I’ve never been one for reunions. There’s something about forced get-togethers that feels foreign, or sanitized, or distorted. “At this time, at this place, we’ll all talk, and we’ll speed date our way through memories and times that were never quite as good as we thought they were.” It seems kind of false, right? Nostalgia has a way of stripping the bad away with a potato peeler, while forgetting that the skin was there to protect those moments from going rotten in the first place.
A little over a year ago, a close friend – you know the type, one you’re 100% yourself around, one you can fill an entire day talking about nothing with, where every story has been told so many times that it feels like quoting a movie – started discussing the idea of bringing a group of us from high school together. It seemed impossible at first. So many of us have spread out across the country, while others lost touch, got married, had kids, or were maybe never truly friends in the first place. Meanwhile, communication today has made it so convenient to talk that it’s even easier to avoid seeing each other. We like and comment on posts about a kid’s first step, the house someone saved up for and finally bought, or a new job. But we don’t go bother physically hanging out.
This nostalgia-hazed friend hated the idea that we only ever see each other at big events like weddings. There shouldn’t need to be an excuse to hang out, crack bad jokes, and watch the day melt away without an agenda. So he proposed “Man Day,” a little over a year in advance — where we could all get together for a few days, rent a house, and be together. No huge plans, no crazy logistics, just an airbnb and a weekend we agreed upon way off in the distance. The idea was simple: We may all be different as adults than we were a decade-plus ago in high school, but something made us friends in the first place. It’s worth revisiting.
The first “Man Day” my friends and I held earlier this year wasn’t perfect (nothing is), but it did the trick. We ate and drank and talked about our lives, catching up more than just the standard, “How’s your wife?” or “How’s work” chit chat. It was successful enough that we scheduled another one for next year. The location will change, but the group will stay largely the same. And, after a recent trip, I have my location nomination set: Mexico City.
The earthquake that rattled Mexico City left damage in a number of places, but as is the city’s way – as it has done for centuries – it bounced back quickly. Mexico City has seen so much in its history, another natural disaster isn’t the type of thing to slow it down. They pick up the pieces, they restore, and they invite people to join them again. Those same qualities are why it makes for such a good destination for a group with varied interests, varied backgrounds, and a common goal: To spend time together.
There’s still some infrastructure work to do, but now is as good a time as ever to get down to DF (as the locals call it), share new experiences, and help the city rebuild. Not to mention it’s super affordable, so your dollar goes a long way.
If you are thinking about making the trip, here are just a few ways to keep your group happy.
Eat
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It seems simple, but one of the toughest things to pull together when you have five to ten people is planning meals. It’s rare that everybody’s going to want the same thing on the same night — some folks have dietary restrictions, others are bossy from the get-go. Luckily, there’s no shortage of options in Mexico City for everyone. Adventurous eaters can hit the street food scene, as options like sheep’s head tacos or bags of seasoned crickets barely scratch the surface.
On the other end of the spectrum, the gastronomy scene in Mexico City is growing almost daily — as districts like Roma and Condesa have a heavy influx of expats and give chefs a chance to do everything from traditional Spanish cuisine to various fusions. There are even outdoor open-air areas that feel like a more refined food truck festival, where vendors rent out stalls in a ring around a courtyard filled with tables, and you can get a hot dog, gourmet popcorn, ceviche, or gelato. Everything pops with color, bright yellows and reds and oranges and greens, and there’s always a sizzling somewhere. There’s no need for farm to table claims, most things were brought that day and you’ll want to finish eating it before you’d get to the table anyway.
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If you’re looking for a chance to go all-out one night, the Hidden Kitchen will really wow you. With only a few days notice, you can reserve a chef’s kitchen and have a private meal – with a menu contoured to your group and your trip’s theme – made for you, with explanations about each dish and a chance to engage in the cooking process. There’s something overwhelming and voyeuristic about being present while a meal is being cooked. It’s a secret only you and the chefs share, as orders barked over clanging pans and wafting herbs meet and dance above you.
Local ingredients, great storytelling, and an intimate setting make it a super memorable experience.
Drink
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There’s plenty of cheap places to grab a beer or have a little tequila, but where Mexico City shines these days is in high-end cocktails. Mixologists in the area are playing with aromatics, herbs, and a wide range of spirits. We’d be remiss not to mention the flourishing mezcal scene. If you haven’t dived into mezcal yet, you have a friend who has and can’t stop talking about it:
“Oh I’ve been really into mezcal the last few months.”
Turns out there’s a reason why. There’s a complexity to the spirit that puts it more in line with scotch than tequila, and mezcal experts boast more flavors/notes in the beverage than in any other alcoholic product. It lends itself to drinks that should be breathed in rather than just sipped or gulped, trying to identify a vanilla, a clay, or a pepper. If all else fails, appreciate the delicate and powerful that mezcal tip-toes between, and picture the generations before you who have enjoyed it for the same reasons you will.
Alipús is a great starting point as a brand, and it’s hard to ignore the bottles when you see them with local artists contributing labels. There’s a variety for everyone, from super smokey to smooth, and there’s even a house restaurant in Condesa with Oaxaca cuisine that pairs perfectly.
If you’re for a bit more of a speakeasy vibe to drink your smoky spirit, there are places like Xaman (where a shaman comes around with incense), or the jazz club Casa Franca (located in a renovated house) are definitely worth exploring.
See Art
Not everyone in your group will want to eat up a lot of time on this, but if you have a free day or you need a little time away (and this is strongly recommended, as even the tightest group of friends can get sick of each other after a few days in close quarters), Mexico City’s art scene is incredible. You can check out Frida Kahlo’s house in Coyoacán, which features her art, belongings, clothes, and more in the home she and husband Diego Rivera lived in. Or there’s the breathtaking Palacio de Bellas Artes, housed in one of the finest examples of Art Deco in the city.
“Try to remember Mexico City is a series of historical layers, 500 of them,” tour guide Hector Buenrostro says. “We are daily walking through these layers. But history isn’t made by important people only, it is made by people like us walking through this.”
Broken pavement, smoothed cobblestones, and a slight tilt accompany seemingly every step in Mexico City. It’s not damage; it’s character. The tilt is part of the city’s history. The worn stone has seen foot upon foot, and for every detour you’re reminded this is a living, breathing city. It’s human. It’s part of the people who live there, and the people who live there are part of it.
For something a bit more modern, keep your eyes open. There’s street art everywhere, including art from the Street Art Chilango crew — with more popping up almost daily.
Galleries are prevalent in districts like Juarez, and you can find bargains everywhere with hand-crafted prints, posters, and canvases. And if your crew isn’t super into it, you can still spot Mexico City’s tremendous mural culture prevalent almost anywhere you go.
Shop
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Again, it’s not for everyone, but if you’re looking for anything from antiques to hand-rolled cigars, you’ll find it in Mexico City. This is where Mexico City’s impact as an international hub really shines through. It takes tips from places like Shanghai or Paris, and There are boutiques with leather goods, old vinyl records, shoes, grooming products or really anything else you might think of. The Casa Caballeria is basically a one-stop shop, and even features a pizza shop in the basement.
There’s something spellbinding about the smell of new leather that makes you salivate the way you would when handed a bag of fresh popcorn. It binds you to a bag, or a jacket, or a notebook. It creates a deeper bond between an item and its owner, and the artist who connects them together.
For more of an old-school feel, there’s the Bazaar del Sábado Market in San Angel, which has trinkets, craft goods, and the sort of souvenirs you can grab for friends or family as gifts. It’s also a great way to kill an hour walking around before your next stop. This isn’t the vendors you’re used to in tourist towns — these are hand-made items and a dedication to craftsmanship, with sophistication in everything from clothing to furniture to housewares. And lots of places are willing to ship stuff home.
Watch Sports
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You’re probably heard of or seen clips of Lucha wrestling. Run, don’t walk, to go do this with your group at the Arena México if at all possible. It’s unlike any experience you’ll ever have. Screaming fans, huge (and I mean huge) beers, and some of the best value entertainment you’ll ever slap down cash for. Lucha is a cultural phenomenon and even if you are in the “why would I care, because wrestling is fake”-camp you’ll have fun.
There are plenty of other ways to get your sports fix. Depending on the time of year, you can catch Jai Alai in the recently renovated Fronton Mexico, which has been totally rebuilt to its old Art Deco style. There’s a casino in there as well (with a sports book), in case you want to bet on anything else.
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There’s always soccer at the Azteca. The venue is also hosting Raiders-Patriots on Nov. 19, and the Brooklyn Nets are playing two regular season NBA games in early December at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico.
You don’t need sports to be your excuse to go to Mexico City – you have plenty of reasons to get there on your own – but sports have a universality to them. There’s a score, a winner, and a loser. Shouting, chanting, and cheering can take on any language, but it’s easy to bridge a divide when you’re watching elite athletes do what they do best.
Take a second to listen, and allow the noise to buzz around you and vibrate you into another frequency. Let Mexico City show you who it is. You might find something inside yourself worth cheering for too.
