Art Deco in Condesa

The Condesa neighborhood where I always stay is one of my favorite parts of Mexico City.  It is an affluent, upper middle class area with an artsy, intellectual vibe,  but it doesn't reek of snobbery like more exclusive districts such as Polanco or Santa Fe.  Modern apartment buildings rise along the tree-lined avenues, and more are constantly being built.  However there is still plenty of architecture dating back to the 1920s and 1930s when this neighborhood was first being developed.  Some of the older homes are of neo-colonial design, while others were built in the style that was all the rage at that time... art deco.  There are a couple hundred art deco buildings still standing in Condesa.  Some are beautifully maintained; others look a bit sad.  I have no statistics, but I would be willing to bet that Condesa has one of the highest concentrations of art deco architecture of anywhere in the world.

Here are a few pictures that I took while strolling along just two of the neighborhood's major streets... Avenida México and Avenida Amsterdam.