-
Librería Madero
If you read Spanish and are interested in boning up on Mexican history, art and architecture, you will find plenty of exquisitely bound and illustrated books to peruse here, including secondhand editions.
-
Librería Teorema
One of several secondhand bookstores on this stretch, with shelves stretching as far as the eye can see, packed with dusty titles. Dig around (or ask the appropriately elderly owner) where the English books are; there are a few, particularly cookbooks.
-
Liverpool
A department store; the building also charmingly dates from the '30s.
-
Macarena Gutiérrez
Shoe addicts can drool over the exquisite soft-leather shoes and boots by the designer of the same name.
-
Maringo
At last. Somewhere on the presidential street that sells great fashion at a price that won't force you to take out an extra mortgage. The range is extensive and, although top designers like Carolina Herrera are represented, there are less costly fashions, as well as shoes and accessories.
-
Mercado Insurgentes
Mercado Insurgentes is packed with Mexico's most sought after crafted items - silver, textiles, pottery, leather and carved wooden figures are all here in abundance - but you'll need to bargain to get sensible prices.
-
Milagro
Designer Sandra Gutiérrez works with local artisans to create a natty line of tightly woven raffia and embroidered bags in brilliant colors and designs and all shapes and sizes, including one for your lap top. Also stocks original jewelry and belts.
-
Mineralia Coyoacán
The name says it all; this shop has two showrooms lined by shelves of wonderful stones, painted seeds and semiprecious gems. Choose several different colored strings and buy the clasp separately to create a show-stopping original piece.
-
Miniaturas Felguérez
This is one souvenir you can fit in your luggage. These tiny figurines are well made and amusing and emulate the Italian presepe (nativity) style with scenes ranging from a group of mariachis to a cheerful family of naturists! There are thousands of individual pieces to choose from as well.
-
Mixup
This music junkie chain-store has one of the biggest ranges of recorded music (both Mexican and international) in the city. Just south of here, if you are heading for the Insurgentes metro station, the sidewalk stalls that crowd the entrance include many pirated DVD vendors (average around $15 ) but there's always the risk of a dud.
-
Advertisement
-
Nacional Monte De Piedad
Facing the west side of the cathedral is Mexico's national pawnshop, founded in 1774 by silver magnate Pedro Romero de Terreros. The site was once occupied by the Palacio de Axayacatl, where Cortés and his companions were first lodged by Moctezuma II in 1519. Cortés installed the original colonial headquarters over the ruins of his host's palace. People pawn their jewelry and other possessions in the central hall for loans at 12% interest. Unclaimed items are sold in shops off the central passageway.
-
Naco Miscelánea
This cheeky streetwear store is in the heart of Condesa. The first surprise is the size of the place: tiny, the walls papered with lurid photos of strung-up chickens. The logos vary from 1950s Mexican truck companies to Superman. There are also tweed caps and sweatshirts for sale.
-
Nalanda Libros
This well-established bookstore specializes in esoteric and religious books, with a healthy selection in English. There are DVDs of sacred music to put you in the mellow mood.
-
Palacio de las Máscaras
Tucked away in the backstreets, Palacio de las Máscaras is a sight to behold indeed. This shop has more than 5000 masks, mostly used in traditional dance or ritual, from all over the country. It is located in the Lagunilla market area.
-
Pasaje Coyoacán
A great browsing space if you have no idea what you are looking for but the peso purse is weighing heavy in the pocket. Local pottery, woven and embroidered bags, straw and knitted hats, funky lights, rugs, candles, dried flowers and colorful reeds and furniture.
-
Pasaje Polanco
This classy pedestrian walkway between Musset and Anatole France is flanked by equally sophisticated boutiques. One of the more unusual is Casa Toroda, which has beautiful engraved glass plates from Senegal, Kenyan masks, and Brazilian jewelry embellished with turquoise and coral. Shoe addicts can drool over the exquisite soft-leather shoes and boots at Macarena Gutiérrez by the designer of the same name.
-
Perfumería De Tacuba
This place has remained firmly in '50s mold, with its shelves of old-fashioned bottles containing perfume essences. You can pick up a 10g vial of perfume - a sniff at just around $4 . At that price it may be worth trying out a few more, with tantalizing names like 'honey', 'vogue', 'cappuccino' and, er, 'Christmas'.
-
Plaza Del Ángel Shopping Arcade
There are more than 40 stores here, between Calles Amberes and Florencia, selling high-end antique silver jewelry, paintings, ornaments and furniture mainly dating from the mid-to-late 19th century. On Saturdays the number of stallholders typically triples, as an antiques flea market expands onto the sidewalk with all the associated banter, barter and bargains; the best time to visit is around ; a smaller flea market takes place here on Sunday.
-
Plaza La Rosa Shopping Arcade
A manageable-sized shopping mall between Génova and Ambero, with stores including Men's Factory, Campanita children's wear, Diesel for the streetwise look, Nutrisa health food store and Sorrento for shoes. There's a Starbucks too for those homesick for their daily slug of latté.
-
Plaza Loreto
Plaza Loreto, a 600m walk south of Plaza San Jacinto, is an unusually attractive shopping mall converted from an old paper factory. Several patios and courtyards are set between the brick buildings and it's a lot more than just a place to shop.
-
Advertisement
-
Plaza Reforma Mall
Opened in November 2007, this dramatic great slab of a building is home to all the usual international and local high street chains, like C&A, Zara, Women's Secret, Bershka, Pull & Bear and, surprise surprise, yet another branch of the ubiquitous Sanborns.
-
Rinconcito Maya
Stunning brightly-colored hand stitched quilts from Chiapas which all tell a folksy (or frightening) story, plus blankets, shawls, tablecloths and other textiles from Yucatán, Guatemala and Honduras. The prices are up there, but so is the quality.
-
Rio Bravo
A classic tailor which, with its wood-paneled interior and dapper service, is straight out of London's Jermyn Street. Choose from pure cashmere or slum it with a wool-and-cashmere mix. Expect to pay in the region of around $3500 for the privilege, with an approximate time span of 10 days from tape-measure day.
-
Sicario
Refurbish your indie weekend wardrobe here; this boutique specializes in fun, non-conformist garments, so you can expect lots of hippy-style flowing skirts and dresses, plus hats and fun accessories, most of which are real one-offs.
-
Somos Plata
All the silver jewelry on display here is by Mexican designers. There is a good choice of earring and necklace sets, mainly simple fine designs (rather than the chunky modern look). The same owner runs the adjacent shop of ornate silver ornaments for gathering dust on the mantelpiece.
