We visited the first weekend following the major 7.1 earthquake. Simon was very honest and transparent regarding the state of the city and neighborhood following the earthquake. We felt safe in his apartment even when we were evacuated Saturday morning due to another quake.
As for Simon's apartment, it is in a central location and walking distance to many restaurants, street food, bars, galleries. This was my second time in Mexico City and love this area. Everything is a short taxi ride away, you can walk it if you really wanted to. The area feels very safe as well.
As for the city following the earthquake, it is unfortunate and sombering to see the destruction left by the earthquake. We walked through La Condesa, the area hardest hit, and many streets were closed off and buildings taped off. The streets were a bit quiet at night and a few of the bars that were recommended by locals were closed unfortunately. Overall there is still much to see, it's a large city, but it definitely feels like a good part of La Condesa will be closed off. We, however, got to witness the people united during the rescue efforts, and that is something worth witnessing.