Motorcycle Street

Motorcycle stickers. 

A helmet rack.

Calle 15 and Carrera 14 is Bogotá's central motorcycle district, where shops selling parts, clothing, stickers and gears line the streets and motorcycles stand parked side by side block after block. The neighborhood, called La Favorita, was wealthy a century ago, and still has some grand houses. The motorcycle economy apparently grew up here because several messenger companies, which employ motorcyclists, have their offices here.

Olga Lucia has vended on the street and been the
caretaker of a neighboring rooming house. 

Olga Lucia, who was renting cellphones and selling candies and cigarettes on the sidewalk amidst the motorcycle businesses. She's lived in the La Favorita for 24 years, caretaking a rooming house and seen it change from an economy of trucking to motorcycles and delivery businesses. She said the city has plans to remove the motorcycle businesses and turn the neighborhood into into housing and public parks - a nice dream, if it happens.

Meanwhile, La Favorita is a low-estrato neighborhood with crime problem after dark. After all, it's only two blocks south of the Santa Fe red light district. Olga told me 'If you act like a fool, you'll be a victim," using a very Colombian expression 'Papaya servida, papaya llevada.'


Motorcycles have proliferated in Bogotá and across Colombia in recent years. I suppose that for the city they cause less congestion and pollution than do cars. But motorcycles cause lots of accidents and make a heck of a lot of noise.

And gloves. 

Anybody want some motorcycle parts. 

The Church of the Los Apasionistas has room for several hundred worshippers, but Olga Lucia told me that perhaps 30 people attend Sunday mass. 

A century ago, the neighborhood was wealthy, and still has some grand houses. 

Can you parallel park a motorcyle?

Motorcycle doodads for sale on a streetcorner. 

The historic San Jorge Theatre, a historic monument, has been abandoned for more than a decade.  

A local restaurant.

Time go get up! Police wake up a homeless person sleeping on a sidewalk. 

Good morning. 

A virgin in a window. 

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours