri 11 am-8 pm, Sat 11 am-5 pm.
Fernández’s striking clothes assert
woman as both goddess and warrior.
CELESTE HOUSE. Kepler 5,
Colonia Anzures; 2614 6031. MonSat 11 am-7:30 pm. celeste.com.
mx. Books, music and furnishings; a
gorgeous spa; and at the very top, a
psychedelic tearoom/bar that wows.
CHIC BY ACCIDENT. Laguna de
Tamiahua 99 esq. Lago de Texcoco,
Colonia Anáhuac; chicbyaccident.
com. Mon-Fri 9 am-7 pm. Twentiethcentury furnishings and objêts
d’art personally curated by sexy
antiquarian Emmanuel Picault. Ask
about the dirty stuff.
COMMON PEOPLE. Emilio Castelar
149; 5281 0800; commonpeole.com.mx.
Tues-Sat 11 am-9 pm, Sun 11 am-8 pm.
A mansion-ful of the best, designer stuff
available, displayed with an inspiring
appreciation of the rococo.
PINEDA COVALÍN. Campos Elíseos
215 at Galileo (with branches
throughout the city); 5282 2720;
pinedacovalin.com. Mon-Sat 9 am to
8 pm. Silk accessories in a fusion of
Mexican motifs and Hermes-like luxe.
TALLER BALLESTEROS. Masaryk
126, Colonia Polanco; 5545 4109;
ballesteros.net. Mon-Sat 10 am-7 pm.
Wow ’em at your next event with TB’s
silver jewelry and tableware in the
traditional vein.
TANE. Masaryk 430, Colonia
Polanco; 5282 6200; tane.com.mx.
Mon-Fri 11 am-8 pm, Sat 11 am-6
pm. Contemporary accessories and
jewelry in cool, refulgent silver.
TRISTA. 5250 3623 (by appointment
only); trista.com. Couture designs—
including menswear—are mad, edgy,
futuristic and totally badass.
POLANCO
BARS
& CLUBS
POLANCO
CENTRO
B
LGBT
Ask all those fit, well-dressed Polanco
boys and girls to dance weekends at
high-end neighborhood clubs. Lights
and sound are spectacular and the
crowd is hot; the hauteur is really
shyness—so make your move and let
the disco ball weave its magic spell.
Dress up (skip the shorts, tank tops and
baseball caps) and take money.
Envy. Masaryk 336, Polanco; Fri only
10:30 till close; envytheclub.com.
Perhaps the most exclusive LGBT joint
in town, always perfumed and packed.
Pop music is the dance fuel.
Guilt. Anatole France 120, Polanco;
04455 1378 0992; Sat only 10 pm-4am.
Pop music and disco divas in English—in
case you’re feeling homesick.
Ka. Avenida Paseo de las Palmas 215,
Lomas de Chapultepec (just northwest
of the Polanco district); 4612 1755; Fri
only 11 pm-6 am. Miami-style madness
and house grooves Friday nights, plus
one of the city’s comeliest crowds.
OF INTEREST
Jules Basement. Julio Verne 93
(basement; enter at the rear of the
restaurant); 5280 1278; julesbasement.
com. Tues-Sat 8 pm-2 am. No one
enters, they say, who’s not on the list;
talk to concierges to get in. Once inside,
there’s flawless décor, libations and
patrons.
Revés. Virgilio 25; 5281 6775. WedSat 5 pm-2 am. Through the looking
glass with the city’s jeunesse dorée,
in a topsy-turvy setting that out-gilds
even them. The vibe is lounge, luxe and
louche.
33
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9
STARTING IN THE 1980S, MEXICO’S GAY COMMUNITY BEGAN TO TAKE
shape in the Zona Rosa, in a handful of bars and at a scrappy pride
parade that began with fewer than 100 participants. Thirty years
A
PUEBL
later the neighborhood shows how far we’ve come, with innumerable
nightspots, great gay-friendly hotels, and a pride party that some say
is the city’s most widely attended public event. So if she looks a little
ragged around the edges, remember the old queen took her knocks so
you and millions of LGBT Mexicans could dance, romance, love—even
marry—this Saturday night.
1 Bellinghausen
34
6 Gayta/Pussy
2 Lipstick
7
3 El Nuevo Vaquero
8 Hotel Geneve
Nicho Bears & Bar
4 La Lanterna
9 La Fonda del Refugio
5 Botas Bar
10 El Almacén
35
BELLINGHAUSEN. Londres 95; 5207
4978; bellinghausen.com.mx. Daily 1
pm-7 pm. Dating from the Revolution,
with steaks and chops from the old
school. Scurrying waiters ultimately
become live entertainment.
BISTRO ARLEQUÍN. Río Nilo 42,
Colonia Cuauhtémoc; 5207 5616.
Mon-Sat 1:30-11:30 pm; Sun 1:305:30 pm. A casual boîte, but for many,
the DF’s most authentic French,
including real-live waiters from Gay
Paree. Good wines at decent prices,
not always easy to find in the DF.
BISTROT MOSAICO. Paseo
de la Reforma 316; 5514 0450;
bistrotmosaico.com.mx. Mon-Wed 10
am-11 pm, Thurs-Fri 10 am-12 am, Sat
10 am-11 pm. A smart French bistro,
right on gorgeous Reforma Boulevard.
Casual but oh-so civilized.
“...ONE OF
HERE IT IS: MEXICO’S LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF LGBT NIGHTLIFE,
high, low and otherwise, with something doing every night of the week plus
rainbow-colored madness on weekends. Start late and go late; be ready to
dance, dance, dance.
LIZ TAYLOR
AND RICHARD
BURTON’S
FAVORITE
PLACES,STILL A
CLASSIC.”
CASA BELL. Praga 14; 5208 4290.
Daily 1 pm-7 pm. Traditional service
at a spiffy chophouse, with power
personalities, in a beautiful mansion
and garden.
ELAGO. Lago Mayor (no number),
Second Section of Chapultepec Park;
5515 9585; elago.com.mx. Mon-Thurs
7:30 am-11 pm, Fri-Sat 7:30 am-11:45
pm, Sun 10 am-4:30 pm. A soaring,
elegant “international,” not unlike
CASA BELL
a 60s-era world’s fair pavilion. Live
lounge music careens from “Moon
River” and “Flashdance” to theme
from “Star Wars.”
LA FONDA DEL REFUGIO. Liverpool
166; 5525 8128; fondaelrefugio.com.
Daily 1-11 pm. A veteran from the Zona
Rosa’s glory days (one of Liz Taylor
and Richard Burton’s favorite places
they say), yet still a classic for yummy
high-end Mexican.
LA LANTERNA
Jet Set
Mexicano
GHOSTS OF
THE ZONA ROSA
CHALET SUIZO
Niza 37; 5511 4471; chaletsuizo.com.
mx; Mon-Thurs 1 pm-6 pm, Fri-Sat
1 pm-11 pm, Sun 1 pm-6 pm. Ignore
the attempts at modernization and
insist on a table in the untouched
front room, filled with stained glass,
carved wood and other Swiss Missy
appointments.
36
ZONA ROSA
ZONA ROSA
LGBT
BARS & CLUBS
FABULOUS
ZONA ROSA
RESTAURANTS
BOTAS BAR. Niza 47; 04455 1298
8011; Thurs-Sun 9 pm-4 am. Fun
honky-tonk for boys and girls.
Emphasis on come-hither go-go boys
downstairs, plus dance and drag;
upstairs is officially lesbian, with gogo femmes and a hot sisterly vibe.
CABARETITO. Londres 77, suite 20;
5525 0439. Thurs and Sat 6 pm-3 am,
Fry 5 pm-3 am. More about energy
than elegance, twink central for dance
and flirt, always crowded.
CRONOZ. Londres 132; 04455 1593
8690. Thurs-Sat 6 pm-3 am. Humble
but heartfelt, the dancing goes
from Latin to pop to ballads; latterly
favored by girls as well as boys.
EL ALMACÉN. Florencia 37; 5207
9424. Mon-Thurs 6 pm-2 am, Fri-Sun
6 pm-3:30 pm. One of the very first
gay spots in Latin America, now
pushing forty years in business.
Heavy on cruising; with strippers
weekends and bawdy burlesque on
Thursdays.
EL NUEVO VAQUERO. Florencia 67;
no published phone. Daily 8 pm-3 am.
Heaven for those prowling the urban
cowboy, with infectious cumbia,
norteña and salsa dancing.
42 BAR. Amberes 4; 5208 0352. Tues
6-11 pm, Wed 6 pm-12 am, Thurs 6
pm-1:30 am, Fri 3 pm-2:30 am, Sat 4
pm-2:30 am. How many young’uns
can you pack into a disco ball? 42 is
determined to push the envelope.
GAYTA/PUSSY. Amberes 18; no
published phone. Daily 12 pm-2 am.
During the 1950s and 60s, the Zona Rosa was
one of the most glamorous neighborhoods
in all Latin America, jammed with high-end
nightclubs and swanky, themed “international”
restaurants. Today much of the glitter has
faded, but hardcore nostalgiacs should make
the pilgrimage to these campy holdouts,
practically forgotten, soon to disappear.
LA LANTERNA
Paseo de la Reforma 458; 5207
9969. Mon-Sat 1-10:30 pm.
Checkered tablecloth Italian, with
wine labels as wallpaper and a
“Bankamericard Welcome” sticker
on the door. Someone at the next
table always mentions being there
forty years ago.
LUAÚ
Niza 38; 5525 7474. Mon-Sat 12 pm11 pm, Sun 12 pm-10 pm; luau.com.
mx. “Exotic” Chinese from the Fu
Manchu/Honolulu school. Snag a
table on the bamboo pavilion by
the koi and rubber starfish lagoon.
EL ALMACÉN
Bare bones, perennially popular.
Gayta for boogie boys; Pussy favors
the Sapphic sisters.
LA BOTICA. Amberes 1; 5511 1384;
labotica.com.mx. Mon-Sat 6 pm-2
am, Sun 6 pm-12 am;. Vintage-look
cantina and major flirt zone, with a
mixed boy/girl ratio and a friendly,
laid-back vibe.
LA SUITE CLUB. Amberes 21; no
published telephone. Wed-Thurs, Sun
10 pm-3 am; Fri-Sat 10 pm-5 am.
Disco with a surprising amount of
hook-up, including some naughty
dark areas (libidinous boys should
watch their valuables).
“START LATE
AND GO LATE;
BE READY TO
DANCE, DANCE,
LA BOTICA
DANCE.”
37
38
ZONA
CENTRO
ROSA
LE CIRQUE NUIT BAR. Amberes
12; no published phone; lecirquemx.
wix.com. Fri-Sat 7 pm-2:30 am. Only
illumined by video screens, dark and
sweaty, mad crowded—and that’s
why they love it.
LIPSTICK. Amberes 1; 5514 4920.
Wed-Sat 10 pm-5 am. The high-end
choice on Amberes with dancing,
lounge areas and a pop-music patio.
Handsome, well-heeled crowd of all
ages; Thursdays is ladies-who-do
-ladies night.
LOLLIPOP. Amberes 14; no published
telephone. Thurs-Sat 7 pm-3 am.
Going for a slightly higher tone (i.e.,
cover) on multiple levels that range
from cabaret to thunka-thunka disco.
Think Cher’s joint in Burlesque.
MACHO DANCE BAR. Amberes
24; no published telephone;
machodancebar.com. Sun-Wed 3
pm-2 am; Thurs-Sat 3 pm-3 am.
More twink than macho, but flirty and
packed close, plus they certainly got
the dance right.
NICHO’S. Londres 182; 5208 1947;
bearmex.com. Thurs-Sun 8 pm-2 am;.
The DF’s bear bar, fun, ultra-friendly,
flirty; with the full range of ursines,
bear-cubs and otters, all more cuddly
than ferocious.
PAPI FUN BAR. Amberes 18; 5208
3755; papifunbar.com. Sun-Wed 3
pm-2 am, Thurs-Sat 3 pm-3 am.
Electric and compact, filled with
freshly-minted eye-candy. Here they
start early and go late.
SEVEN. Liverpool 100; no published
phone. Thurs-Sat, 10 pm-till closing.
Newcomer club in an elegant
townhouse, with rotating djs and
parties. Lately Thursdays have been
about drag and transgender.
TOUCH. Amberes 11; 5511 9973. MonThurs 6 pm-12 pm, Fry-Sat 6 pm-3
am. Flashy and loungy, with rotating
entertainment that ranges from live
rock to karaoke, latin grooves and
techno.
FIT FOR AN EMPRESS
PASEO DE LA REFORMA
AND CHAPULTEPEC PARK
As you explore the Zona Rosa, do
not miss the broad boulevard the
forms the neighborhood’s northern
border: Paseo de la Reforma, the
DF’s answer to the Champs-Elysees.
Originally built in honor of Mexico’s
Empress Carlota (see below), it is
now lined with imposing skyscrapers,
trees and monuments, particularly the
Monumento a la Independencia, a
beaux-arts column whose crowning
figure, popularly called El Ángel, is the
unofficial symbol of the city. Peoplewatching peaks at lunchtime or on
bike-only Sundays.
West of the Zona Rosa lies
Chapultepec Park, an expansive,
lively, and well-tended garden that
combines monuments and museums
with a marvelous human element.
Climb up to Chapultepec Castle,
preserved in all but name as a
shrine to Maximilian and Carlota,
the European-born Emperor and
Empress who ruled Mexico from
1863-1867. The pile is awash in
queenly delights like gilt carriages,
refulgent china, crystal, antiques,
and even her Majesty’s marble
water closet. Museo Nacional de
Historia; Tues-Sun 9 am-5 pm;
castillodechapultepec.inah.gob.mx.
OTHER NOTEWORTHY
CHAPULTEPEC SITES (IN BRIEF)
Museo de Arte Moderno. Gandhi
at Reforma (no number) inside
CHAPULTEPEC PARK
Chapultepec Park; 5553 6233; mam.
org.mx. Tues-Sun 10 am-5:30 pm. A
sensual mid-century space houses
classics you know—Rivera and
Siqueiros—plus artworks you should
know.
Museo Nacional de Antropología.
Gandhi at Reforma (no number)
inside Chapultepec Park; 5553 6332;
mna.inah.gob. Tues-Sun 9 am-7pm.
The Vatican Museum of Mexico’s
pre-Colombian civilizations. In a
hurry? Jump to Maya and Aztec
galleries for greatest hits—but in fact
it’s all fascinating. The 1966 museum
structure still impresses.
Museo Tamayo Arte
Contemporáneo. Gandhi at Reforma
(no number) inside Chapultepec Park;
5286 6519; museotamayo.org. TuesSun 10 am-6 pm. The permanent
collection is home to contemporary
“names” like Rothko and Miró;
temporary shows are among Latin
America’s finest.
T
5
TOP 5
HERMANAS VAMPIRO, Drag Superstars
Agapi Mu. A fabulous
Mediterranean joint. Watch out for
Zorba-style flying plates! Alfonso
Reyes 96, Colonia Condesa; 5286
1384; agapimu.com.mx.
All-Night Flower Stand, Colonia
Roma. Love and grand gestures
do not follow a regular schedule,
so there’s a bodacious 365/24/7
flower stand in the heart of the
Roma. At the corner of Insurgentes
and Medellín Streets.
Rainbowland. Come out in a blaze
of rainbow colors, at the boutique
with everything from souvenirs to
sexy surprises. Estrasburgo 31 at
Amberes, Zona Rosa; 5525 9066;
rainbowland.com.mx.
The Flea Market on Álvaro
Obregón. Urban adventure for
treasure hunters. The median strip
on Álvaro Obregón Street in the
Roma, Saturdays approximately 10
am to 5 pm.
Museo del Estanquillo. Mexico’s
pop culture museum is an orgy for
the senses that combines ideas,
literature, the cinema and music.
Isabel la Católica 26; 5521 3052;
museodelestanquillo.com.
Billed as “Latin America’s Most Important Drag Act,” the Hermanas
Vampiro perform Sunday nights at Papi Fun Bar in the Zona Rosa. Follow
their ever-changing moods at facebook.com/LasHermanasVampiro.
CHAPULTEPEC CASTLE
39
N
BUENAS NOCHES:
THE DF’S LGBT-FRIENDLIEST HOTELS
The legalization of same-sex marriage in Mexico
City—along with its increasing popularity as an LGBT
destination—means a lot of hotels, old and new, are rolling
out the rainbow carpet.
Hotel Geneve.
Londres 130, Zona Rosa; 5080
0800; hotelgeneve.com.mx.
Over the top, campy grandeur
and not crazy expensive. In the
heart of the Zona Rosa with a
Sanborns in the lobby.
LGBT heaven, right?
HOTEL
VALENTINA
Hilton Mexico City Reforma.
Avenida Juárez 70, Centro; 5130
5300; hilton.com. Not unlike the
Hilton in Houston or Altanta—
but isn’t that the point? Great,
no-surprises professionalism.
Holiday Inn Mexico
Zona Rosa.
6020; holidayinn.com. Cozy and
well-run, with the right location,
and very ready to host your
wedding.
Hotel del Principado.
2944; hoteldelprincipado.com.
mx. Moderate prices and prime
Zona Rosa location just add to
the plusses. Immaculately clean
with ultra-friendly service.
40
Hotel JW Marriott.
Andrés Bello 29, Polanco;
5999 0000; espanol.marriott.
com. Honeymoon in Polanco?
Grand and perfectly run, the JW
Marriott positions itself as one
of the city’s number-one spots
for same-sex marriage.
Hotel Valentina
(by Room Mate Hotels).
Amberes 27, Zona Rosa; 5080
4500; room-matehotels.com.
Ultra-kicky boutique, with
gaily-colored style on raucous
Amberes Street. The whole
Zona Rosa scene is right outside
your door. Promise you’ll visit
other streets, too.
W Mexico City.
Campos Elíseos 252, Polanco;
9138 1800; starwoodhotels.
com. High-modern style, plus
drama and a hint of sex, just the
way we like it.
With a discreet wink we’ll cop to what
everyone knows: its always fun to flirt
and play when you travel. All cities are
sexy, but it really hits a high gear in
DF. Even if your Spanish is muy malo,
a smile and an “Hola!” are usually
all it takes to get the ball rolling.
From there you rely on non-verbal
communication. Below are some of
the city’s hottest spots when you’re
feeling extra friendly.
Baños San Juan. López 120, Centro;
5521 3376; daily 6 am-8:30 pm.
Inelegant, but clean and very active
bathhouse, especially afternoons.
Skews older but there’s a little
something for every taste.
Red Hot Party. Río Pánuco 120-A,
Colonia Cuauhtémoc; 04455 4833
9278; Mon, Wed, Sun 5-11 pm; Fri-Sat
10pm-6am. Popular underwear party
for everyone from twinks to daddies.
Sodomé. Mariano Escobedo 716,
Polanco; 5250 6653; Tues-Wed 4 pm-12
am; Thurs 4 pm-4am; Fri 4pm until Sun
11 pm; sodome.com.mx. Luxurious,
immaculately clean, and hands down,
the very hottest men. Full bar nightly;
DJs and strippers weekends.
CIRCUIT PARTIES
The emphasis is on dance, but
naughty surprises seem always to
arise. Check websites like karmabeat.
com.mx, vagabundos.mx, living.
com, vdmas.com, maninfest.com,
mejutoproducciones.com and
gmusicfest.com to stay abreast
of the ever-morphing scene. The
White Party, held every November to
support local HIV/AIDS charities, is a
yearly highlight.
KEEPING IT LEGAL:
MEXICO CITY’S PROGRESSIVE
STANCE ON LGBT RIGHTS
IN ADDITION TO ALL THE FUN AND CULTURE,
lgbt travelers will appreciate Mexico City’s notably
progressive attitude when it comes to sexual diversity.
Informally, few cities worldwide could better represent
the “live-and-let-live” attitude that is a (rarely remarked
upon) feature of Mexican culture in general, further
enhanced by the open-mindedness that city life supports.
The generally warm, chatty and convivial nature of the
Mexicans practically compels them to enjoy people as
people, nothing more or less. There’s a feeling that we’re
all in this together and a surprising lack of recourse to
labels. As you make your way through the city you’ll see
open expressions of sexual diversity, gestures of affection
and hand-holding that attract virtually no attention from
passers-by, even outside the Zona Rosa.
In recent years this street-level attitude has played
out in a series of city-wide legal reforms that are a source
of pride to many citizens, gay, straight or otherwise. Most
notably, in 2010 the DF (which acts like a state in Mexican
ZONA ROSA
B
PICANTE:
SAU N AS, BAT H H O US ES
& C I RCU I T PA RT I ES
politics) became the first jurisdiction in Latin America to
legalize same-sex marriage. Other progressive reforms have
included allowing transgender people to legally change their
sex on birth certificates and other legal records. Discrimination
based on sexual identity is illegal in any guise, and as of 2010,
same-sex couples can legally adopt children.
The government also maintains support centers for
the LGBT community such as its Centro Comunitario
de Atención a la Diversidad Sexual (Sexual Diversity
Community Service Center) Génova 30-H, Zona Rosa; 5533
6008; facebook.com/centro.comunitario.lgbt/info, which
focuses on guaranteeing community access to healthcare,
HIV testing, human rights, safety and justice, serves as a
referral to other public services and support, and even helps
process same-sex marriage licenses.
Naturally there is more work to do and activists push
for even greater advances; but in the meantime Mexico City’s
example might well serve other cities worldwide that seek to
enhance equality for their lgbt citizens.
“THE WARM,
CHATTY AND
CONVIVIAL
NATURE OF
THE MEXICANS
PRACTICALLY
COMPELS THEM
TO ENJOY PEOPLE
AS PEOPLE,
NOTHING MORE
OR LESS.”
FIRST SAME-SEX MARRIAGES,
CITY HALL (2010)
41
GENTEEL
BOHEMIA
ABOUT TEN KILOMETERS FROM
THE CENTRO, Coyoacán was once
a suburb of the city, clustered around
its own plaza and business district.
Its reputation as a the city’s Bohemia
surged in from the 1920s to the 40s,
largely around international artist/
celebrities Diego Rivera and Frida
Kahlo and their claque of exiles,
intellectuals and creators such as
Leon Trotsky, Lola Álvarez Bravo,
David Alfaro Siqueiros, Tina Modotti,
Juan O’Gorman, etc. (see “Mexico
City for Fridamaniacs,” right, for the
full immersion). The neighborhood’s
reputation as an intellectual center
was solidified when Mexico’s National
University moved to its present
campus, south of the area.
Some say bohemianism has
latterly morphed into a smoky hippie
hangover, but the fact remains that
Coyoacán is still one of the city’s most
beautiful and walkable districts, an oasis
of small town and genteel tradition.
OTHER NOTEWORTHY
NEIGHBORHOODS &
EXCURSIONS
YOU COULD SPEND WEEKS EXPLORING ALL THAT THE DF’S MOST VISITED NEIGHBORHOODS
great neighborhoods—well known and otherwise—and to in-the-field adventures like no others
on the planet.
42
GETTY IMAGES
have to offer—and it would be a mere beginning. But if you’ve got the time, then take it further, to
COYOACÁN STROLLS
Calle Allende stretches north from
Plaza Hidalgo to Londres Street
and the Casa Frida Kahlo. En route
you pass cafés, pocket parks and a
marvelous open market (where great
eating—especially seafood—is had on
the cheap).
Calle Francisco Sosa. Walk this
cobblestone street from the Jardín
Centenario to quiet, lovely Plaza
Santa Catarina (where there are two
or three cute places for a drink or
coffee). Along the way you’ll see some
Mexico City
for Fridamaniacs
(and fans of that
guy she was married to)
OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS
COYOACÁN
Nearly sixty years after her death, artist Frida Kahlo herself might not
understand how her work, life and image continue to fascinate, even
eclipsing her husband Diego Rivera’s career and reputation. Get your
Frida (and Diego) on at the following city-wide pilgrimage sites.
Museo Frida Kahlo (Casa Azul).
Londres 247, Colonia Coyoacán;
5554 5999; museofridakahlo.org.
mx. Tue 11 am-6 pm, Thurs-Sun
10 am-6 pm. Frida’s birthplace
and the house she shared with
Diego.
Museo Estudio Diego Rivera.
Diego Rivera 2 at Altavista,
Colonia San Ángel Inn; 5550
1518; estudiodiegorivera.
bellasartes.com.mx. Tue-Sun
10am-6 pm. An impressive
compound comprised of two
connected residences—one for
Diego and one for Frida.
Museo Dolores Olmedo
Patiño. Avenida México 5843,
Colonia La Noria; 5555 1221;
museodoloresolmedo.org.
mx. Tue-Sun 10 am-6 pm. The
permanent collection holds
several Riveras and Kahlos, the
former largely being portraits of
the formidable Señora Olmedo
herself. Fans will not be happy to
know that “Lola” considered Frida
less than brilliant as an artist.
Palacio Nacional. Eastern edge
of the Zócalo, Colonia Centro;
palacionacional.gob.mx. No
direct Frida connection, but
some have spotted a resemblance
to her in Diego’s depiction of
Cortés’s notorious mistress, la
Malinche, in one of the secondfloor murals.
Secretaría de Educación
Pública. Calle República de
Argentina 28, Colonia Centro;
sep.gob.mx. Mexico’s ministry of
public education houses another
extensive collection of Rivera
murals, including one in which
a revolutionary Frida hands out
rifles to the people.
Museo León Trotsky. Río
Churubusco 410, Colonia Del
Carmen Coyoacán; 5554 0687.
Tue-Sun 10 am-5 pm. Did Frida
carry out her notorious affair with
the exiled Bolshevik there? If only
the walls could talk.
Museo Mural Diego
Rivera. Colón at Balderas,
Colonia Centro; 5512 0754;
museomuraldiegorivera.
bellasartes.gob.mx. Tue-Sun
10 am-6 pm. Museum housing
a Rivera mural depicting a
promenade with Mexican heroes,
villains and celebrities. Can you
guess who gets a prominent spot
in the tableau?
43
A
A
AN AFTERNOON
IN COYOACÁN…
COFFEE BREAK: Café El
Jarocho. Cuauhtémoc 134
at Allende; 5658 5029;
cafeeljarocho.com. SunThurs 6 am-1 am, Fri-Sat 6
am-2 am. The traditional
neighborhood fave, with
on-site roasting (whose
aroma you can’t resist).
LUNCH: El Morral. Allende
2; 5554 0298. Daily 7:30
am-10 pm. An unassuming,
but cute spot for traditional
Mexican food. Heavenly
hand-thrown tortillas.
COCKTAIL HOUR: La
Bipolar. Malitzín 155; 5484
8230. Mon-Tue 1 pm-1 am,
Thurs-Sat 1 pm-2:30 am,
Sun 1 pm-10 pm. Stylish
neo-cantina that fills
with hipsters as the day
journeys into night; seek
a rooftop table on sunny
afternoons.
LA BIPOLAR
44
OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS
CENTRO
IN YOUR
CORNER:
“...THE SYMBOL
OF MEXICO’S
POST-WAR
PROSPERITY AND
LGBTFOCUSED
TRAVEL
AGENCIES
AMBITIONS...A
MASTERFUL
COMBINATION OF
SPACE, COLOR, ART
AND LANDSCAPE.”
CIUDAD UNIVERSITARIA
of the city’s toniest—and costliest—
residential real estate.
Jardín Centenario/Plaza Hidalgo.
Coyoacán’s two manicured central
plazas—where streets like Allende,
Hidalgo and Francisco Sosa meet—is
the charming heart of the district, with
fountains, gazebos, ice cream parlors,
and promenading locals, plus craft
vendors redolent of herbs, legal and
otherwise.
OTHER NOTEWORTHY SITES NEAR
COYOACÁN
Ciudad Universitaria
When Mexico’s Autonomous National
University—founded in 1910 and
Latin America’s largest—left the
Centro in the early 1950s, the Ciudad
Universitaria (CU) campus was
created as a symbol of Mexico’s
post-war prosperity and intellectual
ambitions. 60 years hence, its
utopian architectural vision—a
masterful combination of space,
color, art and landscape—cannot
fail to impress. The university’s
tall Rectoría, featuring murals by
Siqueiros, is superb, and the Central
Library’s Juan O’Gorman mosaics
are a true masterpiece, quite worth
your attentive contemplation.
A few kilometers (i.e., a taxi ride)
away, you’ll find the south campus’s
Espacio Escultórico sculpture garden,
whose trippy lava-scape and high
modernist pieces are like something
from outer space. And since you’ve
made it this far south, don’t miss
the Museo Universitario de Arte
Contemporáneo (Insurgentes Sur
3000; 5622 6972; muac.unam.mx.
Wed-Sun 10 am-6 pm), a stunning,
ambitious new art museum. Ciudad
Universitaria: approximately the 2600
block of Avenida Insurgentes Sur, before
reaching the Periférico Ring Road.
PLANNING YOUR MEXICO TRIP
with an LGBT-focused travel agency
can provide great benefits like
access to special themed tours and
events, recommendations tailored
to your particular interests, or help
finding LGBT-friendly hotels, resorts
and guesthouses throughout
Mexico. Here are three of the best:
San Ángel
& Plaza San Jacinto
Not far from Coyoacán lies the
neighborhood known as San Ángel,
another colonial-style charmer,
with gamboling cobblestone
streets, traditional architecture and,
these days, higher-end retail and
restaurants. Its parish church dates
from 1564 and is well worth a looksee (especially the enclosed garden).
Consider visiting on Saturday, when
San Jacinto hosts the Bazar Sábado
market, featuring leather, pottery,
jewelry and clothing by talented local
artisans, along with higher-ticket
items like paintings and sculpture.
Passion Fruit Lesbian Travel
04455 5183 7837;
passionfruitlesbiantravel.com.
Aaquetzalli Gay Travel.
5255 5929; aaquetzalli.com.mx.
Babylon Tours Travel Boutique
5705 1900; babylontours.com.mx.
T
5
TOP 5
ALI GUA GUA, Lead Singer, Kumbia Queers
Los Chuchos. A deep dive off
Plaza Garibaldi with an excellent
jukebox. Trannie versions of
stars like Paquita la del Barrio
and Ana Gabriel are in the house.
República de Honduras 6, Centro.
Marrakech. The downtown
haunt of my favorite chacales—
“jackals,” those skinny, sexy
bad-boys that cluster by the bar.
I love the sweat, the smell, and
the Coyote Ugly-style, on-bar
dancing. República de Cuba 18,
Centro.
El Under. Vampire seduction in
what is practically a backroom for
punks, goths and darks, dancing
to music by depressive English
bands. Wear nothing white.
Monterrey 80, Col. Roma; 5511
5475; Wed-Thurs 3-10 pm; Fri-Sun
3 pm-3 am; theunder.org.
El Bósforo. Never in the LGBT
guides because it cannot
be defined. Hetero-friendly
speakeasy? Whatever it is, the
music is sensual and I never get
out without kissing someone.
Luis Moya 31, Centro.
Musuko. Ladies get a discount
on Mondays and Thursdays
and the lesbians come out in
droves! Watch for neighborhood
celebrities. Nuevo León 160
(upstairs), Colonia Condesa;
5553 14 43.
Follow Ali Gua Gua and the Kumbia Queers at kumbiaqueers.com.ar
45
THE EMERGING
ARTISTS
THESE CLOSE-IN, ADJACENT
NEIGHBORHOODS DATE FROM
THE END OF THE NINETEENTH to
early twentieth centuries. As the city
grew, genteel families moved west,
through Roma/Condesa, to Polanco
and points beyond (a trend that
continues to this day). San Rafael
and Santa María declined, and are
just now beginning to show new
signs of life. Following the familiar
pattern, artists, bohos and queers
see the great old architecture,
the walkability and the cheapo
rents, then start moving in. The
“gentrification” is in its embryonic
phase, with a long way to go. But that
doesn’t mean you can’t scout for
hidden gems and get in on the fun
before the hordes arrive.
NOTEWORTHY SAN RAFAEL/
SANTA MARÍA LA RIBERA SITES
The Alameda. At Santa María la
Ribera and Díaz Mirón Streets, Santa
María la Ribera. The neighborhood’s
quaint plaza has undergone a facelift
and is more inviting than ever. Its
centerpiece is the Kiosko Morisco—
“the Moorish Gazebo”—a filigreed
relic from a late-nineteenth century
world’s fair. Old-time cantinas and a
gloriously dusty museum of natural
history border the Alameda, sharing
space with an ever-increasing array of
hipster-hopefuls.
Braniff Mansion. Sadi Carnot 57, San
Rafael. This impressive neo-classical
pile, dating from the 1890s, was—and
is—one of the city’s most imposing
mansions, originally owned by the
Braniff family (of later airline fame).
Its extravagant horizontality and
marvelous stone façade offer an idea
of San Rafael’s quondam grandeur.
Cine Ópera. Serapio Rendón 9, San
Rafael. Oh the humanity! What fun
it must have been to see classic
Hollywood—or Churubusco—pictures
in this movie palace, nearly as
spectacular in complete ruin as it was
in its shiny heyday.
Museo Experimental El Eco.
Sullivan 43, San Rafael; 5535 5186;
eleco.unam.mx. Tues-Sun 11 am-6
pm. Designed by German émigré
Matias Goeritz in 1953, El Eco is a
provocative modernist architectural
jewel. Stark, almost unnerving lines
create an exhibition space that often
outshines the art.
Museo Universitario El Chopo. Dr.
Enrique González Martínez 10, Santa
María la Ribera; 5546 5484; chopo.
unam.mx. Tues-Sun 10 am-7 pm.
Another salvage job from a world’s
fair, El Chopo’s goth-industrial
structure was brought from Germany
and reassembled in Mexico from
1903 to 1905. Today it is home to ultra
edgy arts exhibitions and is an anchor
for neighborhood revitalization.
A
A
AN AFTERNOON
IN SAN RAFAEL/SANTA
MARÍA LA RIBERA
OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS
SAN RAFAEL
&
SANTA MARÍA
LA RIBERA
COFFEE BREAK: Café Gran
Premio. Antonio Caso 72 at
Sadi Carnot, San Rafael; 5535
0934. Mon-Sat 8 am-8 pm.
A trapped-in-time café that
not even the hipsters have
discovered—so get there fast.
LUNCH: La Casa de Toño.
Sabino 166, Santa María la
Rivera; 5386 1125. Mon-Sat 9
am-11 pm, Sun 9 am-10 pm.
Neighborhood classic for
pozole, the hearty pork and
hominy stew, in a great old
townhouse setting. Casual,
expect crowds.
WEEKEND LUNCH: La Oveja
Negra. Sabino 215, Santa
María la Rivera; 5541 0405;
restaurantesovejanegra.
com.mx. Sat-Sun 7 am-6
pm. Succulent barbecued
mutton—some say the best in
the city—amid a down-home,
crazy-friendly atmosphere.
Don’t show up too late: when
the BBQ is gone, she’s gone.
COCKTAIL HOUR: Salón
París. Torres Bodet 152; 5547
3710. Mon-Sat 11-12 am, Sun
11 am-7 pm. From the old
school, with great art-deco
appointments. The food is
quite delicious, too.
KIOSKO MORISCO, SANTA MARÍA LA RIBERA
46
MUSEO UNIVERSITARIO EL CHOPO
47
EXCURSIONS
SPORTS &
ADVENTURES
LET’S NOT FALL INTO GENDER
STEREOTYPES. The DF’s outdoor/
sporting activities appeal to different
people for different reasons—and are
yet another way to celebrate Mexico
City’s infinite variety.
TURIBUS: JUST DO IT
Yes, we get you’re not a waddling, fannypacked tourist. But that’s no reason to skip
a tour aboard the Turibus. Go to the upper
deck—palaces, monuments and other intriguing
sights take on a whole new air from twenty feet
up—and even cynics can’t resist. The downtown
route explores sites and neighborhoods
between the Centro and Chapultepec Park;
the “Ruta Sur” excursion hits Frida Kahlo’s
Coyoacán, colonial San Ángel, and the fabulous
fifties modernism of the National University. See
turibus.com.mx for details.
48
XOCHIMILCO. Xochimilco is
a wonderfully garish pleasure
garden that must not be missed.
Several shoving-off points (called
embarcaderos) offer by-the-hour
gondola rentals; food, drink and live
music can be floated right to your
boat. 4-hour-plus excursions take you
to the area’s “rural” canals (request
the “parte rural”), a relaxing idyll.
While there, thrill seekers should
ask to visit Isla de las Muñecas (doll
island), an entirely harmless though
creepy “island of misfit toys.” The
Floating Gardens of Xochimilco.
Located in the extreme south of the
city; any taxi driver will be able to take
you there.
SOCCER. A real Mexican passion, so
don’t expect to remain seated—and
watch for flying beers if the home
team doesn’t win. Plus the boys look
awfully cute as they romp about in
those shorts. Matches played from
August to December, start up again
in January and continue through
May at three local stadiums. Tickets
available through Ticketmaster.
com.mx. Estadio Azteca: Calzada
de Tlalpan 3465, Colonia Santa
Úrsuka Coapa; 5487 3100. Estadio
Azul: Indiana 225, Colonia Ciudad
de los Deportes. Estadio Olímpico:
Insurgentes Sur across from the
main UNAM campus.
CHARRERÍA EQUESTRIAN EVENTS
Mexican rodeo with fantastic
pageantry and derring-do,
featuring talented equestrians
and equestriennes, arrayed in
those haughty yet sexy black
“mariachi” suits. In the third section
of Chapultepec Park, the Rancho
del Charro puts on intermittent
shows throughout the year. Visit
nacionaldecharros.com for the
current schedule and other details.
Rancho del Charro: Constituyentes
500, Puerta 4, Bosque de Chapultepec
Third Section; 5277 8706;
asociacionnacionaldecharros.com.
LUCHA LIBRE. Mexico’s masked
and melodramatic wrestling matches
are a low, guilty pleasure if ever there
were one, but thoroughly fun, a sort
of butch camp exercise if you will.
And the outfits! The Arena México,
near the Roma, gets regulars and an
increasing crop of local slummers;
downtown’s Coliseo auditorium
attracts a scrappier, but perfectly
harmless crowd. Arena México:
Dr. La Vista at Dr. Lucio, Colonia
Doctores; 5588 0508; arenamexico.
com.mx. Matches 8:30 pm Fridays.
Arena Coliseo: República de Perú
77 near República de Chile, Colonia
Centro; 5526 1687; arenacoliseo.com.
Matches Tues 8:30 pm and Sun 5 pm.
BULLFIGHTING. Not for your vegan
friends (the blood and death are
real) yet there’s nothing to compare
with its drama, danger, music and
spectacle. You’ll be glad you went
even if you never go again. Did we
mention the handsome, steely
matadors? Alternating Saturdays
and Sundays, at 4:30 pm, from
November to February at the Plaza
de Toros México. Augusto Rodín 241,
Colonia Ciudad de los Deportes, just
west of Insurgentes Sur; 5563 3961;
lamexico.com.
GYM
FOR GYM BUNNIES AND
MUSCLE MARYS
OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS
IN THE FIELD
Late nights, too many enchiladas,
too much tequila. And yet you’ve
got to look good, shirt-free, on the
dance floor. So if your hotel has
no workout room, consider a day
pass at the following gyms/yoga
studios, among the city’s nicest
and most up-to date.
Bikram Yoga México
Seneca 35, Polanco; 5520
0246; call or see website for
class schedule. Detox, so you’re
ready to retox: the city’s bestregarded yoga studios.
Hard Candy
Bosque de Duraznos 47,
Bosques de las Lomas; 5245
7550; hardcandyfitness.com;
Mon Fri 6 am-11 pm; Sat 8
am-4pm; Sun 9 am-2 pm. Yep,
Madonna’s place…probably the
toniest sweatshop in town.
Qi
Ámsterdam 317, Colonia
Condesa; 5564 5888; centroqi.
mex.The gym to the telenovela
stars. And the trainers—
male and female—are pretty
dishy, too.
Sports World Condesa
Sonora 180, Colonia
Condesa; 5378 4897;
condesasportsworld.com.mx;
Mon-Thurs 6 am-11 pm; Sat,
Sun and holidays 7 am to 5 pm.
The premiere workout in Hipster
Heights, modern, friendly and
immaculately maintained. (Note
only the Condesa location offers
day passes.)
49
CEO
Antonio García
Chairman
Javier Arredondo
Editorial Director
Guillermo Osorno
Public Relations Director
Luz Arredondo
Director of Finance
Juan Martín Osorio
Art Director
Rigoberto de la Rocha
Copy Director
Claudia Priani Saisó
www.editorialmapas.com
Original Texts, Adaptations and Edition
Michael Parker-Stainback
Photo Editor
María Dolores Rivera
Design
Juan Carlos Guzmán / Rigo de la Rocha
Retouching
Armando Ortega
Production
Oswaldo Rodríguez
Photos By
SecturDF, Adrián Duchateau, Aníbal Barco, Arturo
Limón, Atonatiuh Bracho, Camilo Christen, Diego
Berruecos, Felipe Luna, Getty Images, Héctor
Jiménez, Proceso Foto and Rigo de la Rocha.
Special thanks to Annuska Angulo, Hugo Flores,
Gris Maldonado and Miriam Jiménez.
Edición a cargo de EDITORIAL MAPAS.
Travesías Editores, S. A. de C. V., Amatlán 33, col.
Condesa, México D.F., C.P. 06140.
Esta guía se terminó de imprimir en la ciudad de
México en el mes de agosto de 2013, en los talleres de
COMISA, S.A. de C.V., General Victoriano Zepeda 22,
col. Observatorio, México D.F., C.P. 11860, 5516 8586.
La edición constó de 1,000 ejemplares.

LGBT - CDMXTravel

Transcription

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