Colonia Atlampa
Encyclopedia
Colonia Atlampa is a colonia
or neighborhood located in the Cuauhtémoc borough
, northwest of the historic center of Mexico City
. The boundaries of the area are marked by the following streets: Calzada de Nonoalco or Ricardo Flores Magón Street to the south, Circuito Interior Paseo de las Jacarandas to the north, Avenida Insurgentes Norte to the east and Circuito Interior Instituto Politécnico Industrial to the west. The neighborhood is considered lower class and working class. The name is derived from a Nahuatl
phrase meaning "where the water divides."
In the pre-Hispanic period, the Azcapotzalco and Tlalnepantla Rivers forked. At the end of the 19th century, the area was empty "potrero
s" or long mesa
s that lead towards nearby mountains. The first houses were built there around 1880, constructed by a company called FF.CC. Central Mexicano. Railroad tracks eventually crisscrossed the area, which led to a number of large factories nearby. The foundation of the area as a colonia is around 1930. Some of these railroad tracks, such as those that connect Mexico City to Cuernavaca
, still exist.
Between 2005 and 2008, the Tren Suburbano, which connects downtown Mexico City with northern suburbs was built through the colonia. During construction of the tracks, local businesses lost foot traffic and business, many permanently. Construction of the train tracks have included metal walls to prevent pedestrian and other access to the tracks. This had forced many in the neighborhood to have longer local travel times, especially as there are complaints about the safety of the pedestrian bridges. The train tracks pass by on Eje 2 Manuel González, dividing the colonia into two sections. This has made direct access to many places on the other side impossible. Pedestrian bridges tend to be high, and are accessible only to those who can climb the stairs.
The colonia extends over about 144 hectares and 45 blocks with 78 inhabitants per hectare. There are just over 2000 housing units, but many of these are tenements, and illegally built shacks. The area has problems with crime, garbage, wide scale unemployment and broken family units. Many live in shacks made of cardboard and other found materials. A large number of these are concentrated in four areas, near the rail line between Mexico City and Cuernavaca. There is one primary school, Dr. Héctor Pérez Martínez, meaning that many secondary and other school children must go to neighboring Colonia Guerrero and other places for their education.
Atlampa ranks 15th in crime in the borough, and is located next to a number of other high-crime colonias such as Colonia Peralvillo
, Tepito
, Unidad Habitacional Nonoalco-Tlatelolco
and Colonia Guerrero.The most serious crime problem is gangs of youths from 12 to 25, mostly involved in street drug sales and robbery of buses, pedestrians and businesses. One activity is the robbery of buses through the area by youth who use fake guns to threaten passengers. While this is a fairly common occurrence in the north of the city, one particular hotspot for this crime is the intersection of Eje 2 Norte Eulalia Guzman and Circuito Interior in this colonia.
Colonia (Mexico)
In general, colonias are neighborhoods in Mexican cities, which have no jurisdictional autonomy or representation. It is plausible that the name, which literally means colony, arose in the late 19th, early 20th centuries, when one of the first urban developments outside Mexico City's core was...
or neighborhood located in the Cuauhtémoc borough
Cuauhtémoc, D.F.
Cuauhtémoc, named after the former Aztec leader, is one of the 16 boroughs of the Federal district of Mexico City. It consists of the oldest parts of the city, extending over what was the entire city in the 1920s. This area is the historic and culture center of the city, although it is not the...
, northwest of the historic center of Mexico City
Historic center of Mexico City
The historic center of Mexico City is also known as the "Centro" or "Centro Histórico." This neighborhood is focused on the Zócalo or main plaza in Mexico City and extends in all directions for a number of blocks with its farthest extent being west to the Alameda Central The Zocalo is the largest...
. The boundaries of the area are marked by the following streets: Calzada de Nonoalco or Ricardo Flores Magón Street to the south, Circuito Interior Paseo de las Jacarandas to the north, Avenida Insurgentes Norte to the east and Circuito Interior Instituto Politécnico Industrial to the west. The neighborhood is considered lower class and working class. The name is derived from a Nahuatl
Nahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
phrase meaning "where the water divides."
In the pre-Hispanic period, the Azcapotzalco and Tlalnepantla Rivers forked. At the end of the 19th century, the area was empty "potrero
Potrero
-See also:*Potrero Hill, San Francisco, a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, USA*Potrero Chico, a rock climbing area in Mexico*Potrero Point, a land mass extending into San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, California*Point Potrero, Richmond, California...
s" or long mesa
Mesa
A mesa or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape....
s that lead towards nearby mountains. The first houses were built there around 1880, constructed by a company called FF.CC. Central Mexicano. Railroad tracks eventually crisscrossed the area, which led to a number of large factories nearby. The foundation of the area as a colonia is around 1930. Some of these railroad tracks, such as those that connect Mexico City to Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. It was established at the archeological site of Gualupita I by the Olmec, "the mother culture" of Mesoamerica, approximately 3200 years ago...
, still exist.
Between 2005 and 2008, the Tren Suburbano, which connects downtown Mexico City with northern suburbs was built through the colonia. During construction of the tracks, local businesses lost foot traffic and business, many permanently. Construction of the train tracks have included metal walls to prevent pedestrian and other access to the tracks. This had forced many in the neighborhood to have longer local travel times, especially as there are complaints about the safety of the pedestrian bridges. The train tracks pass by on Eje 2 Manuel González, dividing the colonia into two sections. This has made direct access to many places on the other side impossible. Pedestrian bridges tend to be high, and are accessible only to those who can climb the stairs.
The colonia extends over about 144 hectares and 45 blocks with 78 inhabitants per hectare. There are just over 2000 housing units, but many of these are tenements, and illegally built shacks. The area has problems with crime, garbage, wide scale unemployment and broken family units. Many live in shacks made of cardboard and other found materials. A large number of these are concentrated in four areas, near the rail line between Mexico City and Cuernavaca. There is one primary school, Dr. Héctor Pérez Martínez, meaning that many secondary and other school children must go to neighboring Colonia Guerrero and other places for their education.
Atlampa ranks 15th in crime in the borough, and is located next to a number of other high-crime colonias such as Colonia Peralvillo
Colonia Peralvillo
Colonia Peralvillo is a colonia located in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City, just northwest of the city’s historic center. It has been a poor area since colonial times, but the modern colonia was not established until the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
, Tepito
Tepito
Tepito is a barrio located in Colonia Morelos in the Cuauhtémoc borough of Mexico City bordered by Avenida del Trabajo, Paseo de la Reforma, Eje 1 and Eje 2. Most of the neighborhood is taken up by the colorful tianguis or open-air market. Tepito’s economy has been linked to tianguis or traditional...
, Unidad Habitacional Nonoalco-Tlatelolco
Unidad Habitacional Nonoalco-Tlatelolco
The Unidad Habitacional Nonoalco-Tlatelolco is the largest apartment complex in Mexico, located in the Cuautemoc borough of Mexico City. It was built in the 1960s by architect Mario Pani. Originally, the complex had 102 apartment buildings, with its own schools, hospitals, stores and more, to make...
and Colonia Guerrero.The most serious crime problem is gangs of youths from 12 to 25, mostly involved in street drug sales and robbery of buses, pedestrians and businesses. One activity is the robbery of buses through the area by youth who use fake guns to threaten passengers. While this is a fairly common occurrence in the north of the city, one particular hotspot for this crime is the intersection of Eje 2 Norte Eulalia Guzman and Circuito Interior in this colonia.