Green Spaces | Del. Benito Juárez: Family Play in Deer Park

Traveling north via taxi from our base in Delegación Coyoacán, going up the boulevard División de Norte (Divsion of the North, named after Pancho Villa's army in the Revolution,1910-1917), on our way towards Centro, and shortly after passing under the Río Churubusco expressway, we pass by a fairly large, tree-filled park. It looks inviting, so we tell ouselves that someday we should pay it a visit.

So one Sunday afternoon, we call a cab and head up Division del Norte. Passing under the expressway, we enter Delegación (Borough) Benito Juárez. Within a few minutes, we arrive at the park. Getting out, and stepping onto the sidewalk, we immediately discover that we are in the midst of another type of "traffic". A number of various kinds of small vehicles carrying Mexican family members of all ages are traveling along the wide sidewalk.

Out for a Sunday Drive

Peddle cart

Electric "jeep"

    

Clearly, everyone is having a great time. But pedestrians best keep ¡Ojo!, an eye out. 

What's In a Name?

At the northwest corner of the park, we spy a large statue and walk up to investigate.

General Francisco Villa
Head of the Division of the North

It is a statue of General Francisco "Pancho" Villa. As it turns out, the park is officially named after him. But everyone calls it by a different name.

Statue of a "deer",
which acutally looks like an elk.

The park, we learn, is known as Parque de los Venados, Park of the Deer, or Deer Park. Why? Apparently because, for some unknown reason, a statue of a deer was placed in the middle. To us, who lived surrounded, at times overrun, by white tail deer in Connecticut, it looks like a western elk.

Walking along one of the paths crossing the park, we discover there are even other forms of rides.

Many Ways to Move

"Are you sure this is safe?"

"Really sure?"

       

       

On the east side of the park, there are rides that don't go anywhere, juegos mecanicos, amusement park-type rides.

Going for a "Sunday ride" seems to be the predominant form of play for family members, but there are other activities.

                   

Fun for Sale

There are also the vendors one finds in any Mexican plaza or park.

Get your picture taken with Batman!

A Green Thought in a Green Shade

Others, as in parks everywhere, are just resting in the shade.

                 

A Mexican Family Sunday

So "Deer Park" is a park full of families. Clearly, this is a place to come on Sunday, the one day off for many Mexican workers, to have some fun riding around the park in all kinds of ways, teach your kids how to ride trikes and bikes, maybe buy a big, colorful balloon, or just relax and watch others pass by. It's a real window into Mexican family life.

Delegación Benito Juárez
is the bright yellow area in the center-north of the City.
South of Cuauhtémoc, (tan) site of Centro
and north of Coyoacán (purple)

Colonias of Delegación Benito Juárez

Parque de los Venados, Deer Park
is marked by the green and yellow star.
It sits in the northwest corner of Colonia Portales Norte (red area).

Avenida División del Norte is the diagonal, southeast to northwest line just to the park's west.