The notorious Colonia Doctores

September 20th, 2012

As the rents in Colonia Condesa and Colonia Roma climb higher and higher, speculation among certain chilangos grows about which neighborhoods will be the next to be discovered by artists, bohemians and incipient yuppies, and experience a form, however tentative, of gentrification. In previous posts I have written about Colonia Santa Maria la Ribera and Colonia Tabacalera. These neighborhoods — like Condesa and Roma, conveniently central — little by little are at least beginning to show signs of overcoming the dodgy reputations of their past and attracting residents with more disposable income.


One neighborhood that I fear will never live down its fabled past is the Colonia Doctores. It is admirably located between the Colonia Roma and the Centro Histórico and, if it is not uniformly prepossessing, has a decent housing stock and plenty of idiosyncratic neighborhood characteristics.


There are some great cantinas here, such as the Salon Casino at Calle Dr. Vertiz #199, and the Bar Sella, about which I have written previously.

There are also a couple of idiosyncratic small museums, such as the Antique Toy Museum on Calle Dr. Olvera #15, and the Indianilla Station Cultural Center on Calle Dr. Bernard #111.

It is even sprouting some sidewalk cafe action.


And, as this bus indicates, tourism. What exactly is being sightseen outside this housing project is anyone’s guess.


But unfortunately, Colonia Doctores has an almost comically bad reputation, perhaps due to its proximity to the Colonia Buenos Aires, long a hotbed for stolen car parts.


From time to time I have mentioned to other chilangos an idle idea of buying a building in Doctores as an investment, thinking that its great location will inevitably lead to the neighborhood’s ascendance. They have all looked at me as if I were suffering from a rare form of delirium.

Labels: Mexico City

  1. 8 Responses to “The notorious Colonia Doctores”

  2. By Luis Sopelana on Sep 20, 2012

    I get a laugh at “La Audiencia” up there because it’s near the Superior Court of Justice. A good play on the theme of giving cantinas job-related names (“Oh, sorry I’m in such a hurry, I have to get to La Chamba/La Oficina”)

    I’m seeing many young people taking over La Doctores… on the Av. Cuauhtémoc side, near Roma. I think the gentrification will stall there for a while (I make jokes with my girlfriend about the Condesa-Roma-Doctores-Obrera Cultural Corridor) but I certainly won’t be surprised if it happens, eventually, as others (as we did) move to Obrera because it’s quite near (and way cheaper) than El Centro.

  3. By Don Cuevas on Sep 20, 2012

    I’ve often wondered what keeps “the bad guys” of Colonia Doctores from venturing across Av. Cuauhtémoc, to pillage the riches of Colonia Roma.

    Not long ago, I saw the attractive Hotel Lord on http://www.hoteleskinky.com/hotel/lord

    Also the pulquería with the intriguing name of “La Hija del Apache”.

    We have only barely ventured into Colonia Doctores, the first time may years ago, ignorant of any possible dangers, to visit the National Baking Center and School on Calle Dr. Liceaga. “CANAINPA”, http://www.canainpa.com.mx/Varios/QSomos.asp

    We have friends who own an apartment near Metro Niños Héroes, but we have never stayed there, as it’s a 4th floor walk up.

    Saludos,
    Don Cuevas

  4. By Dan on Sep 21, 2012

    How did it get it’s bad reputation? Is crime particularly bad around there? I’ve only been to Doctores a handful of times, but each time my taxi driver warns me to do what I came to do and leave again. No walking around because I’ll get robbed. As a gringo living in Mexico it’s often hard to discern between helpful advice and someone conveying deep rooted paranoia stemming from dicier days.

    I basically take every out of towner to MUJAM, because I think it’s wonderful, so I’d love to have a better sense of just how much danger we’re in going for a stroll afterwards.

  5. By ana manwaring on Sep 22, 2012

    I’ve driven through Doctores, but I actually bought a VW engine in Buenos Aires. When we came up from the Metro, a man old me to put my purse under my jacket and my companion to walk on the inside, thereby protecting me from anyone jumping out of a doorway. I spoke little Spanish and it took awhile for it to sink in that I’d gone into a bad neighborhood and bought a hot engine. Justice was almost served, as my companion tried to steal my bus, but I found it in a taller in Tlalnepantla and reclaimed it. Unfortunately, my cool poptop camper didn’t make it out of Mexico. But that’s another story.

  6. By eric c..n ;-) on Sep 25, 2012

    I think you got the point. Many colonies like mine are changing completely. It used to be a small workshops colony but now there are more and more residential buildings, gyms, very good safety by the police night and day. Yet almost nobody knows this colony and the metro which leads to it thou ten stations from Insurgentes.
    And if you say : “it is near…” or ” it is between… and….” OMG ! Actually it is safe, clean, with good pavements -one good sign- etc…;-)
    But I do not feel like telling people how it is really. In one year I saw only one couple of foreigners (Dutch people), it is OK with me.

    PS : what a great site you have ! I hope you won’t mind if I make some quotations in my blog , with credit of course.

  7. By Juliet Lambert on Sep 27, 2012

    At night, while driving through Doctores along Baja California, the stop lights turn to continuous flashing red. And pretty early too, like 10pm, not like 1 or 2am in Colonia Roma.

    This is so you don’t have to stop at a desolate red light, making you easy prey along the avenida.

    Once the stop lights start working all night long, I think it will be time to buy a building there. I’m game.

  8. By Kim G on Sep 27, 2012

    F and I have a couple of friends who live in Doctores, near the Metro Niños Heroes, and it seems to be fine. They don’t park their cars on the street, but we’ve been there many a time and have never either received any warnings from them, nor felt threatened.

    I realize the rep, but it seems like a place where you could get a relative bargain on real estate, and still be close to everything.

    With regard to buildings, it does seem to be heavily dominated by apartment buildings, which would seem to put some limits on gentrification. Typically you need a good stock of houses in order for a neighborhood to really get gentrifying.

    Colonia Santa María de la Ribera seems farther along here, but isn’t as convenient either.

    I’m definitely keeping an eye on Doctores, though. It strikes me as having potential.

    Saludos,

    Kim G
    Boston, MA
    Where we live in a gentrified neighborhood ourselves.

  9. By Fernanda on Oct 17, 2012

    I’m almost positive that people are skipping “la Doctores” and are coming straight to its southern neighbor “la Narvarte”. I’ve lived there all my life and the changes are evident. One barely saw young people strolling by its streets while now it’s full of them. Lots of students are living there because the rent is kinda cheap. Also, the biggest signs of coming-gentrification in Mexico City are the Close Encounters of the Artsy-gringo/european Type (Condesa and Roma are paradigmatic in this respect). Also the everyday less rare apparitions of spoiled mexican youngsters whose parents have bought them inexpensive apartments in Diagonal San Antonio street and whose greatest ambition is to become djs, graphic designers, filmmakers and are willing to do everything to show it (with their clothes and hair-dos) has risen. Plus, the chicks are hotter than ever.

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