Zona Rosa

The Zona Rosa (Pink zone) is the name used to refer to a part of Colonia Juarez in Mexico City, just south of Paseo de la Reforma. this is called the pink zone because of the pink tiles on the street today.

The area is between Paseo de la Reforma, Avenida Insurgentes, Avenida Chapultepec, and Avenidad Florencia.

During the administration of President Porfirio Diaz, the neighborhood became an important suburb of Mexico City. The mansions (called "casas porfirianas") were built in Beaux-Arts architecture. During the time between 1891 and 1902 a trolley provided transportation from this area to Chapultepec.

In the 1950s the suburb became a business, commercial, social and tourist center and most of the old houses were torn down. In the 1960s, art galleries were created with the support of artist and intellectuals such as José Luis Cuevas and Guadalupe Amor and the area received many tourists during the 1968 Summer Olympics. The cosmopolitan feature of the area attracted local and international visitors which encouraged the creation of hotels, jewelries, nightclubs, handicraft markets as well as the city's best restaurants and antique stores.

After the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, the area dramatically changed and today is better known for containing a large portion of the city's gay clubs, bars and restaurants.

Gay community
Zona Rosa is one of three areas in Mexico City where gay bars and other businesses operate, along with Plaza Garibaldi and an area on Avenida Insurgentes South. However, Zona Rosa is the largest of these and considered to be the gay community’s business center, with over 200 businesses spread over 16 blocks. The best-known businesses are bars such as Hibrido, Caberetito, El Ansia, Black Out, and B-Gay B-Proud (in English). These bars, clubs, and other entertainment places mostly cater to younger crowds and play reggaeton, psycho-punk, etc., with lasers, strobe lights and other typical decor. However, these businesses are usually marked with rainbow colored flags or other decorations on the facade. Singles and couples dance sensually and sometimes a cloud of generated smoke covers the dance floor. Touching and kissing between couples of the same sex is highly tolerated in many of these clubs. Some also have “dark rooms” where patrons can find privacy for more intimate acts. A number also have unofficial dress codes.

Zona Rosa’s annual pride parade is officially called the Marcha del Orgullo Lésbico, Gay, Bisexual, Transgénero, Travesti, Transsexual e Intersexual (LGBTTTI) (March of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transvestite, Transsexual and Intersexual Pride). It was first held in 1978 with about 300 people participating. During this event, the nightclubs, discothèques and bars of Zona Rosa fill with members of the LGBT community starting at midday. Many businesses, whether they cater to gays or not, are decorated with rainbow colored balloons, streamers and other items. Despite the crowds, police presence is not significantly heightened.

The parade usually marches along Paseo de la Reforma from Puerta de los Leones to the Glorieta de la Palma, with the entire stretch completely closed to traffic for the event. The city has even participated, offering free AIDS tests to attendees. In 2003, there were more than 20,000 participants. The 2010 march adopted the theme of "Marcha del Bicentenario, Marcha de las Libertades" (March of the Bicentennial, March of Liberties) and extended from the Angel of Independence to the Alameda Central. The march in Mexico City was paralleled in 25 other Mexican cities.