Episode 120: Mexico City - Perros de La Condesa

Photographer Aldo Gracia shows us why the leafy, relaxed enclave of La Condesa has become the canine capital of Mexico City.

Click here for pictures of spots mentioned in the episode.

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Transcript

Martina: On a cloudy summer afternoon, photographer Aldo Gracia grabs his camera and heads out to a popular park in his neighborhood of La Condesa — a hip, artsy area of Mexico City. He’s looking for his next muse.

Aldo: Yo camino bajo los árboles con mi cámara por el Parque México. Empiezo a observar a todos los que están en el parque porque estoy buscando algo interesante para tomar fotos.

Martina: Suddenly, Aldo spots them, the perfect pair for a photo: a guy in his late 20s and his companion. She has blue eyes and dark black-and-gray hair. Her name is Sasha and…she’s a husky mix. Dogs are a huge part of life in La Condesa, just as much as its art, architecture, and fashion. As the self-proclaimed dog photographer of La Condesa, Aldo has his technique down to a T. One of his tricks is to bark, or ladrar.

Aldo: Me acerco y le pregunto al dueño: “¿Puedo tomarle una foto a tu perro?”. Casi todos los dueños me dicen: “No vas a poder. Mi perro se mueve mucho y no se deja tomar fotos”. Pero yo tengo mi técnica. Me acuesto en el suelo y empiezo a ladrar. El perro se sorprende y me mira, y, en ese momento, ¡clic! Tomo unas treinta o cuarenta fotos en pocos segundos.

Martina: Taking pictures of the dogs of La Condesa has helped Aldo get to know his neighborhood in new ways…and fall in love with it, even more.

Aldo: Yo amo a los perros y amo La Condesa. Entonces, yo he tomado fotos de los perros en La Condesa, porque son dos cosas que me encantan. La Condesa es la capital de perros de la Ciudad de México y de todo el país, y quisiera compartir algunos de mis lugares favoritos con ustedes.

Martina: Welcome, les damos la bienvenida to a special season of the Duolingo Spanish Podcast. I’m Martina Castro. We’re continuing our series exploring the largest city in North America, Mexico City…with its rich history, culture, art, and food.

Today Aldo is taking us through the neighborhood of La Condesa. He’ll be using intermediate Spanish and I’ll be chiming in for context in English. If you miss something, you can always skip back and listen again. We also offer full transcripts at podcast.duolingo.com. For this special season, you’ll be able to find images of each tour on our site.

Martina: Almost every day, Aldo walks through Parque México. It’s become an essential part of his routine and it’s our first stop on this tour of La Condesa. It’s located on the western side of the neighborhood, near La Roma. There’s a street corn vendor on the sidewalk, the smell of fresh churros wafting from a nearby churrería and, of course, the sound of dogs.

Aldo: Hay muchísimos perros. Cuando sales a caminar, puedes ver cuatro o cinco perros en una cuadra. ¡Conozco a gente que tiene hasta trece perros!

Martina: Aldo would love to adopt a dog of his own, but he travels too much for work. So instead, he visits Parque México where he can always see lots of dogs…and plenty of people hanging out, at any time of the day.

Aldo: Puedo ir al parque un lunes a la una de la tarde y hay gente ahí. No es una sola persona, ¡son muchas! Están allí en el parque, leyendo un libro, tomándose un café o un té, muy tranquilos, sin ninguna preocupación. Cuando veo a esa gente, me pregunto: “¿Cómo es posible? Si vas a otra ciudad durante la semana a esa hora, no hay nadie en el parque, porque la gente está trabajando o tiene otras cosas que hacer”.

Martina: The relaxed atmosphere still surprises Aldo sometimes. He moved to Mexico City in 2014 to pursue photography. There was something special that drew him to La Condesa. It was different from other parts of Mexico City, which are usually much busier. But today its laid-back vibe makes sense to Aldo, when he thinks about its community.

Aldo: Aquí en La Condesa, como yo, muchos habitantes son artistas, poetas, fotógrafos o pintores. No trabajan en horario de oficina como otros profesionales y muchos de ellos tienen perros.

Martina: In recent decades, La Condesa has attracted a growing number of transplants from all over the world and other parts of Mexico. Many arrive on their own, and then find comfort in furry companions. To Aldo, that’s one reason why there are so many dog owners in La Condesa.

Aldo: Mucha gente que vive en La Condesa viene de otras partes de México, o viene del extranjero. Son gente que no conocen a nadie cuando llegan. Entonces, adoptan a su mejor amigo: ¡un perro! Y la Condesa tiene muchos lugares bonitos para pasear con su perro.

Martina: The neighborhood is ideal for dog-walking. With its shady avenues, La Condesa has more trees and green spaces than most parts of Mexico City. This is because of La Condesa’s unique past, when the entire area was owned by an actual countess, la Condesa de Miravalle.

Aldo: El Parque México no es el parque más grande de la ciudad, pero es uno de mis favoritos. Es muy bonito, muy verde y tiene mucha historia. En el siglo XVIII, La Condesa era parte de una propiedad muy grande y hermosa, con jardines y huertos.

Martina: Two hundred years later, in 1902, the land was sold and subdivided, and a large chunk was turned into a racetrack. Then in 1927, that racetrack was turned into a large, oval park, covering 22 acres. The art-deco design and European style of Parque México reflect the artistic tastes of that period. Ponds, fountains, and shaded benches dot the winding pathways. Aldo comes to the park to relax…and to enjoy many cultural events at its open air forum, or foro.

Aldo: El Parque México tiene un foro, donde se organizan eventos y reuniones. Las personas pueden tomar una clase de yoga, o de baile… Siempre está lleno de gente, de vida y de actividades.

Martina: That rich cultural life is the main reason Aldo fell in love with La Condesa. Together with its neighbor La Roma, La Condesa is home to some of the best art galleries, restaurants, and music venues in Mexico City.

Aldo: A mí, siempre me ha gustado el mundo creativo, y el mundo del arte. Aquí, hay un ambiente muy bohemio y eso me encanta. Yo creo, que para ser artista, tienes que estar en un contexto muy artístico.

Martina: To Aldo, the leafy and vibrant Parque México feels like the beating heart of La Condesa. Best of all, for the neighborhood’s canine residents, the park has not one, but two play areas for dogs.

Aldo: Hay una zona de juego para perros grandes y otra zona de juego para perros pequeños. Es algo que no existía hace diez o veinte años. ¡Entonces siempre hay muchísimos perros!

Martina: Parque México is where Aldo started his passion for photographing dogs. Now Aldo’s professional work includes taking photos of architecture and interior design. But he still enjoys taking pictures of dogs on the side. And as the canine capital of Mexico City, La Condesa provides him with plenty of subjects.

Aldo: El parque se llena los fines de semana porque mucha gente de toda la ciudad va a pasear a sus perros ahí. La verdad es que La Condesa es el lugar ideal, tanto para los perros como para la gente, porque ahí se pueden relajar.

Martina: From Parque México, we head four blocks south and arrive at Chiquitito Café, located on calle Alfonso Reyes. As the name “chiquitito” suggests, the spot is tiny — the “ito” at the end of the word means that it’s extra tiny. The storefront opens onto just a few sidewalk tables. Nearby, under a tree, there’s a bench and, of course, a doggie water bowl.

Aldo: Es un café muy pequeñito y hay poco espacio para la gente, pero siempre hay muchos perros. Cuando llegas, lo primero que ves es a un perro debajo de una mesa. Aquí los perros están muy bien educados. Saben que tienen que ir a todas partes con sus dueños y que deben estar tranquilos.

Martina: Aldo usually heads to the exact same spot at the counter…and most days, he’s joined there by Tota. She’s a chihuahua mix and she’s so small, she looks like a puppy, or cachorra.

Aldo: Tota es la perrita de una amiga que conocí en el Chiquitito Café. Es muy pequeña, con manchas blancas y marrones. Como es pequeña, parece una cachorra, pero en realidad es viejita, tiene trece años. Es muy tranquila y nunca ladra. Cuando me ve, camina hacia mí y se acuesta a mi lado. Siempre quiere estar conmigo.

Martina: After enjoying his cup of coffee, Aldo occasionally takes a detour. He heads a few blocks north to one of his favorite art galleries, Mooni. Like Chiquitito Café, it’s a tiny square space with a wide open entrance. The walls are covered with bright contemporary art by local Mexican artists. During gallery openings, it’s not unusual for one or two dogs to squeeze into the space.

Aldo: Me gusta la Galería Mooni, porque las paredes están llenas de arte, y es arte que no cuesta demasiado. Además, La Condesa es el único lugar que conozco donde la gente trae a sus perros a las galerías de arte.

Martina: The more Aldo lives in La Condesa, the more immersed he becomes in the neighborhood’s dog culture. He knows that everywhere he goes, dogs will get special treatment. He remembers taking family members to a popular local bistro called Matisse.

Aldo: Recuerdo la primera vez que fui con mi familia. Cuando el mesero vino a nuestra mesa, alguien le preguntó: “Disculpe, ¿tienen menú para niños?”. Y el mesero le dijo que no, ¡que solo tenían menú para perros! En el menú hay diferentes opciones y hasta hay un postre, ¡un postre especial para perros! Mi familia no lo podía creer. ¡Eso no se ve en ningún otro lugar del país!

Martina: For our final stop, we head back to where we started, to a street near Parque México. Aldo is taking us to a particular avenue in La Condesa that epitomizes the neighborhood’s dog-friendly spirit: Avenida Amsterdam. Aldo remembers how he got to experience it first-hand, when he lived with a roommate and their dog, named Porfirio.

Aldo: Yo salía a correr con Porfirio todos los días. Siempre he sido corredor, y la Avenida Ámsterdam es el lugar perfecto para correr.

Martina: Avenida Amsterdam is a large avenue that makes a loop around Parque México. It has a wide central pedestrian path, called a camellón. This paved trail is lined with plant beds and trees, mosaic benches, and various sculptures. It’s popular with moms with strollers, joggers, or corredores, and, of course, dogs and their owners.

Aldo: El camellón de la Avenida Ámsterdam es un camino de dos kilómetros. Es perfecto para salir a pasear con tu perro. Es una calle muy bella y emblemática de La Condesa.

Martina: In the early 20th Century, people began moving out of the city center to places like La Condesa, because they wanted more space and more greenery. Many of the buildings that line Avenida Amsterdam were built during that time, in the 1920s and 30s, with a classic art-deco style. With its beautiful wrought iron doorways and broad, tree-lined sidewalks, Avenida Amsterdam is full of charm.

Aldo: Todos los días paso por los mismos lugares en la Avenida Ámsterdam, así que la misma gente me ve con Porfirio. Muchos conocen su nombre, lo saludan y juegan con él cuando lo ven. Hay un vendedor enfrente de mi edificio que le da dulces.

Martina: With community spaces like this avenue, Aldo has realized just how important dogs are in La Condesa. They give people a reason to say hello, to talk to each other…and to connect.

Aldo: Gracias a los perros, he hecho muy buenos amigos. Por ejemplo, la dueña de Tota se llama Paty. Ahora ella y yo somos grandes amigos después de pasar tanto tiempo juntos en el Chiquitito Café.

Martina: In a neighborhood where so many people are transplants, like Aldo, these connections feel especially important.

Aldo: Tú llegas y no tienes familiares, no tienes amigos, estás soltero… Pero, con un perro, tienes compañía. Y puedes ir con tu perro al parque y conocer a otros dueños. Los perros son una razón para salir, socializar y compartir con la gente.

Martina: Ever since his roommate moved out, Aldo misses Porfirio and their runs together. Lucky for Aldo in La Condesa, he doesn’t need a dog of his own to get quality canine time. He can find it everywhere he goes.

Aldo: Yo empecé mi proyecto fotográfico para conocer mejor a los perros de mi vecindario. Sin embargo, me di cuenta de que, gracias a los perros, conozco mejor a mis vecinos, y ellos a mí. Los perros crean la comunidad.

Martina: Aldo Gracia is a photographer living in La Condesa, Mexico City.

This story was produced by Lorena Galliot.

Be sure to tune in to the next episode of this special travel season, we’ll be visiting the ancient, hidden city of Tenochtitlán!

We would love to know what you thought of this episode! You can write us an email at podcast@duolingo.com and call and leave us a voicemail or audio message on WhatsApp, at +1-703-953-93-69. Don’t forget to say your name and where you’re from! Here’s a message we recently got from Will in the United States:

Will: I’ve been listening to the podcast since 2019 and I love it. It’s become a crucial part of long drives and tedious office work. Thank you for all that you do to help teach Spanish. Thank you for the laughter. Thank you for the tears. I’ve been moved many times by many of your episodes. ¡Gracias por compartir!

Martina: Oh Will, thank you so much for calling.

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The Duolingo Spanish Podcast is produced by Duolingo and Adonde Media. I’m the executive producer, Martina Castro. ¡Gracias por escuchar!

Credits

This episode was produced by Duolingo and Adonde Media.