| Properties |  |
| Currency Mexican Peso (MXN) | Population 22,000,000 | Language Spanish; some Amerindian languages |
| Top Contributors |  |  |
| If you fly into Mexico City, the crowds of buildings on the ground below seem to stretch on forever – after all, it is one of the most populous cities in the world (roughly 22 million people in the greater urban area, depending on where you draw the boundaries). Though notorious for crime and pollution, this culturally and historically rich mega-metropolis of the Americas is far more than holding its own: outstanding cuisine, rousing nightlife, fascinating archaeological sites, thriving art and music, and decidedly gentle and generous people. This is not just an airport hub on your way to Puerto Vallarta, it’s a city to get lost in – squeezed as you are among the street merchants and vendors, the lively mariachi bars, the crowded open-air plazas. Beneath the grit and chaos, there are Aztec ruins and balmy gardens, prestigious universities and world-class museums. Known also as D.F., or Distrito Federal (federal district), Mexico City is at the heart of Mexican government, politics, and commerce, and has been for a long, long while – not only one of the world’s most staggeringly enormous cities, it is also the oldest continuously populated urban center in the Western Hemisphere. Before the arrival of the Spanish, Mexico City was Tenochtitlán, the capital of the Aztec empire, and still boasts a wealth of artifacts to prove it. This long history, pre- and post-Spanish arrival, is present in every stone and curl of smoke, and the coupling of ancient beauty, the gore of revolution, and modern drive give the city both its formidable intensity and captivating charm. |
 |  Map and Photos for Mexico City |  |
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| Overall Recommendation: | | 67% |  |
| | Scenery: | | 67% | |
| | Popularity: | | 33% | |
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| krissf submitted a review on 2006-08-02 23:36... They love Benito Juarez... | |
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