Many know me as Cha, some others as Mandrake but here at Covive everyone calls me David. As an Architect I am in charge of the area of SPACES where we do everything from architectural design (coliving), construction supervision, coordination with Interior Designers to the opening of the new houses. Also, I am in charge of keeping our houses in the best possible conditions together with our "Handy Men" in each of our houses.
WHAT IS MEXICO CITY FOR YOU?
Mexico City for me is a very, very vibrant place with delicious food, fun, stressful, very diverse and sometimes dangerous (if you want it to be). Every day you live in the city is a blast, whether you get around by car, public transportation or bike. You never know what awaits you on your daily commute because of the weather, the traffic or the bizarre experiences that public transportation and its users offer. Whenever I move through it, I always feel a sense of excitement and amazement as I always observe new things in my transfer to the destination I'm heading that day. From uninhabited forests where one only goes to exercise or have a quesadilla, to bars where you only enter with a "secret" password can be part of your day in this great basin.
WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO GET TO KNOW MEXICO CITY?
The best way to get to know the city is by walking it (touring emblematic historical sites, its architecture and attending music and art festivals), biking it (since you will reach wooded places that you never imagined you would visit), tasting it (its gastronomic offer is so rich that you will not have time to try all those taquitos that everyone you know recommends). One must be open to have experiences and go to places perhaps far away where one does not feel comfortable (even) to really know the city in all its socioeconomic and cultural levels. Each municipality has its peculiarities, but definitely the Historic Center gathers the best of the best in a few blocks.
TOP 5 RECOMMENDATIONS IN MEXICO CITY
South zone
- CCU University Cultural Center. It brings together unique spaces (such as the sculpture space, theaters and museums) and allows outdoor activities (such as reading, walking surrounded by green areas and cycling training). You will also find architecture and emblematic spaces such as the MUAC and the Estadio Olímpico Universitario, as well as good lunches at the Azul y Oro.
How to get there: MB Station Centro Cultural Universitario.
- Café El Olvidado. This small café is located on the iconic Presidente Carranza Street at #267 in front of one of the many parks in the area known as Parque Santa Catarina. The menu is inspired by traditional English country cooking. If you go in the morning I would recommend the Veggie Benedict breakfast package, for lunch the lentil salad and Pulled Pork sandwich. If you're just passing by, order your favorite coffee and accompany it with a slice of lemon pie and enjoy it in the antique movie theater seat on the sidewalk. How to get there: Outside the MA. De Quevedo take a bus towards Taxqueña and get off 2 blocks after La Comer Coyoacan on Pino street; walk on that street until you find Parque Santa Catarina.
- Chamorros de Coyoacán. Located on Madrid Street at # 29, Col. Del Carmen, this neighborhood restaurant has been offering an ever expanding menu of homemade Mexican cuisine for over 60 years. You will feel like in your grandmother's dining room. The meatballs, beans, fideo seco, chamorro and handmade tortillas are some of the best things this place has to offer. Occasionally (the owners) who also serve diners offer house mezcal. The regular customers are usually long-time neighbors and/or locals and the prices are very affordable.
How to get there: take Cuauhtémoc Avenue at any height until you cross Churubusco where it becomes Centenario. Once on Centenario, turn right on the first block on the right side and look for number 29 on the street.
Lagunilla Zone
- Pozole de Moctezuma. Located in Col. Guerrero at # 12 Moctezuma Street, it is one of those that one knows by recommendation or by word of mouth (because of the fame of the area it is not so common to walk around these parts if you don't live there). This gem of a Mexican food restaurant specializing in Guerrero style pozole is located in a neighborhood without any kind of advertisement on the outside. Their offerings are somewhat limited, but a pozole verde prepared in the house style (including sardines and mezcal) and their chorizo tacos will be more than enough to enjoy a good meal. Affordable prices.
How to get there: It is a 2 min walk south from Garibaldi/Lagunilla Metro Station and Garibaldi MB Station.
Morelos/Tepito Zone
- Enchiladas La Güera. Five blocks from the famous Deportivo Maracana in the heart of Tepito, is another of those mini neighborhood restaurants that if it were not for a recommendation one would never know about them. This place at Calle de Talabarteros #7 has survived for more than 70 years as an improvised restaurant also inside a neighborhood in the Morelos as this neighborhood is commonly known. While you listen to the family problems and shouts of the owner, you can enjoy enchiladas de mole or caldo de gallina with a homemade and unique flavor. The characteristic dish of the place are the black mole enchilada cakes and they are only open on weekends and only has 3 tables. Very affordable prices.
How to get there: the closest subway is Metro Canal del Norte, 10 minutes away. I recommend arriving by car.
