Jacinto City Town Center: Fill & Download for Free

Below is a pretty good overview of all the neighborhoods, copied from Frommers.comBut before that, time for a plug. :) If you'd like a travel planning expert to help you pick accommodations or plan your time in Mexico City, try the Travel Ninjas service: http://www.yellowleg.com/travel-ninjas.htmlThe rest here is copy-pasted from: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/mexicocity/0041020048.html#ixzz1qg1VLoUGThe Neighborhoods in briefColonia Centro The heart of Mexico City, this business, banking, and historic center includes the areas in and around La Alameda and the zócalo, the capital's historic central square. The Spaniards built their new capital city on top of the destroyed capital of the conquered Aztec, and today it is home to over 1,500 buildings. In the Centro Histórico -- the concentrated historical center within Colonia Centro -- you'll find the most historic landmarks, the most important public buildings, the partially unearthed Aztec ruins of the Great Temple, and numerous museums. There are restaurants, shops, and hotels in this area as well. In the past few years, public improvements have spurred the development of a few new hotels here, as well as a surge in nightlife and dining options, with some exquisite bars and clubs located in historic buildings.A $300-million face-lift was completed in 2003 in honor of the city's 675th anniversary. Mexican telecommunications magnate Carlos Slim Helú, who, depending on the stock market, is considered the richest person in the world, has also put a lot of money into renovating the area. In addition to a beautification program for the zócalo, other elements of the program included the restoration and conversion of more than 80 18th- and 19th-century buildings.A special corps of police on horseback outfitted in traditional charro attire (along with many female police on foot) now patrols the Centro Histórico and Alameda Park. Many speak English, and they have been specially trained in the history and culture of the area they patrol.Chapultepec Park & Polanco A large residential area west of the city center and Zona Rosa, it centers on Chapultepec Park. The largest green area in Mexico City, it was dedicated as a park in the 15th century by the Aztec ruler Nezahualcóyotl. Together with the neighboring colonia of Polanco (north of the park), this is Mexico City's most exclusive address. With its zoo, many notable museums, antiques shops, stylish shopping, fine dining and nightlife, and upscale hotels, it's an ideal place for discovering contemporary Mexican culture. Avenida Presidente Masaryk is the main artery -- think of it as the Rodeo Drive or Champs Elysées of Mexico City. Some of the city's best high-rise hotels are located along the aptly-named Campos Eliseos, Polanco's version of the Champs Elysées.Condesa & Roma These side-by-side bohemian neighborhoods, located just south of the Zona Rosa, are home to some of the city's hippest cafes and bars, from cutting-edge restaurants to offbeat shops, art galleries, and nightclubs. The neighborhoods are also known for their parks and restored Art Deco buildings.Coyoacán Eight kilometers (5 miles) from the city center, east of San Angel and north of the Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán (koh-yoh-ah-kahn) is an attractive, colonial-era suburb noted for its beautiful town square, cobblestone streets, fine old mansions, and several of the city's most interesting museums. This was the home of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and of Leon Trotsky after his exile from Stalin's USSR. With something of a hippy feel, it's a wonderful place to spend the day, but overnight accommodations are almost nonexistent. A fun hippy market takes place here on Sundays.From downtown, Metro Line 3 can take you to the Coyoacán or Viveros station, within walking distance of Coyoacán's museums. Iztacala-Coyoacán buses run from the center to this suburb. If you're coming from San Angel, the quickest and easiest way is to take a cab for the 15-minute ride to the Plaza Hidalgo. Francisco Sosa, a beautiful cobblestone street surrounded by old aristocratic homes, is the main artery into Coyoacán from San Angel, which you can also walk. Or you can catch the Alcantarilla-Col. Agrarista bus heading east along the Camino al Desierto de los Leónes or Avenida Altavista, near the San Angel Inn. Get off when the bus reaches the corner of Avenida México and Xicoténcatl in Coyoacán.San Angel Eight kilometers (5 miles) south of the city center, San Angel (sahn ahn-hehl) was once a weekend retreat for Spanish nobles but has long since been absorbed by the city. It's a stunningly beautiful neighborhood of cobblestone streets and colonial-era homes, with several worthwhile museums. This is where the renowned Bazar del Sábado (Saturday Bazaar) is held at Plaza San Jacinto. It's full of artistic and antique treasures and surrounded by excellent restaurants and cantinas -- a wonderful place to spend a day. Other attractions in San Angel include a magnificent baroque fountain made of broken pieces of porcelain at the Centro Cultural Isidro Fabela, better known as the Casa del Risco (Plaza San Jacinto 15), and the ethereal Iglesia San Jacinto, a 16th-century church with an exquisite baroque altar, bordering the Plaza San Jacinto.The nearest Metro station is M.A. de Quevedo (Line 3). From the center of town, take the Metrobus all the way down Insurgentes and get off at the La Bombilla stop and cross to the west side of Insurgentes; continue straight, walking up Avenida La Paz. Cross Avenida Revolucion and walk up Madero to Plaza San Jacinto.Santa Fe Eight kilometers (5 miles) west of the town center, this is Mexico City's newest and most modern neighborhood. It includes high-tech and multinational companies, banks, Iberro Americana University, and a large shopping complex. Santa Fe looks more like a modern American neighborhood than anywhere else in Mexico City. Many of the capital's well-off young professionals have moved to this area, which has developed a booming restaurant and nightlife scene. To reach Santa Fe, take Reforma Avenue west to the Toluca highway and follow the signs to Santa Fe.Xochimilco Twenty-four kilometers (15 miles) south of the town center, Xochimilco (soh-chee-meel-coh) is noted for its famed canals and Floating Gardens, which have existed here since the time of the Aztec. Although the best-known attractions are the more than 80km (50 miles) of canals, Xochimilco itself is a colonial-era gem: It seems small, with its brick streets, but they can become heavy with traffic -- it has a population of 300,000. Restaurants are at the edge of the canal and shopping area, and historically significant churches are within easy walking distance of the main square. In the town of Xochimilco, you'll find a busy market, specializing in rugs, ethnic clothing, and brightly decorated pottery.Xochimilco hosts an amazing 422 festivals annually, the most famous of which celebrate the Niñopa, a figure of the Christ Child that is believed to possess miraculous powers. The figure is venerated on January 6 (Three Kings' Day), February 2 (annual changing of the Niñopa's custodian), April 30 (Day of the Child), and from December 16 to December 24 (posadas for the Niñopa). Caring for the Niñopa is a coveted privilege, and the schedule of approved caretakers is filled through 2031. The week before Easter is the Feria de la Flor Más Bella del Ejido, a flower fair when the most beautiful girl with Indian features and costume is selected. For more information and exact dates, contact the Xochimilco Tourist Office (Subdirección de Turismo), Pino 36, Barrio San Juan (tel. 55/5676-8879; fax 55/5676-0810), next to VIPS, 2 blocks from the main square. It's open weekdays from 9am to 8pm, and weekends from 10am to 7pm. Attractions in Xochimilco are listed in the section "Southern Neighborhoods," later in this chapter.To reach Xochimilco, take the Metro to Taxqueña, then the tren ligero (light train), which stops near the main plaza of Xochimilco. From there, take a taxi to the main plaza of the town of Xochimilco. Buses run all the way across the city from north to south to end up at Xochimilco, but they take longer than the Metro. Of the buses coming from the center, the most convenient is La Villa-Xochimilco, which you catch going south on Correo Mayor and Pino Suárez near the zócalo, or near Chapultepec on Avenida Vasconcelos, Avenida Nuevo León, and Avenida Division del Norte. Since Xochimilco is located in the far south of the city, it can take a long time to reach in traffic during the workweek. Consider visiting it on the weekend.Zona Rosa West of the Centro, the "Pink Zone" was once the city's most exclusive residential neighborhood. It has given way to just about every segment of society and offers an array of moderate hotels, antiques and silver shops, casual restaurants, gay bars, and kitsch nightlife venues. Although the Zona Rosa has become increasingly tacky with time, many of the streets here are pedestrian-only, and you will find inviting cafes, ice cream shops, and shopping plazas along the way. It's a good place to shop or grab a bite, but there are few real historic or cultural attractions within the area. It's not safe to walk in this area at night.

El Paso, Alpine, Terlingua, Odessa-Midland, Abilene, Ft. Worth, Tyler, Jefferson, Corsicana, Waco, Austin, Blanco, San Antonio, Kerrville, Brownsville, and South Padre Island, Corpus Christi, Houston.There are many more interesting cities and towns, but these should give you a real taste of all of Texas. I did skip the panhandle — visit Canyon, and Quitaque, and Turkey as well as Palo Duro Canyon.El Paso is a true binational town, Mexican and Texian smoothly mixed and is the oldest town in the Americans. Alpine is a small town just north of Big Bend National Park and is typical of most west Texas towns. Terlingua is truly a unique town, deep in the big bend area ( just outside the National Park). It is the last stop for many drifters and is truly unique. Odessa and Midland are oil towns that service the famous ??? basin. They have recently gone through another boom period based on the advanced technology for finding oil. The Oil Museum in Midland is excellent. Odessa has a reduced size replica of Stonehenge. Abilene and its neighboring cities (Eastland, Midland, and Ranger) were oil boomtowns in the 1920s and 1930. Abilene is now a fast-growing town with Abilene Christian University as its cultural center.Ft. Worth is “where the west begins”, which means that Dallas is where the “east peters out”. Ft. Worth started out as one of the forts holding the line against the still untamed Indians to the west. Then, with the arrival of a railroad, it became the major destination for herds of cows from the south, hence its nickname “Cowtown”. Then it became the major “big” city for all of west texas. The radio stations and the newspaper, The Star-Telegram, provided local and national news to the towns to the west. It wasn’t until the 1960s that Abilene and Midland, Odessa and Lubbock replaced Ft. Worth in this function. It also was the headquarters for the oil companies in the early years and many still work out of Ft. Worth. Others moved to Corpus Christi as the Texas oil business moved offshore in the 1950s. You can ignore Dallas. There is nothing uniquely Texan about it. It was overrun by Yankees and corporate regional offices of eastern companies very early and has never recovered.Tyler is a typical east Texas small town. It is famous for its Rose growing and Rose gardens. Jefferson is now almost a ghost town. But in the early years of the Texas, it actually had steamboat access to the rest of the world, via the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers. It was one of the largest towns in early Texas. Steamboat access was destroyed when a huge log jam was removed from the local river. It retains the quaint feeling of an early 1800s town.San Augustine was the original capital of Texas.Moving back to central Texas, Corsicana was the first oil town in Texas. It boom occurred in 1901 when the city fathers contracted for a water well. The well-contractor hit oil instead. It was a few weeks before the town fathers realized what they had uncovered. Corsicana is now a typical central Texas small town. It is also home to the famous Collins Street Bakery which ships fruit cakes around the world.Waco, once another nice small central Texas town is now a large metropolis that is growing very fast. This is a result of it location between Austin and Ft. Worth on I-35.Austin is one of the two large Texas cities built on the edge of the famous Hill country. It is the State capital and the home of the University of Texas. Then in about 1965, Austin began to attract high-tech companies, originally IBM and Texas Instruments. This industry has grown to the points where Austin is referred to as silicon prairie. Barton Springs, a location know far and wide to the native Indian population, is still an active spring providing cool clear water to a city swimming hole.San Antonio is also built on the edge of the famous hill country. However, it started as a Mexican town and still retains that flavor. It has a large Hispanic population and many Hispanic cultural attractions, including several mission buildings dating to the 1700s. Of course, it is also home to the Alamo.Kerrville was built on the banks of the Guadalupe River, one of the prettiest rivers in all of Texas. The town still shows its Germanic roots. It holds a great music festival every year in September.Brownsville and South Padre IslandBrownsville and El Paso are bookends. Each is a major port of entry between Texas and Mexico. Brownsville, like El Paso, has a large Hispanic population and hence retains many Hispanic traditions. South Padre Island is a resort area on the Gulf of Mexico situated at the southern end of the long Padre Island. It is the Texas equivalent of Marylands Ocean City. You can swim here year-round as the Gulf remains warm all year.Corpus Christi along with Houston is currently the center of the Texas oil industry. It is built on Corpus Christi Bay.Houston. What can I say about Houston that is not already known? It is a huge city. It is 50 miles from Galveston Bay. There is a ship channel that connects Houston to the Gulf of Mexico. There are many large chemical plants on this channel between the Gulf and Houston, such as Texas City and Pasadena. Houston is the home of the San Jacinto monument, which is located at the site of the battle of San Jacinto and commemorates the defeat of the Mexican army by Sam Houston. This is where General Houston captured General Santa Ana, thereby winning Texas independence.

Like all questions of this nature, it depends.San AntonioNice, weather year round- even when hot it is only infrequently humid, Great Mexican food, German beer, just outside of town is great deer and hog hunting, Spurs basketball, great Chicken fried steak, the Alamo, no hurricanes, no pine trees, moderate deciduous trees, The River Walk. Excellent medical facilities-University of Texas Medical and Brooke Army Medical Center which is also the local civilian trauma center.HoustonTemperate weather year round- summer oven like heat with killer humidity 100% and 100 F, occasional ass-kicking hurricanes , mosquitos in swarms, great Vietnamese Food, seafood, St Arnold beer, just outside town is great hog and deer hunting, duck hunting and goose hunting, Astros baseball, Texans football, Rockets basketball , a decent symphony, traffic jams which are legendary and toll roads everywhere, lots and lots of trees. San Jacinto Battlefield and the Battleship USS Texas. Excellent medical facilities- University of Texas Heart Institute , MD Anderson Cancer CenterEach city has something to offer.Personally I find Houston has too many trees for my liking; the sauna-like summer heat ruins and drenches my starched shirts on a two minute walk from parking space to my clients office. On the other hand, fresh shrimp just off the boat at Kemah helps make up for it.