Condesa

Filled with striking 1920s and 1930s architecture, tree-lined streets, and both classic and trendy bars and eateries, Condesa is usually mentioned in the same breath as its similarly cool neighbor, Roma. Many people treat the two areas as one large district, but Condesa retains its own distinct history and personality, and it generally feels more established and less hipsterized than Roma. It also has a supply of tiny parks and promenades, many on crescents and down hidden lanes, all with lush greenery, especially its two most famous parks, España and México.

Condesa is a trove of grand, artful architecture—much of it historic, but you'll also find a number of eye-catching modern buildings, few of them rising higher than five or six stories. As you walk around, be sure to look up, as grand balconies and sweeping roof-decks are part of the visual picnic. Angular art deco structures with expansive casement windows mingle beside ornate and slightly curvier art nouveau beauties, while many of the newer structures have sheer glassy facades and huge terraces decked with ferns, flowers, and shrubs. Condesa sustained heavy damage following the massive earthquake of 1985, and many of the neighborhood's newer buildings replaced those that collapsed or were condemned. Exactly (to the day) 32 years later, the 2017 earthquake caused further destruction; even today it's possible to detect cracks in building facades and extra structural supports. For the most part, however, Condesa looks and feels enchanting, with a carefree elegance and a decidedly bohemian vibe.

Condesa's grandeur dates back generations. It's named for Spanish contessa (or condesa) Miravalle, who owned the land (as well as Roma and much of Tacubaya) throughout the city's colonial era. In the early 1900s, the contessa's vast property had been sold and subdivided, and it quickly became a desirable place to live among wealthy supporters of Mexico's aristocratic Porfirio Díaz regime, which ended in 1911. The neighborhood's grand avenues, lush parks, and glorious art nouveau and art deco buildings were developed over the next three decades. Like Roma, Condesa experienced a downturn during the latter half of the 20th century that was greatly exacerbated by the '85 earthquake. Following this period and well into the 1990s, the neighborhood began to attract artists and counterculture types drawn to its gorgeous old buildings and newfound affordability.

Today the neighborhood vibe spans youthful, monied, LGBTQ+, touristy, hipster, entrepreneurial, digital nomad, and artsy, and this diverse blend results in some of the best people-watching in the city. Condesa also has one of Mexico City's most eclectic dining and drinking scenes, with an abundance of everything from cheap old-school taquerias and casual international restaurants to a growing number of voguish bistros and darkly lit craft-beer bars and mezcalerias. Much of the action is along the broad avenidas Tamaulipas, Michoacán, and Nuevo León as well as elliptical Avenida Amsterdam—all of these streets have gracious, landscaped medians down their centers. The neighborhood's dense green foliage is alluring any time of year, but in late winter (mid-February to mid-April), it's especially gorgeous as the neighborhood's many jacaranda trees bloom with lavender flowers.

Additionally, this section covers Escandón, a more middle-class neighborhood that extends south from Condesa's border of Avenida Benjamín Franklin to the Viaducto Alemán Highway. And it covers one of the city's somewhat hidden, although increasingly fashionable, urban gems, the small colonia of San Miguel Chapultepec. Quieter than Condesa but with similarly striking architecture of all styles and periods from the past century or so, this neighborhood adjacent to the south edge of Bosque de Chapultepec is crisscrossed with narrow, tree-shaded lanes and boasts a smattering of buzzy restaurants and cafés. For now at least, it remains mostly residential, but the top draw are two iconic house/museums designed by Luis Barragán (including the celebrated architect's own home) and a trove of contemporary art galleries that are among the most prestigious in the city. If you're looking to base yourself close to both Bosque de Chapultepec and Condesa and Roma, this is an excellent neighborhood to stay in (there are quite a number of Airbnbs, though few actual hotels).