What this section covers. The city that exists whether or not anyone is visiting — markets at dawn, street food, neighbourhood festivals and the parts of town no itinerary sends you to.
The markets. La Merced, one of the largest in the Americas. Jamaica, the flower market, at its best before eight in the morning. Sonora, where herbal medicine and ritual goods are sold alongside toys — and where cameras are not permitted. San Juan, where professional cooks buy. These are workplaces first and sights second.
The food. Street eating is normal here and the rule is simple: go where the queue is and the turnover is fast. San Pedro Atocpan, in Milpa Alta, is the mole capital of the country and worth the trip south.
The traditions. Holy Week in Iztapalapa; the new fire on the Cerro de la Estrella; the chinampas still farmed in Xochimilco; mariachi at Garibaldi, hired by the song.
And the boroughs nobody sends you to. Iztapalapa, with the Cablebus and the best views in the city; Azcapotzalco, seat of the Tepanec dominion before Tenochtitlan; Tláhuac and Milpa Alta, still half rural.
Practical notes. Cash and small change; carry little else and keep your phone away in crowded markets. Go early. Ask before photographing people.
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