Region
The famous Lagunilla of Mexico City is the most traditional flea market in the city. This flea market takes place every week and is attended by a variety of individuals, from antique dealers, to city dwellers and tourists in search for antiques (“antigüedades” in spanish).
Historically, everyone in Mexico City has at least once in his lifetime heard the phrase: “I bought it in la Lagunilla flea market”. There is even an anecdote according to which Guillermo González Camarena, the famous Mexican engineer who invented the color television, strolled the second hand booths of Tepito flea market and La Lagunilla flea market, looking for parts that allowed him to build his first video camera in 1934.
La Lagunilla is the equivalent of a car boot sale, selling everything you could possibly think of: Knock-off Nike shoes, pirated DVDs, TVs from the back of a truck, candy, ice creams, cheap jewelry, tin, brass, bronze animals, tableware blown glass, paper flowers and plastic blocks, belts, wallets, purses, and other leather goods, toys, glass lamps, guitars and all sorts of bric-à-brac.
However, in the wide calle de Rayón, between Allende and Comonfort, visitors may find the most extraordinary stalls of used and second hand items, which attracts thousands of visitors and prospective buyers, especially antique connoisseurs and tourists. This is where the most varied antique goods and vintage memorabilia are sold: platters, plates and antique ceramic vases, Spanish, French and English porcelain; candlesticks and other objects made of silver and bronze; lamps, and glass paperweights boroughs; furniture of various styles (Louis XV, Colonial, Chippendale), rugs, cutlery, fountain pens, old weapons, phonographs, radios, vintage telephones; crucibles, glass apothecary jars and tools of all kinds; iron plates, spurs, stirrups and pommel; old banknotes and coins.
La Lagunilla is a place where, in one way or another, people sympathize as Mexicans and foreigners, regardless of their status as everyone goes to La Lagunilla either by necessity or eccentricity.
Santiago Pelayo
30th October 2015 at 14:50La Lagunilla market is a fantastic place for those looking for furniture, clothing, toys, records, books, and accessories from the Twentieth century. Since La Lagunilla is surrounded by Mexico City’s dodgiest neighborhoods, unless you are a punk, DO NOT do this on your own if you do not speak Spanish.
Another thing you need to know: you can’t expect a taxi driver to know what you are looking for. La Lagunilla is a huge area and there are many markets known as La Lagunilla Markets there. I strongly recommend you take the metro, but if you want to go by taxi (make sure you call a taxi company and don’t take one from the street), you want to go to ‘Mercado de Antiguedades’ (Antiques Market). This is very important or you will be dropped somewhere else. Corner of Francisco González Bocanegra and Paseo de la Reforma Norte, Mexico DF
Evan Carroll
6th November 2015 at 14:45Looking for a shopping adventure? Come here. Street vendors overtake the city over an expansive area. For hours I walked by street vendors along sidewalks selling just about everything. One major section contains a maze of market stalls under plastic tarps; the place is so expansive that I was lost here for an hour. I had a lot of fun.
Geraldo Aguas
21st January 2016 at 14:43Hay muchísimas cosas y lugares que ver, los precios son súper accesibles.
Se encuentran los mercados de ropa, donde venden trajes, conjuntos, ropa para eventos religiosos, disfraces, vestidos de 15 años; el mercado de varios por otra parte cuenta con artículos de decoración, antigüedades, pinturas, esculturas, lámparas, tiendas de todo para el bebé, muebles y un sinfín de artículos para el hogar y más; sin contar con que es el centro del mueble de la ciudad por excelencia, donde se pueden encontrar marcas reconocidas como: San Remo, El
Mueble Perfecto, La Michoacana, Beledi, Antigua Galeria, Nasser y muchas marcas más…
Andres Sotomayor
25th April 2016 at 14:46Aight’ for all the tourist who don’t do ’em homework when traveling…. The Lagunilla is hood with plenty of markets, just like it’s next door hood Tepito. This is the main market where you’ll find mostly food, there’s three other markets where they sell wedding dresses, furniture and shoes. The “antique” street market is put on only on Sundays from 10 am till 6 pm depending on the weather. You’ll find from antiques, micheladas, clothing and lots more in a young chilled atmosphere.
Winston Thompson
7th July 2016 at 14:48I recently returned to La Lagunilla Flea / Antique market after more than a decade and I’m happy to say it was just as fascinating. There’s a very open, safe, neighbourhood feeling to the scene. I found wonderful things at very good prices. I bought furniture and the seller was most co-operative in delivering it to my friend’s home in Mexico City. I also took away jewellery, vintage Mexican ceramics and a name-brand leather handbag. The sellers are generally knowledgeable about their wares but like any open-air market, revise products carefully. There is something totally authentic about this experience, not another exclusively tourist destination. I’ll be back on my next visit to Mexico City.