Mercado Juárez

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The Mercado Juárez is, somehow, an almost perfectly triangular market at the intersection of four important neighborhoods. It shares its curious block with the north exit of the Metro Cuauhtémoc. (One of the market’s multiple entrances is even visible in the Metro Cuauhtémoc photo.)  Perhaps most unlikely of all, it’s one of the few Mexico City public markets directly on a major avenue and even on a major intersection.

That said, the Mercado Juárez is also in a continual process of renewal. With artsy colonia Juárez now competing openly with über-artsy Roma Norte (just across the avenue), the market is being constantly repainted, with murals and street art to beat the best of ’em.

Still, it’s a neighborhood market. But for which of all of these four neighborhoods? Juárez? Centro? Roma Norte? Doctores?

Like Metro Cuauhtémoc, the market here exists in a borderland. And it works. It’s one of the most lively and friendliest of markets. Still, it supplies even the most far-flung of local restaurants, and Juárez has them in spades. The east-end of Juárez has grown by leaps and bounds. The (really cool and historic) southern end of Bucarelli is finally set to earn its due, with some of the Porfiriato’s best surviving architecture. And this will be its market, again!

Visit for lunch. It’s a good way to eat better food while supporting local small businesses (and yes, farmers). If you’ve not gotten the hang of comida corrida and the menu del día, we put together a crash course, here.