Best of Mexico City Travel
If Mexico City isn’t on your Short List of Next Destinations, bump it up. This friendly, culturally rich and highly accessible city is weighed down by assumptions about its size, pollution and safety.
But the Mexico City that my good friend Preeti and I found was warm and accommodating with deep history, art and architecture, and endless parks, green spaces and tree lined boulevards.
Preeti and I, two women in our early thirties, are game for just about anything and hopped from bar to restaurant and from museum to coffee shop based on the recommendations of the exceedingly friendly waiters, bartenders and baristas we met at every turn. Preeti speaks some Spanish, which helped quite a bit in cabs, but most people in the service and tourism industry speak some English.
Over five days, we soaked up the museums and art galleries, vistas and parks, outdoor bistros and trendy hotspots. When you undertake such a high-energy, multi-faceted tour-de-force, it is essential to set up camp in a centrally located, comfortable locale that will steer you in the right direction, call for a car (and get a good price), and introduce you to fellow travelers.
Where to Stay! The Red Tree House.
The Red Tree House came highly recommended by not only online listings, but both of our extended networks. Over the complimentary wine/beer social hours (6-8pm), we learned that our fellow guests hailed from around the world and spanned the ages of mid twenties through late seventies. Couples (both gay and straight) and groups traded stories of their daily adventures and swapped recommendations for what to see and where to eat.
The Red Tree House is popular with locals and internationals for good reason.
Its location is ideal, nestled as it is in the heart of Condesa, one of the most charming neighborhoods of Mexico City. The breakfast (included) is dynamite, you can drop off laundry, and the internet is lightening fast. They happily arranged a car for us to visit the Teotihuacan Pyramids and also provided detailed instructions on using the effective and very cheap metro system to get around town. The accommodations are perfectly appointed and very comfortable.
But, above all else, the friendly owners and staff and fellow guests make the visit shine.
I’ve described Mexico City to many people in the weeks since I’ve returned.
From the U.S.A., it’s a short flight to a tropical Paris – the people are friendly, the prices affordable and the weather is great! I’m planning my return trip soon.
See images below.
Submitted by Colleen R. with photos
Pictured below: the famous Freida/Diego house (with the bridge) is captured as is the mural from Freida’s childhood home / the home in which she died (La Casa Azul)
Pyramid photo is of the Teotihuacan Ruins
Reuse. Reduce. Recycle. We’ve heard the call to action to keep our world green. And now, there is a city that is going ALL green. Or at least it’s trying to. Green technologies, sustainable building materials, solar panels, shaded windows, high-tech wind towers are being tested in Masdar City’s petri dish.
Acknowledgement: Thank you to The Red Tree House for partially hosting our stay!