Mexico’s capital, Mexico City or locally known as DF ( Distrito Federal ) is, simply put, my favourite place in the World to live for so many reasons.
The Locals
Ahh the people, they are warm friendly hospitable and in general, incredible happy and proud that you have chosen to visit them. The way you are greeted by the locals is the first thing that stands out, whether you are in a cafe, a bar, a restaurant or walking around one of the cities many parks, there is always a smile and a greeting thrown your way, like they’ve known you all their lives.
The Energy
The youth of Mexico City are incredibly forward thinking, the Arts are thoroughly embraced here and many of them are involved in acting, fashion, media, design and cultural projects. The energy of the young people here has an impact on the entire city. Walls all over the City are adorned with incredible street art and murals of days gone by, something that is actively encouraged here.
The Food
Something that you cannot fail to miss is the street food around the city, there are vendors up and down almost every main street here selling local foods and antonijas (appetisers) such as Taco’s, Tortas, Empanadas and a whole range of other locally celebrated foods both sweet and savoury. The food on the street is inexpensive and incredibly tasty, the smells of the various meats, spices and flavours fill the street everyday and the stalls are hubs of activity for people of all types. The amount of food options in the city is vast, there are more vegan outlets here than I’ve witnessed anywhere else in the World. The US market has naturally had an impact here and offer outlets such as Subway, Applebees, Wendy’s etc. but I see no reason to visit places such as this when the local food and other international options are so delicious.
Parks
The main park in the city is Chapultepec which sprawls over 686 hectares and is one of the biggest parks in the Western Hemisphere. The park is filled with open spaces, wildlife, flora and fauna galore and within the grounds there is a zoo, a lake and even a theme park. I do like Chapultepec but what I love most in the city is the little parks dotted around the city, regardless of where you walk you are guaranteed to find a little park where you can sit and watch the world pass, they are numerous and beautiful.
Mexico City often gets a bad rep when it comes to safety but not once have I felt unsafe or at risk, that’s not to say there isn’t crime issues here but no more, in my opinion, than many other cities in the World. Mexico City is a little beauty and I implore you to visit with haste.