Mexico City Vibes

A perfectly-fused mixture of Los Angeles & New York

Mexico City

Let me start by saying that I REALLY love traveling for fun (business not so much after 14+ years & one million-plus miles traveled).

I love the chaos, the exploration & the unexpectedness of traveling to new places & new countries.

Over the years, I decided to really hone in on what makes me squeeze in every bit of travel I can, which led me down to this simple list of things that I love to do when traveling:

• Immerse myself in the local culture by talking with & meeting new people.

• Explore & visit local museums & art exhibits.

• Wander the city like a local would & find neighborhood fairs, community parks, & locally-owned coffee shops & merchants.

• Check out vintage & local boutiques.

• Eat street food, especially when it’s something I’ve never tried before.

• Explore the city by foot, train, or bus – staying away from tour shuttles & sight-seeing transportation.

With these interests in mind, I recently explored Mexico City after about ten years & found myself falling in love with a city that now reminds me of a perfectly-fused mixture of Los Angeles & New York.

All the eating, walking & street art picture-taking aside, I was really struck by the Mexican maker scene that was supported & thriving all around the city.

And as you probably already know, we love shopping local & supporting local companies – wherever we go.

I watched Oaxacan basket weavers, felt handcrafted pottery & saw many of our favorite home essentials being made right in front us.

Anyone else love having a perfect, wood cheese platter? Ever seen one carved? Trust me, it’s pretty rad…

Ever been to San Angel?

It was recommended by a local & I was immediately blown away by the array of artwork & artisanal goods made all around Mexico that could be found here.

Really simple designs that are well made, & useful items too, like; handcrafted wooden kitchen utensils, distressed leather boots in styles we had never seen before, wall tapestries & hand-knitted farmer’s market tote bags.

And despite the fact that I was walking and headed to a Cruz Azul futbol game directly from the market, I had to support local and buy just a few gifts….

we remind Angelenos of what “living locally” has to offer.

barrio.la finds local companies making high quality, eco-friendly goods right here in Southern California.

Los Angeles has so much going on & is alive with eclectic neighborhoods, places to see & things to do – so while we’re at it – we keep you in the know about cool things going on in your own ‘hood & the cool people making it all happen.

feel like wandering with us?

cool… ’cause that’s what we do here.

RETURN TO BARRIO.LA