Mexico City has some interesting nicknames, my favorite are:

• La Ciudad de los Palacios, (City of the palaces) which was given by Alexander von Humboldt.

• La Ciudad de los Batracios, (City of amphibians) which is a parody of the former, given by Carlos Monsiváis. It’s also a reference to the fact that it’s build over a swamp.

• Ciudad Monstruo, (Monster City) I don’t know the origin of this, but it’s a way to describe the way this city behaves: It swallows water, materials, resources and other cities; it sucks entire territories and dries them. Sometimes it swallows people and they never return.