Ciudad Satelite, or simply "Satelite", is part of the metropolitan area of Mexico City. Although there is an specific borough bearing that name, locals refer to Satelite to a broader area including other boroughs or "Colonias" that are located right after crossing the city limits of the Distrito Federal into the State of Mexico. Those Colonias are mainly in three municipalities of the state: Naucalpan, Tlalnepantla and Atizapan.
Ciudad Satelite was established in the late 1950s as a middle to upper class residential neighborhood. As the city continued to grow, the neighborhood and other nearby old towns became part of the greater area of Mexico City.
In the municipalities of Naucalpan and Tlalnepantla there are several industrial parks where many multinationals have factories, therefore if you come for business travel Ciudad Satelite is a good choice for a break to have lunch or hang out.
There is no Metro reaching Ciudad Satelite therefore the best way to reach is by bus or microbus that depart from Metro stations Chapultepec station (Line 1, pink), Rosario (Lines 6: Red and 7: orange) or Cuatro Caminos (also known as Toreo) (Line 2, blue). An alternative is taking a taxi.
If traveling by car, be patient: the main highway known as "Periferico" is practically jammed around the clock, day and night, with average speeds of no more than 10 km/h. A ride from Polanco to Plaza Satelite can take you up to 2 hours in rush hours. Although there is some relief if you travel against the traffic flow (north to south in the morning and backwards in the evening), there is no guarantee that you can reach your destination in time so take your precautions.
There is not much to do in Ciudad Satelite as it is mainly a residential area. In spite of that, two of the most important shopping malls in the metropolitan area of Mexico can be visited: Plaza Satélite and Mundo E, the last one with a great variety of restaurants, night clubs and entertainment establishments. Different pubs and bars in Satelite are popular amongst the youth and you can be surprised by the low prices of alcohol compared to the establishments in central Mexico city.
Los Remedios is an antique basilic and one of the oldest in all the country, its a nice spot to visit and the little town there is exceptional to bargain if you are in search of local art.
In the municipalities of Naucalpan and Tlalnepantla there are several industrial parks where many multinationals have their factories, therefore if you come on business travel Ciudad Satelite is a good choice for a break to have lunch or hang out.
Most of bars and small dance clubs are in the Circuito Comercial, near Plaza Satelite.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division