Polanco is an upscale, exclusive neighborhood in Mexico City. It's noted for its cultural diversity, but also for a plethora of artists, politicians, and celebrities. Companies like Coca-Cola and groups like the UN maintain offices here. Polanco's also got the best shopping in Mexico City. Other neighborhoods have a healthy selection of boutiques but Polanco is shopping central, especially for the fashion-conscious.
Plaza Uruguay
Plaza Uruguay is a small wooded park that sits in the middle of Polanco on Avenida Horacio. There are several statues here, most notably a concrete cubist sculpture in the middle of the park that occasionally serves as a fountain. If you need a moment to catch your breath, this is a good place to do it.
Museums
There are a ton of museums in Polanco, spanning a wide range of interests. Art fans may want to check out the Polyforum Siqueiros. Part of Mexico's World Trade Center, the building is adorned by work from David Alfaro Siqueiros, a major figure in the Mexican muralist movement. Once inside, the Forum Universal has a rotating stage that draws visitors' eyes over Siqueiros's interior work while a recording of Siqueiros narrates. The Rufino Tamayo Gallery offers a fantastic display of contemporary art from Mexico and around the world. The Soumaya Museum is somewhere between a private gallery and Arkansas' Crystal Bridges Museum. Mexican Billionaire Carlos Slim has elected to share his private collection with the world. That private collection takes up two separate buildings and includes works by Picasso, Renoir, Dali, and more. The National Anthropology Museum sits on Paseo de la Reforma, offering visitors one of the largest collections Mayan artifacts in the world—which makes sense since the museum started its collection all the way back in 1790.
Boutiques
This is definitely the place to shop in Mexico City—at least, it's the place to go shopping if the likes of Armani and Cartier are within your budget. Avenida Presidente Masaryk is filled with high-end boutique stores and is one of Mexico City's premiere shopping destinations. Think something like Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Fifth Avenue in New York City, or the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Boutiques line the street, selling internationally-renowned brands alongside homegrown high fashion like Tane. Even if you're not making that Louis Vuitton money, there's some entertaining window shopping to be had here.
Malls
Polanco's malls are so numerous and noteworthy that they get their own section instead of being lumped in with the boutiques as "shopping." Consider Antara Polanco, an open-air mall with over 140 stores over 550,000 square feet, that was designed by architect Javier Sordo Madaleno. Less daunting perhaps, but still noteworthy, are Plaza Polanco and Pabellon Polanco.
Restaurants
Much like the shopping, the food in Polanco is part of the appeal. And just as it's true that the boutiques of Roma and Condesa are different than the boutiques here, so too are the restaurants a little different. Trends toward local and organic foods are as strong here as they are in the rest of the city, but there's a difference between a hipster concept restaurant and a fashionably upscale one.
(featured image via Flickr)
