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I just finished my Market Urbanism book manuscript, and to celebrate am visiting Monterrey. I'll take a bunch of photos this next week and post them on this thread.
Here's a view of the city's coarse-grained + fine-grained urbanism from my hotel room.
It's an uber-lux hotel that in NYC would probably be $500/night, but here is $63
It's an uber-lux hotel that in NYC would probably be $500/night, but here is $63
Getting some 1st-hour impressions of Monterrey in the CBD. It's like a mix of CDMX and a Mexican border city - but way closer to the latter.
Monterrey built a beautiful, fairly activated overcap park above an underpass.
Why not more of this in the U.S.? I know Dallas did and Philly wants to, am blanking on other examples.
Why not more of this in the U.S.? I know Dallas did and Philly wants to, am blanking on other examples.
@Uber is Uber Bus still a thing? I heard there was a service in Monterrey but can't find an app to download
I'm here for this palm tree + skyscraper + mountain backdrop aesthetic.
Don't know much about Monterrey zoning, but it's clear they don't quarantine all their tall buildings in one district like U.S. cities do.
Some of them, like this one in the San Pedro Garza Garcia suburb, are genuinely stunning. The glare on my phone camera does it no justice.
Given that the U.S. is a far wealthier society than Mexico, our private sector could easily afford to these designs.
But the problem, you see, is that our local governments don't allow it.
But the problem, you see, is that our local governments don't allow it.
This has been the view from my hotel room for several days. This morning I'll finally walk up into those hill neighborhoods.
Can't overstate just how non-existent use separation is in Mexico.
Here's 200ft of street frontage on 1 block in the working-class suburb of Nuevo Repueblo.
It starts with a renewable energy supplier + home + taco stand.
Here's 200ft of street frontage on 1 block in the working-class suburb of Nuevo Repueblo.
It starts with a renewable energy supplier + home + taco stand.
Over from that is someone hawking vitamin pills from there home, and a clothing mart.
Then 3 attached small homes
Then another home with storefront at ground level
Followed by a car repair shop
And it starts all over again across the street: homes, a large church, that orange building selling interior decorations, and another taco stand about 300 ft into the distance.
Mexico is like this for mile after mile.
Walking down that next block, I see there's a smaller (rival?) church right across from that big one.
Also someone selling access to their home restroom, presumably for the many construction workers in the area.
Strongly recommend this locally famous taco joint if ever in Monterrey. Barbacoa off the charts.
Monterrey doesn't get much tourism, it doesn't seem, and people here like Americans.
Multiple times, people in restaurants have offered to buy me drinks when they hear me speak English.
Multiple times, people in restaurants have offered to buy me drinks when they hear me speak English.
Hanging gardens from parking garages is a thing here. Photo 1 shows plants in early bloom, photo 2 is ones in maturation.
Monterrey is mirroring U.S. cities by imposing an 8pm curfew on all businesses, under the impression that this will somehow stop the spread of Covid.
