Area in close walking distance to the Frida Kahlo Museum, and the renowned churro place…read more We left the hotel early, got dropped off with one hour before our ticket admitting us in so we walked to a Panera that Doc spotted on the ride there. We entered a church, had lunch in the area and did some shopping. Doc bought a bracelet I liked from a vendor and a T-shirt from a man across the street from the museum for me. I bought some bracelets and pouches from a man on the street. He could speak English and said his family was Aztec. He made the bracelets and his grandmother made the pouches. Many locals with their dogs and tourists were enjoying the nice warm weather. We saw people being blessed with special smoke or sage. Many shops and eateries on nice streets. There was one two story restaurant that looked very pretty and romantic with couples eating on the outdoor balcony.

Fun, lively area! Came on a Sunday and there were tons of people outs and about…read more Pros: -many restaurants to choose from -vendors galore where you can buy souvenirs -there are a few free Wi-Fi spots in this area -we saw performers dancing near the church Cons: -none

Es El museo mas lujoso que he visto en mi vida es la oficina de Correos de la ciudad de Mexico hoy…read moreme toco Algo muy especial que se llama noches de museos en esta occasion fue un concierto de coros infantiles total Mente gratis la entrada es a las 6 pm es Algo muy especial El poder seguir birndoncosas tan Hermosa y con accesibilidad hay mucho jente formada El Lugar exajeradamete decorado con colores dorados como El Oro es Algo alusinante solo en entrar the sientes en Otra epoca y como si fuera Rica

It's fun to learn about postal service every country has one. This building is historical and…read moreinteresting that is worth seeing. They have a lot of old equipment and stamps plus some other things to see.

The square itself is amazing, and the history is even more so. And while the square is a great…read moreplace to walk around and there is always something happing, it's great to go to the walking street and check out all the shops. But the people watching is the best. There are many souvenir shops around and it's worth going into the churches. One could easily spend a couple of hours here, more if you find a bar and have a nice, cool drink.

Plaza de la Constitución is the current official name of this central square located in Mexico…read moreCity's historic district, with centuries of history, and formerly known by many other names. It's evolved from a site for early Aztec rituals to a venue for modern independence celebrations, concerts, protests and parades, with varied uses in between. Today it's known as "El Zócalo", Spanish for "base" referring to the base of a monument to independence that was never finished in this square. Instead a single flagpole stands in the middle. Built over the ceremonial center of the Aztec city Tenochtitlan previously located in the same spot, you can visit the city's teocalli (sacred precinct) called Templo Mayor in today's vernacular. This is directly north east of the square. To the direct north is the Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México (Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral), to the east is the Palacio Nacional (National Palace), to the south are city government offices including the City Hall and Supreme Court close by. Over the centuries it's functioned as a public square, makeshift or formal market place, park, gathering place for political uprisings and other major historic events. Nowadays it's still a popular gathering place, there are buskers, organized performances, cultural and civic activities, including the Day of the Dead annual parade. When I was there a few weeks ago there was a city sponsored art exhibit of cactus statues, looked to be designed, and painted/embellished/decorated by local artists. There were around 100 different cacti spread out in the central section around the flagpole. Entrance was free though the exhibition area was fenced with police monitoring the entry points, I suppose to prevent any malicious activity toward the public art. So many designs stood out, I posted some pics of my faves--what talented artists!

Beautiful and worth a visit!!…read more Incline to enter the castle was something else so be sure to take your time and wear comfy shoes!

The castle sits on top of a hill inside Chapultepec Park, so you get some great views of the city…read moreonce you reach the top. The walk up is a bit of a hike, but it's worth it. The building is well maintained, and the rooms are filled with historical displays, artwork, and furnishings that give you a glimpse into Mexico's history. It can get crowded, especially on the weekends, so going earlier in the day can make the visit stress free.

The history in this part of Mexico City is incredible. If you're visiting, you should absolutely…read moremake time to stop at Templo Mayor--it gives you a completely different understanding of the region. Templo Mayor was the central temple of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlán, which once stood in the middle of Lake Texcoco. After the Spanish conquest led by Hernán Cortés, the city was destroyed, and much of its stone was reused to build what is now the Metropolitan Cathedral and surrounding colonial structures. What's fascinating is that the ruins remained hidden for centuries. The first parts of the ruins were discovered during construction work in the 1970s and earthquakes in the 1980s revealed more of the remains. Standing here, you really feel the layers of history. Within a short walk, you can see modern Mexico City, Spanish colonial architecture like the cathedral, and the exposed Aztec ruins--all in one place. It's a powerful visual of how this city has evolved over time. If you made the trip to Mexico City, don't skip this stop. Even just walking through the area gives you a sense of history spanning from the Aztec empire, through Spanish colonization, to the present day. It's an experience that really stays with you.

Built initially in the early 14th century, Templo Mayor aka the "Main Temple" sits in the middle of…read morewhat was originally the geographic and religious center of the capital city of Tenōchtitlan, when it was still an island city in the middle of Lake Texcoco. As a sacred site for the Mexica peoples, the structures erected here were dedicated to two deities--Huitzilopochtli, god of war, and Tlaloc, god of rain and agriculture. A shrine was built for each at the top of the temple on the main pyramid. From archaeological analysis, the temple was rebuilt six times, with the largest expansion under Mocteczuma I in 1454, though in 1521 the majority of the building was destroyed by Spanish colonizers when the whole city was razed and rebuilt following Spanish occupation. Notably the Metropolitan Cathedral which stands today adjacent to this site was one of the buildings which were built over it. By the 19th century the exact location and history of this sacred precinct had been lost but toward the end of the 1800s part of the temple corner was uncovered. However there wasn't an official organized effort to excavate and preserve the site until 1978-82. In 1987 the site became listed as an UNESCO world heritage site and a museum was built to house its artifacts and findings. When I was there in January I didn't go into the museum though walked around the edges--they've done an excellent job framing it with walkways along the west side, so it's somewhat of a public park. There are a few small scale models of what the precinct would've looked like in different eras, and a dedicated viewing platform. With entry to the museum you get closer access into the site with some walkways within the site itself. The entrance to the museum is free for Mexican citizens and 95 pesos for foreigners. Three floors with eight main exhibition halls focused on the deities, rituals (including human sacrifice), the role of the temple in economics and trade of the time, and flora and fauna of past Mesoamerica. In excavations more than 7000 objects were found and work continues on the site today.

Breathtaking, beautiful, historic, positive energy, nature loving and Free every single day even…read morefor foreign tourist!!! it's an untouched lava garden encircled by giant prisms.

On a recent trip to Mexico City I visited the Sculptural Space at UNAM (National Autonomous…read moreUniversity of Mexico). Proposed by sculptor Federico Silva in 1979, it is one of a series of 7 public sculpture's dedicated to ecology and art, and built on campus by artists from the University. Referencing pre-Hispanic culture and the aesthetics of nearby ceremonial sites such as the pyramids at Teotihuacan, this site specific work exists in harmony with its surrounding landscape and calls to a time in history when place was honored. The walk to the site requires traversing a long path surrounded by a muted palette of desert flora -- fields of tall dry grass sprinkled with bundles of cacti, pink desert flowers, and jagged rocky outcrops. At one point the concrete path became a grid of symbols resembling an ancient, or even extraterrestrial, form of communication. Upon arrival at the sculpture, I was confronted with a wall of 64 massive slabs of rock in a circular formation, 120 ft in diameter. I noticed people, mostly pairs, perched on the tips of some of these structures. The grand presence of these outcrops had a dwarfing effect while simultaneously offering an invitation to slip inbetween the slabs revealing an open field of jagged, black, petrified lava on the other side. There is a circular walking path lining the inset (slightly lunar) landscape but I chose to climb down into it and head to the center. From inside, the geometric ring of rocks frame the sculptural space and act as protectors, while also producing a kind of amphitheater effect. Unlike many public monuments which often feel indifferent to their degree of engagement with the viewer, Sculpture Space felt like a democratic and inviting public space, ripe for meditation, public interaction, and activation. It felt sacred. Like a celebration of place, history and ecological diversity that spoke to the institutions dedication to art...or so I initially thought. The view from the center offers a 360º horizon of sky and surrounding mountains with one jarring exception -- a disruptive, stark white building towering in the east and ultimately poisoning the entire experience. Upon further research it's revealed that this is a recently built faculty building for the Political and Social Sciences program at UNAM, which immediately strikes me as an institutional contradiction. The fact that a program within the institution which studies anthropology and archeology would build a structure that disrespects, and ultimately destroys, a monument that is dedicated to their cultural heritage, seems rather outrageous. And it appears as though the art and student community in Mexico City agrees. Earlier this month a petition started circulating demanding that the top 4 floors of the building be removed in order to return the Sculpture Space to it's original state. A demostration led by hundreds of artists and representatives from the university community took place spurring a lot of media attention and resulting in the formation of a committee of architects, artists, environmentalists, and researchers dedicated to addressing the issue. What began as a symbol of cultural heritage, celebration of place, and public engagement, has shifted to a conversation around institutional critique and politics. Here's to hoping the institution can make the changes necessary to honor it's past dedication to the integrity of the art.

An icon of the city and a truly must see-I mean really would you leave NYC without seeing the…read moreStatue of Liberty or leave Paris with visiting the Eiffel Tower?Well you can't leave Mexico City without visiting this beautiful statue. It's located pretty close to Chapultepec Park,in fact you can see the statue from the main entrance to the park-it's a short walk to this statue. When you get to the park they direct traffic so that pedestrians can walk up to the statue and sit on the steps below it,be sure to follow traffic laws though as it's a crazy busy intersection and would hate for anyone to get hit by a car trying to get to the statue. That's all-if u find yourself in Mexico City-get yourself to this statue-it's a beauty.

The Ángel de la Independencia is one of the most iconic landmarks of Mexico City, representing…read moreMexico's independence from Spain. It's a tall column with a gold statue of the Greek goddess Nike on top. It's located in the middle of a roundabout of Paseo de la Reforma, one of the city's most popular streets. There are steps at the base and you'll often find people just sitting there hanging out.