MEXICO CITY'S FLEA MARKETS

Urban treasure hunters looking to furnish an apartment, find a rare piece of Spratling silver, old Mexican ceramics, toys--just about anything (even Nazi memorabilia)--will be happy spending a few hours at one of the city's flea markets. Here's a list below--an excerpt from the upcoming new edition of my book--of the places where I've had the best luck. 

 MEXICO CITY'S  FLEA MARKETS 

Lagunilla Flea Market is on Reforma near Jaime Nuno (just north of Metro stop Garibaldi). This is the best flea market in the city. Only on Sundays. 

Cuauhtémoc Flea Market takes place in the small park (Parque Dr. Ignacio Chávez) on Av. Cuauhtémoc, between Dr. Liceaga and Dr. Juan Navarro, just across from Jardín Pushkin in Colonia Roma—Saturdays and Sundays.

Portales Market, Rumania between Libertad and Santa Cruz, near metro Portales, is a scrappy affair, but treasures can be found. There’s a big used furniture store nearby at Montes de Oca 391. Open daily, but best on weekends.

Plaza del Ángel (Londres 161 and Hamburgo 150, Zona Rosa). Saturday and Sunday flea market, more upscale than the others in town.

Alantigua, Guanajuato 133 (near Jalapa in Colonia Roma) is a junk/furniture shop, open M-W-F only.

GETTING AROUND MEXICO CITY SAFELY: UBER IS HERE

I only heard the word for the first time a few weeks ago, when a friend said he'd invested in an UBER car. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention.

Then last week, my friend Jane who was visiting from L.A. sent an email, saying, "I'll see you at your place--I'll come by taxi or UBER."

She explained a bit when she arrived, but it really hit me when it was time for her to go back to her hotel and it started raining gatos y perros.

"You'll never get a cab now," I told her.

"Never fear. I've got UBER," she said as she pulled out her IPhone. Within a matter of seconds she had a taxi on the way, with the driver's name, license plate, phone number, and make of car, and was tracking his route from Polanco, with minute by minute updates as to how long it would take him to arrive at my house, and what route he was taking. A minute before he was to arrive, we headed downstairs, and there was Alfonso pulling up in a gleaming white BMW.

"And when you arrive, you just walk away--no cash changes hands, no tipping allowed," she explained. "You know the amount when you arrange for the car and they charge your credit card.
And if you leave something in the car, they know how to reach you."

Of course Nick, who is fascinated by all things gadget-related, immediately signed up. He was off to Lima the next day, where he UBERed several times. Upon returning to Mexico City, the lines for a taxi were longer than any he'd ever seen at the airport--at least a half hour wait. But with UBER he was in a taxi within 5 minutes heading home---and it cost about 50 pesos LESS than the Taxis Autorizados.

I hear the future calling.

You do need an IPhone to make use of this service, and sign up on their website:

                  https://www.uber.com