This was our first trip to Mexico City and we were lucky to find ourselves in the best neighborhood in the city! The apartment is only steps away from excellent restaurants, cafes and bars. We felt like locals since there are no big hotels, no big tourist sights, only people enjoying life. We felt welcome among the locals who were mostly relaxing, eating and laughing, jogging and walking dogs. The apartment is on the third floor and from the balcony you can look across the tops of trees - very peaceful in an otherwise chaotic city.
While Condesa was hit hard by the October earthquake, the damage seemed to be isolated to only about one building every few blocks. The damaged buildings were taped off and we saw City officials and engineers inspecting damage, and crews repairing the broken pieces. People seemed to have picked themselves up and moved on with life. An earthquake is something that people run towards, not run away from. They don't wait around for City officials to come to their rescue, instead they help each other. The spirit of the neighborhood is very positive and the people seemed to have been united by this event. I would encourage everyone to share in their recovery, you will be welcomed!
BTW Alberto is a great host. The shower was not getting enough hot water, so while we were out, he had a plumber over to change the pipes and shower head - on a Sunday!
We're already planning our next visit to the apartment, only next time we'll try to leave the comfort of the neighborhood and explore more of the rest of the city!