Carlos Monsiváis is an indispensable figure for understanding the intellectual and popular soul of Mexico City, and his roots in the Portales neighborhood are a living example of this. Since arriving with his family as a child, after leaving the La Merced neighborhood, he never left his home on San Simón Street. He lived there his entire life, surrounded by cats and books, observing the daily life of the neighborhood from his window, a neighborhood that shaped his thinking.
Portales was not only his home, it was also a constant source of inspiration and critical observation, and a space of emotional and political resistance. From there, he wrote about cinema, social movements, popular culture, sexual and religious minorities, all with a unique clarity and acid humor that made him an indispensable voice in contemporary Mexico. Monsiváis retained a strong sense of belonging to this working-class neighborhood, steeped in popular culture, local commerce, and community life. All this while building one of the largest personal libraries in the country, now housed in the Biblioteca de México in the Ciudadela.
Neighbors and friends still remember him as “Monsi,” a discreet but deeply loved figure. After his death in 2010, his house was filled with posters bearing farewell messages, testimony to the affection the community had for him. Today, the Colonia Portales honors his memory as one of its most illustrious inhabitants, not only for his work, but also for his way of living in the city.
We have chosen three places that we believe powerfully mark his stay in La Portales.
You should read: Discover the Portales Neighborhood Through This Community Project
