HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Colonia Juárez is one of the better-known neighborhoods or '' colonias'' in the
Cuauhtémoc borough Cuauhtémoc (, ), also known as Cuauhtemotzín, Guatimozín, or Guatémoc, was the Aztec ruler (''tlatoani'') of Tenochtitlan from 1520 to 1521, and the last Aztec Emperor. The name Cuauhtemōc means "one who has descended like an eagle", and ...
of
Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
. The neighborhood is shaped like a long triangle with the boundaries:
Paseo de la Reforma Paseo de la Reforma (literally "Promenade of La Reforma, the Reform") is a wide avenue that runs diagonally across the heart of Mexico City. It was designed at the behest of Maximilian of Mexico, Emperor Maximilian by Ferdinand von Rosenzweig d ...
on the north, Avenida Chapultepec on the south, and Eje 1 Poniente (
Avenida Bucareli Avenida Bucareli, often referred to as "Bucareli Street", is a main avenue and '' eje vial'' (arterial road) in Mexico City. It divides the Historic center on the east from Colonia Juárez on the west. It is named after the viceroy of New Spai ...
) on the east. It is located between the
historic center of Mexico City The historic center of Mexico City (), also known as the Centro or Centro Histórico, is the central neighborhood in Mexico City, Mexico, focused on the Zócalo (or main plaza) and extending in all directions for a number of blocks, with its fart ...
and the
Chapultepec Park Chapultepec, more commonly called the "Bosque de Chapultepec" (Chapultepec Forest) in Mexico City, is one of the largest Nature Value Area´s in Mexico, measuring in total just over . Centered on a rock formation called Chapultepec Hill, one of ...
area, just south of the Paseo de la Reforma, which is one of Mexico's main commercial districts and its financial center. Since it was established in the late 19th century and early 20th as a haven for the wealthy leaving the city center, the colonia has been in near constant change. Most of the mansions built in the early part of its history have either been abandoned, converted into businesses or been taken over by squatters. However, it has had a cosmopolitan and intellectual reputation since its founding, which was reinforced with the influx of artists and intellectuals in the 1960s. The area has suffered deterioration since the 1980s, due to the
1985 Mexico City earthquake The 1985 Mexico City earthquake struck in the early morning of 19 September at 07:17:50 (CST) with a Moment magnitude scale, moment magnitude of 8.0 and a maximal Modified Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of IX (''Violent''). The ev ...
and other factors, but there have been efforts to restore the area's former prestige, including tourism promotion, historic conservation efforts and the urbanization of areas close to Paseo de la Reforma. The best known area of the colonia is
Zona Rosa Zona Rosa (Spanish: "pink zone") is a term used in Latin American countries to refer to a district that is the center of a town or city's nightlife. It may refer to: Places * Zona Rosa, Mexico City, a neighborhood in Mexico City * Zona Rosa (San Sa ...
(Pink Zone) which is a
tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity on ...
attraction for its artistic and intellectual reputation and is home to Mexico City's
gay community The LGBTQ community (also known as the LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIA+, or queer community) comprises LGBTQ individuals united by a common culture and social movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individua ...
. It is also home to " Little Seoul", center of the city's
Korean immigrant The Korean diaspora consists of around 7.3 million people, both descendants of early emigrants from the Korean Peninsula, as well as more recent emigrants from Korea. Around 84.5% of overseas Koreans live in just five countries: the United Stat ...
population.


History

In the 1860s this area was shallow lake waters and
swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
, and was almost completely uninhabited. However, one reason that the city eventually expanded this way was the decision by
Empress Carlota Charlotte of Mexico (; ; 7 June 1840 – 19 January 1927), known by the Spanish version of her name, Carlota, was by birth a princess of Belgium and member of the House of Wettin in the branch of House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Saxe-Coburg ...
to build a road to connect the
Castle of Chapultepec Chapultepec Castle () is located on top of Chapultepec Hill in Mexico City's Chapultepec park. The name ''Chapultepec'' is the Nahuatl word which means "on the hill of the grasshopper". It is located at the entrance to Chapultepec park, at a hei ...
to the
downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...
of the city. The road was designed by Austrian engineer Allois Bollan Kuhmackl in 1865 with its trajectory recommended by the
emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
. Its use was exclusive to the emperor and his retinue. When Republican forces overthrew the emperor, this avenue was named Paseo
Degollado Degollado () is a small town and municipality located in the Mexican state of Jalisco, in the cultural region of Ciénega, just south of Los Altos. The town is mainly rural in nature, but the municipality encompasses several concentrated residen ...
. A few years later, it received its current name. Between 1872 and 1876, President Lerdo de Tejada widened the road to its current dimensions and opened it to the public in 1877. In the very late 19th century and early 20th century, the
historic center of Mexico City The historic center of Mexico City (), also known as the Centro or Centro Histórico, is the central neighborhood in Mexico City, Mexico, focused on the Zócalo (or main plaza) and extending in all directions for a number of blocks, with its fart ...
was deteriorating as its colonial and Baroque buildings came to be seen as antiquidated. Many of the city's elite moved to new neighborhoods being constructed in the western suburbs along
Paseo de la Reforma Paseo de la Reforma (literally "Promenade of La Reforma, the Reform") is a wide avenue that runs diagonally across the heart of Mexico City. It was designed at the behest of Maximilian of Mexico, Emperor Maximilian by Ferdinand von Rosenzweig d ...
. Around the 1880s the city expanded west past
Colonia Santa Maria de la Ribera Colonia may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Colonia (music group), a Croatian dance music group * ''Colonia'' (Autopsia album), 2002 * ''Colonia'' (A Camp album), 2009 * ''Colonia'' (film), a 2015 historical romantic thriller Places *Colonia ...
, enveloping the areas where now are found the streets named Donato Guerra, Antonio Caso, Balderas, Chapultepec and Bucareli. Just beyond this, around 1887, there were still groves and cornfields; however, soon to be built were the streets named Roma, Milán, Lucerna, Dinamarca, Hamburgo, Londres, Berlín, Río Neva, Río Amazonas and
Avenida de los Insurgentes Avenida de los Insurgentes (), sometimes known simply as Insurgentes, is the longest avenue in Mexico City, with a length of on a north-south axis across the city. Insurgentes has its origins in what was during the early 20th century known as ...
, which form the heart of Colonia Juarez. Many of the new streets were named after European capitals, due to early resident and ex-consulate of Mexico Ricardo García Granado, for his children had been born in some of these cities as he performed his diplomatic duties. Originally the area now known as Colonia Juárez consisted of four colonias established in the mid-19th century: Los Arquitectos, Bucareli, Del Paseo and Nuea del Paseos. Much of this area was lakebed that was in the process of drying up; in fact at the beginning of the 20th century, there were still gulleys with water in them, most of which were around what is now the Cuauhtemoc traffic circle. The four colonias would officially be unified in 1906, under the name of Colonia Benito Juárez García, but the area was unofficially known as Colonia Americana for some time before that. At the end of the 19th century, this area became a favorite getaway for the wealthy elite of Mexico City, who began to build country houses here, to be close to the
Chapultepec Chapultepec, more commonly called the "Bosque de Chapultepec" (Chapultepec Forest) in Mexico City, is one of the largest Nature Value Area´s in Mexico, measuring in total just over . Centered on a rock formation called Chapultepec Hill, one of ...
forest. Many foreigners also located here, due to the presence of a number of embassies. However, because these houses were built in an orderly fashion along straight streets, the area soon lost its country look. The city government initially tried to halt the development by the area but extending and raising property taxes, but it did not work. The area became the most exclusive in Mexico City, as wealthy families sought to create a European mode of living. The first residents of the new colonia were those who made their fortunes in land speculation, haciendas in other parts of Mexico, mines, banks, oil and railroads. Many of the buildings had French influence, which was popular at the time, which even included
mansard roof A mansard or mansard roof (also called French roof or curb roof) is a multi-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterised by two slopes on each of its sides, with the lower slope at a steeper angle than the upper, and often punctured by dormer wi ...
s, despite the fact that it never snows here. Because many of the houses on Londres Street in the east part of the colonia had these mansard roofs, the area was popularly known as Colonia Limantour, for this and the presence of one of the most important people to live here, José Ives Limantour, the then Minister of Taxation. Prices for land in the colonia rose rapidly from 50 cents per unit in 1872 to $25 in 1903. This was one of the first residential areas of the city to have electricity. This allowed residents the luxury of staying up late, and began the area's reputation as a night spot, as residents went out for coffee and other socializing spaces nearby. During the regime of
Porfirio Díaz José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori (; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915) was a General (Mexico), Mexican general and politician who was the dictator of Mexico from 1876 until Mexican Revolution, his overthrow in 1911 seizing power in a Plan ...
the area was filled with restaurants, cafes, bakeries and plazas, where people gathered to socialize during evenings and weekends. One early prominent location was the Hotel Emporio on Paseo de la Reforma, which had tea rooms and cafes, attracting some of the wealthiest families in the city; a similar one was the Hotel Imperial, which also had various stores. Both buildings still exist and the Emporio conserves most of its original facade. Another famous hotel was the Hotel Reforma. It was home to a bar called "Ciro's" during the 1940s and 1950s, where
Pedro Infante Pedro Infante Cruz (; 18 November 1917 – 15 April 1957) was a Mexican ranchera singer and actor whose career spanned the golden age of Mexican cinema. Infante was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, and raised in nearby Guamúchil. He died on 15 Apri ...
began his career;
María Félix María de los Ángeles Félix Güereña (; 8 April 1914 – 8 April 2002) was a Mexican actress and singer. Along with Pedro Armendáriz and Dolores del Río, she was one of the most successful figures of Latin American cinema in the 1940s and ...
visited and
Agustín Lara Ángel Agustín María Carlos Fausto Mariano Alfonso del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Lara y Aguirre del Pino (; ; October 30, 1897 – November 6, 1970), known as Agustín Lara, was a Mexican composer and performer of songs and boleros. He is rec ...
gave concerts. It has since been demolished for redevelopment. When the colonia was built, a large number of sculptures were added to the public areas, especially on Paseo de la Reforma. Lining both sides are statues honoring writers, political leaders, and others. One prominent sculpture is that of
Cuauhtémoc Cuauhtémoc (, ), also known as Cuauhtemotzín, Guatimozín, or Guatémoc, was the Aztec ruler ('' tlatoani'') of Tenochtitlan from 1520 to 1521, and the last Aztec Emperor. The name Cuauhtemōc means "one who has descended like an eagle", an ...
, for which neighboring Colonia Cuauhtémoc was named. Another is a monument to
Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...
, which was a gift from Antonio Escandon. The most famous section of Colonia Juarez,
Zona Rosa Zona Rosa (Spanish: "pink zone") is a term used in Latin American countries to refer to a district that is the center of a town or city's nightlife. It may refer to: Places * Zona Rosa, Mexico City, a neighborhood in Mexico City * Zona Rosa (San Sa ...
, began as development by Rafael Martínez de la Torre, which he envisioned as a satellite city away from Mexico City catering to the wealthy. At his death in 1882, the project stagnated until Salvador Malo acquired the rights to the area and participated in creating a district council for it. Work on developing this area faltered again until the early 20th century when the México City Improvement Company and the Chapultepec Land Improvement Company took over. The
Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution () was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from 20 November 1910 to 1 December 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It saw the destruction of the Federal Army, its ...
brought the upscale and international community here to an end, as it represented the Porfirian era. Many of the houses here were abandoned and some, such as the one belonging to
Francisco I. Madero Francisco Ignacio Madero González (; 30 October 1873 – 22 February 1913) was a Mexican businessman, revolutionary, writer and statesman, who served as the 37th president of Mexico from 1911 until he was deposed in a coup d'état in Februa ...
, were burned during the
Decena Trágica The Ten Tragic Days () is the name given to the multi-day coup d'état during the Mexican Revolution in Mexico City. It was staged by opponents of Francisco I. Madero, the democratically elected president of Mexico, between 9–19 February 191 ...
in 1913. After the war was over, a number of these mansions were appropriated by the government to house institutions such as the Secretary of Health, now
Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social The Mexican Institute of Social Security (, IMSS) is a governmental organization that assists public health, pensions and social security in Mexico operating under the Secretariat of Health. It also forms an integral part of the Mexican healthc ...
. By the mid-20th century, the semi rural colonia was soon engulfed by the rapidly expanding city. Many of its first residents then moved to new neighborhoods such as
Lomas de Chapultepec Lomas de Chapultepec () is a ''Colonia (Mexico), colonia'', or officially recognized neighborhood, located in the Miguel Hidalgo, D.F., Miguel Hidalgo borough of Mexico City. It dates back to the 1920s, when it was founded with the name Chapultep ...
,
Polanco Polanco is a neighborhood in the Miguel Hidalgo borough of Mexico City. Polanco is an affluent '' colonia'', noted for its luxury shopping along Presidente Masaryk Avenue, the most expensive street in Mexico, as well as for the numerous pro ...
and
Colonia Del Valle Colonia Del Valle ( Spanish: ''Del Valle neighborhood'') is a Colonia in the Benito Juarez borough of Mexico City. Founded as an aristocratic recreational neighborhood during the Porfiriato era, it has witnessed the various transformations ...
. The older houses, especially in the Zona Rosa area, began to be converted into businesses. However, it still remained upscale with the wedding of Alex Berger to María Félix occurring at an Art Nouveau mansion at Londres #6 in 1956 (today the Wax Museum). In the 1960s, artists and writers from the La Ruptura movement such as
José Luis Cuevas José Luis Cuevas (February 26, 1934 – July 3, 2017) was a Mexican artist, he often worked as a painter, writer, draftsman, engraver, illustrator, and printmaker. Cuevas was one of the first to challenge the then dominant Mexican muralism ...
, Carlos Monsiváis Aceves,
Carlos Fuentes Carlos Fuentes Macías (; ; November 11, 1928 – May 15, 2012) was a Mexican novelist and essayist. Among his works are ''The Death of Artemio Cruz'' (1962), '' Aura'' (1962), '' Terra Nostra'' (1975), '' The Old Gringo'' (1985) and '' Christop ...
and
José Agustín José Agustín Ramírez Gómez (19 August 1944 – 16 January 2024) was a Mexican novelist, short story writer, essayist and screenwriter. Publishing under the pen name José Agustín, he was considered one of the most influential and prolific Me ...
moved into the Zona Rosa area. This group gave the area its name because it was "too red to be white and too white to be red", meaning that it tolerated some vice but not too much. In 1967, Cuevas, in an act which was reported by various local stations, created a mural on a roof in Zona Rosa which he destroyed seconds after finishing it, as a protest against the social and political content of post-Revolution Mexican muralism. The presence of artists and intellectuals in the area prompted the opening of bookstores and art galleries. The colonia hosted other names such as Guadalupe Amor,
Manuel Felguérez Manuel Felguérez Barra (December 12, 1928June 8, 2020) was a Mexican abstract artist, part of the Generación de la Ruptura that broke with the muralist movement of Diego Rivera and others in the mid 20th century. Early life Felguérez was ...
, Lilia Carrillo, Alfonso Suarez del Real and Elena Poniatowski. These people brought a new wave in internationalism to the area and made the area popular with international tourists to Mexico City. This spurred more development in the way of restaurants, handcraft markets, antiques, nightclubs and more, not all of which was upscale. In the late 1980s into the 1990s, restaurants and bars displaced art galleries and other cultural establishments, but this did not diminish the area's popularity with tourists. The Colonia retained its intellectual and artistic reputation from the 1960s to the late 1980s. However, the 1985 Mexico City earthquake damaged many buildings in the area and devastated some, such as Plaza Washington. This and a severe economic crisis started a process of deterioration, with many residents moving out. Street peddlers significantly increased in number, and many of the damaged structures became inhabited by squatters or were converted into tenements, with absentee landlords that did not bother to collect the long-frozen rents. Most of the stately homes still in good condition were converted into businesses such as nightclubs. Residents complain that infrastructure, especially lighting, has not been sufficiently maintained, leading to crime. Until recently Zona Rosa has remained popular with tourists, although this has waned somewhat with the area's deterioration. Tourism has been both a blessing and a curse to the area. It has attracted big names, such as Paul McCartney, to stay there, but it has led to sites becoming damaged and vandalized. One major incident of this type when British soccer fans caused damage in 1985, leading to the destruction of the Calinda Geneve Hotel. Another was a more recent boycott of Jewish businesses by anti-Zionists. Soon after their installation, the parking meters paid for major reconstruction work on Havre Street. Major sidewalk, pedestrian street and garden area reconstruction was undertaken in Zona Rosa in the mid-to-late first decade of the 21st century, after 20 years of no maintenance.


Colonia Juárez today

Today the colonia, especially the Zona Rosa area, is a mix of wealth and poverty, old and new with many conflicting changes. New construction, most of it tall office and apartment buildings, is going up along Paseo de la Reforma, with predictions that this will return the area to its former prestige. In the interior, new boutiques, restaurants, bars and nightclubs continue to open. The deterioration process from the 1980s has been partially reverted by city efforts in conservation of older buildings and tourism promotion. The colonia has thirteen branches of banks that offer international services such as currency exchange. There are also several language schools, clothing stores, malls, a crafts mall, international cuisine, museums, art galleries and hotels. Shopping and hotel options range from the very expensive to the very affordable. The 240-room Four Seasons Hotel is the most upscale hotel and restaurant in the area. The Champs Elysees is a restaurant with more than 40 years in business, located on Paseo de la Reforma between Estocolmo and Amberes streets. Its specialty is French food such as foie gras and duck confit. It has hosted the families of a number of Mexican presidents. Some of the oldest and most exclusive restaurants include Focolare, founded in 1953, La Gondola, founded in 1958 and Passy, also founded in 1958. However, the area also hosts a large number of fast food restaurants such as McDonald's, Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts and Little Caesar's Pizza. The colonia is one of the busiest in the city. Each day, 440,000 people enter the area to work, shop, wander around or visit the many restaurants and nightclubs in the 2,100 business and offices located here. Due to severe parking problems, 4,500 meters were installed in the colonia in 1998, which take in 8 million pesos each year. Sidewalks and sometimes streets are blocked by tables from restaurants and street vendors, making passage for the crowds difficult. However, the area still has significant problems. It is not unusual to see limousines, young people in punk attire, foreign tourists, drug addicts, panhandlers, businesspeople and more all on the same street. The population of the colonia declined from the 1980s, to under 9,000 people at the beginning of the 21st century. Neighborhood leaders claim that the deterioration of businesses, especially the proliferation of men's clubs and infrastructure is the cause. Some of the businesses that have been targeted as causing problems include La Michelada, El Keops, El Manhattan and El Pecado. In addition, street peddlers block sidewalks and streets; this issue is most problematic on Londres, Hamburgo, Abraham Gonzalez, Toledo and Liverpool streets. Many street vendors now have permanent stands. Some residents also complain about auto part stores on Abraham Gonzalez, Barcelona and Versalles streets. Street vendors have been removed from streets on occasion, but eventually they return. The colonia has 99 blocks, many with historical buildings, but only five blocks have buildings which have been renovated and preserved. Some of the abandoned buildings include the former headquarters of the
Cuauhtémoc borough Cuauhtémoc (, ), also known as Cuauhtemotzín, Guatimozín, or Guatémoc, was the Aztec ruler (''tlatoani'') of Tenochtitlan from 1520 to 1521, and the last Aztec Emperor. The name Cuauhtemōc means "one who has descended like an eagle", and ...
, and have been invaded by squatters since the 1960s and 1970s. In the first decade of the 21st century, the borough neglected much of the repair and maintenance work in the area, forcing the Comité Vecinal de la Colonia Juárez (the neighborhood committee) and the Asociación de Comerciantes de la Zona Rosa (local business association) to take over former city services such as repairing sidewalks, changing lights, maintaining green areas and trash bins. Much of this is paid for with income from local parking meters. Since the 1990s tourism has fallen in the area, mostly due to petty crime and "
hooligan Hooliganism is disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism, often in connection with crowds at sporting events. A hooligan is a person that engages in illicit reckless behaviors and is a public nuisance. Etymology ...
s". Crime problems have lowered hotel residency rates. The Nuestra Señora del Sagrado Corazón is located on the corner of Genova and Paseo de la Reforma. It suffered two thefts of religious images, one of
Saint Charbel Charbel Makhlouf, O.L.M. (, May 8, 1828 – December 24, 1898), born Youssef Antoun Makhlouf and venerated as Saint Charbel, was a Maronite monk and priest from modern-day Lebanon. During his life, he obtained a wide reputation for holiness, an ...
and the other called the "Virgen del Cobre" (Copper Virgin) in 2008. Male prostitution began in the area in 1995 and is mostly located on Hamburgo and Varsovia streets. Female prostitution is located mostly in three houses located on Dublin, Hamburgo and Chapultepec streets. Small-scale drug trafficking is common, with merchandise hidden in
telephone booth A telephone booth, telephone kiosk, telephone call box, telephone box or public call box is a tiny structure furnished with a payphone and designed for a telephone user's convenience; typically the user steps into the booth and closes the boot ...
s, garden areas and street vendor stalls. It is often advertised by people passing out flyers with the names of non-existent businesses in the
State of Mexico The State of Mexico, officially just Mexico, is one of the 32 federal entities of the United Mexican States. Colloquially known as Edomex (from , the abbreviation of , and ), to distinguish it from the name of the whole country, it is the mo ...
. To combat crimes such as muggings, a special squad of "tourist police" now patrol the area, especially on less-travelled streets such as Praga, Toledo and Burdeos. The divide between rich and poor can be seen in areas such as Atenas Street. Here, next to the Palacio de Covian, the site of the Secretary of the Government, there is a building damaged by the 1985 earthquake in which nine families live illegally. These families do not pay rent and the owner wants to evict them. These families earn money by selling crafts on the sidewalks in the colonia or by washing clothes. Some families who live on the streets of the area survive on 20
pesos The peso is the monetary unit of several Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, as well as the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries of the Americas, the symbol commonly known a ...
per day. In many locations, the inability to recover from the events of the 1980s can still be seen. One building nearly in ruins from the 1985 earthquake stands on Praga Street on the corner of Chapultepec; another is on Londres Street near the Museo de Cera. On Amberes Street, between Londres and Liverpool, there are a number of
tenement A tenement is a type of building shared by multiple dwellings, typically with flats or apartments on each floor and with shared entrance stairway access. They are common on the British Isles, particularly in Scotland. In the medieval Old Town, E ...
s, which are not maintained and owners do not bother to collect the tenants’ frozen rents. New construction, especially along Paseo de la Reforma, continues the trend of change of use from residential to commercial, with fifty-one of its 99 blocks having been urbanized. This construction is raising the reputation of the area once again, with hopes of returning its prestige.


Architecture and landmarks

The colonia is home to a number of architectural styles which date from between the 19th and 20th centuries to the present. Most of the finer mansions are located on the east side of the colonia, with a few on Paseo de la Reforma. A number of styles can be seen on Havre Street and the area around Giodano Bruno Plaza. The oldest structures date to the founding of the colonia. Decorative features of these homes include large stairways, multiple levels, tall windows and elements of French design, mostly based on the
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
of
Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. ...
,
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
and
Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...
, including mascarons, crests and floral designs. Many have facades of
tezontle Tezontle () is a porous, highly oxidized, volcanic rock used extensively in construction in Mexico. It is usually reddish in color due to iron oxide. Tezontle is a well-cemented, agglomeritic and scoriaceous rock. Uses Construction Tezontle can ...
, gray sandstone and even marble. The interiors generally had pastel colors and gilded accents similar to those of pre-Revolution France. Many of these houses were built by European-trained architects . mostly inspired by French and Italian designs, with occasional English influence. The streets here are wider than many others in the city. A number of former mansions and other structures from the area's early history continue to exist, some, such as those on Berlin and Versalles Streets are well preserved. Others such as Versalles 52, is filled with squatters and still others contain businesses such as the funeral home at Versalles 50. Originally this funeral home was a country villa whose architecture was inspired by that of Renaissance Italy and France. The building features intricate glasswork, a tile roof,
cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative Moulding (decorative), moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, ar ...
s, balconies and reliefs on the doors. Next to this is another villa which houses a bar called La Tirana and a discothèque called La Estacion. In both these buildings, the original interiors are gone, but the facades remain. Another well preserved area is the “Colonia del Buen Tono” area defined by Bucareli, Turin, Abraham Gonzalez and Barcelona streets, where businessman Ernesto Pugibet, “the
Carlos Slim Carlos Slim Helú (; born 28 January 1940) is a Mexican business oligarch, investor, and philanthropist. From 2010 to 2013, Slim was ranked as the richest person in the world by ''Forbes'' business magazine. He derived his fortune from his e ...
of his era”, built housing for his employees in accordance to his religious beliefs. This housing complex is divided only by three private and quiet streets called Calle Mascota, Calle Ideal and Calle Gardenia, in contrast to the streets that surround the area. The twin museums of
Ripley's ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals with bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the ''Believe It or Not'' ...
and Museo de Cera are located on Londres Street. The Museo de Cero or Wax Museum is housed in a mansion designed by
Antonio Rivas Mercado Antonio Rivas Mercado (26 February 1853 – 3 January 1927) was a Mexican architect, engineer and restorer. He is considered the preeminent Mexican architect of the late 19th century and early 20th century. His most famous project was the desig ...
, who also designed the
Angel of Independence The Angel of Independence, most commonly known by the shortened name ''El Ángel'' and officially known as ''Monumento a la Independencia'' ("Monument to Independence"), is a victory column on a roundabout on the major thoroughfare of Paseo de l ...
monument on Paseo de la Reforma. The Ripley's Museum (Museo Ripley's "Aunque usted no lo crea!")in Mexico City houses 300 rarities from among the collection of such its founder, Robert Ripley, collected during twenty years of his life. These include wine made infused with rat fetuses (Tianshuzaichiew), a sculpture of the tallest man in the world (Robert Wadlow) photographs of people and other artifacts. The Mexico City branch of the museum was established in 1992 in a structure shaped like a medieval castle and is one of 17 such museums in the world, but the only in Latin America. The museum is located at Londres #4 and #6. It is joined with the Museo de la Cera. On Londres Street is an abandoned mansion which served as the embassy of the Spanish Republican government during the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
. When Mexico became the only nation to continue recognizing the Republican government, it became the headquarters for the government-in-exile. Next to it is the Sagrado Corazon de Jesus Church, built by the Hungarian immigrant community on Plaza Giordano Bruno, in which the aristocracy of the late 19th and early 20th centuries attended mass. The house of
Francisco I. Madero Francisco Ignacio Madero González (; 30 October 1873 – 22 February 1913) was a Mexican businessman, revolutionary, writer and statesman, who served as the 37th president of Mexico from 1911 until he was deposed in a coup d'état in Februa ...
was at Liverpool 25 on the corner with Berlin. The house was burned by
Victoriano Huerta José Victoriano Huerta Márquez (; 23 December 1850 – 13 January 1916) was a Mexican general, politician, engineer and dictator who was the 39th President of Mexico, who came to power by coup against the democratically elected government of ...
after he took power during the Decena Trágica in 1913. It is a narrow building with a pitched roof. There is a plaque on the buildings to commemorate the event. Other notable sites in the area include the Benjamin Franklin Library, and the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) building.


Economy

The telecommunications company
Cablemás Cablemás was a Mexican regional telecommunications company, owned by Grupo Televisa. The company had a triple play-based service, consisting on subscription television, phone line and broadband internet offered in a single package deal. The co ...
and the airline
Magnicharters Grupo Aereo Monterrey S.A. (corporation), S.A. de C.V., known under the commercial name Magnicharters, is an airline with its headquarters in Colonia Juárez (Mexico City), Colonia Juárez, Cuauhtémoc, D.F., Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City, operating ...
have their headquarters in Colonia Juárez.


Zona Rosa

The Zona Rosa area began as a subdivision for the wealthy in the late 19th century located on the far west side of what is now Colonia Juárez. Today, Zona Rosa comprises 24 of the colonia's 99 city blocks, and shares the rest of the area's architecture and streets named after European cities. The area received its current name from artist
José Luis Cuevas José Luis Cuevas (February 26, 1934 – July 3, 2017) was a Mexican artist, he often worked as a painter, writer, draftsman, engraver, illustrator, and printmaker. Cuevas was one of the first to challenge the then dominant Mexican muralism ...
in the 1960s, who declared that it was “too fearful to be a red zone” (a zona roja or red zone in Spanish is an area were vices such as prostitution, alcohol and drugs are tolerated) . While the area was dominated by upscale boutique and galleries until the 1980s, since then many of these businesses have given way to men's clubs, gay bars and nightclubs, massage parlors, making the area a truly “red zone” . However, businesses of all types, from upscale boutiques and antique shops to fast food restaurants all exist here. The area has 714 businesses, 137 of which are restaurants with 100,000 people per day passing through. One prominent street is Genova Street, a pedestrian mall lined with eateries, 13 of which own areas on the street on which to put tables. Here, dozens of people handing out flyers stop pedestrians and drivers advertising gay bars and men's clubs, some of which operate illegally. It is also the site of the Corridor de Arte José Luis Cuevas, which occurs on weekends when an average of forty artists display their works for sale. On this street area around forty sculptures created by young artists of the Escuela Nacional de Artes Plasticas of UNAM. This effort was partially sponsored by the
Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest Service club, service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, go ...
of Zona Rosa.


Gayborhood

Another prominent area is Amberes Street, home to Mexico City's gay community. Homosexuality on this street and the rest of Zona Rosa is fairly open with hand holding and kissing among same-sex couples. During
Gay Pride In the context of LGBTQ culture, pride (also known as LGBTQ pride, LGBTQIA pride, LGBT pride, queer pride, gay pride, or gay and lesbian pride) is the promotion of the rights, self-affirmation, dignity, Social equality, equality, and increas ...
, the nightclubs, discothèques and bars of Zona Rosa fill with members of the
LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
community starting at midday. Many businesses, whether they cater to gay people or not, decorate with rainbow colored balloons, streamers and other items. Despite the crowds police presence is not significantly heightened. The parade marches along Paseo de la Reforma from Puerta de los Leones to the Glorieta de la Palma, with the entire stretch completely closed to traffic for the event. The city have even participated offering free
AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
tests to attendees. However, not all residents and business owners are happy with the area's gay reputation. Some business owners complain that open displays of affection drives away tourists and other visitors. While male and female prostitution exists in Zona Rosa, there have been complaints of the prostitution of minors, despite efforts since the 1990s to eradicate it. However, some in the gay community state that the prostitution of minors is not the issue that neighbors say it is, rather, the problem some have is that there is a gay community here. In 2005, the city created the Reforma-Centro Historico tourist route to connect the two areas; Zona Rosa and the historic center, and increase tourism in both.


French Quarter

The area from Insurgentes Avenue towards the historic center is the home of the historic French community. Havre Street is the heart of the community. The French community in Mexico City began in the historic center where French nationals went to live in the top floors of the French department stores like Palacio de Hierro and Liverpool and Puerto de Veracruz, where they have the French Post Office and Farmacias Paris. They later moved to El Buen Tono near Chinatown and the old Spanish neighborhood on Lopez Street. When they became an economic powerhouse, especially Alsatians and Barcelonettes, they moved into the streets around the neighborhood with Second Empire mansions that reminded them of Parisian buildings. Today many French establishments still reside here, and the French community still congregates here.


Koreatown

There are an estimated 9,000
Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
n nationals living in Mexico City. Most immigrated to Mexico in the 1990s and first decade of the 21st century, as a result of commercial agreements signed by the Mexican government and those of Korea and
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
, allowing companies such as
Daewoo Daewoo ( ; ; ; ; literally "great universe" and a portmanteau of "''dae''" meaning great, and the given name of founder and chairman Kim Woo-choong) also known as the Daewoo Group, was a major South Korean chaebol (type of conglomerate) and aut ...
to bring workers over from Asia. However, according to some sources, such as Alfredo Romero, professor of the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences at
UNAM The National Autonomous University of Mexico (, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It has several campuses in Mexico City, and many others in various locations across Mexico, as well as a presence in nine countries. It also has 34 ...
, a large percentage of Koreans living in Mexico have questionable immigration status. Most of Mexico City's
Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...
population lives in and around
Zona Rosa Zona Rosa (Spanish: "pink zone") is a term used in Latin American countries to refer to a district that is the center of a town or city's nightlife. It may refer to: Places * Zona Rosa, Mexico City, a neighborhood in Mexico City * Zona Rosa (San Sa ...
. According to the newspaper ''
Reforma Reforma, the Spanish word meaning reform, has the following meanings: Companies and organizations * ''Reforma'' (newspaper), a daily published in Mexico City :* Grupo Reforma, parent company of the newspaper :* Agencia Reforma, news wire agenc ...
'', there are at least 1,000 Koreans living in Zona Rosa and about 3,000 total in Colonia Juárez. Many Korean residents do not speak Spanish and are relatively isolated from their Mexican neighbors. The area around Hamburgo, Praga, Berna and Biarritz streets has become known as “
Pequeño Seúl Pequeño Seúl () is a Koreatown in Mexico City. Most of the city's Korean population lives in and around the Zona Rosa. According to the newspaper '' Reforma'', there are at least 5,000 Koreans living in Zona Rosa and about 6,000 total in Co ...
,” or Little Seoul; Biarritz Street is now almost 90% Korean. The number of Korean residents in the colonia continues to increase even as the number of younger people in general decreases. Most Koreans are business owners with establishments such as restaurants, video rental places, bars and saunas, many of which cater exclusively to the Korean population, with signs and menus in Korean. There have been conflicts between Korean-owned businesses and Mexican neighbors over noise and sanitation issues, with some Mexicans complaining that the Koreans do not want to adapt to Mexican society. Another issue has been legal problems, both with the status of merchandise and the status of employees. A store owned by Koreans was shut down by police for selling imported merchandise of questionable origin in 2002, with 33 workers detained.


Education

The private school '' Colegio Franco Español'', established in 1936, originally was at 99
Paseo de la Reforma Paseo de la Reforma (literally "Promenade of La Reforma, the Reform") is a wide avenue that runs diagonally across the heart of Mexico City. It was designed at the behest of Maximilian of Mexico, Emperor Maximilian by Ferdinand von Rosenzweig d ...
in this colonia. It is now located in
Tlalpan Tlalpan ( , 'place on the earth') is a Boroughs of Mexico City, borough (''demarcación territorial'') in Mexico City. It is the largest borough, with over 80% under conservation as forest and other ecologically sensitive area. The rest, almost al ...
.Historia


,) '' Colegio Franco Español''. Retrieved on May 26, 2014. "La primera sede del Colegio se ubicó en una de las avenidas más importantes de la Ciudad de México, Paseo de la Reforma, justo en el número 99, teniendo también acceso por la calle de París, en la colonia Juárez."


Transportation


Public transportation

The area is served by the
Mexico City Metro The Mexico City Metro () is a rapid transit system that serves Greater Mexico City, the metropolitan area of Mexico City, including some municipalities in the State of Mexico. Operated by the Sistema de Transporte Colectivo (STC), it is the Lis ...
, Metrobús and EcoBici bikeshare, that has two stations in the neighborhood. Metro stations *
Sevilla Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Seville ...
*
Cuauhtémoc Cuauhtémoc (, ), also known as Cuauhtemotzín, Guatimozín, or Guatémoc, was the Aztec ruler ('' tlatoani'') of Tenochtitlan from 1520 to 1521, and the last Aztec Emperor. The name Cuauhtemōc means "one who has descended like an eagle", an ...
* Insurgentes Metrobus stations * Hamburgo * Glorieta Insurgentes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Colonia Juarez (Mexico City) Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City Juarez