the grand guides: a perfect weekend in cdmx
how to spend a long weekend in mexico city, sarah style.
after new york, mexico city is my favorite city on earth.
well, tied with london, i suppose. but you get the gist: i really love it here. so much so that since my first visit way back in 2017, i’ve returned five times, two of which have been month-long stints. as i write this, i’m staring down my final days in this sunny, leafy, bustling, assault on the senses in the best of ways city, and i can’t quite believe the end is near. it feels impossible that it’s been almost a full month since i touched down at benito juarez international, a full 27 days since i’ve slept in my own bed. but here we are! time flies when you’re having fun.
over the past few weeks, i’ve gotten tons of requests for mexico city recommendations. ICYMI, i’ve got a guide featuring all of my favorite places to STAY in cdmx, and another featuring all my favorite places to DRINK and DINE (that one has an ever-evolving google map of nearly 200 of my favorite places linked within!). i’ll link that google doc at the end here, too. but after planning multiple weekends of fun for my visiting friends this past month, i thought it might be nice to have a weekend-specific guide, too.
before we dive in, an important note: i am a white person visiting a city that has recently become positively overpopulated with gringos. this is a complicated topic, and one that i have complicated feelings about. like new york, mexico city benefits from tourism—but there is a fine line between tourism and full-on gentrification. i’ve spoken to many a native cdmx-er about this, and (of course) different people have different perspectives. some feel that it’s benefitted the economy; that folks are making bank from airbnb rentals, and good money from shops and restaurants and such. others feel like the digital nomads should GTFO (as a sign i saw yesterday said, “GO HOME GRINGOS”).
i don’t know what the answer is, honestly. for now, i focus on being as “good” of a tourist as i can. i am kind and respectful. i (try) to speak the language. i tip well, and often. i converse with nearly anyone willing to converse with me; i try to learn about their lives and culture. absent of not visiting, that feels like the best i can do—but as i said, it’s complicated, and i’m sure there are things i could do differently or better.
so! what do i recommend you do in this wonderful city?
oh so much! for the purposes of this guide, i’m hoping you’ve allocated a long weekend—thursday to monday—so that you can enjoy three full days in the city. i’m suggesting you stay in condesa, which is one of my favorite neighborhoods. condesa’s wide, tree-lined streets and beautiful buildings (a mix of stately art nouveau and art deco) give the neighborhood a distinctly european vibe.
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