5 Reasons to Visit Mexico City

Reunirse alrededor, mis amigos, I am here to tell you about a wonderful place. 

I have not yet done Mexico City the justice it deserves. But I recently spent five nights in this quaint village, home of 9 million, to celebrate my 40th birthday with a few close friends. 

While I did not approach this celebration as a blogging opportunity, we fell in love with this wonderful city. I thought I would share a few reasons why you should visit too, and invite me when you do. 

1. Mexico City is Safe. 

Just as I discussed in my previous post about Rio de Janeiro, I often roll my eyes at Americans’ idea that any place outside the U.S. is dangerous. People who have not even been here told us that Mexico City was unsafe.

While I am sure there are dangerous areas, you do not have to go to those places. Where we spent most of our time felt safer than most American cities I have lived and visited. The people we interacted with were friendly. No one tried to sell me drugs. We did not get looked down on for being tourists, as sometimes happens in foreign countries as an American.

Put simply: Man on Fire is just a movie. A terrific, terrific movie, which may be loosely based on a dark period of my life some years ago. 

2. Stay in La Condesa 

Most of our time was spent in two cool neighborhoods: La Condesa and Roma Norte. Both places have lots of great places to eat and have fun. We liked La Condesa more because it had a special charm. The parks and streets are nice for walking around, and it's a clean and friendly area. Most destinations were within walking distance or a short Uber ride.

We stayed in an Airbnb hosted by a company called Viadora. I recommend checking out their accommodations. They were hospitable through and through. The cleaning service was prompt and quick. They set up excursions and a massage with little advanced notice. We went to the rooftop pool at another one of their properties and they even tracked down some sunscreen for us.

3. Amazing Dining and Nightlife

I had the best dining experience of my life at a restaurant called Em. They served an eight-course Omakase meal, and every bite of it was rich with different but complementary flavors. But truth be told, all of the food I ate on this trip was terrific. We were spoiled. In fact, we took a wonderful bike ride taco tour that introduced us to some of the best classical-style tacos I have had, as well as some unique ones I would have never considered ordering. 

The nightlife is unbelievable, and I barely scratched the surface on my visit. We loved one speakeasy called Handshake, but there are others we heard were just as good that we did not have time to make it to. We also enjoyed our most fun night out at Cantina Monte Rey. The staff was friendly and welcoming, and the other patrons were outgoing and there to have a good time. 

As a wine drinker, finding reasonably priced wine at some of the nicer establishments in Mexico City was challenging, but the cocktail scene is impressive and I was happy to dive more into tasty mezcal drinks instead. 

We sought out higher-end places for meals and drinks, but the city is still affordable. For example, three of us had dinner and a couple of rounds of cocktails at a trendy rooftop restaurant for about $150. 

4. Lucha Libre

Lucha Libre night was the real birthday celebration and the highlight of my trip. We went through an Airbnb experience that hosted us for beers, mezcal, snacks, and the chance to meet and ask questions of a real Luchadore. They gave us masks to watch the event, explained the history of the sport, and even taught us swear words to use inside the stadium. 

I had never been into WWE-style wrestling as a kid, but now I understand the appeal. It’s great entertainment and the event is high energy. 

5. The Climate

While the nightlife in Mexico City is muy caliente, the climate is wonderful. My memories in other parts of Mexico always include brutal heat that demands beach and pool access. Mexico City is elevated to 7,350 feet though. We were there in August, their summer, and it was refreshing and cool in the mornings and barely got up to shorts and t-shirt temperatures in the afternoon. 

In Conclusion

Check out Mexico City. It's a beautiful and exciting place to explore. I can't wait to go back and spend more time getting to know the city better.