San Felipe was a prime residential area of Bogotá in the 1920s and 1930s, full of handsome houses in all manner of architectural styles, from French Republican to English Tudor. But after that, as the city grew and expanded to the north, San Felipe kind of got forgotten as a neighbourhood. Then in the 2010s, as has happened in many cities, artists started moving in to set up studios, drawn by the cheap rent and charming period buildings. Soon after that the artists started opening up their studios to visitors, turning them into workshops or galleries. Collaborative museum FLORA ars + natura then opened and it helped create a culture of people doing walking tours of San Felipe, popping into all the studios and galleries. There are loads of great spaces but I always make sure I check out what’s on at Instituto de Visión, Galería SGR, Galería Elvira Moreno and Alejandro Rauhut’s space.
As is often the case, once the artists change a neighbourhood, great places to eat start to open up. My favourites in San Felipe are Oculto, a hidden-away underground spot run by chef David Orozco, and there’s this great gelato shop, Fratto, run by an Argentinian-Italian guy who immigrated here. He makes really weird but cool flavours, such as mamoncillo and chilli.
San Felipe is one of those neighbourhoods with a lovely welcoming atmosphere that’s brilliant to spend a day exploring, walking from gallery to gallery, stopping off for food and drinks as you go. It’s basically the Brooklyn of Bogotá.
For more on Moggio’s work go to catherinemoggio.com
