 By the 1980s, so many had fled the Centro that many of its former mansions were either abandoned or turned into tenements for the poor, and its sidewalks and streets taken over by pickpockets and milling vendors.For many people, especially international visitors, Mexico City's reputation for pollution, traffic and crime has made the city someplace to "get into and out of as fast as you can", seeing it as little more than an airport through which to make their connecting flights to resort areas like Cozumel.Until recently, many of the restaurants in the area, even the best, would close early to allow employees time to get home because the area was not particularly safe at night.