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MEXICO CITY: Mega-Hip Megalopolis

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THE TRASHIONISTA TRAVEL GUIDE TO EXCELLENT ADVENTURES IN MEXICO CITY
By Stella Kae, Trashionista.net , Executive Editor, Fashiontribes.com Rock Punk Magazine

As a small child, I went to Mexico frequently to visit family in Acapulco, Tecate and Guadalajara. As a teenager growing up in Southern California, I was very familiar with Tijuana’s party scene but still, I must admit that my perceptions of my homeland were skewed, the product of tourist spots, pig farms, border towns and the slums. I didn’t comprehend what a lush, diverse and expansive country Mexico really is until the year 2000, when I attended a Mexican Indie Film Festival in Austin, Texas during South by Southwest.

During that film festival, I got to see one of the most incredible films of my generation in Alejandro Gonzalez Inarutu’s ‘Amores Perros’. Of course, like everyone else in the audience, I feel madly in love with Gael Garcia Bernal but more importantly, I also fell madly, deeply, head-over-heels in love with the megalopolis that connected the films 3 intertwining storylines: MEXICO CITY D.F. (It might sound silly or even ignorant to have had a cultural epiphany while watching a fictional movie but I don’t care, so be it. If that’s what it took to feel connected to the land of my people, then that’s what it took.)

Through Amores Perros, I was given a glimpse of how exciting and metropolitan Mexico could truly be. I knew then that in my life, I had to spend as much time as possible in the Ciudad de México, where the people look and act like me, a place that tugs on my heartstrings constantly. If you haven’t been, I recommend that you make that a goal for yourself this year. According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2007 is the year of the Fire Pig, which represents restlessness and a sense of adventure. The perfect time for exploring “The DF”, if you ask me!


WHERE TO STAY

W Mexico City - Campos Eliseos 252 · Chapultepec, Polanco · Mexico City, Mexico City 11560, Phone: (52)(55) 91381800, WHotels.com



In the W Mexico City, the rooms are a beautiful cherry red with ebony accents. Silky hammocks hang by the windows and over the circular bath tub – talk about relaxing! After stepping inside, you might never feel like leaving your room but if you do, be sure to check out the awesome temazcal, which is an igloo-shaped, native version of a steam room which originates from indigenous Mexican culture. Rooms average around $299.00 per day.


WHERE TO HANG OUT

Electroclash and Electronica are still really big in Mexico (Yay!), so if you’re into this kind of thing, be sure to check out ‘The Pervert Lounge’ at República de Uruguay 70. It’s a cozy little space that brings in the best Djs from all over the world who spin a progressive variety of music all night long. The best part about this place is definitely the eccentric décor which includes Barbie dolls, trash cans, disco balls and stuffed animals! Keep in mind that the party doesn’t start until AFTER midnight.


KNOW THE SCENE

In the United States, we know who all the cool kids are. The West Coast has Steve Aoki and the Cobrasnake crew, while the East Coast has MisShapes, and so on and so forth. Well, of course Mexico has their very own cool kids that you’ll want to be on the look out for:



Lady Bombon - - Lady Bombon is an ultra-hip boy and girl team from Mexico City that uses samplers, rhythm boxes, keyboards and guitars to make brilliant and strange rhythm fusions. You’ll see them around pretty often tearing up the underground scene with vivacious spunk in their elaborately crazy (and sometimes matching) outfits.

Maniqui Lazer – These guys actually live pretty far away in the border town of Mexicali, but that doesn’t stop them from rockin’ a cool show in the D.F. every now and then. Total hotties and the best bundle of energy Mexico has ever seen, check their MySpace Calendar to see of their schedule happens to coincide with yours.