An update on the Roma district of Mexico City. What’s it like now?

A well-researched story today on the AP wire by David W Koop, tracing the footsteps of Kerouac & Burroughs through Mexico City, definitely worth a read for anyone heading down for a visit, or just interested in their history there 

Left to right: Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Peter Orlovsky, Gregory Corso and Lafcadio Orlovksy – Mexico City’s Alameda Park, in front of the Neptune Fountain, about which the article quotes Kerouac from Tristessa “a magnificent fountain and pool in a green park at a round O-turn in residential splendid shape of stone and glass and old grills and scrolly worly lovely majesties.”

Probably should qualify that ‘likely’ it’s Plaza Luis Cabrera. Quite possibly it’s not. We spoke with Bill Morgan who’d visited the parks around the Roma district and tried matching up the fountains with this photo. Seems the fountain sizes in Luis Cabrera are much larger, than in this snap, and houses and buildings outside the park are fairly visible from any given vantage point, which they are not in this photo. He’s pretty certain this photo was actually taken in Alameda Central, a few miles to the north east.

2 comments

  1. Interesting link, thanks for posting this. The chapter of the Beats in Mexico City is an interesting one, a formative period before they achieved renown.

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