Finding an Address -- Despite its size, Mexico City is not hard to get a feel for. The city is divided into 350 colonias, or neighborhoods. Taxi drivers are sometimes not aware of the major tourist sights and popular restaurants. Before getting into a taxi, always give a street address, colonia, and cross streets as a reference, and show the driver your destination on a map that you carry with you. Some of the most important colonias are Colonia Centro (historic city center); Zona Rosa (Colonia Juárez); Polanco (Colonia Polanco), a fashionable neighborhood immediately north of Chapultepec Park; colonias Condesa and Roma, south of the Zona Rosa, where there are many restaurants in quiet neighborhoods; all the Lomas -- including Lomas de Chapultepec and Lomas Tecamachalco -- which are exclusive neighborhoods west of Chapultepec Park; and San Angel and Coyoacán, the artsy neighborhoods toward the south of Mexico City. In addresses, the word is abbreviated Col., and the full colonia name is vital in addressing correspondence.
Street Maps -- Should you want more detailed maps of Mexico City than the ones included in this guide, you can get them easily. The CIAT office generally has several free maps available. Bookstores carry several local map/guides, with greater detail. The best detailed map is the Guía Roji (www.guiaroji.com.mx), available at bookstores in Mexico City. It features all the streets in Mexico City and is updated annually.
