Just back from a week in Mexico City. I loved it!
Great, interesting food. Great markets Good leafy neighbourhoods to stroll around. Great weather. Lots of sights to see. Fabulous and plentiful museums. Such reasonable prices. What's not to like?

It seems like such a shame that more people don't visit. It's a shame that CDMX doesn't get more positive tourism publicity.

What's not to like? It's too big. I enjoy Mexico and the reason I haven't gone to Mexico City is that I imagine it's just too complicated. Most of my Mexico time has been in Oaxaca and, though it's not small, it seems simple to me. Good restaurants, some nice museums, I can walk everywhere I want to go, small airport close to town. Those are things I want in a place I go to stay a while and I'm pretty sure that's not what I'd get in MC. There are big city people and there are smaller city & small town people, so that will account for some who of us who change planes and keep going.

MC is big but there're are nice areas one can stay in and simply " visit " other parts of the city.
I was there the firs time two weeks ago ( 4 days ) and loved it. Stayed in La Condesa...a great spot.
Threre was so much to see, I couldn't possibly cover it all.
Some people are worried about crime ....I was told not to use the metro and warned about purse snatchers.
I must say that speaking the langue helped me feel confident when moving around .
Never had a problem. Everyone was helpful . Several taxi drivers spoke about the city and its history with obvious pride.
Already planing another visit.

Anyone should find lots to see and do in MC. Much of the hesitation is due to reports of violence, crime etc which I believe is overstated. In a half a dozen trips I have never had a problem. One of the World's great cities!

The US leader said "Drug dealers, criminals, rapists, second deadliest country and he tells the truth so why would we go there? People really believe this stuff sadly.

Well, it is an intense urban environment and some people just don't like that. Then there's the pollution and reputation for crime. As mentioned above, there are neighborhoods which are quieter and might prove acceptable to those who dislike big cities. Personally, I think it's a shame to miss it, with its wonderful history, museums, restaurants, markets and vibrant cultural life. It's one of my favorite places -- but I live in Manhattan and thrive in cities.

It's on my list, I just haven't gotten there yet But I do think it is accurate to say that a lot of people are put off by reports of crime, and that the city seems too big to tackle. Also, it probably doesn't fit with a lot of people impression of Mexico.

Most North Americans travel to Mexico (and Central America and the Caribbean for that matter) looking for beaches, warm weather, and nature--and despite its many strengths, that's not what Mexico City provides (or at least not what it's known for). And while there's no doubt loads of interesting, local scenes and sights there, there's nothing that emerges as something would-be travelers see and say "I gotta see that." So, absent a big pull, it will draw generally only people who are not only very comfortable in big cities but looking for a big city experience in their time off.

We've lived in NYC for 18+ years and the last thing we want is to be surrounded by 20 million people, with all of the cars, noise, and pollution that entails.

"Intense" is the word. I'm not worried about crime & not looking for beaches, it's the intense urban environment I avoid when possible, including where I live. I'm not surprised that some of those recommending MC live in NYC. I have no doubt that it's an interesting place but there are innumerable interesting places in the world and we all have our particular criteria for narrowing the choices. The question was "Why...?" and I assumed it was a real question, but maybe not. Maybe geenance was simply looking for agreement. Less interesting, but it's human nature to want to find one's tribe.

For me, Teotihuacan and Chapultepec are major draws for MC, plus the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera museums. Those are what put MC on my list of places to visit. I've also heard that there is great food everywhere, and I love food. My basic goal in life is to visit places, eat their food, drink their beer or wine, and listen to their music. Along the way, I will visit museums, admire the architecture, learn about history, see other cultural sites, and commune with nature.

"There's nothing that emerges as something would-be travelers see and say "I gotta see that"

Well, visiting Teotihuacan was definetly something to see. It is incredible .

We live in a big city....it has not stop me from visiting Moscow, Londo ,New York. etc
Spending time on the beach or " exploring" small towns holds zero interest for me .

Nothing turns me off like a city of 21.2 million people. Thanks, but no.

i was JUST gonna stay that Melnq8.

"Why don't more people go to Mexico City?" - because of the 20 million people already there!! Nothing against the good people of the DF, I don't vacation in New York City either.

Mexico City is a popular hipster destination, and has been for several years. (Plus, in decades past; it must go through resurgences.)

The coolness of MC has been spoofed on Portlandia
https://www.ifc.com/shows/portlandia...pisode-03/jart

And now Fred Armisen is working on a Spanish-language series for HBO called Mexico City: Only Good Things Happen
Fred Armisen Comedy ?Mexico City? Gets Pilot Order At HBO Deadline

Etc:
https://www.eater.com/2016/3/21/1118...ecue-cocktails

Anyway, for me the draws are quite obvious: amazing architecture, from the colonial to ultra-modern, art everywhere (galleries, museums, sides of buildings), pre-Colombian sites like the Templo Mayor and Teotihuacan, incredible restaurants, charming neighborhoods like Condesa and Roma Norte. And of course the hipsters.

there's no ocean there?

I love Mexico City and when I went there for the first time back in 2005, my eyes were opened in ways that have shaped my understanding of our continent ever since. Teotihuacan, the Templo Mayor, the Catedral Metropolitana, Xochimilco, the Museo de Antropologia were unbelievable, mind-blowing. Funny, I'll never forget going to New York City right afterward, which seemed almost lifeless in comparison. I would hope people would give it a chance but I gave up trying to persuade anyone to go anywhere years ago. Even as one who enjoys city life and Mexico's versions of it, one interesting thing that has stopped me from returning in recent years is that travels brought me to other cities of the country that I loved too: Monterrey, Saltillo, San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Queretaro (where I did 4 weeks of Spanish language immersion) and Puebla (to name seven) all drew me in also and I crave going back and lingering in them too, not to mention that I want to see other places in the country (and as much as Mexico draws me back, there's also a whole lot of fascinating world generally to see). This said, I hope to visit Mexico City again some day.

>>>unbelievable, mind-blowing.<<<

Hi Daniel --

I felt the same way after my first visit, though I used the term "mind-wrenching."

I have also enjoyed visits to Guanajuato, Queretaro, Puebla and Oaxaca, and would recommend them as far less intense introductions to urban Mexico for those who are curious.

"Anyway, for me the draws are quite obvious: amazing architecture, from the colonial to ultra-modern, art everywhere (galleries, museums, sides of buildings), pre-Colombian sites like the Templo Mayor and Teotihuacan, incredible restaurants, charming neighborhoods like Condesa and Roma Norte. "

Absolutely ! (, thanks for recommending Condesa ....what an interesting , lovely and lively part of the city)

Why is the size of the population an issue ?
​​​​​​​one only meets a handful of people where ever you are !

"Why is the size of the population an issue ?"
​​​​​​​

I don't think going out of one's way to misunderstand or to mischaracterize another's point of view does anything to succesfully put forth one's own.

On the other hand, there are those, like Fra_Diavolo above, that are able to take both sides, the best outcome of all in a subjective discussion like this. I, for one, greatly appreciate that skill.

Great discussion everyone. I love hearing different views.

My original post was primarily a question about why people go to so many other cities, and not Mexico City. Many tourists go to other large cities, but MC is rarely on the list. (I totally understand that some people don't like cities, but then they don't go to NYC, Paris, Madrid, LA, etc. either.)

One reason, I believe, is that MC is simply misunderstood. The look on peoples' faces when I said I was going to MC was one of polite confusion and concern. Isn't it dangerous? Isn't it dirty? Isn't it crowded? One person, who had recently gone to Delhi told me that he imagined that they were similar because they were large crowded cities. I thought back to my lovely walks through quiet leafy neighborhoods and parks last week and to the many lovely cafes and restaurants and simply stopped trying to explain.


I think the jarring scary headlines about crime in Mexico are all that people know, other than the beach resorts.

ETA: Just to clarify, my question wasn't 'why doesn't everyone want to come to MC?", it was "why don't more people come to MC?"