Before heading to Puebla for my residency, I stopped in Mexico City for 4 days. It’s my fourth time coming here and it’s my favorite place to travel to. Every time I visit, I come in February, escaping Chicago’s gray winter to be dropped into a sun-filled, colorful, urban oasis. It’s a quick and easy 4 hour flight, and it’s bustling with energy, color, and personality.
I love revisiting some of my favorite places, and I always do some new things I’ve never done. You’ll never run out of new things to see in Mexico City.
Every time I visit CDMX, I love to:
Get vegan al pastor tacos from Por Siempre
Go to Parque España and Parque México
Get a tattoo – twice now from @Ilseaaa, and once from @Land_Valentina
Walk around and discover new cafes
Parque México is one of my favorite places to people watch. Here you will find lots of dogs, pick-up games of fútbol, salsa lessons, skateboarders, children learning to ride their bikes, and so much more. I love to sit here and draw and take in all the sights and sounds.
Luckily on this trip, I just so happened to be here during Art Week. It brings many artists, designers, and galleries into CDMX from all over the world. There is tons of art to see and things to do. With limited time and running on not much sleep, we prioritized going to Feria Material and Salón Acme.
I especially loved the Todo Mundo Art Book Fair, that’s part of Feria Material. There were independent artists and printing presses from all over. I met some really nice artists and bought some amazing art.
It has been a short trip, so I didn’t get to do all the things I love doing. If you’re thinking of planning a trip to Mexico City sometime soon, here are some other things I highly recommend:
Going to Bellas Artes; and going across the street to the Sears for a coffee on the balcony for a great view of Bellas Artes.
Visiting the pyramids at Teotihuacán; you can actually climb these, and they are very large
Going to Frida Kahlo’s house; they do a great job of immersing you into her life and art, and I learned a lot about her
Taking a stroll through Chapultepec; it’s a massive park with a botanic garden, beautiful lagoons, a castle, and more
Shopping for artisan goods at Ciudadela
Above all else, one of my favorite things to do here is simply walk around and take in all the visual delights. There are so many colors, textures, and typography that I’m not used to seeing in Chicago.
Tomorrow I depart for Puebla and begin my residency. I’ve never been to Puebla before, and I’m not entirely sure what to expect. I’m looking forward to being in a city with a slower pace so I can really unplug and zone into my art. Until next time!