Avenida Amsterdam

The Avenida Amsterdam is in many ways the very heart of the Hipódromo Condesa neighborhood. The avenue dates from the early 20th century when developers laid out the neighborhood. The old horseracing track determined the street layout for the entire neighborhood and influences just about every aspect of life in the broader Condesa neighborhood.

One of the most pleasant avenues for strolling, it’s also a central connecting street for the multiple broad avenues crossing the area. The layout of the entire neighborhood was the work of architect José Luis Cuevas who would later design the original Lomas de Chapultepec, too. The avenue meets three traffic circles (Glorietas). In the north stands that of Popocatépetl. In the south stand those of Ixtaccíhuatl and Citlaltépetl with the spectacular fountain. Of course, it’s also surrounded by great mid-century architecture, quaint shops, and lots of restaurants, cafés, and watering holes.

The avenue’s elliptical shape lends itself to the walking experience, as one can circle the entire center of the neighborhood. The wide median for walking continues onto the avenues of Mazatlán, Durango, Alfonso Reyes, and Veracruz. Some, though not all, include the paved pedestrian paths in the center even though all of them do include a great variety of trees.

Other Great Walking Streets in Condesa

• Sonora runs (roughly) southeast from Insurgentes across Amsterdam (twice) to the top of the Parque España and then continues northwest all the way to the Avenida Chapultepec. The median is not walkable but it’s still one of the major arteries in the neighborhood.
• The Avenida Mazatlán also has a wide median running across the west side of the neighborhood. Following Mazatlán you’ll reach a traffic circle where it intersects with Veracruz and Durango. Both are similar streets although Veracruz is especially beautiful during the Jacaranda months of March and April.
• Durango is a very broad avenue with a cobblestone walkway right down the middle and many restaurants on either side. It leads past the Palacio de Hierro department store. This was built on the site of the old Toreo de la Condesa where bullfights were held until 1946. The street ends at the Fuente de las Cibeles, the formerly Plaza de Miravalle.
• The other major avenue crossing the neighborhood, this time in the south, is Alfonso Reyes. The street begins at the intersection with Nuevo Leon, parts of which also boast walkable medians. It ends all the way in the west at Circuito Interior.

All of these streets could easily be included in the list of Mexico City’s Iconic Streets. One of the great pleasures of visiting the Condesa and Hipódromo area is simply exploring the shady and inviting streets.