In the neighborhood of Coyoacán, south of Mexico City, there are different cultural centers where you can listen to music, enjoy an art exhibition, see plays or attend literary workshops.
Describing the attractive, populous and colonial neighborhood of Coyoacán, the most festive and jovial place in Mexico City, is not an easy task. Its calm, poetic and inspiring appearance during the week, contrasts with the motley atmosphere of Saturdays, Sundays and holidays in its Hidalgo and Centenario square.
When walking through the old atrium and cemetery of the temple of San Juan Bautista, we found in front a simple atrial cross; on the left a great stature of the priest Miguel Hidalgo, and on the back the interesting sculpture carved on a tree trunk called La Familia de Antonio Álvarez Portugal y Josué. On one side is the kiosk, always surrounded by pigeons.
Crossing the street of Carrillo Puerto, which divides the atrium in two, is the bustling Los Coyotes fountain. This Coyoacán square is flanked to the north by the building that houses the Federal District headquarters (misnamed Palacio de Cortés, since it is after the colonial era and the conqueror never lived there); to the south, by the imposing construction of the temple of San Juan Bautista; to the west, by the remains of its carved stone atrial façade, just in front of Francisco Sosa Street, where the interesting facade of Diego de Ordaz's house hides in the middle of a great profusion of posts.
Thousands of walkers from all over the city, eager for distraction, gather every weekend in this large square in Coyoacán to enjoy its healthy environment. To laugh with Moi, Ramón, Pedro and Gabo, jokers and daring mimes; to play with the friendly Miko; or to clear up amorous doubts with "El Pollo", a skilful and honeyed palmist who competes with "Chispita" and "Estrellita", trained little birds, distant relatives of elegant canaries.
It may also happen that we meet the mechanical living statues; that we decide to listen to the oral narrators of the small Santa Catarina square, or simply visit the Underwater World, and through it immerse ourselves in distant seas and admire its colorful fauna.
A large crowd makes a round to see and listen to the folkloric and noisy groups that interpret the vernacular, typical and evocative Mexican music; the rhythmic and fluffy South American; sparkling, syncopated jazz; the thunderous and feathered indigenous dancers; in addition to the loud concerts that different musical bands sing from the kiosk. As a distant background to this heterogeneous musical concert, the nostalgic and out of tune street organ constantly resonates, destined to disappear, but still present in the streets of Coyoacán.
While the magical space is flooded with pleasant echoes, the complacent parents calmly walk the garden, urged by their little children, they acquire the volatile and multicolored balloons, the spinning and dizzy pinwheels, the liquid to make iridescent bubbles, or assorted attractive and nostalgic toys made of wood and tin.
In these gardens of Coyoacán we can also buy handicrafts; buy the beads of beads and the rag dolls that skillful indigenous hands make; find the most recent book or album in the square's bookstore, and observe the amazing skill of the spray painters. Along with the open chapel of the old Dominican-Franciscan temple, some colorful paintings are exhibited, landscapes that oscillate between art and crafts.
Many visitors do not mind forming a line in order to savor the delicious snow and ice cream or the refreshing waters - made of juicy fruits of the season - that are sold in the increasingly numerous ice cream parlors. Some prefer to buy the esquite broth and the burnt roasted or cooked corn, seasoned with cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, grated cheese, chili powder and salt. Others like the traditional gorditas de la Villa, wrapped in colorful Chinese paper, The tasty alegrías, agglutinated with honey and sprinkled with nuts and raisins; the wafers of flour, with the exquisite flavor that honey and pumpkin seeds give them, or the light, multi-colored and every little cotton candy.
In Coyoacán there are several restaurants and cafes for all tastes. Some are half street, others are in old buildings that have been remodeled for this purpose, such as the well-known restaurant located in the place that the historic Centenario cinema occupied many years ago. Most of these sites are quite crowded by intellectuals, national and foreign tourists, and by residents of the capital.
Taquerías and torterías abound, where tasty and thin flutes, fat compound cakes, pambazos enchilados and refreshing tepache are served. At dusk, at the start of Calle de la Higuera, the fritangas market with its great variety of quesadillas - which are not only made of cheese -, sopes, tostadas, pozoles and tamales; They are to admire the humanoids or animals coshot cakes that Rogelio designs artistically to suit the diner.
For those who prefer to have a drink and cultivate friendship, what better than to visit the famous canteen located in a pleasant neighborhood. Noisy, always overflowing with patrons, where Chido - squeaky and anecdotal bolero - juggles glasses to earn a well-deserved drink. In this place it is said and assured that: "In Coyoacán, all Coyotes are Guadalupanos."
In this southern area of Mexico City there are different cultural centers where you can listen to music, enjoy an art exhibition, see plays or attend literary workshops. Among the best known are the Coyoacanense Forum, the Reyes Heroles House of Culture, the Italian Cultural Center, the Museum of Popular Cultures, the Museum of Interventions, the Watercolor Museum, the Frida Kahlo Museum, Anahuacalli and the Museum Leon Trotsky. The Dramatic Art Center (cadac), the School of Music, Dance and Painting "Los Talleres". The Santa Catarina theater, the Conchita forum, the Coyoacán theater, the Usigli theater and the Casa de la Cultura de Veracruz.
The extensive park known as Los Viveros de Coyoacán is one of the most attractive lungs of the city where you can buy all kinds of trees, plants and flowers, perform different sports activities, practice yoga or bullfighting passes, meditate, breathe fresh air and contemplate nature when you walk through its many tree-lined avenues.
