Top 4 neighbourhood in Mexico City

When I was researching where to stay/go in Mexico City, many neighborhoods came up with different recommendations. I wanted to get my own opinion on each neighborhood so I managed to plan my time so that I can experience each and every one of them. I stayed in Mexico City for 8 days, and during that time I split my sleeping arrangement within two neighborhoods; Centro Historico and Condesa. I can’t speak about staying in Coyoacan or Polanco, but I will definitely tell you why you need visit these places and what do do in each one.

1- Centro Historico

My first 5 night I stayed in Hostel Mundo Joven, which is located right behind the Zócalo Cathedral. They have two rooftop terrasse, which are both amazing, the location was great, the party scene wasn’t as great as I expected and the wifi sucked. Overall, I give this hostal 7/10.

As for the neighborhood, I really liked staying and spending some time here; the history of this place was incredible, the monuments are breathtaking and the people are really nice. There is so many things to see and do, I was never bored. The Castillo de Chapultepec and the park is worth going to. It was crazy to think that this castle was important for so many historical figures. Also, the view from the rooftop is incredible.

Then there is the National Museum of Anthropology, which I could have spent an entire day or two going through the different sections. The art and history is just so majestic, it makes you feel so small, in a good and interesting way.

Make sure to spend some time in the Zócalo plaza, around the Fine Arts palace and the park right next to it, especially if you like people watching like me. There are also many other museum that you can visit around Centro Historico. Museo de Arte Popular and Museo Nacional de Arte, just to name a few.

I also recommend using Ecobici to travel around the city. It’s was 14$CAN for 3 days. Make sure you read the rules so you don’t get some extra unwanted charges! It’s super efficient and can help save a lot of money transport wise.

2- Coyoacan

This is one of my favorite neighborhoods, if not my favorite, but I might be a little bias since it’s home to one of my favorite artist: Frida Kahlo. I only spent one day here, and to be honest I don’t feel like it was enough. If I ever find my way back to Mexico City, I will definitely stay here. There’s a market, a nice little plaza with a bunch of cute coffee houses and restaurant. The environment felt 100% safe and the free Coyoacan tour with Strawberry tours was completely worth it. Also, not to mention, the Blue House where Frida lived most of her life was one of the best experiences of my life. I don’t recommend skipping this neighborhood, even spending a couple of hours here will be completely worth it.

This is the camera I used to capture some of these shots. It's even better to take videos with. *Check out our latest video on our Youtube Channel!!

3- Polanco

Very, VERY fancy neighborhood. For me, I can compare Polanco to the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It even has their own little Fifth Avenue, where you can find the most expensive stores: Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and so much more. I recommend walking into Lago store just to check out their beautiful collections of Mexican designers. I loved that store, and as soon as I’m rich (one day, hopefully) I’m going back and buying a bunch of outfits and jewelry.

Polanco is also home to the most visited museum of Mexico: Museo Soumaya. I’ll be writing another blog post on the TOP 4: museums to visit in Mexico City, all the info you need to know about Museo Soumaya will be there. I just want to mention that the museum is free, and enormous, definitely worth a couple of hours of your time.

4- Condesa /Roma

I put these two together, because I feel like they go hand in hand with each other. They have the same hipster vibe. I felt completely safe staying here. I stay in Metro Hostel in La Condesa, and I loved it. The breakfast is a little basic and the bed not so comfortable, but the rooftop terrasse is amazing, and the “graffiti art” inside the hostel is beautiful. I rate this hostel at 7/10 too.

To be honest, I didn’t do much here except eat and drink coffee. I walked/biked around a lot, La Condesa is a Instagram picture paradise, the streets feel like they came straight out of a movie. They also have some of the best restaurants I’ve ate at during my time in Mexico City. And the coffee shops are a great place to sit all day and work or talk to your friends.

And our favorite tool to planning our trips: Lonely Planet!!!

I’m looking forward to go back to Mexico City and stay in Coyoacan for a while. I also found out about other places I want to visit when I go back; Diego Rivera’s studio comes to mind. Also they have organised tour for the Teotihuacan Pyramids that I want to go next time.

You will not regret stopping in Mexico City, it has so many things to offer for every type of travellers, trust me you will not regret it.