I find that as much as I love this city, its noise and chaos can get overwhelming. While working聽on my upcoming guide to the Roma I have stumbled across some incredibly quiet places, tucked down passageways and off side streets, where it’s easy to聽work, get your bearings or simply sit in silence for awhile … a rare opportunity in this 28 million + city. Here are my top choices for peace and quiet.
Centro de Meditaci贸n Kadampa de M茅xico, Jalapa 113,聽Tues to聽Sun聽9:30 a 8:30pm
On the second floor of this education and meditation center is the World Peace cafe and shop. Smooth wooden floors, minimalistic decoration and an overall zen-like vibe greet you at the door. It’s a great place to work (or meditate) quietly. The cafe and shop are open when classes are not in session (they are located above the meditation room and therefore create noise downstairs), so check the scheduled classes there. Other than that it’s open from 9am to 9pm every day.
Casa Del Poeta, 脕lvaro Obreg贸n 73聽, Tues to Fri 10 to 6pm
On the top floor of the Casa del Poeta, former home of Poet Ram贸n L贸pez Velarde,聽between the Salvador Novo and Efra铆n Huerta libraries is a sunny workspace with long wooden tables and chairs. It’s聽quiet and almost always empty (unless there is a school group visiting the musuem). It’s a great place to get some work done undisturbed or meander through the literary collections of these three great Mexican poets.
Parroquia de la Sagrada Familia, Puebla 144
This church has long been important to the neighborhood, as its first Catholic house of worship, the church home of counter-revolutionary Padre Pro and an example of the eclectic architectural style popular around the beginning of the twentieth century. Inside are some stunning Art Nouveau stain-glassed windows (check out our services here) as well as Gonzalo Carrasco’s paintings of the Sacred Family. The doors are always open for a quick breather and moment of meditation, whomever you believe in.
Goethe Institut, Tonal谩 43, Everyday, 8 to 8pm, Library – Tues to Fri 9 to 11am, 4 to 7pm, Sat 10:30 to 2pm, Sun 12 to 2pm
If the city’s chaos (and聽disorder)聽gets you down, there is nothing like some German organization to pick you back up again. Besides the tidy peace of the German-language library and small indoor/outdoor cafe, you can also take a German class, see a documentary film or enjoy a concert by Berlin’s philharmonic orchestra.
Patio Aurora, Alvaro Obreg贸n 126, Tue 1-6pm, Wed – Sat 1- 2:30am, Sun 1-6pm
While I can’t guarantee complete silence, the Patio聽Aurora is a nice place to have a quiet lunch and an intimate conversation. Tucked off the street down a narrow walkway, the restaurant’s outdoor tables are almost always near empty in the afternoon hours. With the sun streaming in and the murmur of the kitchen in the background you will be surprised at how distant you feel from the bustle of the city.
Herder Bookstore, Tehuatepec 50, 聽Mon to Fri 9 to 6pm, First Saturday of every month
I want to live in Herder. Or at least fill聽my living room聽with its聽Scandinavian- style bookcases, overflowing with titles, stare out big picture windows and have someone serve me a coffee and then leave me to my thoughts.聽In addition to their good selection of聽Spanish-language titles is the German-language section, which聽fills up about half the store (there are no English books here). You will most likely find yourself alone in the shop, perfect for curling up in an armchair and reading a good story.
Aviario de Polanco, Tues to Sun 10 to 4pm
I have to mention the aviary, even though it’s not in the Roma, because I stumbled upon it a few months ago and was taken aback by the loveliness and songbird soundtrack.聽Dozens of colorful birds聽fly聽inside what is essentially a human-size cage on one side of Polanco’s Abraham Lincoln park. Visitors walk on the inside boardwalk trying not t0 break the spell of wings and chirps, instead pointing and whispering to each other about the feathered creatures they spot in the limbs of the trees.