36-Hours in Mexico City! What does the perfect long weekend look like for someone visiting and wants an insider experience?
Mexico City is a perfect place to visit for a long weekend! The city has so much to offer, such a rich history, and a very welcoming culture. I always recommend staying in the Roma Norte or Condesa areas since they’ve very central and walkable.
I’d recommend waking up early for a walk along the Amsterdam loop in Condesa and then stopping by Panaderia Rosetta for a latte & a coffee. Their guava (guayaba) roll is famous, but I’m partial to their lavender scones. For lunch, either Contramar for the tostadas and a paloma (a refreshing mix of tequila and grapefruit soda) or Sartoria, one of my personal favorite restaurants for a leisurely, outdoor lunch.
Roma Norte & Colima have lots of lovely tree lined walking streets so I’d recommend taking that latte to go and exploring around Plaza Rio de Janeiro and Parque México (where you can come visit us at Kingfisher, of course!)
Sightseeing wise, my favorite tourist spot is Templo Mayor, the site of Aztec ruins that were uncovered during the building of the city’s massive underground transit system. The museum is easy to navigate and for me, nothing compares. It’s such an incredible place juxtaposed against the chaos of downtown Mexico City. While you’re downtown, I also recommend stopping by Palacio de Bellas Artes, the Museo Postal, or the Museo de Arte Popular. Though I will warn that going downtown on a weekend can be a bit overwhelming (and lots of traffic!) so you might save your museums for a weekday!
A few other can’t miss spots:
Cafe Trucha for Chef Poppy’s to-die-for olive oil cakes
Marmota for one of my favorite meals with friends
A visit to Lorena Saravia’s studio for beautiful clothing and accessories
Trinitate for place settings and loads of interior inspiration (I’ve been known to send friends back to the States with suitcases filled with place settings – oops!)
What’s the best piece of [business / creative/ personal] advice you’ve been given?
Only take advice from people whose opinion is relevant to what you’re seeking.
What does ‘success’ mean to you? How do you define it?
This definition has changed a lot over the years. In this phase of my life, success for me means calm.
What are your character traits you are most proud of?
I aim to live a life anchored by resilience coupled with kindness. It’s important to me to be welcoming and approachable, to shower the people in my life with love and kindness, and create opportunities that make my people feel seen and loved. Life can be really HARD, and I try to make a significant effort to make it better, easier, and more beautiful for the people I love.
In moments of self-doubt, how do you build yourself back up?
When I started my first company (a clothing company while I was in college), my older brother told me I was “very employable,” that the skills I had as an entrepreneur were really valuable. He gently reminded me that if the company didn’t work out, I’d find a job. Sounds simple enough but it was freeing and motivated me to leap into entrepreneurship, knowing that if I “failed”, someone who really knew and believed in me (and was really successful themselves!) believed I’d pick myself back up and be ok. He also told me no one has any idea what they’re doing and we’re all just trying to figure it out as we go, and that still calms a lot of my anxiety.
What’s your favorite part about your job/business?
I love being a part of my community. After spending the last decade on a plane traveling to see private clients all over the world, I love waking up in my neighborhood, waving to my neighbors, and having my regular clients stop by the shop for a dog treat. I love that my daughter visits me at Kingfisher, and my friends bring their babies by for a coffee. Four and a half years in, I am very proud of the community (and the life) we’ve built in Mexico City.
What’s your no-fail go-to when you need to get out of a creative rut?
I love to wander through galleries and museums, beautiful shops, or explore a new neighborhood while traveling. I wear a lot of hats personally & professionally, and I find that when I’m feeling in a rut, I typically need to be alone to recharge my batteries.
What books/blogs/websites/instagram accounts are getting your creative juices flowing?
I find a lot of inspiration in design, interiors, food, hospitality, travel and art. I love watching home tours and using instagram to find unique creatives and source products we can feature in the store. I follow a lot of interior designers: @eyeswoon @nateberkus @jeremiahbrent @kellywearstler.
I love following fellow entrepreneurs like @mickeyashmore (Sabah) @jackcarcarlson (Rowing Blazers) @emilymeyer.official @lanjaenicke – entrepreneurship can be really lonely, but seeing what other creative entrepreneurs are up to keeps me motivated and I love thinking up ways we can collaborate with these types of creatives at Kingfisher.
When I’m feeling stuck creatively, I turn to @mimithor or @flamingo_estate. Both of these accounts use storytelling and beautiful imagery to transport you to a place. They also both exude a sense of warmth and hospitality that I aim to emulate at Kingfisher.
What's your most recent purchase that’s bringing you a lot of joy?
I was just in Florence for the first time since I studied abroad there 12 years ago and visited one of my favorite little gourmet shops/cafes, Procacci. They are famous for these tiny panini sandwiches – imagine the most luxurious tea sandwiches you’ve ever seen! I love little luxuries that make our days more special, and standing at the bar in Procacci having a mini truffle sandwich and a glass of champagne with my husband was such a treat.
I believe that little details, moments of luxury and inspiration, can make our lives better. To me luxury doesn’t necessarily mean expensive – it’s something that is thoughtful, well designed, that makes one feel loved or cared for. I think there’s a lot of power in that feeling. Personally, that inspiration fuels my creativity and helps me stay focused on what brings me joy.
While I was there I picked up a few items - a uniquely designed package of anchovies, a bag of their biscotti wrapped in baker's twine, and one of their logo tote bags. I’ve spent months working on developing the perfect tote for Kingfisher so finding this one (oversized, slouchy, subtle but “in the know”!) was a great source of inspiration for me.
I’ve been carrying the tote every day since I came back and it makes me smile every morning. Not only is it a reminder of a lovely recent travel memory, but of my time studying in Florence, being a college kid completely enamored with discovering what these little moments of inspiration could do for my creativity and happiness.
THE GOOD STUFF
"I aim to live a life anchored by resilience coupled with kindness. It’s important to me to be welcoming and approachable, to shower the people in my life with love and kindness, and create opportunities that make my people feel seen and loved. "
Tell us about your favorite jewelry and how you like to style it.
I wear the same jewelry every day: a pair of diamond studs, two diamond and gold thin bangles, two evil eye necklaces (one from HART & one from Dilara Saatci), and my Hermes double wrap Cape Cod watch. In place of my engagement ring I wear a stack of three simple bands: my wedding band, my grandmother’s wedding band, and a very thin band my now husband gave me when we were dating.
For my first Mother’s Day, my husband added to my stack with a set of beaded bracelets that say “Kindness is Magic” and a small gold chain with three little diamonds that symbolize him & I, and our daughter, Eames.
Since college I’ve been known for having “a lot of shit on my wrists,” which I find oddly comforting. I like looking down and seeing reminders of the people I love and the places I’ve been.
It’s a beautiful Saturday in your city and your friend is visiting from out of town. Where do you take her? Favorite local spots or hidden gems?
Cafe Trucha! My friend Poppy recently opened the loveliest little wine bar right by Plaza Rio de Janiero in the La Roma neighborhood of Mexico City. Don’t sleep on her cakes & pastries! Our daughter Eames has been known to eat an entire one of her mini olive oil cakes alone (a real feat for a one year old!)
What's your next dream trip?
My dream trip is to visit Egypt. I’ve been fascinated by Egyptology and the pyramids since I was really young, and I would love to experience the sense of scale of seeing something like that in person. I really love traveling outside of my comfort zone to experience new cultures, food, languages, and religions.
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