Mexico City: An Opinionated Guide: ARE YOU MOVING TO MEXICO CITY, Part 2

(Map of Mexico City by Emily Edwards, 1932)

FOR PART ONE OF THIS BLOGPOST CLICK BELOW:

http://mexicocitydf.blogspot.mx/2015/06/are-you-moving-to-mexico-city-part-i.html

WHERE TO LIVE: a neighborhood guide

Figuring out where to live in Mexico City can be a problem. So here are a few tips, as a brief guide to some of the more desirable areas.

Three important tips about choosing where to live:

Tip #1: Consider transportation. Being able to walk to work/school, or having a short ride on public transportation, can make a huge difference in your quality of life. A long commute by car will be living hell.

Tip #2: Go for the green. Living near a park will improve quality of life. Use google maps to search around for those green spaces.

Tip #3: Night and Day. Check out your chosen area both during the day and at night time--you might find some drastic changes.

Here are some brief descriptions of areas you might want to hunt out in Mexico City:

Polanco is a swanky neighborhood north of Chapultepec Park. See my blog post for more about this area: http://mexicocitydf.blogspot.mx/2014/08/polanco.html

Centro Histórico The centro attracts young artist types and those in love with the true high-octane urban experience. The best areas are south of the Zócalo.

Condesa is one of the more attractive areas in the city, with lots of trees, cafe´s, restaurants, Art Deco buildings and fancy dogs. See my post: http://mexicocitydf.blogspot.mx/2011/11/colonia-condesa-mexico-citys-art-deco.html

Escandón is a pleasant area just south of Condesa, a bit less desirable, but rents are a lower.

San Miguel Chapultepec, west of Condesa, is a mostly modern residential area, that has attracted many art galleries.

Roma is hipster central, but a very mixed neighborhood, bustling with energy. See my post: http://mexicocitydf.blogspot.mx/2011/09/colonia-roma-rises.html

Zona Rosa is a largely commercial area, but there are some lovely quiet streets--and the central location is great.

Del Valle and Napoles, colonias south of the viaducto, are clean and safe, more modern than its neighbors to the north.

Santa Maria la Ribera is an old area with a mix of charm and decay. 'Up and coming' describes it--cheaper rents here.

San Rafael is another 'up and coming' area, very well located, but a bit scrappy in parts.--popular with young artists and galleries.

Juarez is an attractive, central area just behind the American Embassy. See this article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanielparishflannery/2015/05/28/real-estate-review-mexico-citys-colonia-juarez-centro/

San Angel and Coyoacán, far to the south (near the University) both have the feel of small colonial towns.

Las Lomas is a vast upscale area in the western part of the city, where you find expensive houses with gardens. It is more suburban than urban in feeling.

Here's a link to another website with information about specific neighborhoods:
http://cdmxtravel.com/en/neighborhoods/listing

Another article on 5 lesser known areas: http://mexicocitydf.blogspot.mx/2015/07/are-you-moving-to-mexico-city-part-2.html

Another blogger on this topic: http://northernlauren.com/insider-guide-to-the-best-neighbourhoods-in-mexico-city/

MAPS:

Google map link to el DF: https://www.google.com.mx/maps?source=tldsi&hl=en

Map of delegaciones in the city:

http://www.zonu.com/detail/2011-09-18-14574/Delegaciones-de-la-Ciudad-de-Mexico-DF.html

Article (in Spanish) on the most desirable areas to live in: http://ciudadanosenred.com.mx/las-5-mejores-delegaciones-para-vivir-en-el-df/