Sunday in the Park...with Frank

Sunday after Church I was tired...but decided that since it was a gorgeous summer day I couldn't stay inside and nap.  So I decided to explore a part of the city I had never seen before.  Condesa,  which is Spanish for "Countess" is a neighborhood between Lomas de Chapultepec where I live and the historic center downtown. 

The older section of the neighborhood is centered around a four- or five- block long oval shaped park that began its life as a horse racing track.  The exterior of the track was preserved and is currently a city Avenue, the interior of the track is a charming tropical park. 

The park was what I think of as a typical urban park -- full of families with small children, skateboarders, bicyclists, vendors selling food, clothing, jewelry, balloons, and toys.  There were also stands where children could paint and decorate ceramic or wooden plaques in the shape of popular cartoon characters.   And there were SO MANY dogs -- most were small like chihuahuas and pekinese, and not all were on leashes.  And of course there were musicians, too, and street preachers. 

Since the neighborhood was developed  mostly in the 1920's, most of the buildings were designed in the architectural style popular at the time -- art deco.  Eventually the area fell into disuse and disrepair, and so it was neglected and never redeveloped.  The happy result, of this is that many of the original buildings and monuments have remained.  Now that Condesa is once again becoming a fashionable and desirable neighborhood, the art deco style is being preserved.  Mexicans, it seems to me, have a real appreciation for art and architecture. 

This clock tower is a particularly good example of art deco design.  Here is a view of one of the neighborhood streets, with more art deco design.