From eco housing to cowboy cantinas, art galleries to poetry readings, the Mexican border city is moving on from its recent violent past

In five words

Margaritas in a desert town

Sound of the city

Since 1881 a freight train has split the city in two. Very early in the morning and again at midnight, the sound of the train disrupts the silence of a mostly quiet city. It travels from southern Mexico into the US carrying assembled cars, clothing made in Mexico and construction chemicals.

Smell of your city

Carne asada (the smell of a barbecue) fills the air on any given Sunday – burning charcoal, fire, meat and beer.

Best building

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Art Museum building. Photograph: Luis Chaparro

The Museum of art (INBA) was built in 1963 by the Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez as an attempt to break with all the existing architectural design in the country. It is a 400 sq metre circular building made from concrete, aluminium and glass which hosts artexhibitions and events.

The building is located at the geographical centre of the city, and can’t be missed – it’s the only non-rectangular structure around.

And the worst ...

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The ‘disco ball’ Gardié building. Photograph: Luis Chaparro

The Gardié building is an architectural dream turned nightmare. In 1988, civil engineer Raul Simental Salazar had the great idea of building a disco ball-shaped restaurant with glass walls … in the middle of the desert. Called Gardié and known as one of the art deco icons of the city, it opened for a few months, until summer arrived and everyone inside scorched. It has been closed for more than 20 years.

How green is your city?

Ciudad Juárez is in the middle of the biggest desert in Mexico. The city itself is industrial, with more than 90% of its revenues coming from American, Japanese, Chinese, and German factories. We also have three international bridges that connect the city to El Paso, Texas, which are packed with cars for most of the day.

Although Ciudad Juárez is not very green, Tierra Savia, formed by local and international researchers started building eco houses made out of dirt, to help and reduce contamination in the city and to give those living in extreme poverty an affordable home.

Homegrown talent

Juan Gabriel, known as El Divo de Juarez, was a prolific songwriter, flamboyant showman and icon of Mexican music who died this year at the age of 66. He wrote close to 1,800 songs during a career that spanned around 50 years, including the Ciudad Juárez pop anthem, Ciudad Juárez Numero Uno.

El Divo was born in Michoacan, southern Mexico, but his artistic career was born in Juárez, where he performed at least one concert a year

Street style

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Street style in Juárez. Photograph: Luis Chaparro

The Buffalo Bill fronterizo look is a true representation of people here.

Top insider’s tip

If you want to have an exclusive event while in Ciudad Juárez, check out the view from the roof of the “Multifamiliares” on Insurgentes Avenue, a complex designed in the 70s to accommodate Mexican families. Get to the top floor of this building around 4pm, then climb to the roof and settle in for a spectacular show that begins at around 6pm: the blue sky becomes all tones of pink, red and orange during the sunset.

Most under-rated location

El Buen Tiempo is a Mexican gay cowboy cantina. One of the first cantinas in Ciudad Juárez, through the years it has become a hidden and under-rated spot. Located in downtown, it consists of typical cantina doors, a u-shaped bar, old pool tables and dirty restrooms.

What does your city do better than anywhere else?

Potholes. There is no way you can miss them; they are all over the city. We even have an app to report potholes in the city, which in one month registered more than 2,000. We have great big holes, little annoying ones, ones hiding behind bumps, ones covered with water ...

Best Instagram

This account provides a real representation of the everyday life of Juárez’s residents. You can find anything from food and event promotion, to reposts from local citizens about the city’s night life.

Biggest controversy

In the past, Ciudad Juárez was named the world’s murder capital due to the thousands of killings that happened here every year because of a violent drug cartel war. It was used to receiving tourists, mostly from United States, but became a ghost town for years – that is until very recently. Now, things are looking up.

People have started opening art galleries, hosting poetry reading events and generally working to tell the world we are safe and alive.

Moment in history

During the Mexican Revolution in Ciudad Juárez (La Toma de Ciudad Juárez) from 1910 to 1920, the city played a crucial part in trafficking ammunition and guns from the US into Mexico for the revolutionaries.

Since then the city has been a political trampoline for all of Mexico, and today it has a powerful group of activists who are looking out for the betterment of the city.

Five to follow

Miguel Á. Mendoza

Axel Pedraza

The Juárez Times

El Juárez De Ayer

Lowers Net Label

About me

Luis Chaparro is a freelance journalist who splits his time between Ciudad Juárez, Texas and Mexico City. He mostly writes about Mexico’s drug war, immigration and his hometown of Ciudad Juárez. You can follow him on Twitter here and on Instagram here.