Voices from the city

Message from the Mayor

About Mayor Ebrard

To truly know Mexico City, you must know the people.

The "Voices from the City" section of our site features video profiles of Mexico City residents, and articles written by residents.

These are the voices you hear on the street, in cafes and around neighborhood parks. The people in the stories below have very different lives and professions, ranging from an actress to a professor to an architect, but all share one thing: a deep love for Mexico City and their Mexico City experience.

Actress Mar Carrera loves raising her family in Mexico City. "Mexico City is a generous city... If you love it, it loves you back." watch video

A Painter’s Life

According to Phil Kelly, it’s “absurd that all the swimming pools in the world are blue.” Tacked to the wall of his Colonia Cuauhtémoc studio is a design scheme to remedy that: nudes in yellow and black. read more

Actress Geraldine Zimat loves life in Mexico City. It's the perfect city for her to work, as Mexico City is the number one city in Latin America for television and the film industry is booming. "My Mexico City experience is so amazing I have no words." watch video

Expat Voices: Maggie Galton

Currently I live in Polanco, which I adore. I really enjoy being able to walk everywhere: to the park with my two girls, to buy amazing bread at Da Silva’s and fruit at the Saturday morning tianguis—even if it is overpriced! read more

As an antique dealer Rodrigo Rivera Lake knows something special when he sees it, and he continually finds treasures in his home of Mexico City. He believes Mexico City is truly a city in the world, where else can you find pyramids, canals and ancient ruins? watch video

Expat Voices: Orfeo Quagliata

In his hands, glassmaking requires new verbs: fuse, slump, oil, slice. With these actions, he has invented a trinity of techniques he dubs “Jimiz Brainz,” “Cellz,” and “Sporz,” and which he uses to produce the hundreds of jewelry designs for which his studio in Naucalpan, Mexico City is best known, as well as bowls, glasses, and decorative pieces for the home. read more

Architect Elias Cattan finds that Mexico City motivates and inspires his designs. Cattan is hard at work building greener structures that use energy more efficiently in Mexico City. watch video

Kathryn Blair: The Angel

Kathryn Skidmore Blair never met her husband’s mother. But if ever there has been a dutiful daughter-in-law, she is it. Admittedly obsessed with her mother-in-law’s story, she dug the details of Antonieta Rivas Mercado’s life out from the very back of the family closet, and spent over twenty years researching and writing her biography. read more

Australian Artist Ashesha Conroy has lived all over the world, but feels most at home in Mexico City. Ashesha finds that despite the size of city, the beautiful parks and gardens make it manageable and calming. Ashesha adds, "Mexico City has welcomed me with open arms." watch video

Marc Chassinat, Entrepreneur

Marc Chassinat sits behind his command center desk in Toda La Prensa’s office in Mexico City’s Escandón neighborhood, effortlessly slipping between Spanish, French, and English as he negotiates the day’s work with his staff and suppliers. read more

Mexico City is the perfect place for creating films according to producer Ana Roth. It is a city with experienced film crews and the best locations for filming. "Mexico City has a colorful type of order...it is a city that makes you enjoy life." watch video

Mexico City: Bike Town

On a recent morning in Mexico City, David Alvarado, 34, looks happy as a kid. As a teenager he emigrated to the United States. Now he’s back in town for a vacation and to visit friends, for the first time since he left. "I can't believe the sky is blue," he smiles. In the 1990s, the city experienced an environmental dark age that turned skies gray and triggered frequent pollution emergencies. read more

Camilo Lara, a music director in Mexico City, has a "deep love for the city." Like many artists from Mexico City, he draws his inspiration from his urban surroundings. watch video

Pedro Méndez, Chinampero

“I have apocalyptic dreams,” Pedro Méndez begins. “One night I dreamt that a flood swept away all of Xochimilco. Everything drowned. Then mighty green pyramids arose from the water. read more

Jose Antonio Matezans has been a professor of history at the National University of Mexico in Mexico City for 42 years, The National University is highly regarded worldwide and with more than 300,000 students and 30,000 professors, it provides an excellent environment for learning. watch video

Pozole, The Mexican Comfort Food

Two shy campesinas, attired in home-made cotton dresses with rebozos draped over their shoulders, waited patiently at the counter of the carnicería. When their turn came they asked for “una cabeza, por favor” (“a head, please”). read more

The Restaurateur

Tania Mordacci's shares her Mexico City experience as the owner of an Italian restaurant. "If you are hungry for life, this is a cool city to be in..." watch video

The Forgotten Island

I‘m standing in the Casa del Poeta on Colonia Roma’s tree-lined Avenida Álvaro Obregón, imagining my feet subsumed in lake water. On the wall in front of me is an artist’s impression of Mexico City, then Tenochtitlan, in 1519. read more

For thirty years Enrique Norten has had the privilege of designing buildings and public spaces in Mexico City. He loves the tremendous energy and goodwill of Mexico City and finds it is "great place to practice architecture." watch video

The Lebanese Connection: Middle Eastern Cuisine in Mexico City

What many people think of as generic Middle Eastern Food is, in fact, Lebanese. Lebanon, a country whose history is fraught with conflict, is also a cultural center whose influence has been felt throughout the Arab-speaking world and beyond. read more

Mexico City writer Laura Esquivel finds peace in her surroundings through Mexico City's rich culture and friendly residents. Laura's Mexico City experience is full of endless possibilities and creativity. watch video

Yoga Instructor Ana Desvignes on why the practice of yoga fits perfectly in vibrant, intense and beautiful Mexico City. watch video