Mexico City: Where to go after an earthquake or “How to find Peace and Quiet in a City of 20 Million”
By Jim Johnston, June 29, 2007

The earthquake that struck Mexico City in the early hours of Friday, April 13 reached 6.3 on the Richter Scale, the strongest I had felt so far. My partner Nick and I stood under a doorway, watching the ceiling light in the living room sway back and forth, listening to the Venetian blinds rattle, and realizing, with silent awe, that our entire four-story apartment building was undulating. The quake’s center was hundreds of miles away, near the beach at Acapulco, and 18 miles below the earth’s surface. No one was hurt and there was little property damage reported, but a piece of the planet had moved, and the physical sensation etched itself into my bones

“Don’t forget to put on a bathrobe in case we have to run out into the street or if we’re found under the rubble,” Nick thoughtfully reminded me.

The next morning, after a few “Did you feel that?” conversations with friends, life went back to normal.

Maintaining a sense of equanimity in my home town of Mexico City is a tough job. Living with 20 million neighbors in a place that shakes on occasion requires constant attention and adjustments, so I’m always on the lookout for spots that provide an oasis of calm in the urban storm—the best places to visit after an earthquake, or any time you want some peace and quiet in one of the world’s largest metropolises.

A visit to the church of La Piedad (Calle Doncelles 105 near Argentina) offers a haven of tranquility amidst the commercial hubbub of the Centro Histórico. Located behind the Cathedral, it is an area full of interesting tourist sites: Plaza Santo Domingo, where type-setters and scribes work under a sagging arcade as they have for centuries, is the most intact Colonial space in the city; superb murals of Diego Rivera are found at the nearby Secretaria de Educación Pública (Argentina 28), and around the corner (Justo Serra 16) is the San Ildefonso museum, one of the city’s best, located in a former Jesuit college. The streets here are full of hawkers and vendors, delivery men, traffic, women making quesadillas on small charcoal stoves, strolling musicians, and a few beggars hoping for a small coin. City life reaches its peak of intensity here, so I often stop at this church to regain my equilibrium. Its baroque interior, a celestial fantasy of carved wood and gilded plaster, inspires awe and the desire to worship a deity; its proximity to the Templo Mayor, where Aztecs offered human sacrifices to their gods Huitzilopotzli and Tlaloc, adds to its aura of mystery and ritual. 

The Museo Franz Mayer, by the green park known as the Alameda in the Centro Histórico (on Avenida Hidalgo), is one of the city’s gems of colonial architecture. In its peaceful garden patio you can sip a cappuccino, listen to birds sing, and be transported, in a flash, to the world of Mexico City’s Spanish aristocracy. A beautifully tiled central fountain is surrounded by shrubs and flowers; a well-proportioned arcade envelops the patio, providing a shady place to sit and observe. The timeless sense of calm here feels just right after a bout in the big city.

Not far from the Zócalo is the Museo de la Ciudad de Mexico ( 30 Pino Suarez near El Salvador) which has changing art exhibits and a permanent exhibition about the city’s history. The most interesting thing here, however, is the studio of Joaquin Clausell, located on the second floor (mention it when you buy your ticket as it is sometimes locked). Clausell (1866-1935) was a Mexican painter who studied impressionism in Paris. His wealthy in-laws owned the building and gave him a studio to work in. For years he painted, doodled and sketched directly on the four walls of his atelier, creating a fascinating mural of the artist’s working process. The room is dark, cool, and quiet, and furnished with some very comfortable upholstered chairs, making it perhaps the most peaceful public space in the Centro.

Mexico’s famous architect, Luis Barragán (1902-1988) is known for the simple, at times austere, lines of his buildings, for the use of earthy building materials, and the introduction of bold colors. A visit to his home and studio is a lesson in the difference between architecture and construction, an aesthetic experience that both soothes and invigorates. His spaces, with their dramatic changes of light and scale, are at once warm and cozy, cool and abstract. The famous “floating staircase” displays his propensity for poise and delicate balance. You will feel removed from the city in his garden, an urban jungle of tumbling vines and tropical plants; the tall, richly colored walls of the rooftop terrace block out everything but the blue sky above—the hum of traffic seems to be coming from another world. Barragán was a religious man, a fact instilled into his architecture—there is something about this space that makes you want to move slowly and quietly. His home/studio was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004. The Casa/Museo Luis Barragán is located at General Ramirez 114 in Colonia Tacubaya, (close to Metro Constituyentes). Call ahead to reserve at 5515-4908.

When I need a tranquil spot with more oxygen, I head to Parque Mexico in Colonia Condesa, a small but luxuriant park in the midst of a neighborhood filled with art-deco buildings, restaurants, cafés and bookstores. Condesa is one of Mexico City’s most desirable residential neighborhoods, and a visit to this charming park will explain why. Pathways meander among towering palms, graceful jacarandas, and huge banana trees, surrounding a duck pond and an artificial geyser. Things get a little busier here on weekends, when you might encounter a concert in the open-air theater, impromptu tango classes, or art classes for children, but the mood is always low-key. There are benches, like small rustic cottages, where you can sit and read in the city’s most peaceful park.

Finding a peaceful and quiet hotel room in Mexico City can be a challenge. Ask about noise (and ventilation), especially in older hotels, as rooms vary greatly. Two hotels in quieter parts of the city are the Hotel Maria Cristina (Rio Lerma 31, Colonia Juarez, tel. 5703-1787, www.hotelmariacristina.com.mx ) and La Casona (Durango 280, Colonia roma, tel. 5286-3001, www.mexicoboutiquehotels.com/lacasona ).

I’ve never heard anyone say they are coming to spend a relaxing weekend in Mexico City, but the experience of peace and quiet, once you find it here, takes on a delicious depth. Memories of earth tremors are quickly erased by the flamboyant urban hysteria of Mexico City, with its resounding call to life—but, just in case, I’m going to renew my earthquake insurance¼next week.

Jim Johnston, a 10-year resident of San Miguel, now lives in Mexico City. He is the author of Mexico City: An Opinionated Guide for the Curious Traveler, available in San Miguel at El Tecolote bookstore and on Amazon.com.

What’s happening in Mexico City: Frida Kahlo exhibition

“Frida Kahlo, 1907-2007, Homenaje Nacional” runs from June 13 to August 19 at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. More than 300 pieces will be displayed, including paintings, photos and letters, making this the most comprehensive exhibition ever, of one of Mexico’s most famous artists. This is sure to be a very popular (crowded) show, especially on weekends.

In an interesting sidenote, according to the Mexican daily Milenio, art critic and expert on Kahlo Raquel Tibol, has said that two of the paintings are fakes; the oil portrait of “Alejandro Gomez Arias” and “Isolda’s Head.” She says they don´t correspond with Kahlo’s style and she encouraged the director of Bellas Artes to contact the experts of the Banco de Mexico to see if these two were indeed painted in the same way as the others.

The museum is closed on Mondays. www.museobellasartes.artte.com. 

Art galleries in Mexico City are spread out all over the place. Listings of exhibitions are found in Tiempo Libre magazine (available at newsstands and at Sanborn’s stores). The ‘Mapa de Galerías’ is a free monthly map that can be picked up at most galleries—or visit their website www.arte-mexico.com.

Getting around Mexico City is always a concern. The turibus is a double-decker bus that stops at most of the important tourist destinations in the city for about US$10 a day—you can get on and off as often as you like. A new route now goes to the southern end of the city, including Coyocán, San Angel, Tlalpan and Xochimilco. There are bus stops all over the city—ask at your hotel for the stop nearest to you or visit their website www.turibus.com.mx.