10 things you didn’t know about Parque México

Life successful galore parts of Mexico City revolves astir greenish space. Chapultepec Park, astir doubly the size of Manhattan’s Central Park, is said to mean 40,000 visitors per day. The Alameda Central, situated adjacent to the Palacio de Bellas Artes successful the Historic Center, whitethorn conscionable beryllium the oldest parkland successful the Americas. Desierto de los Leones National Park is 1 of the astir fashionable destinations for urbanites to spell hiking. Still, nary of these parks rather lucifer the vigor of a Sunday greeting stroll done Condesa’s leafy, beauteous Parque México.

By 9 a.m., locals person already claimed their spots: joggers velocity down the winding pathways, canine owners gossip portion their pets play off-leash and families dispersed blankets connected patches of writer to bask a play picnic.

Parque México is simply a calm, verdant oasis connected the borderline of Condesa and Insurgentes. (Caminandog)

The sensory acquisition successful Parque México is distinctly Mexico City. While vendors selling caller effect and tamales telephone retired their offerings, the scent of java drifts from the plethora of cafes that enactment the streets. Music from an impromptu creation people volition echo from the Art Deco amphitheater portion children shriek with delight by the duck pond.

This 88,000-square-meter municipality sanctuary doesn’t conscionable supply respite from the surrounding concrete; Parque México tells a unsocial broadside of the communicative of Mexico City’s improvement done its architecture, activities and the divers assemblage it attracts each weekend.

Its origins are colonial 

The Santa Catalina del Arenal hacienda successful the 17th century. The onshore is present mostly Condesa, Roma and cardinal Mexico City. (Ciudad y Patrimonio)

Parque México’s past stretches further backmost than galore visitors realize. The onshore was primitively portion of the Santa Catalina del Arenal hacienda, built successful 1610. Then connected the outskirts of Mexico City and spanning overmuch of what is present Condesa, it was chiefly dedicated to pulque production, livestock and effect cultivation. Over the centuries, the hacienda changed hands respective times. By the 1700s, it fell nether the ownership of the Third Countess of Miravalle, who was a descendant of Moctezuma and related to Charles II of Spain.

It was erstwhile a racetrack

The equestrian origins of Parque México are inactive wide to spot today. (MODO)

In the aboriginal 20th century, the Jockey Club purchased a information of this onshore and built a equine racing track, which explains the park’s oval shape. By the extremity of the Mexican Revolution, the way wherever horses erstwhile galloped for the amusement of Mexico City’s elite ceased operations. The developers who bought the erstwhile racetrack successful 1927 were bound by a declaration stipulating that 60,000 quadrate meters of the spot indispensable beryllium converted into a nationalist park, and Parque México was born.

That’s not its name

Parque México’s bust of the Liberator of Argentina. (LEG95/CC BY SA-4.0)

Even though everyone calls it Parque México, that’s not really the park’s authoritative name. It’s technically called Parque General San Martín, named aft José de San Martín, an independency person successful Argentina, Chile and Peru. The dedication was officially made successful December 1927 arsenic a motion of goodwill towards Argentina. Nonetheless, the parkland is commonly known and referred to arsenic Parque México owed to its determination connected Avenida México. Need a visual? Head to the northwest country of the parkland adjacent the Amalia Gonzalez Library, wherever a bust of San Martín stands proud.

Its layout was inspired by a British municipality planner 

It wouldn’t beryllium a British-inspired parkland without a timepiece successful the middle. (Gob. de CDMX)

José Luis Cuevas Pietrasanta, the visionary designer down the Hipódromo Condesa neighborhood, was heavy inspired by British municipality planner Ebenezer Howard’s Garden City movement.

Howard pioneered the innovative metropolis improvement conception with the purpose of creating municipality environments that were some sustainable and peaceful, combining the champion aspects of metropolis beingness and nature. Cuevas Pietrasanta utilized these principles erstwhile readying Parque México, resulting successful the capital’s astir progressive and palmy municipality improvement task of the 1920s. As astir of the metropolis expanded haphazardly, Hipódromo Condesa emerged arsenic a blueprint for aboriginal use. It was the archetypal Mexico City vicinity wherever buildings and quality were deliberately planned to coexist harmoniously, with the streets surrounding Parque México increasing outward successful a circular, whimsical fashion.

It took 3 architects

This conception of the parkland was designed by Leonardo Noriega, 1 of 3 architects who worked connected the project. (Gob. de CDMX)

More than conscionable the park’s main architect, José Luis Cuevas Pietrasanta was 1 of Mexico City’s astir influential municipality designers. Beyond Colonia Hipódromo, helium designed the upscale Lomas de Chapultepec neighborhood, the Casa de José Gargollo y Garay connected Paseo de la Reforma and the Edison Building successful the Historic Center.

Leonardo Noriega had a knack for Art Deco, which helium utilized erstwhile designing the striking Foro Lindbergh amphitheater. Its geometric forms, decorative motifs and cleanable lines are a testament to his creator flair. Even though Noriega’s sanction isn’t arsenic salient of his contemporaries, his publication to Parque México was profound and helped found Art Deco arsenic a defining benignant successful Mexico City’s architectural identity.

Is a parkland without a sculpture truly a park? According to José María Fernández Urbina, the reply is no. Fernández Urbina brought his three-dimensional expertise to the Parque México project, creating the celebrated Fuente de los Cántaros (Fountain of the Jugs) that remains 1 of the park’s astir beloved features. 

Together, these 3 designers didn’t lone make a beauteous greenish abstraction successful the vigor of Condesa. By blending European influences with Mexican aesthetics, the squad introduced a bold taste connection astir modern Mexican individuality during the play of nationalist reinvention that followed the Mexican Revolution.

Charles Lindbergh was here… maybe

Was pioneering aviator Charles Lindbergh here? Possibly. (Gobierno de CDMX)

The Art Deco Foro Lindbergh amphitheater serves arsenic Parque México’s architectural centrepiece, the taste bosom and preferred gathering constituent for salsa fanatics. But galore visitors stay unaware of the fascinating communicative down its name.

The forum is so named aft Charles Lindbergh, the American aviator who flew the archetypal solo nonstop transatlantic formation from New York to Paris. Some accidental his accomplishment captured the imaginativeness of Mexico City’s municipality planners.

Local fable says thing much dramatic. Some judge that Lindbergh himself landed an airplane successful this precise determination successful December 1927. While historians statement whether this really occurred, the communicative speaks to Mexico’s enthusiasm for aviation advancements during this era, possibly arsenic a mode to shrink distances betwixt nations and animate caller planetary relationships.

It has historical rules

Make definite to travel the rules, conveniently displayed connected creation deco posts crossed the park. (Gob. de CDMX)

There are respective quirky Art Deco-style chromatic signs passim the park, each dating to 1927, indicating the due mode to enactment portion visiting to guarantee Parque México remains well-maintained. These signs usage distinctive connection that not lone reflects past societal norms successful Mexico but besides showcases however code utilized to bespeak one’s societal class. This diagnostic adds quality to Parque México, serving arsenic some a applicable usher and a taste artifact. Look retired for signs that accidental things similar “Respect for trees, plants, and grass: is an unequivocal motion of culture” and “Dogs earnestly harm a park: bring them leashed.”

It’s a surviving ecosystem successful the mediate of the city

Just a fewer 100 meters from super-urban and bustling Insurgentes Avenue, Parque México offers calm and tranquillity for all. (Gob. de CDMX)

Parque México functions arsenic an municipality wood wrong Mexico City. The park’s canopy includes majestic jacarandas, ash trees, palms, firs and autochthonal ahuehuetes (Montezuma cypresses), galore of which person been contiguous for centuries.

More than conscionable a beauteous face, Parque México plays a captious biology relation by helping filter aerial pollution, trim municipality heat, and supply situation for wildlife. For residents of the surrounding high-density neighborhoods, the parkland offers indispensable entree to quality without leaving the city, a surviving reminder of Mexico’s earthy practice amid the municipality landscape.

A bustling taste hub

Each weekend, implicit 10,000 visitors alteration Parque México into a vibrant societal hub. Locals travel present for escaped salsa classes, zumba sessions, and impromptu performances. You tin larn to roller skate oregon however to decently wield an LED saber. If your thought of burning calories connected a Sunday is done shopping, vendors capable the parkland with each sorts of delightful products — artisanal jewelry, location plants, location decor — you tin adjacent follow a cat!

An important humanities landmark

Recognized by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) arsenic a taste landmark, the parkland physically represents Mexico City’s municipality evolution. A 2008 renovation introduced sustainable irrigation systems to support its greenery amid the city’s h2o challenges. 

As Condesa continues to turn into 1 of the country’s astir desirable neighborhoods, Parque México remains an anchor of nationalist accessibility for each to enjoy. The parkland is unfastened daily, including holidays.

Bethany Platanella is simply a question planner and manner writer based successful Mexico City. She lives for the dopamine deed that comes straight aft booking a level ticket, exploring section markets, practicing yoga and munching connected caller tortillas. Sign up to person her Sunday Love Letters to your inbox, peruse her blog, oregon travel her on Instagram.