Mercado Romero Rubio

Photo courtesy of the Mercado Romero Rubio Facebook page. 

The Mercado Romero Rubio is a major neighborhood market in Venustiano Carranza. It’s perhaps too big to be a “neighborhood center.” That might more rightly be the Plaza Africa, just a block or so away. But with some 639 merchants, the market seems to go on forever. It’s a major commercial center, community center, and a point for meeting, exchange, and gossip. Hundereds of lives interact here over the course of any given day.

The neighborhood dates from 1909. Historically it was a “popular” neighborhood. Most streets were unpaved until the late 1960s. The market dates from those years, right before the pavements. It opened in 1962. This was mostly an effort to get street merchants off of the streets and under one roof.

Even today, surrounding streets will swell with vendors. And amongst all of them, there are always a good variety offering sit-down service for meals. And this is in a well delineated market, with a clear division between food and non-food areas. In fact, the Mercado Romero Rubio may be the finest place to eat anywhere in this part of Mexico City.

The market is roughly a 10-minute walk northwest from the Metro Romero Rubio station.