Mexico City

Mexico City is the capital of Mexico and one of the most important cities in the world. Here, the old and the new blend uniquely. The city was founded by Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés in 1521 making it the oldest European city in the “New World”. Built over the ruins of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan it became the capital of New Spain. In the 21st century, the “City of Palaces” (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO) coexists with modern buildings and expressways.

Mexico City is the financial center of Latin America and virtually every foreign and domestic corporation has operations in the city. It produces an amazing 25% of Mexico’s $815 billion economy making Mexico City alone the 30th largest economy in the world! In addition, it is one of the most important cultural centers in the world boasting more museums than any other city. It is also the fourth city in number of theaters just behind New York, London and Toronto.

Every skyscraper in Mexico City is a monument to engineering. Mexico City is not only located in a major earthquake zone but it is also built over a lake which creates a very unstable foundation for high-rise construction. Yet, Mexico City had its first 40-story skyscraper almost half a century ago when the Torre Lationoamericana, the tallest building in Latin America at the time, was built. Today, there are hundreds of skyscrapers challenging nature in Mexico City’s skyline.