The old city center or Centro Historico of Mexico City, centered around the Plaza de la Constitucion, is an area clearly different from the rest of the city. Its colonial and European architecture and narrow cobblestone streets set it apart from the rest of Mexico City. It has an enormous amount of stores, street vendors, and especially crowds. Without a doubt, this area is one of the most popular areas in Mexico City.

Understand [ edit ]

The Centro Historico, the original foundation of Mexico City, was built on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec empire capital established around 1325 and destroyed by the Spanish in 1521. It contains a large amount of old buildings that date back to the 16th century. Due to its importance, it was included in UNESCO's list of world heritage sites in 1987.

Get in [ edit ]

Bike Day

Every Sunday Ave. Reforma is closed to motor vehicles due to "bike" day (confined streets for bicycle use only). It is strongly advised to avoid driving that brings you close to Ave.Reforma. If you are staying at any of the hotels in this area and have a flight scheduled on Sunday, it is advised to allow enough time to get out of the area if you're using a taxi. An alternative to get in and out of the area is the Metro (Subway).



Other areas of the city are also experiencing closings for bicycle use only.

Government web page that advises on routes that will be closed to vehicular traffic: [10]

By metro [ edit ]

This is probably the best way to reach the Centro Historico, however, all the stations in the area are consistently crowded, so be prepared and alert for pickpocketers.

There are various Metro lines that connect the Centro Historico with the rest of the city.

Line 1 (pink) Pino Suarez, Isabel La Catolica and Salto del Agua Stations.

Line 2 (blue) Zocalo (your best choice for direct access), Allende, Bellas Artes, Hidalgo and Revolucion stations.

Line 3 (green) Hidalgo and Juarez stations.

By Turibus [ edit ]

Turibus

The hop-in hop-off double-decker bus makes a stop just north of the Zocalo in Monte de Piedad street in the west side of the cathedral. The one-day pass costs $140 ($160 for English version of the excursion - do not forget to ask for your headphone!).

By public bus [ edit ]

The RTP bus network rides along Eje Central Avenue. You may also ride a Microbus.

By trolley bus [ edit ]

The Trolley Bus rides along Eje Central Avenue. Ask the driver to drop you off at Madero street.

By car [ edit ]

This is the least recommended way to get around Centro Historico since the streets are always jammed with hundreds of cars especially during weekdays.

If you dare to enter the area by car, you can do so through Reforma and turning right at Avenida Juarez which later becomes Francisco I Madero Street, or if you're coming from the south, you can reach through Calzada de Tlalpan which later becomes 20 de Noviembre Avenue.

There are several parking lots in the area (valet service) that charge $14 an hour.

Get around [ edit ]

Madero Street, recently turned into an only-pedestrian street

The best way to get around the Centro Historico is definitely by foot. All tourist attractions are within walking distance.

By tourist trolley [ edit ]

Tranvia

This trolley (in spanish Tranvia Turístico) departs from Juarez Avenue 66, between the Alameda and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. Ride lasts 45 minutes around many interesting spots in the area. Operating hours Monday thru Sunday 10AM to 5PM.

By pedicab [ edit ]

There are a few pedicabs that can carry you within the Centro Historico.

Palacio de Bellas Artes

Landmarks [ edit ]

Old City Hall with Independence Celebration decoration

Sagrario Metropolitano. A side chapel next to the Cathedral completed in 1769.

Palacio Nacional

Banco de Mexico building

Nacional Monte de Piedad, Monte de Piedad and Cinco de Mayo. Monday-Friday 8:30AM-6PM; Saturday 8:30AM-3:30PM, Sundays closed. This building, which was completed in 1758, was built on the grounds of the house of Aztec emperor Moctezuma and later the residence of the Spanish conqueror Hernan Cortes. The building was acquired in 1838 by the Nacional Monte de Piedad, a pawn shop established in 1775 that still operates today.

Plaza Manuel Gamio, Seminario between Moneda and Guatemala streets. Features an open-air diorama of the old Tenochtitlan.

Palacio Postal (indoors)

Latinoamericana Tower, Eje Central Avenue and Francisco I Madero Street, [11]. Working hours Monday thru Sunday 9AM to 10PM. Construction started in 1948 and was completed in 1956. This was Mexico's first skyscraper, boasting 44 floors and 182 meters. There is an observatory in the 42nd floor, entrance is $60.

Palacio de Bellas Artes, Juarez Avenue and Eje Central, [12]. Designed by Italian architect Adamo Boari. Its construction started in 1905, however due to the Revolution War, it was not completed until 1934. Home to the famous Ballet Folklórico de México, which regularly puts on shows on Wednesdays and Sunday (tickets in advance usually required, $300-1100 pesos). The show is highly recommended, featuring traditional dance styles from all over Mexico. If you go on a Wednesday where there are a lot of unsold seats you can ask the usher in Spanish before you walk if you can pay to to upgrade the ticket. They will accept cash and will upgrade you to whether you want to be on the first level or second level. It seems like this is an unofficial upgrade though.

Plaza Manuel Tolsa, Tacuba 8. In this beautiful square you can find the Palacio de Mineria,National Art Museum and the statue of Spanish king Charles IV also known as "El Caballito" (the little horse).

Palacio de Mineria, Tacuba 5. Formerly the Mining College, this building dated from 1792 features an old library and a chapel. It serves as venue for the yearly Mexico City Book Fair.

Templo de San Francisco, Francisco I Madero 7. This church was started in the 16th century and completed in the 19th century. This temple was built in the grounds of the Zoo of Aztec Emperor Moctezuma.

Templo de Felipe de Jesus, Francisco I Madero 9. Built in 1897 in the grounds of the former Vasque Church of Aranzazu.

Palacio de Iturbide, Francisco I Madero 17. One of the oldest buildings in town, built in the late 16th century, it was first home to the local nobility and later the residence of Mexican Emperor Agustin de Iturbide. The building is owned today by the Cultural Trust of Banco Nacional de Mexico, the Mexican branch of Citibank.

Banco de Mexico building, Cinco de Mayo and Eje Central Avenue. Office of the Mexican Central Bank built in 1925.

Palacio Postal, Eje Central Avenue and Tacuba, [13]. Open Monday-Friday 8AM to 10PM, Saturday-Sunday 8AM to 4PM. One of the most beautiful buildings in the country and considered a National Heritage Building. Built in 1906, this European style building houses the main post office. Most of the materials used to build it were brought from Italy.

Casa de los Azulejos, Francisco I Madero 4. This department store and restaurant is housed in the former residency of the Counts of the Valley of Orizaba. In the late 19th century it became the Sanborns store, founded by the Sanborn brothers, American immigrants in Mexico City.

Plaza de Santo Domingo, located between the streets of Republica de Cuba, Brasil and Belisario Dominguez. The second largest square in Centro Historico after the Zocalo. It is surrounded by various important buildings such as the Palacio de la Inquisición, Santo Domingo convent and the old Customs House.

Suprema Corte de Justicia, Pino Suarez and Corregidora streets. This building was completed in 1945 and was designed by architect Antonio Muñoz Garcia.

Plaza de la Fundación, Pino Suarez and Venustiano Carranza streets. This place is allegedly where the Aztecs found the eagle eating a snake on top of a cactus (nopal), the divine sign of the gods to settle down and establish the city of Tenochtitlan. It features a sculpture by Juan Olaguibel made in 1970.

Santa Teresa church, Licenciado Verdad 6. Originally built in 1678 and refurbished in 1845.

Antiguo Palacio de la Inquisición, Republica de Brasil 33. Built between 1732 and 1737. It was the head office of the Holy Inquisition, the religious authority famous for torturing heretic people. Today houses the Museum of Mexican Medicine.

China Town in Dolores street. Recently re-conditioned, this street became a pedestrian-only street full of Chinese restaurants and stores.

Gran Hotel de la Ciudad de Mexico, Plaza de la Constitucion (Zocalo). Also known as "Centro Mercantil", this building built in 1899 was once a luxurious shopping center. It was converted into a hotel in 1966. The lobby of this place was featured in the film "Frida".

Museo Nacional de Arte)

Museums [ edit ]

Mexico City prides itself in having the largest number of museums in the world, and most of these museums are located in Centro Historico. Highly recommended are the Museo Nacional de Arte, Museo del Templo Mayor and Museo Franz Mayer. Remember most museums are closed on Mondays.

La Ideal Bakery













Palacio de Hierro Department Store









Sanborns (Casa Boker)

Liverpool Department Store

Other interesting adjacent neighborhoods [ edit ]

Colonia San Rafael

Colonia San Rafael is just 1 km west of the historic city center. It was established in the late 19th century as one of the first formal neighborhoods outside of the city center and initially catered to the wealthy of the Porfirio Díaz era. These early residents built large mansions, many with French influence, and many still remain. This neighbourhood has now a large number of movie theatres and Museums (El eco[14], El Chopo[15], El Museo Nacional San Carlos[16]) and galleries Yautepec[17], La 77[18] @ El patio 77 B&B[19], Hilario Galguera[[20]].

Colonia Santa Maria la Ribera is a colonia located in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City, just 2 km west of the historic center. This area was designated as a "Barrio Mágico" by the city in 2011 and it was created in the late 19th century. The colonia reached its height between 1910 and 1930. In the 1930s, the middle class moved in and a new era of construction began. Today, the colonia is a mix of old mansions and homes (with over 1,000 categorized has having architectural or historic value), small shops and businesses, tenements and abandoned buildings. The colonia has one major park Alameda and museums (Museo de Antropologia, Museo de Geologia de la UNAM as well as reopened Chopo museum[21] housed in a cathedral like building,it is undergoing a dramatic modernist makeover by Enrique Norten, the star architect who lives in Mexico City and New York. La2casas[http://www.2casas.com

Until the 1950's, the Centro Historico was the main shopping district of the City. Many of the prestigious department stores of the country such as Liverpool and El Palacio de Hierro opened their first stores here. Today, the area is still one of the busiest shopping areas of the city. The area has several streets dedicated to a particular kind of shopping, something inherited from the Spanish. Shopping in the Centro Historico is a real back-in-time experience as many of the spaces where the stores are located are truly historical.

Specialized streets [ edit ]

Republica del Salvador Street— The first half of the street (from Eje Central Avenue to Isabel La Catolica Avenue) specializes in all sorts of electronics. From spare and parts (speakers, wiring, transistors) to complete home theater systems, audio mixers and lighting for dance clubs. The other half of the street (from Isabel la Catolica to specializes in stationery and paper.

Eje Central Avenue— You will notice that this street is full of street vendors. Be careful, the area is extremely crowded making it a paradise for pickpockets. Between the streets of República del Salvador and República de Uruguay, there is a shopping center known as Plaza de Computación. It's an enormous indoor market of little stalls hawking computer parts and electronics.

Articulo 123 street— Specializes in appliances, from spare and parts to industrial vacuums and blenders.

Victoria street— Specializes in lighting, from wiring and electric outlets to chandeliers and lamps.

Donceles street— Specializes in photography.

Republica de Cuba— Specializes in printing (books, posters, thesis). In this street there are a few libraries selling very old books (18th and 19th centuries).

Department stores [ edit ]

El Palacio de Hierro, 5 de Febrero and Venustiano Carranza streets. This department store was established in 1891. The name of this store, (The Iron Palace) was named like that after it was the first iron and steel building in the city.

Liverpool (originally named as El Puerto de Liverpoool). This department store is housed in an Art-Deco building that was built in the late 1920's.

Sanborns (Casa de los Azulejos), Francisco I Madero 4, [22]. Department store and restaurant. A must-see for any visitor to Mexico City. Revolutionist Emiliano Zapata had breakfast here during his entrance to Mexico City in September 1916. This was the first store of the Mexican chain which was sold to Walgreens in 1946 and to Grupo Carso in 1985. There are more than 100 Sanborns stores in the country today.

Sanborns (Casa Boker), 16 de Septiembre and Isabel la Catolica streets. This department store is housed in a building completed in 1900 named "Casa Boker" after a warehouse store with that name that still occupies part of the building.

El Nuevo Mundo, 5 de Febrero street. Still contains old fashioned practices such as old-style shopping processes. When decide to buying something, the salesman will prepare a small receipt, then you take it to the cashier to pay.

C&A, 5 de Febrero and Venuestiano Carranza streets. Netherlands based department store fashion retailer.

Arts & crafts [ edit ]

Mercado de Artesanias de San Juan Letran

Centro de Artesanias La Ciudadela

Bakeries [ edit ]

La Ideal, Republica de Uruguay 36. Established in 1927. This is a good place for traditional bread, pastries and desserts. Ask for "Danes de Chocolate" the place's delicacy.

La Lagunilla and Tepito [ edit ]

Near Centro Historico, around 5 km, lie two huge street markets: La Lagunilla and Tepito.

La Lagunilla, Prolongacion Paseo de la Reforma and Francisco Bocanegra, just past Eje 1 Norte. Sundays 10AM to 4PM. This street market features antiques and other new goods such as clothing, crafts, food, jewelry and toys. It is considered safe to stroll in this street market, but try to remain in the streets near Francisco Bocanegra and Comonfor, because beyond that the market eventually blends into Tepito where is a lot less safe.

WARNING: Be careful. Tepito is a very dangerous place. If your curiosity gets the better of you so that you absolutely want to go anyway, at least dress down, go with someone else, and arrive early in the day when it is less crowded. If you speak no Spanish, you should definitely stay away. The area is known to be home of drug lords and black market dealers.

Cafe La Opera









Centro Historico is the best place to partake in traditional cantina fare, including drinks where light meals and appetizers, called botanas, are served alongside for free. There are catinas everywhere in the neighborhood, all with interesting historical significance, live music, and interesting business types from the area. They are typically a male hangout, but women are accepted and safe, just be prepared to get some special attention if you show up.

Tenampa, Plaza Garibaldi, Eje Central (In the corner of the Garibaldi square), M-Su 12PM-3AM. The original and most famous Mexican cantina, traditional home to the bohemians and mariachis of the 40s and 50s. Huge selection of tequila and mezcal, light Mexican food, and mariachi bands.

See Talk:Mexico City/Centro Discussion Page for latest talk about this section

























Stay safe [ edit ]

Overall, walking in the Centro Historico is safe. The best recommendation is to avoid those streets with an excessive amount of street vendors. Use your common sense.





This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!







