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» Neighborhood Shops Mexico City
From world-class art to locally designed jewelry, we’ve tracked down the best shopping in the world’s coolest cities. Find that last-minute holiday gift, or take home something memorable for yourself.
Best Neighborhood Shops in....
Best Neighborhood Shops
Mexico City
Artesanía Mágica Edgar Allen Poe # 308, Polanco, 55.5531.3984 artesania-magica.com
The Draw: A two-floor corner store that offers the top products from the country’s finest artisans. The Scene: Recognized as one of the most exclusive boutiques of contemporary popular art in the country, Artesanía Mágica offers visitors a can’t-be-beat selection of the finest work by the Republic’s best-known artists. Looking for a Linares family alebrije (papier-maché, in French and, um, English) sculpture? How about silver jewelry from the top ateliers in Taxco? Collectible furniture and precision-made wooden masks from Guerrero? You’ll find it all here. You may also run into a celebrity or two: Bill Clinton was photographed shopping here during his summer 2008 visit to the city. The store packs and ships to just about anywhere. Hot Tip: Those who cannot visit can soon shop online. Keep an eye on the Web page for more information.
The Draw: The hippest store in the hottest part of town. The Scene: Just off Condesa’s main drag, 5LMento (which is a play on words meaning “five elements”) has been offering up the city’s most eclectic collectibles for the past five years. The elements include architecture, clothing, living accessories, furniture, and products for interior design—in other words, the gamut from plastic 1960s Godzilla toys and designer love seats to chandeliers and beach-cruiser bicycles. They even have an original framed 1956 letter of refusal from the Museum of Modern Art to Andy Warhol. The store presents its range of kitsch-to-quality products in a humorous way that is worth the stop even if you’re not planning to buy. Hot Tip: 5LMento also has a good selection of cigar and whiskey accessories. You can find them on the table in the back room.
The San Angel Saturday Market (Bazaar Sabado) Plaza San Jacinto and Plaza del Carmen in historic San Ángel
The Draw: The city’s only
artisan-run bazaar in the lovely colonial neighborhood of San Ángel. The Scene: There are few more pleasant ways to spend your Saturday than perusing for gifts and souvenirs in San Angel’s Saturday Bazaar. Expect to find just about every handmade item imaginable while strolling through the dozens of stalls along San Angel’s three adjacent plazas. Open-air art vendors showcasing their paintings and lithographs take over Plaza del Carmen (this art market also operates on Sundays), while artisans and antique-sellers occupy Plaza San Jacinto and the smaller Juárez Street square next door. Of course, if it rains, most run for cover. Hot Tip: Although most people wander around the plaza stalls, the best selection in both quality and variety is indoors at the Plaza San Jacinto # 11 building, a giant, rambling colonial edifice. The building hosts close to 200 independent shops and is one of the few in the country that remains exclusively artisan-owned (no middle-people here). Despite the permanent structure, it, too, is only open on Saturdays.
