Parque Popular, Colonia Popular Rastro

The Parque Popular is a small, nearly insignificant park in the Colonia Rastro in the far northwest of Venustiano Carranza. The park is today part of a complex with the giant Plutarco Elías Calles sports facility immediately to the north. There’s a much smaller park named for the same president, the Parque Calles, on the western end. Under the elevated Metro Line 4, which runs up and down the Avenida Congreso de Union, is the much bigger Parque Recreativo General Felipe Ángeles.

All of these parks and sports facilities take up land that was once dedicated to the giant mid-century Mexico City Slaughterhouse. As a major stockyard, builders intended that, in the 1890s, it would replace the older San Lucas facility. That facility had stood at the bottom of the Historic Center but at the top of the Calzada de Tlalpan since the colonial era. Only in the 1950s would this facility be moved again to the famous site, only partly preserved, at Ferrería. By the time the stockyards were moved here, livestock was being moved principally by rail even though we’re here strategically still located on the edge of the Canal del Norte.

The Parque Popular was perhaps most famous for the extensive 1960s-style “furnishings.” This included some of the Alberto Pérez Soria concrete animals. But also some of the concrete seating, and perhaps most famous, the conical concrete mound with sliding board and whimsically painted steps for kids. Today, there’s only one concrete buffalo left but you’ll still find all of the trappings of a much loved neighborhood park. The park also rather proudly hosts several examples of public and historical sculpture, towers for the kids to climb, and more.