Insiders

Mexico City Insider: Designer Rodman Primack

Architectural designer and art advisor Rodman Primack, who now lives with his partner Rudy Weissenberg, has worked in Mexico since the late 90s—when he was the Specialist for Latin American art at Christie’s in New York. But his connection goes back further. “My parents lived in Mexico City in the late ’60s, a truly wonderful time to be here,” he explains. “I grew up with lots of glorifying stories and knew I wanted to be here.” During his first visit with Rudy, CDMX exceeded Rodman’s already high expectations. “I knew before I came that it would blow my mind. It delivered, and I tried to move us here every few years since! I was not prepared for how green and tree and park filled the city would be, or for the rich and layered the architecture, or the museums—it just was all too amazing to wrap my head around.”

The host of several popular Indagare Insider Journeys to Mexico City finally got his wish to live there permanently in spring 2019, when he and Rudy officially moved, opening their design gallery, AGO Projects, in Juarez. “I am a city lover to begin with,” he explains. “I love urban life—density, energy, friction, and synergy. Mexico City, to me, is the most cosmopolitan and international capital in the Spanish-speaking world. Before the arrival of the conquistadors, it was already huge for the period with thriving art and culture. Mexico City is generative: it is a place of creation and production in high and low culture, it is rich in subcultures and movements.”

Read on for Rodman’s recommendations of the activities, shops, restaurants and museums that he loves most in Mexico City.

Contact Indagare or your Indagare Trip Designer to plan your next visit to Mexico City.

The Must-Try Lunch

“One cannot be in CDMX without having lunch at Contramar. It's fundamental. There is a significant place held by the tuna tostada of Contramar in the zeitgeist emergence of Mexico.”

Dinner Time…(and Dessert, Too)

“There are too many great restaurants in this city but my favorite and regular place for a perfect evening is Maximo Bistrot (Avenida Álvaro Obregón 65 Bis, Roma Norte; maximobistrot.com.mx). The food is excellent (my mouth waters just thinking about it), the service casual and attentive, and the space beautiful (designed by my good friend Charles de Lisle, who has worked with Lalo and Gabriela, the owners for years). I am also obsessed with the French Toast for dessert—sounds deceptively simple, but it is radically yummy.”

The Museum

“You cannot come to Mexico without making time to see the Anthropological Museum. It will blow your mind: the depth and complexity of the ancient cultures of Mexico are breathtaking, as is the actual museum. You can be there for two hours or ten!”

The Neighborhood

“I think it is essential to see the Colonial Centro of Mexico to understand the scale and richness of this country and the grandeur of its history.”

The Local Clothing Stores

“I am a big fan of a couple local designers, and would make a point of visiting Takamura 1/8 for really well-cut chore coats and kimonos. And Carla Fernandez’s shop is amazing. It was designed by her husband, artist Pedro Reyes in Juárez. Carla makes all her pieces with communities throughout Mexico and there are always beautiful things. It’s an incredible store. (There are also great cafe’s and restaurants in the neighborhood, like Masala y Maiz.)”

Home Design & Art Galleries

We are friends with so many galleries here, and love the community so it’s hard for me to narrow down. For travelers interested in local and international contemporary art, don’t miss LABOR, Kurimanzutto, OMR (and their new offshore LAGO ALGO), Campeche and Llano.

Contact Indagare or your Indagare Trip Designer to plan your next visit to Mexico City.

Related: Read more from our Mexico City Insider series, with guides from:

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