The origins of the most glamorous and vibrant avenue in Mexico City.
At the beginning of the 20s, the Polanco colony was placed on the map as a novel area, a modern community for living. Taking advantage of the extension of Paseo Reforma, the lands comprising the Hacienda de Los Morales were divided, and what is now the quadrilateral between Masaryk Avenue (formerly Hacienda Avenue), Anatole France, Paseo de la Reforma, and Archimedes.
President Masaryk Avenue received its name during the period of former President Lázaro Cárdenas, in honor of Tomás Masaryk, the first President of Czechoslovakia. It was also during this period, that the area flourished by the arrival of the Polish, German, Lebanese, Spanish and Jewish communities that settled in this part of the city.
The first residents of Polanco arrived due to the tranquility provided by the area. Several of them moved with them their businesses that soon prospered in the community and in the busiest streets like Masaryk was. In this way, the colony was occupied by an upper-middle-class and professionals, who established a sophisticated lifestyle.
By the 1950s, the streets had witnessed the influence of various architectural styles, including the Californian and neo-colonial, which could be seen in the magnificent residences surrounded by large gardens. However, in 1960 there is a boom in buildings and apartments that will begin to change the landscape of the main streets. Thanks to this exponential growth, during this time Masaryk settled down as one of the centers of luxury and culture in Mexico.
In the early 1980s, with the economic crisis and the 1985 earthquake, Masaryk has a resurgence. Exclusive boutiques migrate to this street, establishing it as the luxury shopping center in Mexico City.
The panorama of this important avenue changes enormously with the incorporation of luxury residential complexes that modernized the area. In 2000, Prague donates a statue of President Masaryk to be placed on the avenue that bears his name.
In 2013, a major renovation was announced by the architect Bernardo Gómez Pimienta, which Masaryk structured to prioritize pedestrians, remove obstacles and change street furniture.
The annual Cushman & Wakefield list has just revealed that Masaryk is one of the most expensive streets in the world, ranking 13th. The report analyzed 448 locations in 68 markets.
The first positions are occupied by Fifth Avenue (from 49th to 60th Street) in New York, followed by Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles and Union Square in San Francisco. Globally, the list includes Causeway Bay in Hong Kong and New Bond Street in London.
Source: m.admexico.mx
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