This private, ground-floor apartment was a jewel! It features one room with a small kitchen, desk, tables, chairs, and couch; a bedroom with a smart TV with YouTube and Netflix, and a bathroom with a shower. Outside, there is a shaded, private patio behind a brick wall that is secluded from the sunny courtyard for the rest of the 2-story building complex. Other private apartments for rent through AirBNB are above on the 2nd floor, and the host’s living area seems to be split between the ground floor and upper floor.
Throughout the apartment and building complex, I enjoyed the original artwork and the artistic details of functional items. There are 2 original paintings in the bedroom and 3 in kitchen/living room by a Mexican painter named Luis San Carlos. There is also an original sculpture on the desk. Functional items, such as the texture of the tiles in the shower, the mirror hanging above the bathroom sink, the material used for the kitchen cabinets, the way the desk can expand to create more space for eating and working, the arrangement of the small coffee tables, and even the dish-drying rack, etc. all were tastefully chosen with an appreciation for artistic flair. In the courtyard, one enjoys more art, such as stained-glass windows in one wall; a circular, iron-wrought window with opaque glass embedded in a brick wall; hanging pots of succulents along another brick wall; and a mural covering the wall along the outdoor staircase to the upper floor. There are also outdoor sculptures and artsy patio furniture.
This particular apartment is appropriate for a person with disabilities, as I did not have to go up any steps to reach the apartment from the street, and the laundry room is also on the ground floor.
The host was very conscientious about cleanliness and hygiene. She left hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray, and wipes in high-contact areas, such as next to the keyless entry between the garage and courtyard. There were also disinfectant wipes in the bathroom. The only thing missing that the host didn’t provide for cleanliness was a roll of paper towels or a dish cloth for the kitchen.
The apartment is very secure. The building is located in the low-crime, upscale Anzures neighborhood, which is a residential neighborhood contiguous to the more touristy neighborhoods of Polanco, Colonia Cuauhtémoc, and Parque Chapultepec. You enter the building complex through the garage with a keyless remote. You then use a security code to pass from the garage to the courtyard. You enter the private apartment with a key through a glass door. As a woman traveling by myself and a a foreigner, I felt safe here. I also felt safe and comfortable walking around the neighborhood of Anzures.
The apartment is in close proximity to convenience stores, restaurants, a bakery, and shops. Banks, a pharmacy, a major department store, and a good grocery store are within a half mile’s distance. Uber cars arrive quickly, but you might not need them, because you are within easy walking distance of some of Mexico City’s best attractions, such as the Paseo de la Reforma, el Ángel de la Independencia, Chapultepec Park, and various museums.
The host was very considerate. She left water, drinks, snacks, cereal, and basic necessities for cooking for me in the apartment’s kitchen. She was so very kind and understanding to adapt the usual schedule for AirBNB guests to my early arrival and late departure. There was a closet with a key in the laundry room where I could store my suitcase and bags after I had vacated the apartment but still had a few hours to wait for my departure to the airport. The host did well to stay in contact with me throughout my stay, answering my messages quickly.
I was in this apartment at about 8:50 PM on Sept. 7, 2021 when there was a 7.1 magnitude earthquake with its epicenter in Acapulco. I was very glad that I was here in the ground floor of a 2-story building rather than a huge multistory building. I clearly heard warning alarms go off in the street just before the earthquake began. Immediately, after the shaking stopped, the host was quick to contact me to make sure that I was alright. As the building is impeccably well-maintained and well-designed, I felt safe here in spite of the earthquake. The host advised me that if there were aftershocks, the safest place to stand would be in the entryway to the garage from the courtyard, where the building had its strongest reinforcements.
I was glad to have found this apartment and to have stayed here.