Colonia Buenavista
Encyclopedia
Colonia Buenavista is a colonia
or neighborhood in the Cuauhtémoc borough
located northwest of the historic center of Mexico City
. It has historically been a train terminal, and still is as the southern terminal of the Tren Suburbano commuter rail. The colonia is also home to the offices of the Cuautémoc borough and the mega José Vasconcelos Library
.
The colonia is best known as a hub of transportation, with the offices of the Cuauhtémoc borough and Telecommunications Commission also located here. Metro Buenavista
is located here, near the Mexico City terminal of the Tren Suburbano commuter railway. This train brings workers into the downtown area from as far as the northern city of Cuautitlán
in Mexico State.
Another landmark is the Vasconcelos Library (Biblioteca Vasconcelos), which is a tall glass building which contrasts noticeably with the surrounding area. It was inaugurated in 2006 with a collection of over 575,000 books, multimedia, and music. It is open to the public with 640 computers, multimedia room, music room, children’s section, Braille
material section and film library. The library attracts an average of 3,000 visitors daily.
. This building is now the Museo Nacional de San Carlos
. This plaza maintains a number of arches from the Santa Fe Aqueduct, which brought water into the city.
During the 18th century, the area was filed with large orchards and gardens that stretched to what is now the Calzada de San Cosme. By 1871, the aqueduct was no longer used and crumbling and the city decided to sell the lands. Part of it was purchased by the Ferrocarril Mexicano
, which opened Buenavista Street to provide better access to the nearby train terminal. This terminal began operations in 1873, and son became known as the Buenavista station. This terminal reached its height at the very beginning of the 20th century.
The station and the rail system in general waned as a nationwide highway system developed in the 20th century. The station was closed in 1958, in order to build a newer station nearby. The old station was demolished and the lands it was on began to be urbanized, extending Buenavista Street north to Avenida Central and adding new streets such as Aldama and Violeta. The offices of the Cuauhtemoc borough were constructed here in the 1970s.
In the 1990s, the Ferrocarriles Nacionales was sold into private hands and operations in Buenavista ceased in September 1999. The Buenavista station closed and only some cargo freight currently passes through the area. It was replaced by the Buenavista station of the Tren Suburbano which became operational in 2008. It and the library have spurred much changed in the colonia. While some of it has been positive, such as investment in new and existing businesses, some negative such as walled off areas that have attracted crime. The goal of the development projects have been to revitalize the area which had deteriorated badly since the closing of the rail yards in the 20th century.
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 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...
located 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...
. It has historically been a train terminal, and still is as the southern terminal of the Tren Suburbano commuter rail. The colonia is also home to the offices of the Cuautémoc borough and the mega José Vasconcelos Library
José Vasconcelos Library
Mexico City's José Vasconcelos Library, labeled by the press as the "Megabiblioteca" , is considered a controversial and also the largest investment in infrastructure in the Vicente Fox administration. It is dedicated to José Vasconcelos, the former philosopher, presidential candidate and president...
.
Description
The boundaries of the colonia are marked by the following streets: Avenida Puente del Alvarado to the south, Calzada de Nonoalco or Flores Magón to the north, Eje Guerrero to the east and Avenida Insurgentes North to the west.The colonia is best known as a hub of transportation, with the offices of the Cuauhtémoc borough and Telecommunications Commission also located here. Metro Buenavista
Metro Buenavista
Metro Buenavista is a station on the Mexico City Metro, in the Colonia Buenavista neighborhood of the Cuauhtémoc borough. It is the southwestern terminal station of Line B . It also offers connections to the Insurgentes Metrobús bus rapid transit line.The station logo represents the front of an...
is located here, near the Mexico City terminal of the Tren Suburbano commuter railway. This train brings workers into the downtown area from as far as the northern city of Cuautitlán
Cuautitlán
Cuautitlán is a city and municipality in the State of Mexico, just north of the northern tip of the Federal District within the Greater Mexico City urban area. The city has engulfed most of the municipality, making the two synonymous...
in Mexico State.
Another landmark is the Vasconcelos Library (Biblioteca Vasconcelos), which is a tall glass building which contrasts noticeably with the surrounding area. It was inaugurated in 2006 with a collection of over 575,000 books, multimedia, and music. It is open to the public with 640 computers, multimedia room, music room, children’s section, Braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
material section and film library. The library attracts an average of 3,000 visitors daily.
History
The name of the colonia is from a former owner of the lands here, Miguel Pérez de Santa Cruz Andoboya, the Marquis of Buenavista, who was the mayor of Mexico City three times during the 1710s and 1720s. The mansion of the marquis was located in front of the small plaza which is on Avenida Puente de Alvarado, near the current offices of the Institutional Revolutionary PartyInstitutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
. This building is now the Museo Nacional de San Carlos
Museo Nacional de San Carlos
The Museo Nacional de San Carlos is a Mexican national art museum devoted to European art, located in the Cuauhtémoc borough in Mexico City. The museum is housed in the Palacio del Conde de Buenavista, a neoclassical building at Puente de Alvarado No. 50, Colonia Tabacalera, Mexico City...
. This plaza maintains a number of arches from the Santa Fe Aqueduct, which brought water into the city.
During the 18th century, the area was filed with large orchards and gardens that stretched to what is now the Calzada de San Cosme. By 1871, the aqueduct was no longer used and crumbling and the city decided to sell the lands. Part of it was purchased by the Ferrocarril Mexicano
Mexican Railway
The Mexican Railway was one of the primary pre-nationalization railways of Mexico. Incorporated in London in September 1864 as the Imperial Mexican Railway to complete an earlier project, it was renamed in July 1867 after the Second French Empire withdrew from Mexico...
, which opened Buenavista Street to provide better access to the nearby train terminal. This terminal began operations in 1873, and son became known as the Buenavista station. This terminal reached its height at the very beginning of the 20th century.
The station and the rail system in general waned as a nationwide highway system developed in the 20th century. The station was closed in 1958, in order to build a newer station nearby. The old station was demolished and the lands it was on began to be urbanized, extending Buenavista Street north to Avenida Central and adding new streets such as Aldama and Violeta. The offices of the Cuauhtemoc borough were constructed here in the 1970s.
In the 1990s, the Ferrocarriles Nacionales was sold into private hands and operations in Buenavista ceased in September 1999. The Buenavista station closed and only some cargo freight currently passes through the area. It was replaced by the Buenavista station of the Tren Suburbano which became operational in 2008. It and the library have spurred much changed in the colonia. While some of it has been positive, such as investment in new and existing businesses, some negative such as walled off areas that have attracted crime. The goal of the development projects have been to revitalize the area which had deteriorated badly since the closing of the rail yards in the 20th century.