The coolest Latino neighborhoods in America

As one of the oldest neighborhoods in San Francisco, Mission District is a hub for the city’s Latino community. Visit Mission Murals at Balmy Alley (between 24th and 25th Sts, and Treat and Harrison St). The activist artwork began showing up in the mid-’80s as a protest against human rights violations and political corruption in Central America. The Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts is located a few blocks away. Expect various exhibits and workshops in theater, music and dance. The neighborhood is home to Carnaval San Francisco, California’s largest and longest-running multicultural celebration. More than 400,000 attendees show up for the free, two-day festival where more than 60 performers from Brazil, Mexico, Panama, Bolivia, Cuba, Peru, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Trinidad & Tobago, Guatemala and El Salvador are represented.

Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood stands out as one of the city’s most vibrant areas, brimming with history and Cuban culture. The neighborhood is decked out with murals by local artists and ventanitas (walk-up coffee shops), and music is heard throughout. Visit Domino Park to play dominos with locals or watch from afar. Little Havana is home to Calle Ocho Music Festival, a 15-block Latino music, art and food fest—the largest in the nation. Plus, the neighborhood has served as the backdrop to popular TV shows, such as Jane the Virgin, Griselda, Ballers and Dexter. Don’t miss a stop at Dos Croquetas, the family-owned business providing a modern flair to traditional Cuban cuisine, or Ball & Chain, the historic bar and live music venue dating back to the 1930s.

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The Texan city is home to one of the largest Day of the Dead festivities in the U.S., a vibrant downtown full of history (the Alamo!) and a beautiful riverwalk, but its West Side is the enclave for Latino culture. An iconic piece of this neighborhood is the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, home to the country’s largest Latinx Film Festival, a folklorico dance company and the iconic Virgin of Guadalupe mosaic Veladora (giant votive candle). Pro tip: swing by La Pandaería for pan dulce before or after exploring the West Side.

Little Village, known as the “Mexican Capital of the Midwest,” is a thriving business district (second only to Chicago’s ritzy Magnificent Mile). Shop at Dulcelandia, the biggest importer of piñatas in the region, or stop by Moreno’s Liquor, one of the nation’s highest sellers of tequila. The neighborhood is marked by an iconic arch, which was given landmark status in 2022. A short 10-minute drive is Pilsen, the arts and culture counterpart to Little Village, where you’ll find the National Museum of Mexican Art. Visit the free museum and head down the street to 5 Rabanitos Restaurante & Taqueria for a deliciously authentic lunch. The neighborhood has experienced rapid gentrification, but local vendors and long-time residents continue to fight to preserve its history.

Head to Boyle Heights for a walk through Mariachi Plaza (so called for its heavy population of mariachis in the area) and for some of the city’s best Mexican food, including Taqueria Los Anaya, El Tepeyac Cafe and Al & Bea’s. Every month, Mariscos Maria’s hosts MidCity Mercado, a pop-up market celebrating small businesses and artists. Taco stands can always be stopped under the I-10 overpass, such as Tacos 5 y 10, where they make tortillas on the spot and grill meats on charcoal. Stop at Bodega R Ranch for their paletas, pan and blue tortillas.

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Oak Cliff is at the heart of Dallas’s Mexican-American and Mexican immigrant communities. The neighborhood is home to Mercado369, a gallery showcasing Latin American creators, the historic Texas Theatre and the Oak Cliff Cultural Center—a short walk from Xamán Café, where you’ll want to try the cafe de olla and agua de chocolate. Within walking distance is Hola Café, a tiny but chic space for Honduran-inspired offerings. Be sure to shop at ABC Party HQ for Mexican-inspired cultural items. And don’t miss CocoAndré Chocolatier & Horchateria, purveyors of fancy chocolates in unique flavors such as mole, tequila and dulce de leche.

Nicknamed “Little Dominican Republic,” Washington Heights has the highest population of Dominicans outside of the D.R. itself. The bustling neighborhood is full of natural beauty and is seated atop upper Manhattan—offering stunning views of the Hudson River. The neighborhood, immortalized in Lin Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights, is a special place filled with gorgeous parks, incredible food and community pride that’s best experienced at La Plaza de Las Americas and the Hispanic Society Museum & Library.

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Houston’s oldest neighborhood is a lively and diverse district renowned for being the city’s largest hub for Mexican and Latino culture. The art-filled neighborhood boasts the most outdoor murals in the city. It’s also home to Talento Bilingüe de Houston, a cultural center promoting Latino arts and culture through performances, exhibits and educational programs. Get a taste of Mexico right at La Fisheria, popular for its seafood, or go to Xochi for Oaxacan-made moles and tlayudas.

Unsurprisingly, this California neighborhood deeply connects to Mexican culture—it’s less than a one-hour drive from the Mexican border. During your time in Barrio Logan, explore more than 80 murals at Chicano Park; have a beer at Latino-owned Border X Brewing (with flavors such as Horchata Golden Stout and a blood Saison inspired by the hibiscus flower popular in Mexican drinks); and grab an horchata cold brew at Por Vida. Make time to explore the art at Bread & Salt, a former commercial bakery warehouse turned art gallery showcasing predominately Latin American art.

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Spain’s colonial roots run deep in Albuquerque, where Spanish, Mexican, Native American and American cultures intersect. The neighborhood is home to the National Hispanic Cultural Center and the South Broadway Cultural Center, which present exhibitions, lectures, book readings, performing arts and educational programming where Hispanic, Chicano and Latino creators showcase their work. Here in South Valley/Barelas, you’ll find some of the state’s best New Mexican cuisine, including the enchiladas at Barelas Coffee House—a must when visiting the area.