TO SAY THAT Mexico City is having “a moment” undermines the city’s prowess as one of the world’s cultural powerhouses, both past and present. I moved here from Argentina nearly six years ago, drawn by the same qualities that have been luring creatives for the past century: the culture, the thriving Indigenous traditions, and the art. The city is an oasis for artists, which is evident from the design movements by the likes of architect Luis Barragán and artist Frida Kahlo, and from artists who immigrated to Mexico and left their mark, from the architect Mario Pani, who helped create the modern cityscape we see today, to the surrealist painter Leonora Carrington, who once lived in the Roma Norte neighborhood.

I believe Mexico City is the most interesting, most promising city in the Americas right now. It’s having more than a passing moment of growth and development; if anything, what’s occurring can be seen as just the next stage of a continuous evolution. Beyond its appeal as an epicenter of art, the city is finally receiving the mainstream recognition it deserves for its culture, design, gastronomy, and more. I see it every day in the bounty of eateries that continue to burst forth, each celebrating the pantheon of Mexican ingredients that span centuries of knowledge and tradition, as well as in the art world, where pre-Hispanic motifs stand the test of time and offer a sense of rootedness and continuity that simply cannot be found or felt anywhere else on Earth. Likewise, the design hotel scene is booming, a movement that began around a decade ago and is now hitting its stride. Each of the design properties in this list serves as a gateway to explore the city’s bounds.