There’s a reason why I’ve never discussed the District Phenomenon in Bogotá – you know, the strange way this city concentrates all of the shops selling one item in just one place – because I’ve come to accept it. And it’s never previously caused me any emotional distress.
Of course, when I needed a lamp, I went to the Lamp District – that mecca of lighting where 20 or more lamp shops converge, leaving the rest of the city entirely lamp free. It was quite nice. I saw the same lamp in five adjoining shops before I got tired, bought my lamp and went home.
Similarly, when I wanted a new leather jacket, I went to the Leather District – although I’ve since discovered the Leather District is a bit like the lost city of Atlantis. I know it’s somewhere on August 7th Avenue, but I keep being unable to find it and am too embarrassed to take a taxi. I suspect it’s always just around the corner, taunting me like a near-yet-so-far paradise with all its leather jackets and brightly coloured handbags.
Friends laugh about the Screw District too (that’s the hardware folks, nothing raunchy) and the Uniform District, where you can buy chef jackets and cleaner coats in every colour.
So now I see why I’ve never described the District Phenomenon. People from Europe, the United States, Australia, Canada etc. could never believe, without first hand experience, that an eight million-strong capital city could be organised in such a way. That we have a Printing District and a Wig District and an Office Furniture District and the only way to find the district you need is to ask around, because, of course, no-one has ever mapped them all out.
I mentioned this to a Colombian friend once. “Don’t you think it’s weird, you know, that all the shops selling one thing are in one place?” I ventured. “No,” he replied, looking surprised. “It’s completely logical. It means you always know where to go.”
Hmmmm. I may never have written about the District Phenomenon, but I’ve certainly always explained it carefully to people who are even newer in this city than me (Sometimes people write to ask me for advice on life in Bogotá. I know! Apparently my make-it-up-as-you-go-along-and-don’t-tell-anyone-if-it-goes-wrong approach is not immediately obvious on this blog)
But it’s weird right? No-one ever believes you and then there they are, a week later, saying: “I need a new fridge… do you know where the White Goods District is?” or “I need to practice my Spanish, do you know where the Book District lies?” And somehow we figure it all out.
I’ve recently moved house – again – to a nice place; central location, good price, TV, internet, apparent lack of weirdos. But it’s made my friends laugh because, yes, I’ve moved to the Mariachi District. Not that I mind. My walks home in the twilight are now punctured by the sight of faux-Mexican singers who, like ladies of the night, tout their fares until eventually a desperate husband picks one up and carts him home to serenade apologies to his wife.
(I hate to digress, but I’m a bit obsessed by the mariachis – particularly as they never seem to expect anyone to hire them, hence the streets are littered with men in ornate white suits and sombreros, clutching huge guitars as they smoke and fight with their girlfriends. Their lack of employment gives the neighbourhood a whiff of dejection that can only be likened to the sight of a circus clown slumped in a gutter, with smeared make-up and a wonky red nose)
No, I only became truly devastated by the Bogotá District Phenomenon when I realised I’d inadvertently moved next door to the Pet Shop District. Yes, there they all are – 40 pet shops (I’ve counted) all in a row and all, without fail, offering some kind of cute puppy – generally behind glass – to whichever soft-hearted, dog-loving English girl happens to be walking past.
I’ve seen Labradors, Dalmations, even a German Shepherd – already far too big to be spending his days smearing a glass window with his nose as he gazes longingly at the Transmilenio. There are kittens too, fish and birds, but it’s the puppies, so many puppies, some with unknown breeds, others with breeds I can’t even pronounce.
Besides the fact I’d very much love a dog in my life, I loathe the Pet Shop District because I hate seeing them behind glass, weeing and chewing and fighting each other for goodness knows how many hours a day. I know Bogotanos are dog-loving folk so I suspect this puppy-in-a-display-cabinet onslaught is all part of some evil sales technique.
Well it’s working. I can never leave the house with spare cash again.
So I was hoping to make my first million by ending all the fun and creating and selling the first Bogotá District Phenomenon Map. But now I might have to erase the Pet Shop District from history. And, while I’m at it, I can subtely delete any other dangerously tempting districts out there. We don’t have a Chocolate and Red Wine District … do we?
Like this? You’ll love Colombia a comedy of errors.
Banana Skin Flip Flops 
Have you seen the paper guillotine district, near to La Perseveracia, and the Overalls district? They are rocking!
Do you want to help me with my map – considering I didn’t even have room to mention the Art and Framing District (aka Galerias) and the Flower District (erm, Flores) After long and careful thought I have concluded this is the most nuts thing about this city – where else has a PAPER GUILLOTINE DISTRICT?!
What made me laugh out loud even more than your article was mentioning that you now live ‘in the mariachi district’ to my bf – he said ‘oh in Chapinero?’ …..WTF? He didn’t even blink at the existence of a MARIACHI DISTRICT *and* he knows where it is??? I only recently managed to accept the ‘similar shops grouped together’ system and now you tell me it includes ‘men wandering around in similar clothes and accents grouped together’ too? This city just got a whole lot more loca 😀
Hee hee, we’ll have to find a way to pass by safely one night (the only time I’ve seen it in its full, full glory was passing in a friend’s car, because obviously more come out the later it gets – but it’s hardly a street you would choose for a midnight stroll) It is quite a spectacle!
you live near a place called “bermudas triangle” at night is not very safe. Take care!
Thank you, but I am very risk averse. The only reason there are no pictures of mariachis here is that I don’t trust anyone not to steal my camera – even guys hampered by gold fringed outfits and large bulky musical instruments!
They are known locally as the Mariachi Mafia 😀
There is something strangely intimidating about men with big sombrerios and tight trousers hanging around in small groups in the street
The map is an excellent idea. I offer to find someone who can illustrate it. Zoe, update your blog please 🙂
Diego – dedicated to you 😉
http://lablogotana.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-village-el-pueblo.html
Thank you Zoe, I´m new to the Bogota´s blog circle and I´m hooked. Can you really see chickens near a bus stop? That´s sad, wait, no, its cool, no sad, hum
Fantastico! Don’t forget these Districts: Arts and Crafts in Chapinero, Auto Repair is Santa Fe (a bit dodgy), mens wear, shoes, dried fruits and nuts, musical instruments, cooking supplies and lechona (perhaps the strangest so far!), and others that I will have to get back to you on. The Districts are one of the things Toby and I love about Bogota. But, now I can see, how skewed it all seems. And I agree, the Pet Shop District is heart wrenching and we avoid it…but one day we didn’t and I had to summon all of my will power!
Then there is Palaquemo, which is like a mini-district where you can find stalls and vendors selling fresh fruits, veg, herbs, spices, flowers, fish/seafood, eggs, dairy for a fraction of what the shop sell them at.
Some time ago our friend Christopher Burke wrote this article all about this Districts (how could I forget Eyeglasses or Custom Made Furniture?): http://blog.gale.com/speakingglobally/the-view-from-here/a-view-from-colombia-entrepreneurial-spirit/
Loved Christopher’s article, I’ve not been to the Opticians District before and will be now!
Great article. As Colombians, we didn’t actually realized about the district phenomenon until you wrote about it. Here is a few suggestions for your map (which by the way is a great idea): Curtains district (a bit sparsely distributed along Carrera 17 between Calle 53 and Calle 60. Mattresses district (Around 7th of August, north of calle 63), Musical instruments (Carrera 7a between calles 57 and 60… we love this place BTW), Christmas decorations district (All along Calle 53 between carrera 15 to carrera 24… This are is just coming alive in September and it is beautiful at night…), and finally the Opticians district (calle 51 to calle 54 between carreras 15 and 16… good place to get descent quality glasses for less)…. these are just some we came up with on a quick mental review… most of these are not far from your new place at Marichi district 😉
The Christmas District! A favourite! Generally the 53 is a gem…
But this is how all European cities used to be organised centuries ago! Presumably, the Spanish exported the idea to South America and in Colombia (only) it stuck?
Some friends in London have rolled their eyes because obviously we have Fleet Street (formerly home to the national newspapers) Bond Street (jewellery) Carnaby Street (fashion) Harley Street (doctors) and Saville Row (tailoring) – however it is the specificness of Bogota that gets you – it’s not hardware, it’s screws. It’s not art, it’s painting. It’s not fashion, it’s leather. It’s not stationery, it’s paper guillotines.
Apparently there are random districts in other major South American cities too but having explored many of these, the scale and range is nowhere near that of Bogota…
Mmm more than half of the world has the district phenomenon.. Seem to me that u discovered warm water hermano jejeje
By the way thanks for the map
Examples please 🙂
Districts are OK so long as your have variety, BUT what I have found is that you have a lot of stores selling the exact same product. Now please tell me what sane and rational business person would open a store, next to another to sell the SAME THING ? Is this business Colombian style ? I was in the ceramic tile district and this was VERY depressing. Same products in all the stores !! How depressing !!
This is the great debate. Against the idea is the competition which you would assume damages your sales and drives down prices. For the idea is the ease of price fixing, shared possibilities for delivery and the fact 100% of potential customers will be in or near your store because they only have one place to go!
When I was in the big B and had some great shoes made, we also had to go to the skin and hide district. And of course to get some laces, we had to go another place. It really took me by surprise, and I guess I have never stopped thinking about it (alas latently) until this post! Thanks! Now I feel like I have been to Bogotá again 😉
Great blog, and cheers from Denmark.
My favorite such districts were in Hanoi. The most memorable: the stuffed animal district and the little birds shoved headfirst into an emptied soda can, with their feet sticking out, which were then roasted district
Great idea. I will buy your map and you will be rich. Don’t forget la zona de tolerencia…Santa Fe. Not that I will go, but just to be complete.
You can add the Shoes District in the Restrepo neighborhood. And the electronic components district in the carrera 9 between the 19 and 22 streets and in chapinero near the SENA building in the 65 street wih carrera 13, a lot of engineering students go there. Also the car parts district near the 7th August.
I’m living in BsAs, it has a leather district in Murillo street and another one in Florida street. Also you could find here the “theaters district” in Corrientes street. I think BA has the district phenomen too.
By the way are you going anytime to Boyaca (Paipa, Villa de Leyva, Raquira, Corrales, etc, etc…)? I suggest you going there in December.
Sounds like you have moved very near me, I live about 5 minutes walk from the pet district. You will be pleased to know that my business partner goes round the pet shops a few times a week, berating any owners that do not put enough water in with the animals. Woe betide anyone who does not keep the cages clean!!
You could not possibly know how pleased I am to hear that and will be looking out for anyone acting in such a manner! 🙂
Awesome post! Hadn’t really thought about it in terms of districts. Anyway, it turns out there’s a new double-decker tour bus service in Bogotá that I discovered just today! I haven’t been on yet, but looks promising! It goes through some of the districts. http://www.turisbog.com/index_eng.php Let me know if you need any help with the map! I am all about maps! Pet district is a shame and no self-respecting rolo should buy there. However, the store Agrocampo at Caracas and 73 (at the pet district) is an amazing legitimate store for any pet supplies! Thanks and keep up the great work!
A double-decker tourist bus?! Is it open top? I have to try it out although I’m not sure asphyxiating our tourists or driving them past miles of carpet tile shops is really showing the city’s best face… although I guess the chaos is all part of the charm!
Not sure if it’s open top…. looks like it on the website! I think at least it’s an effort to invest in tourism in Bogotá, and we’ll have to see how it works out. It’s unfortunate that the streets in La Candelaria are so narrow, because the bus won’t be able to go through them… And the chaos… i don’t know, I guess time will tell if the experience of the double-decker is good in Bogotá
Strangely I have been told that double decker buses are illegal in Colombia after a string of accidents, I guess I was mis-informed. It wouldn’t be the first time
I’ve never seen one and, now you’ve flagged it up, I wouldn’t go on a normal double decker either – imagine that flying down the 53! I expect the tourist bus will be nice and sedate… until it gets cut up by a few frantic colectivos anyway!
I think we may owe it to ourselves to go on one of this buses (see route here http://www.turisbog.com/turisbog_info_eng.php?recordID=1) and live the experience in Bogotá, as with everything in this city: With a pinch of bravery, a bit of hope and a very open mind! And then come back and report!
Okay, you convinced me. I’ll write to them and see what the deal is! I get palpitations every time I leave Bogota so city-based activities are completely fine with me!
P.s Loved your comment by the way. They should have that sign up at El Dorado: “Welcome to Bogota. Please ensure you have remembered all personal belongings including a pinch of bravery, a bit of hope and a very open mind. Gracias.”
Totally Agree, I have done the Turistren, it is only right I do the Turisbus
Hahahaha, that would be a hoot! Bogotá can drive you crazy for sure, but it still has so much to offer! I did write a two-part Bogotá travel basics post (http://www.culturaltravelguide.com/tag/bogota) that may help. Seriously, if you ever decide to do the district map, count on me for help. I have never seen anything like that ever, and I’ve lived here all my life! It would be quite useful!
I think I’m going to try. I can collate the data from everything I’ve been sent but need an artist or a designer to draw the map!
I offered to get someone to design an illustration but I got ignored 😉
Hahaha… you weren’t ignored! Zoe is now writing a post and I thought of you when I wrote that! Tell your designer to get in touch – we can sell them at the book fair!
Well, I am a designer, if we could get a royalty free map that we could adapt, then maybe we could do it! And I just realized, about the money exchange district! It’s just one place, the Hacienda Santa Barbara mall!
I´m kidding 🙂 well, Carolina is a designer, we could work together. I was thinking about those leaflets one is given in tourist offices about a city, for walks, museums, etc. I could ask around and see if she can do one for us. She will charge of course but I take care of that. She probably will ask for maps of Bogotá, etc., as she is not bogotana, and I´ve been only twice, and many years ago. I guess it has to be a team effort. Once the illustration is done then we are going to need to design the brochure/leaflet itself. That´s what I can think of at the moment. But we can discuss more ideas of course.
Well, sounds like a plan to me! That would be awesome!
Yes, do we need to verify all these boroughs? I think we need a planning meeting in Juan Valdez … I’m sure I can nudge Banana Skin Flip Flops to sponsor it 🙂
there’s also a military supplies district (jackets, boots, bags, etc) near the town hall. And many fast food districts all over the city (especially Calle 116 con autopista; Calle 53 con 8, between many others). There’s another district where university students go to print their papers, essays or homeworks or buy any kind of relevant supply for their studies. These shops are open 24/7 (Calle 98 con cra 15). In fact, after reading your post, these are the few districts that I can think of, taking into account that there are loooooots of them. As a rolo, I’ve never thought about that, which may suggest that an external mind can have many interesting analyses about Bogotá. Finally, the mother of every district could be San Andresito. Keep it up your mapping idea, that could be fun and useful.
Well, cool! Let me send you a private message with my email address!
Great, put something on the facebook page so I know who you are and anyone else who wants to get involved and I’ll link everyone together 🙂
http://www.facebook.com/bananaskinflipflops or the picture with all the faces on the right… 🙂
For those who are serious about the map-making thing (I’d help but I think you’ve got everything covered already – I’ll be your first customer though!) have you heard about http://www.kickstarter.com/?
Zoe, I tried kickstarter, my project didn´t work out but many do. I think is a good idea. I think we should have an idea of what we want to do with the map. Is there a crowdfunding platform in Colombia?
Fantastic. It toom me moving out of Bogota to realize that districts existed and that I knew how to navgate them without being aware of their existence. Now I really wish that Boston had districts just like Bogota has. Other much missed shopping convenience amenities that may be unique to Bogota are the Panamericana (hopefully it still exists); where else in the planet can you buy cartulina and plastilina at midnight if need be. (And necessity does strike. I remember, as a child, waking up in the middle of the night to wake my parents to ask them for a ride to Panamericana because I had forgotten to buy some school supply I needed for the next day. Panamericana was always open and always there.)
The other shopping-related thing I’ve come to believe over the years when I return to Bogota is that no other city in the work has more malls per capita than Bogota. Every time I return is not only the city bigger but it turns out that there are four or five new and huge malls that didn’t exist in my previous visit all of them clad with a huge multiplex cinema, of course.
Awwww, the pet shop district would kill me. My first house here was right opposite a pet shop and I’d constantly see posters in the windows from people selling litters of puppies and kittens = So tempting!!!
I like the idea of there being different districts for the same kinds of things. It would definitely make it SO much easier.
The Leather District: the north block next to the San Victorino square. just get out in the Av. Jimenez station and you’ll find a sort of mall (centro comercial) full of small shops selling leather articles. its mixed with articles for sewing, but its there. and dont get confused, because along the Av. Caracas is the district for leather articles related to horse riding.
Being a bogotano has taught me lots of things, but one of them is that there is always a copy of a district somewhere else in city and its probably cheaper.
I really like the idea of the map, I happen to deal with that sort of things in my profession, I would be very happy to help you with that project if you like!
other districts:
fisherman’s articles
I-repare-your-camping-stuff district
carpenter district
religious articles district
emeralds
the book district exists!!
tractor parts districts..
and so on…
there are a bicycle district, and not just one, there are 3 of them in the city. the first one is in cll 68, between kr 30 and 27, here you find imported bicycles, most of the road and montain bikes, now there are making customized bikes and even fixies. the second one is in cll 13 between 24 and 19, here you find colombian frames (most of them crapy ones) in this district is where parents come in december to buy the christmas present. And the third one is in av cali wuth americas, here you find the most crappy bikes with the cheaper parts for poor people that dont have money to afford any better. and ther are the district where go all the stole bikes in The Bronks (where all homeless live) and there are the district where bikes are made.
Oh and then of course outside of Bogotá we have the rug and carpet village (Cajicá), and the pottery and souvenir village (Ráquira)…
your blog is like looking myself in the mirror, realizing im funny while i burst into laughter.
thank you
There is a pawn shop district quite close to you, just around 60th on Caracas, there is also a motorcycle accessories and repair district at the 19th ave transmilenio station.
and of course unilago is where you go to buy anything tech, or programas, musica musica musica, y juegos! 🙂
can you tell me where the bike district(s) are? i need to buy a bike as soon as i land in the country. would most appreciate it! THANKS!
Is zona T the gringo district???
I’d be a map customer and promoter for sure.
Thanks for that, made me laugh!
It also lacks the fabrics and sewing materials district: Barrio la Alqueria, around the carrera 50 close to the Autopista sur, and Barrio Policarpa, carrera 10 with calle 10 sur
Military equipments: The streets in front of the police school (autopista sur with carrera 44 in Muzu and the streets in front of the other side of the school in Barrio Fatima), and the carrera 10 with calle 9 in the barrio Candelaria
Bars and pubs districts, from the fancy ones in the Zona T to the pubs in the Avenida 1 de mayo
Universities district: almost all the Candelaria zone, from the calle 28 to the calle 6 between the calles 5 and 7, many universities have at least a campus here. It also hapens to be the museums district
Anybody know if there’s a restaurant supply district. And if so, where?
I’m actually trying to find the Pet Shop District. Nobody seems to know the address. Could you tell me?
If you go to the Calle 57 on the Transmilenio you will find them all on the west side, up and down Caracas
What a hoot, please tell me is the Map available? Tourist here for 6 weeks I want to see these districts ( this all came about because I wanted a reading lamp in my AirBnB ! And good old Google led me here.)
If the Map didn’t materialise, can I get a list of the main areas / precincts together with the name of a key intersection of roads?
We will be vacationing in the near future. Are thier any textile (lfabric) markets?
Can confirm I live at the Ñero district of the city