Colonia Narvarte is a residential and quiet neighborhood that hasn’t quite reached the radar of tourists yet, so you’re still in time to find an extremely affordable place to live in a lovely, middle-class Mexican neighborhood. Not to mention, it’s only minutes from Roma, Condesa, and the Centro Historico. 

This former farmland became a neighborhood in the 1940s and 50s, and lots of California Colonial, Functionalist, and late Art Deco architecture line its diagonal boulevards. Less of a planned community than Roma and Condesa, there are some big avenues that cut up the neighborhood into smaller little enclaves, but of those major thoroughfares, you will find quiet streets, incredible street food, and the budding businesses of many young Mexican entrepreneurs. 

Stop for an espresso at the minuscule Alma Negra, try out some of the wild inventions of Tizne Tacomotor, or while away an afternoon sipping craft beer at the cozy Beer Bros. The coworking options here are a bit dismal, so it’s better to explore Narvarte’s cafes until you find the one that suits you. Try Costra for amazing baked goods and good internet, Cultumkali where you will immediately feel at home, or the Buendia Cafe that has an awesome back patio for working in the fresh air. 

Some of the best streets for ambling are Uxmal, Petén, Xochicalco, Zempoala, La Quemada, Tajín, Palenque, and Mitla, as well as around the Las Americas Park with its mini-amphitheater and jogging trails that pass under the cool shade of the trees. While technically outside of Narvarte, it’s imperative to stop by Fonda Margarita a few blocks away, one of the best breakfast spots in the city, and to gaze upon the massive Christ statue atop the Corazon de Maria church that was used in the 1990s movie version of Romeo and Juliet. 

There are few high-end restaurants in Narvarte, but lots of great street food stalls, especially along Cumbres de Maltrata street and around the Etiopía metro stop. Don’t miss Vilsito for some of the best tacos al pastor in the city and its next-door neighbor Tacos Tony for tacos de suadero. Narvarte is also the home of HOP2, one of the city’s biggest beer gardens, and has a fantastic local market for shopping and eating.