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Entertainment and nightlife
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There's a vast amount going on in Mexico City, which is the nation's cultural and social centre as much as its political capital. Dedicated
bars
are dotted all over the city and range from dirt-cheap dives to the classy cigar bars of the swanky hotels, but there's little in the way of comfortable moderately priced bars. The bottom rung is occupied by
pulquerAas
and
cantinas
, from where it is a major step up to
hotel bars
(most of which are in the centre) or to the established night spots in well-touristed enclaves.
A lot of the obvious nightlife , especially in the larger hotels, is rather tame in its attempt to be sophisticated, but in recent years the live music scene has broadened appreciably. Finding what you want can still be hit and miss, a process full of disappointments but with occasional delights. Sometimes the genuinely appealing stuff is tucked away in less visited parts of the city, but by assiduous trawling of the listings magazines and following our recommendations, there's no shortage of diverting stuff to do in tried and tested areas. Rock and Latin music are common with US chart music and Europop filling in around that, but you'll also come across Cuban grooves, deep trance beats and even live jazz. Many of the best venues are to be found in the south, towards CoyoacA?n and San A?ngel, but the Zona Rosa and Condesa are also good stomping grounds, and if you want to hang with the beautiful people there are several classy joints in Polanco. Two attractions stand out from the crowd and shouldn't be missed: the mariachi music in the Plaza Garibaldi , a thoroughly Mexican experience; and to a lesser extent, the Ballet FolklA?rico , which is unashamedly aimed at tourists but has an enduring appeal, too, for Mexicans. While Mexican theatre tends to be rather turgid, there are often excellent classical music concerts and performances of opera or ballet by touring companies. Bellas Artes and the Auditorio Nacional are the main venues, but other downtown theatres as well as the Polyforum and the Teatro de los Insurgentes may also have interesting shows. On most Sundays, there's a free concert in Chapultepec Park near the lake. Cinemas are scattered all over the city, though there are very few within easy walking distance of anywhere you are likely to be staying. We've mentioned several in "Listings": some are in the Zona Rosa, but the greatest concentration is along Insurgentes where there are at least ten multiplexes. Most show all the latest releases, usually very soon after release in the US and typically in their original language with subtitles, though occasionally they are dubbed. If you go to the cinema arrive early, as popular screenings frequently sell out.
Listings
for current cinema, theatre and other cultural events can be found in the English-language daily
The News
, and more fully in local newspapers in Spanish, or you could try the weekly magazine
Tiempo Libre
(
www.tiempolibre.com.mx
), found at most newspaper stands. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Mexico,
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