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Author: Pedro Romero
Contributor: Michele Joyce
ISBN: 0-9776245-6-0
Price: $17.95
Web Direct Price: $9.95
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| Today’s savvy travelers rely on NIGHT+DAY Mexico City — with its opinionated listings, insightful descriptions, and witty, intelligent writing — to get the sophisticated edge in travel. From the trendiest tables, hippest hotels, top shops and galleries, to the hottest nightspots and coolest attractions, NIGHT+DAY Mexico City is packed with expert recommendations and insider tips. |
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HOME » DESTINATIONS » MEXICO CITY
NIGHT+DAY MEXICO CITY
Melding fiery Latin passion with urban sophistication, today’s Mexico City is a vibrant, stylish metropolis full of diversions for the cosmopolitan traveler. Whether you’re seeking swanky boutiques, culinary hot spots, and a thriving club scene, or you prefer to explore the city’s extraordinary historic landmarks and traditional outdoor markets, Mexico City will surprise you with its hospitality and vitality.
September Love Letter
Two centuries since Mexican independence and 100 years since the Revolution, on Sept. 15, Mexico celebrates its Bicentenary. The party begins at 2pm in the Zócalo with a pre-Hispanic fire rite. Then, at 6pm, a 27-car parade takes off down Paseo de la Reforma, ending at the Zócalo. In its wake, three concerts, one each at the Ángel de la Independencia, el Monumento a Cuauhtémoc, and the Caballito. The main event, the Grito (or “shout”), takes place at 11pm, with Presidente Calderón ringing the bell outside the Palacio Nacional and the crowd chanting “Viva México!”
Get your cameras ready for the show of the year. Australian producer Richard Birch—who directed the Beijing, Barcelona, and Sidney Olympic opening ceremonies—will oversee more than eight tons of gunpowder and 16,000 pyrotechnic detonations to create the greatest fireworks display in Zócalo history. Expect the central square to be packed. Others may want to check out the action on one of the 45 giant screens located along the parade route, including the Alameda Central (bicentenario.gob.mx/15septiembre).
Throughout the month you can also enjoy the historic exhibition, “México 200 Años: la Patria en Construcción,”taking place at the Palacio Nacional (bicentenario.gob.mx). Those with an eye for photography won’t want to miss Hugo Brehme’s black and whites of the Mexican Revolution at the Franze Mayer Museum. And in their lovely claustro, the annual World Press Photo exhibition shows through Oct. 3rd (franzmayer.org.mx).
Famed Mexican singer, Alejandro Fernandez, also jumps on the patriotic bandwagon during his six-night stand at the Auditorio Nacional (Sept. 8, 9, 10, 18, 19, and 23). Other shows of interest include Bon Jovi on the 24th at the Foro Sol and The Cranberries on the 27th and 28th at the Auditorio Nacional ( ticketmaster.com.mx).
Marty McLennan
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MEXICO CITY (2008):
Carlos Slim (Developer and Community Leader)
 Downtown Mexico City used to be a bit of a dive, but one man—Carlos
Slim—changed that and helped usher in new development and a sense
of sophistication that has transformed the heart of the Distrito Federal
( D. F.), as the locals call the city, into a world-class destination.
Slim is best known as a business tycoon and the wealthiest person in
Latin America, not to mention one of the richest in the world. His visionary
father began buying inexpensive colonial buildings that would later
become desirable property when Slim was just a boy. Slim inherited this
property, along with his father’s real estate acumen. He continued to
hunt down bargains that could be turned profitable with time, effort, and
foresight, including the now-famous Sanborns, a chain of stores and
restaurants that he purchased because “they were very cheap.”
In 2001, Slim turned his energy toward fixing up downtown Mexico City
by creating the Fundación del Centro Histórico de la Ciudad de México
(Mexico City Historic Downtown Foundation), which recently celebrated
five years of working alongside the government in what is now being
called the most important Latin American downtown renovation.
Indeed, downtown today is a bustling, trendsetting area where people
both live and visit. Buildings and public areas have been restored,
streets and sidewalks replaced, and new lighting and security systems
installed. More and more cultural events—like concerts, art exhibitions,
and culinary festivals—are taking place downtown. These happenings
have attracted art galleries and young artists to the area, and helped
transform it into a cultural hub.
Slim once said, “You can’t wait until you die to leave a legacy,” and
he has made certain to live that motto by creating a downtown that is
as vibrant and sophisticated as that of any capital city in the world.
Check out our choice for the
world's foremost Urbanistas in other cities:
The Urbie Awards.
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