The top level of Museo Soumaya showcases one the world’s largest collections of Rodin sculptures. (
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Mexico City’s Centro Historico, the city center, buzzes with energy. (
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Vibrant and colorful, brimming with history, culture and tantalizing cuisine, Mexico City can go mano a mano with the world’s greatest capitals. But given its size — a whopping 573 square miles — and fearsome traffic, it’s best to focus on select neighborhoods (or districts as they’re called here). Here are two to explore.
POLANCO
This is where the fancy folk come to dine in chic restaurants, lounge at outdoor cafes and indulge in high-end shopping — Prada, Bulgari, Hugo Boss. But you can shop and eat well in many districts; it’s the museums — many situated in the leafy 1,695-acre Chapultepec Park — that are the real draw in Polanco.
Most famous is the Museo Nacional de Antropología, a space so large (it spans nearly 20 acres) and so fascinating (it houses the world’s largest collection of Mesoamerican art) that you should devote the better part of a day to exploring its 23 exhibition halls and outdoor spaces (mna.inah.gob.mx).
From there it’s a few minutes’ walk to the Museo Rufino Tamayo. Several galleries here are devoted to Tamayo’s vivid modern masterpieces (his famous bright-pink watermelons adorn many a gift-shop magnet). The museum also houses the late artist’s collection of modern and contemporary artwork (Dalí, Miró and Bacon are just a few) along with international exhibits. And drop a few pesos at the gift shop, which stocks innovative porcelain and jewelry by Mexican artisans (museotamayo.org).
Nearby, the Museo de Arte Moderno is like walking onto the set of a groovy 1960s sci-fi movie: Low circular buildings are connected by a central staircase capped by an amber-tinged, UFO-like dome. Two galleries hold works from the permanent collection, including a fantastic Kahlo self-portrait of two Fridas, paintings by Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco and photos by Manuel Álvarez Bravo; two others house contemporary exhibits. Be sure to check out the outdoor sculpture garden (mam.org.mx).
To the north, in an even more upscale area of Polanco dominated by glassy condos and a luxury mall, is the splashy Museo Soumaya, built in 2011 by billionaire Carlos Slim. Covered with thousands of aluminum plates, the building glints in the sun like a shiny armadillo; inside, a curving ramp leads you up its six floors, recalling New York’s Guggenheim. The 66,000 works run the gamut from old Mexican coins to Impressionist masters (Renoir, Van Gogh, Matisse). Up top is the wow factor: a basketball-stadium-sized floor illuminated by skylights and filled with sculptures by Rodin and Dalí (soumaya.com.mx).
Ideally situated equidistant from both Chapultepec Park and Polanco’s main shopping/dining area is the sleek, Enrique Norten-designed Hotel Habita, part of Mexico’s Grupo Habita chain of designer hotels. Its 36 rooms are simply but nicely appointed; the rooftop bar, Area, is a popular hangout, especially during the evenings, when American film noirs are projected on an adjacent building (from $215, hotelhabita.com).
Polanco’s restaurant zone is mainly between Alejandro Dumas and Anatole France streets. The cozy month-old Mediterranean spot Tomillo, started by a young couple who describe the menu as “food from the heart,” excels with excellent soups, a delicate grilled octopus dish and warm, friendly service (Oscar Wilde 20, 5281-7216). For a swankier meal, Dulce Patria fits the bill (though it’s a hefty one), offering artfully styled Mexican dishes garnished with flowers and whimsical desserts balanced atop actual folk art (Anatole France 100, dulcepatriamexico.com).
CENTRO HISTORICO
The hub of Mexico City, the historic center resembles a giant version of Manhattan’s Canal Street, with store upon store hawking everything from perfume to plumbing parts to electronics to cheap clothing. But you can fill up on culture here, too: There’s the National Art Museum, the Museum of Popular Art and the newer Museum of Memory and Tolerance. A must is the National Palace, flanking one end of the massive Zócalo (main plaza), which features Diego Rivera’s jaw-dropping murals depicting the history of Mexico from the 1500s up to 1930, as well as rotating art exhibits.
The newest spot to stay and play is Downtown Mexico, a 17th-century palace turned 17-room hotel; some rooms boast soaring ceilings and exposed stone walls (from $195, http://www.downtownmexico.com). Upstairs is the scene-y rooftop terrace and pool, with excellent views of Mexico City’s truncated version of the Empire State building, Torre Latinoamericana. Wrapping around the hotel courtyard is a well-curated mini mall, with two levels of shops selling items like artisanal chocolate, homeopathic face creams and organic cotton clothing.
For an authentic Mexico City-style michelada (beer, lemon juice, salt) in traditional surroundings — roving mariachis, lots of burled wood, a tin ceiling with a bullet hole said to have been Pancho Villa’s doing — La Opera Bar obliges (Calle de Mayo 5, barlaopera.com). It seems everyone in the know breakfasts at El Cardenal; reservations are a must, but expect to wait for a table anyway. Regulars order the off-menu tacos de chapulin (ant eggs) — far more palatable than imagined (Calle Palma 23, restauranteelcardenal.com). With the walls and ceiling entirely covered with bric-a-brac — license plates, dusty wine bottles, bottle caps, postcards, even a bicycle — funky Hosteria La Bota is where young folks gather for beer and cheap tapas (San Jerónimo 40, 5709-9016).
HOW TO GET THERE: The most pleasant way to fly to Mexico City is on Interjet, a Mexico-based airline that started offering direct service from JFK last year. In addition to low prices (as little as $576 round-trip), the super-clean planes boast leather seats, lots of legroom, free booze and food, and a women-only lavatory. interjet.com