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 The Neighborhoods
Buenos Aires is divided into 48 barrios (neighborhoods) for administrative purposes. The division was originally based on Catholic parishes, but has undergone a series of changes since the 1940´s. A newer scheme has divided the city into 15 comunas (communes).
It is not common that tourists visit all the neighborhoods since there aren't specific attractions; but nine of them concentrate most of the tourist attractions : La Boca, San Telmo, Monserrat, Puerto Madero, San Nicolás, Retiro, Recoleta, Palermo and Belgrano.
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San Telmo
This district preserves colonial-style houses along narrow cobblestone lanes, illuminated with pretty wrought iron lanterns. In San Telmo, one breathes the history of Buenos Aires. Visit the church of Santo Domingo or investigate the city's cultural heritage in the City Museum.
The Bohemian character of the district flourishes every weekend at the antique fair held in Plaza Dorrego and the picturesque cafes that surround it. There, one can buy anything from an antique wedding dress to a 1900 table setting, or one can enjoy the improvisations of the street performers. Also worth visiting are the Pasaje de la Defensa, an 1880 mansion converted into a commercial gallery, and the picturesque street Balcarce, with its concentration of bars, restaurants and tango houses. |
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La Boca
Tourists favor this picturesque district for its rich history and vibrant colors : greens, yellows, reds and purples highlight the urban scenery. Genoese immigrants chose these colors for their classic "conventillos" or tenements. These colors also dominate the works of the painter Benito Quinquela Martín, who immortalized his beloved barrio. In La Boca, you can eat lunch in a picturesque cantina while enjoying a fine tango show. Other attractions of the district include the exhibitions organized by the Proa Foundation, and the Wax Museum. Up the street in the so-called "Vuelta de Rocha" area, one will encounter Caminito, the famous street that inspired the popular tango song of the same name. Every weekend Caminito hosts a craft fair where you can find anything from a painting to a typical Argentine mate drinking gourd. |
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Monserrat
This is another historic district, where evidence of Buenos Aires' past surprises visitors at every turn. In colonial times, Monserrat was the political, economical, social and cultural center of the city. Here the Porteños defended themselves against the English invasions. One can still experience history in Monserrat today just by visiting a few of the buildings, streets and underground tunnels that traverse the district. Take a stroll through Manzana de las Luces, contemplate the architecture of the San Ignacio Church and pass by the Old Cabildo. Then take a rest in the historic Plaza de Mayo (May Square). Another option is to sit down for a coffee in Café Tortoni. The more restless can learn the two-four rhythm in a tanguería. |
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"The City"
The financial district of Buenos Aires, commonly referred to as "La City" or "Microcentro", is located in a well defined area : between Córdoba Av. and De Mayo Av. on the one hand, and between 9 de Julio Av. and Paseo Colón Av. on the other hand.
Buenos Aires virtually monopolizes the banking activity of the whole country. Banks in Buenos Aires, concentrated in San Martín St., hold the largest share of the nation's bank deposits.
The Banco Central de la República Argentina, located in the heart of "The City", controls the federal banking system. The beautiful building of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange well deserves a visit. |
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Puerto Madero
Just along the coast of the river we find the recently transformed district of Puerto Madero. This development has recycled the old port warehouses into lofts and entertainment facilities. In this renewed space and social scene, Porteños have found yet another excuse to celebrate life and meet with friends in the innumerable restaurants, cafés and discos that populate this fantastic sector by the river.
Prior to its official opening by September 1998, this part of the old port had fallen into disrepair. Today, luxurious restaurants, offices and movie theaters have replaced the ancient brick silos, making this nehghborhood the most exclusive district.
All the streets of Puerto Madero carry the names of women. The Azucena Villaflor Blvd. connects the city to the river. Every Saturday and Sunday Vera Peñaloza St. becomes an exclusively pedestrian walkway, where public can skate, ride bicycles or stroll. Nearby is located the Ecological Reserve, a natural oasis in the heart of the concrete jungle. |
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Recoleta
This is the city's most elegant district.
The opulence of the houses and manors symbolizes the splendor of the Argentine aristocracy. The area is a meeting point for tourists and locals with an interest in international design and aesthetics.
During the day, take a walk through the gardens of Plaza Francia (France Square), which fills each weekend with dancers, living statues, street artists and astrologers. At the adjacent Buenos Aires Design Mall, the traveler can find souvenirs and plenty fine restaurants. Other places of interest located around include the Recoleta Cultural Center, the Palais de Glace and, obviously, the well known cemetery. |
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Palermo
Palermo is a very extensive and diversified neighborhood. On weekends, the Palermo Woods and Rose Garden are ideal spots for walking, playing soccer, and for boat rides. Nearby, you´ll find the Zoo, the Planetarium named after Galileo Galilei, and the tea offered in the impeccable Japanese Gardens.
The city largest and greenest neighborhood, is commonly divided into several distinct units : Palermo Chico, Palermo Viejo (which further subdivides into Palermo Soho, Palermo Hollywood, and Las Cañitas). With nearly 350 acres of parks, wooden areas, and lakes designed by the French landscape architect Charles Thays in 1874, Palermo provides a peaceful escape from the rush of the city.
The polo playground and the hippodrome are located here, which turn this area the city's center for equestrian activities. |
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Palermo Hollywood
In the heart of Palermo emerges this district where arts and porteña nightlife coexist. Known as Palermo Hollywood, because the TV channels and producers are located here, it is the epicenter of an artistic movement. In this picturesque corner of the city can be found a wide variety of gastronomic establishments of different styles, thematic bars, discos, art galleries, independent theatres, antique houses and many ateliers. This charming neighborhood has a particular architecture as well. Walking down the streets we found a perfect harmony between the ancient and the moderna. The constructions, mostly houses, still keep intact their original facades, the wide rooms and the high ceilings, which were common in the beginnings of the 20th century, but recycled with a modern and exclusive decor. It indeed worth a visit. The new Palermo Hollywood is stunning and dazzle. |
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Las Cañitas
Las Cañitas was historically a slum area, but is now an upmarket area of restaurants and bars next to the Argentine Polo Field in the extreme north of Palermo. The King Fahd Islamic Cultural Centre and Mosque was built in the 1990´s by the Polo fields.
Today, this green and calm area, with plenty of modern buildings and lofts, became one of the most important gastronomic centers of Buenos Aires, dynamic day and night. There are plenty of options for all ages and tastes : many retro style discotheques for the younger, elegant restaurants highlighting ethnic dishes and fusion-food prepared by the most know chefs, and much more. A great option to have a fun with great music and a delicious meal. |
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San Martín Square
The northern end of Florida Street, the most crowded pedestrian pathway in Buenos aires, is in the leafy San Martín square, surrounded by great palaces and hotels. Right in the heart of Retiro neighborhood. In summer time, Argentine businesspeople flock to this green area on their lunch break, loosening their ties, taking off some layers, and sunning for a short while amidst the plaza's flowering jacaranda. A memorial to General José de San Martín towers over the scene. The San Martín Palace, one of the seats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the elegant Plaza Hotel face the square. |
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Belgrano
Belgrano is a leafy, upper-middle class, northern neighborhood of the city. Belgrano was named after Manuel Belgrano, a politician and military leader who created the national flag of Argentina.
It was in Belgrano that the law declaring Buenos Aires as Argentina's federal capital was issued. The heart of the barrio pulses with life on its main thoroughfare, Cabildo Av., which runs Northwest to Southeast; the subway (subte) Line D follows its route. Most of the neighborhood's densest housing is located in the vicinity of Cabildo. High-rise luxury apartment buildings are clustered on the leafy streets surrounding the Belgrano University, a private liberal-arts academy.
"Belgrano R" is chiefly residential and lower-density in nature, characterized by calm streets lined with large, mature shade trees. Most buildings in this section are detached single-family homes that follow Anglo-Saxon architectural styles; some residences have sizable backyards with swimming pools. "Belgrano C" is home to Buenos Aires's small Chinatown. The district is crowded with restaurants and specialty grocery stores catering to Asian-Argentines and to the general public.
The lush park Barrancas de Belgrano was designed by the famous French-Argentine landscape-park architect Carlos Thays, who designed many open spaces throughout Buenos Aires.
On Manuel Belgrano square , a local artisan fair is held regularly, and becomes especially vibrant on weekends. In the edge of the square lies the Inmaculada Concepción Church, called "La Redonda" (the round one) by locals, because of its circular plan. Two museums are also across the street : Larreta museum focus on Spanish art, while historical museum Sarmiento exhibits objects belonging to former presidents Sarmiento and Avellaneda. The later is located in what used to be Belgrano townhall, where the national congress hold its sessions while Belgrano was the capital of the republic. |
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Almagro
Almagro is a mostly middle-class neighborhood of Buenos Aires, which features strong commercial activity along its avenues The neighborhood came into its own around 1900, following the erection of the San Carlos parish church in 1878, the introduction of the tramway, and the massive immigration (Almagro was settled mostly by Basques and Italians).
Almagro is a stronghold of tango. Almagro became the birthplace of many famous tangos. Due to its proximity to the Abasto market, singer Carlos Gardel was a frequent visitor here, and in 1930 he recorded the tango named Almagro. During his last years, composer and bandleader Osvaldo Pugliese relocated to Almagro and oversaw the creation of the Casa del Tango (Tango House) complex on Guardia Vieja street.
The flower market at Acuña de Figueroa street is very active.
Parque Centenario, located a little beyond the western edge of Almagro, features an arts-and-crafts and antiques fair on Sundays, and is occasionally used as a concert venue. |
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Palermo Queens or Villa Crespo
Villa Crespo is a middle-class neighbourhood of the city, located in the geographical centre of Buenos Aires. It is named after Buenos Aires mayor Antonio F. Crespo.
Villa Crespo was home to several "conventillos", including the most famous one : the Conventillo de la Paloma.
Villa Crespo is traditionally associated with the Jewish community, hosting several important synagogues, but it is actually populated by a mix of different peoples, just like the rest of Buenos Aires.
The main commercial hub is the intersection of Scalabrini Ortiz and Corrientes avenues. One of the most important leather clothes areas in the city is located around Murillo street.
Well-known people born or raised in this neighbourhood include Osvaldo Pugliese, tango musician, and Leopoldo Marechal, writer, who located many episodes of his Adán Buenosayres novel in Villa Crespo. |
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Retiro
Retiro is a district in north-eastern Buenos Aires, famous for its high-society inhabitants, the Santa Fé avenue shopping district, San Martín Square, and the Retiro transportation hub, which features train, subway (Line C), and the main bus terminal, always teeming with commuters in weekdays. Across the street, opposite Retiro train stations, there is a park which features the Torre de los Ingleses ("British Tower", nowadays called "Monumental Tower"), a monument donated by the Anglo-Argentine community for the 1910 centenary celebrations, with the relief of the British arms at its bottom.
The memorial site of the former Israeli embassy on Arroyo street, which was bombed on March 17, 1992 with a toll of 29 casualties and 242 wounded, is located here.
Retiro is (together with Recoleta and parts of Palermo and Belgrano) a popular residential area for expatriate executives. |
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Chacarita
Chacarita is a quiet neighbourhood in the central part of Buenos Aires, with well-treed streets and mainly old houses. Its most important site is the Cemetery of Chacarita (100 sq. km). The territories of this district belonged formerly to the Jesuits, who had small farms. Its name comes from the word "small farm" or chácara in old Spanish.
A large park called Los Andes can be found there which was inaugurated in 1941.
Federico Lacroze Station commuter rail terminal, which handles local and long-distance services, is also located in Chacarita. |
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