Centro Histórico
by Aptypo
Centro Histórico (Historic Downtown)
The single most important cultural heritage on this continent.
Centro Histórico is the birthplace of Mexico City - the oldest capital in the Americas - dating back to 1325 when the Aztecs founded the city of Tenochtitlan in a small barren island in the margins of Texcoco Lake.
Today is replete with historical buildings and monuments, museums, restaurants, shops and markets.
Centro Histórico covers an area of 9.1 square kilometers. This area comprises 688 city blocks. It means more than 1,900 important civil and religious buildings (architecturally and/or historically relevant buildings) built between the 16th and 20th centuries, clustered in and around El Zócalo (Constitution Square) and La Alameda (Alameda Park), few short blocks away. There are also amazing ruins dating back to the Aztec Empire.
Be sure that history is most perceptible as you walk the Historic Center!
At the present time the Centro Histórico has problems with urban, economic and social deterioration. The causes have their origin around 1950.
The intensive use of the public space is one of the urban characteristics of the Historical Center and also one of the causes of its deterioration. Is calculated that, at least, a million people transit daily that way and has serious traffic problems.
On the other hand, Centro Histórico is experiencing a renaissance under an aggressive program to improve facilities, services and the overall ambience along the Reforma-Zocalo Corridor.
On December 9, 1987 the plenary session of the UNESCO Committee for World Heritage, based in Paris, France, voted unanimously to designate Centro Histórico as a Universal Heritage.
An event which receives outstanding support from the general public is the Historic Downtown Festival held each year. It has as its purpose the promotion and presentation of cultural acts from countries around the world within the unique setting of Centro Histórico. Foundation, glory, conquest, liberty, revolution, decadence… A living tribute to the history of Mexico.
El Dia de los Muertos
by acemj
The Day of the Dead is celebrated all over Mexico, but seems particularly commercialized in Mexico City with all of the paper cutouts and trinkets on sale dedicated to the celebrations. You'll see all sorts of skeletons and mini-coffins and the like from around mid-October through the beginning of November. October 31st is Young Souls Day, November 1st is All Saints Day and November 2nd is All Souls Day and locals use this time to feel closely to their departed relatives. They decorate their graves and their own homes and even make a special bread called "pan de muertos" which is shared with family members. It is believed that the dead come back to be with their relatives and can eat and drink as when they were alive.
These pictures show a Day of the Dead exhibit that is right across from the Alameda.
Zip-Lock Baggies
by Aptypo
Excellent to put stuff in. Visit your local hobby store, and ask if they sell SMALL ZIPLOCK BAGS. They are inexpensive, and handy for a multitude of uses. Plastic bags for car and house keys plus duplicate sets kept in different bags. ZIPPERED PLASTIC BAG is useful for wet items.
Fuente de Tláloc, and the serpents.
by Aptypo
Fuente de Tláloc.
(Tláloc Fountain).
Just a really beautiful fountain.
It was designed and supervised in its construction (1952) by the painter Diego Rivera, after concluding 'El agua, origen de la vida' (The water, origin of the life).
The fountain consists of a bas-relief in mosaic tiles of natural colored stones, that represent Tláloc (Aztec rain and water god) leaving waters.
The best point to appreciate its beauty is being placed to ten meters height or more.
How do that?
I want to kwow too...
There are other fountains, constructed after the one of Tláloc and inaugurated latter, in 1964, on the perimeter of the tanks of water storage of the Lerma system, and well-known like 'Fuentes de las Serpientes' (Fountains of the serpents), because of its serpents shapes.
These 'serpents' are the ventilation chimneys of four great cisterns in which originating potable water of the same system was stored.
Directions:
Neri Vela Av., Segunda Sección (Second Section) Bosque de Chapultepec.
Close to 'Papalote' Museo del Niño.
Zona Rosa
by AcornMan about Zona Rosa
Zona Rosa isn't a particular bar or club, its an entire district in Mexico City that's great for nightlife because of all the restaurants, bars, clubs, cantinas, and other attractions. During the day there are plenty of places to eat and shop, but at night it stays lively and energetic while other parts of the city clear out and become almost deserted.
Sign in with Facebook
My sister JumpingwithNorman, with strangers,Japan
One day in Mexico City
Shiny Stuff and My Feet (Museo de Arte Moderno)
teotihuacan
