Mexico City is a chic hot spot for pocos pesos

Surviving the madness
If you're overwhelmed by the earsplitting noise of honking cars and shouting vendors, you can find respite wandering through the 550-acre Chapultepec Park — and the sprawling zoo is free. Or visit the free Jardin Botanico, or Botanical Gardens, of Mexico's National Autonomous University. The cactus-and-maguey-studded gardens are set among lava outcroppings.

Nightlife
Mama Rumba in La Roma is a sure bet to boogie away the night. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, the $4 cover charge also includes free salsa lessons before 10 p.m., when the live Cuban band kicks in. Traditional cantinas throw in sizable appetizers, almost a meal in themselves, with $3 beers. Try the 1928 Cantina La Guadalupana in Coyoacan, where Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo drank tequila.

For the cutting-edge side of Coyoacan visit La Bipolar. Owned by actor Diego Luna ("Y Tu Mama Tambien"), the bar offers marlin tostadas and walls covered in plastic crates. In Condesa, you can grab a ski jacket and cool down with your tequila-based drink on the ice-made love seats at the Icebar, the latest one to open worldwide.

Lucha Libre, Mexico's masked wresting spectacular, is a must for lovers of kitsch. On Tuesdays, hit the small, traditional Arena Coliseo for the best two-hour show $2.50 can buy, or go for the glitzy televised productions at Arena Mexico, where tickets run between $4 to $13. Be sure to pick up a cheap mask of your favorite hero outside.

Beyond tacos
Tacos are amazing here, but so is the vast variety of other kinds of dishes. There's no better place than the capital to get a sampling of Mexico's diverse food. La Tecla in La Roma is one of the most affordable places to try Nouveau Mexican food, such as duck enchiladas with mango sauce. Also don't miss the squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese and bathed in chipotle sauce. Most meals are under $10.

For amazing corn-flour tamales for breakfast, lunch or late-night munchies try Flor de Lis in La Condesa. Two tamales cost less than $3. They are wrapped in banana leaves and stuffed with chicken or pork with green or red sauce. Other fillings include chicken in mole and poblano chile strips.

If you want to spot a Mexican celebrity but stay on budget, stop by Frutos Prohibidos y Otros Placeres, an outdoor corner cafe with a long list of fresh-fruit smoothies, salads and wraps in La Condesa.

Markets
The Ciudadela market in the city's center has the best prices and most variety for traditional crafts. It's open everyday. For more upscale art, try Bazaar Sabado on — you got it, Saturdays — in San Angel.

If you read Spanish, pick up a copy of Chilango or Donde Ir magazines for articles and reviews of the city's happenings. If not, you can probably muddle through Tiempo Libre, which lists restaurants, movies, plays and other events.

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