Complete Guide To 8 Mexico City Neighborhoods

In an urban jungle that spreads over around 1,480 square kilometres (570 square miles), you can imagine just how multifaced the different districts can be! Since we first began living part of every year in CDMX, we’ve happily embraced the chance to explore many diverse Mexico City neighborhoods, from polished Polanco to dodgy Doctores and everywhere in between.

The Centro Historico, for example, has incredible remnants of early colonial culture, while Roma and Condesa are the best neighborhoods in Mexico City for exploring the capital’s contemporary side. We have a soft spot for Coyoacan because it’s more like a charming old town than CDMX proper, while Tepito gave us a much grittier picture of city life.

People that are only in the capital for a couple of nights might not have time to do more than see the topline attractions. If you have a few more days to spare though, we’re here to take you through our list of must-see neighbourhoods, from the vibrant nightlife of Juarez to the madcap markets of Merced.

Safest Neighborhoods In Mexico City

Most of our Mexico City neighborhood guide focuses on places that are completely safe to visit on your own. These colonias contain lots in the way of culture but little in the way of crime, making them ideal for leisurely exploration.

#1 Roma – King Of The Coolest Neighborhoods In Mexico City.

Located between Condesa, Juarez, and Doctores, Roma Norte is in a prime position. With easy connections to the Centro Historico, Coyoacan, and Chapultepec Park, it has solid transport links to all our favourite parts of the capital.

More importantly, Roma (and specifically Roma Norte) is hands down THE Mexico City hipster neighborhood. Mansions built in art deco and colonial revival styles have been souped up into trendy restaurants like Michelin-starred Rosetta and our number-one brunch spot, Madre Café.

Casual bars like Licorería Limantour serve up some of the best cocktails in town, which you can enjoy after a day exploring weekend markets like Mercado El 100 and Huerto Roma Verde, or contemporary art galleries like Gallery OMR and the MAIA Contemporary.

In other words, Roma is one of the Mexico City neighborhoods where we’ve found the best of modern CDMX. It’s also an awesome place to eat, whether at fancy joints like Blanco Colima or simple pop-up stands like Jenni’s Quesadillas.

The trend for upscale food markets that has swept the globe is alive and well here, too, at Mercado Roma, while Mercado Medellin is a great place to go for more traditional fondas serving a comida corrida (lunch set menu). To really absorb the neighbourhood vibes, we like to hang out at Plaza Rio de Janeiro, which boasts a replica of Michelangelo’s David, and La Romita, which is the oldest part of Roma.

#2 Condesa – Chic Boutiques And Effortless Elegance.

If Roma is the rebellious, trend-chasing teenager, La Condesa is the slightly more refined, chic older sibling. The two districts are situated right next to each other, with Condesa sandwiched between Roma and the enormous Chapultepec Park.

Leafy and residential, Condesa is one of the best neighborhoods in Mexico City to live for longer stays. That’s certainly why we set up shop here! There are several pretty parks to go for daily jogs, dog walks, community dance sessions, and general family fun. In our downtime, we like to stroll through the Parque Mexico or the Parque Espana while chomping on a churro from Churreria el Moro or an ice lolly from Bendito Paleta.

When we’re in work mode, there are loads of cute cafes where we can park up – El Pendulo and Boicot Cafe are just a few of our go-tos, while Camino a Camala does excellent specialty brews.

Third-wave coffee houses, indie fashion, and art spaces are just some of the reasons why we rank La Condesa among the cool neighborhoods in Mexico City. Everything here feels very boutique and unique, from tiny galleries like La Nao and Tinta Naranja to funky local outfitters like Columpio and Someone Somewhere.

As you would expect from an area this trendy, there’s an uber-stylish rooftop bar (Skybar Condesa) and an excellent froyo place (Mygyo), but Condesa also has one of the best torta (stuffed sandwich roll) stalls in CDMX, La Esquina del Chilaquil.

#3 Polanco – Best For Luxury.

Nestled in its own little neck of the woods north of Chapultepec Park, Polanco is one of the richest neighborhoods in Mexico City. Ever since development began on the land here in the 1930s, it’s been an area for the upper crust of society to live.

You can shoot through a lot of money without too much trouble in Polanco, starting with the hotel rooms! The district’s main avenue, Presidente Masaryk, hosts many of the world’s haute couture brands, from Gucci to Louis Vuitton.

There are also huge upscale malls like Antara and Palacio de Hierro filled with luxury stores. As for eating, the only two-Michelin-star restaurants in all of Mexico are found in Polanco. Pujol and Quintonil offer tastings menus that showcase modern Mexican cuisine for 3,500 pesos ($190 US) and 4,500 pesos ($230 US) respectively.

Of course, we don’t spend a fortune every time we go to Polanco! What makes this one of the best neighborhoods Mexico City has to offer for us isn’t just the glitzy lifestyle but the fabulous FREE museums.

A visit to the Soumaya with its collection of works by everyone from Da Vinci and Rubens to Rodin and Rivera tops our list of things to do in this colonia. The smaller Jumex Museum across the way, meanwhile, specialises in excellent contemporary art exhibits featuring big names like Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons.

#4 Coyoacan – A Bohemian Neighbourhood With A Colonial Past.

Even though it’s a bit of a trek south from the downtown area of CDMX, we still rank Coyoacan among the best neighborhoods to live in Mexico City. It’s a pretty place of colourful houses and tree-lined streets that has its own unique vibe compared to the rest of the capital. That might be because up until the last century, it was a separate entity – and had been all the way back to the time when the Tepanecs ruled the roost.

Roughly meaning ‘Place of the Coyotes’ in Nahuatl, Coyoacan’s most recognisable monument may be the coyote fountain that sits in the bustling main plaza, but it’s the colonial era buildings that give it character. Some of the earliest ones were originally constructed when Cortes used Coyoacan as a base for launching his assault on the former Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. Places like the Casa de Cortes and the Capilla de Conchita have been reconstructed since then, but are still hundreds of years old. 

We haven’t just included Coyoacan in our guide to Mexico City neighborhoods because of its well-weathered buildings, however, but also because of its artsy, bohemian edge. Frida Kahlo was born, lived, and died here in the Casa Azul, which has since been turned into a museum honouring Mexico’s most famous artist. Then there’s the fabulous Mercado de Coyoacan where we like to go for tortas and tostadas, though you can also pick up snazzy souvenirs. 

#5 Juarez – Nightlife Central.

Not to be confused with the incredibly dangerous city on the Mexico-US border, the Colonia of Juarez is one of the safer areas of the capital. It’s essentially delineated by two of CDMX’s largest avenues, Paseo de la Reforma and Chapultepec. Roma Norte and Condesa lie to the south, while the Centro Historico is just to the east. 

Part of Juarez consists of the Zona Rosa, aka the ‘Pink Zone’: not quite sketchy enough to be red, but definitely not angelic enough to be white! Aside from having a high concentration of bars and clubs, this is the city’s gaybourhood, with plenty of LGBT-friendly nightlife. It’s also where we come if we’re in mood for Korean food: the area around the roads of Praga and Biarritz is known as Little Seoul due to the profusion of Korean stores and restaurants.

Topping our list of things to do in Juarez is party! There are a couple of cocktail bars in particular that we highly recommend, Handshake and Hanky Panky, which both lean into the speakeasy gimmick with hidden entrances. There’s also an excellent brunch spot, Café Nin, which has the best guava rolls you will ever eat.

#6 Centro Historico – Best Neighborhood In Mexico City For Historical Sights.

The oldest of the Mexico City districts, the Centro Historico is technically smack bang in the middle of the capital. In the context of a tourist trip though, it’s about as far east as you’ll probably end up going other than the airport. 

For first-time visitors with just a couple of days in CDMX, the Centro Historico is where you’ll want to spend most of your time. It’s filled with some of the capital’s most iconic architecture, from the Gothic Metropolitan Cathedral to the art nouveau Palacio de Bellas Artes. Just bear in mind it can get a bit sketchy at night, especially in the northern part, which borders the infamously unsafe Tepito district – more on that later.

There’s a ton of stuff to keep you busy in the Centro Historico, but some of our favourite experiences have been breakfasting at Casa de los Azulejos, drinking in mojitos (and the view) at Terraza Catedral, and souvenir shopping at La Ciudadela artisan market.

Of all the Mexico City neighborhoods, the downtown area also has some of the most authentic street food we’ve tried, including El Puma for tacos al pastor and Los Cocuyos for tacos de suadero. Don’t forget to wash it down with a glass of traditional pulque (fermented agave sap) at Las Duelistas! 

#7 Reforma – Right In The Heart Of Everything.

Essentially, this is the best located of the Mexico City neighborhoods! Straddling the capital’s main artery, Reforma has convenient public transportation routes to pretty much everywhere – although places like Roma, Condesa, and Juarez are all within walking distance. 

There’s nothing historical about this part of town, which is very much a 20th-century hub, lined by skyscrapers, shopping malls, and luxury hotels. The Ritz-Carlton, the St Regis, and the Four Seasons all have locations here. It can feel a bit generic for our tastes, although there are multiple striking monuments scattered about that give it a bit more of a uniquely Mexico City flavour.

Even if you don’t plan to stay in a swanky 5-star spot, we still recommend going to the Sofitel’s Cityzen Rooftop Bar, which has some of the best views we’ve seen since moving to CDMX.

Another of our favourite things to do is cycling along Reforma when the main avenue is closed to vehicular traffic on Sunday mornings. It’s a great opportunity to explore one of the busiest neighborhoods in a leisurely way, with stops to see remarkable structures like the Angel de la Independencia statue and the Estela de Luz monument. 

#8 Xochimilco – Floating Gardens And Party Boats.

Xochimilco is almost as far south as you can go and still (technically) be in the capital. No matter how you travel here, it will take a while. There is a light rail that connects to downtown via Tasquena, but it takes over 90 minutes. Even when we’ve caught an Uber it’s been about an hour.

So why do people come to this remotest of remote Mexico City neighborhoods? For the unique experience of riding a trajinera (flat-bottomed boat) along the waterways of a UNESCO World Heritage Site! Yes, Xochimilco is a huge, sprawling borough, but for tourists, it’s really only about being punted along canals.

Originally built as a farming system by the Mesoamericans, it’s now a common place for people to come to eat traditional Mexican snacks, throwback micheladas and cervezas, and explore the more notable chinampas (artificial islands), like the Isla de las Munecas.

We’d be lying if we said it didn’t feel a bit like a tourist trap, but the chaotic party atmosphere is also unlike anything else we’ve experienced in Mexico City. Our advice is to hop on a tour, as that means you won’t have to negotiate with the boat runners (who will absolutely gouge the hell out of you), plus you have people to drink and chat with as the boat jostles down the canal.

Mexico City Neighborhoods To Avoid Going On Your Own

Even though they may not be the best neighborhoods of Mexico City for safety, places like Tepito and Merced have their own vibrant personalities that we found utterly fascinating. We wouldn’t go there on our own, but as part of a tour it’s absolutely worthwhile.

#9 Tepito – The Ultimate Barrio Bravo.

Nicknamed the ‘fierce neighbourhood’ in Spanish, Tepito ranks among the most dangerous neighborhoods in Mexico City. Drugs and gun crime are rampant in this district, which is one of the poorest in the capital.

It’s not all horror and homicide though. Tepito is also home to a lively local market, a gorgeous old church from the 1700s and, perhaps most famously of all, an altar to the cult of Santa Muerte, the personification of death.

All these stops were included on the tour we took, as well as simple refreshments purchased from a local stall.

#10 Merced – Best For Local Markets.

Home to a couple of the capital’s most famous markets, this is one of the busiest, most chaotic Mexico City neighborhoods. 

At the Mercado de la Merced, locals pick up fresh produce, cheap clothing, household goods – you name it, we saw it there! Our guide navigated us through the chaos to a great little stall where we tried our first Michelada (a beer with chilli, lime, and some other spices thrown in).

We thought La Merced was mad, but the Mercado de Sonora is arguably even madder! Herbal powders, occult objects, healing crystals, tarot readings, a cleansing ceremony involving an egg – we were offered all these things by vendors. There’s also a brisk trade in animals, who are kept in some deplorable conditions. 

#11 Doctores – Best Neighborhood In Mexico City For Lucha Libre.

Most tourists venture into Doctores to visit the so-called ‘Cathedral of Lucha Libre,’ aka the Arena Mexico. It’s here that Mexico’s famous wrestling pastime is at its showiest, with spangly costumes and over-the-top personalities.

Even though Doctores is one of the less savoury neighborhoods, we love the vibe here. It’s got some cool taquerias and cantinas that make for a fun night out. It’s just a shame that it’s really not overly safe for expats to navigate alone.

Mexico City Neighborhoods: FAQs

What are the 3 safest neighborhoods in Mexico City?

Roma, Condesa, and Polanco are three of the best neighborhoods in Mexico City to live if you’re concerned about safety. What is the safest neighborhood in Mexico City overall? Probably Polanco, as the density of high-net-worth individuals means you can bet the police are diligent in their duties.

Which is better, Polanco or Condesa?

Both Polanco and Condesa are safe neighborhoods in Mexico City, but from personal experience we’d say that Polanco tends to skew older and more expensive. Condesa has more of a chill, residential vibe that makes it perfect for digital nomads and families, while Polanco is better for high-end shopping, Michelin-star dining, and free museums.

What is the most hipster neighborhood in Mexico City?

Coming out top of the hip neighborhoods in Mexico City is Roma Norte. It’s filled with trendy bars, vibey eateries, and cool markets, not to mention several brilliant galleries showcasing contemporary Mexican art. We’re also big fans of the specialty coffee houses and amazing street food stalls.

What are the most underrated neighborhoods in Mexico City?

Juarez is probably one of the most underrated neighborhoods, just because it often gets tossed aside in favour of Roma, Condesa or Coyoacan. For a lesser-known neighbourhood, we have a growing attraction to Santa Maria la Ribera, which is emerging from its previously sketchy reputation to become a super cool area.

Final Word

There are a lot more Mexico City neighborhoods that we could have mentioned here, from up-and-coming Santa Maria la Ribera to off-the-beaten-track Iztapalapa. You’ll certainly find tips for visiting those areas elsewhere on our website! As a starting point though, the districts we’ve covered here should be at the top of the list for anybody looking to experience the uniqueness of CDMX.