By the end of the Mexican Revolution, which began in 1910, wealthy families had begun an urban exodus from the Centro Histórico, and many ended up in neighborhoods such as Roma, Condesa and Polanco, where they built gorgeous mansions. Nowadays, Roma, which saw much damage during the 1985 earthquake, is a peaceful residential area known for its Beaux Arts architecture, used bookstores, art galleries and cafés.

Situated alongside Avenida Insurgentes, south of the Zona Rosa, the Roma district is still lovely and leafy, but slightly funkier, artsier, and more youth-oriented than nearby Condesa. It is a place to go strolling, and part of the fun is to look at the renovated mansions (many now art galleries) along streets such as Colima, Alvaro Obregón and Orizaba. You can also check out the two neat plazas: Plaza Río de Janeiro, which has an impressive replica of Michelangelo's "David" statue in a gushing fountain, and Plaza Luis Cabrera, which is particularly serene in the rain. On Sunday, there's a street market with art, antiques, used books and assorted junk along Avenida Alvaro Obregón.

Directions: To access the district, the Insurgentes metro is probably the closest to the most interesting sections of Roma, but you can also use the Cuauhtémoc and Chilpancingo metro stops. You can also take the buses that roll along Avenida Insurgentes and get off at the Durango stop or the Alvaro Obregón stop.

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