Mexico City, Mexico
GRUNGY, VIBRANT, COZY:
I am not sure where I first heard that Mexico City was awesome, but by the time booked my first trip to the megacity my expectations were pretty high. Amazingly, those expectations were exceeded on all accounts. I loved CDMX (short for Cuidad Mexico) so much that I have already been there twice. Once just for the sake of exploration, and again for my 30th birthday which conveniently fell right on the Day of the Dead. CDMX is a genuinely amazing place that has flown under the radar for too long. The culture is incredible, the people are effusive and the public services are simply out of this world. I honestly cannot say enough about this place despite a small bout of food poisoning that took me down on my actual birthday (welcome to a new decade, right?).
I highly recommend anyone that likes urban planning, art, tortas, and tequila take the time to visit the city that more than 8.8 million people call home.
GRUNGY:
There is no getting around it, CDMX is a large, dirty city. The sidewalks are littered and broken, the streets are full of traffic and exhaust, and many of the storefronts are crumbling. It is the type of place that needs a good powerwash. When you realize that this city has stood for nearly 500 years and is sinking into the lakebed it was built on at a rate of 12 centimeters per year, you start to understand why it is so weathered. The thing about the CDMX grunge is that it feels well-earned. There is a beauty to it. There are plants growing out of the top of the cathedral in the Zócalo because it has been there for centuries, and the woman selling Tepache on the street is mixing it with a paddle that her mother probably used. The entire city feels like an old pair of leather shoes that have been worn out in the rain a few dozen times - it’s got grunge you can understand.
VIBRANT:
While this word was meant to refer to the overall vibe of CDMX, it is worth mentioning first that the art in this city is absolutely stunning. From the Diego Rivera murals in the presidential palace to the incredible architecture of the Museo National de Antropologia, CDMX is visually stunning. Just past the great optics lies an energy that is simultaneously tightly coiled and bursting forward. This history and culture are there to discover, but no one is shoving it down your throat. I actually got the sense that the vibrancy in Mexico City is cultivated for its residents, and not for the tourists. Everything done in that city is done by and for the people that live there, and it feels distinctly different from some other massive global attractions that are clearly designed for visitors. Take the Biblioteca Vasconcelos. The moment I stepped inside I immediately wondered why it hasn’t been featured in more sci-fi movies. It feels intense, otherworldly, and wholly unique. But it is a functioning library. There was no queue to enter, no one collecting an entrance fee, and no guided tours available. All at once this incredibly energetic space was free to view, and reserved for residents. The entire city feels like an opal that has only been partially uncovered.
COZY:
This may sound like a strange thing to say about such a massive city, but CDMX genuinely felt like a collection of intimate neighborhoods to me. The parks are covered by lush tree canopies and feel peaceful to enter, the taquerias are busy and inviting, and nearly ever Uber driver I spoke with was eager to recommend his own favorite spots in the city. While in line to get my face painted before the big Día de los Muertos parade, a downpour erupted, soaking everything in a matter of minutes. My mother and I dashed into a nearby cafe for respite. The tables were full, but still no one kicked us out. We stood in the entryway, warm and dry, watching the rain. We were welcome despite the fact that we were not patrons. This small experience felt so unique to me, and it made the entire city feel a bit more like a home.
THE 3 THINGS YOU WILL NEED WHILE YOU’RE THERE:
You do not want to get caught in open-toed shoes in CDMX. Like I said above, the streets are dirty. They are also broken and uneven, so you probably don’t want to rock any heels either. A simple pair of sneakers will serve you just fine.
CDMX has a rainy season (May - October), and with any rainy season comes a variety of nasty, biting bugs. Don’t get caught with mosquito bites. Instead, douse yourself in this essential oil mix that will have you smelling bad to bugs, but great to humans.
CDMX is past the Tropic of Cancer, which means the sun is hot and intense. Protect your head, face, and eyes by donning a lightweight hat on the sunnier days. If you forget to bring one with you, you can 100% pick one up at one of CDMX’s many markets.
