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| Destinations: Argentina | Brazil | China | Cuba | Czech Republic | Hungary | Indonesia | |||||||||||||||||||||||
The Neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, Argentina |
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Buenos Aires is an extensive and important port city located near the mouth of the Rio de la Plata, or River Plate, of South America. A visit to this city will be full of culture, music, great food and wine. Prepare yourself and get to know a bit about the various areas of greatest interest to the visitor of this fascinating spot, which include the neighborhoods of Centro (Monserrat and San Nicolas), La Boca, Palermo, Puerto Madero and San Telmo.. Learn more about Buenos Aires / Hotel reservations... Centro (Monserrat / San Nicolás)The neighborhoods of Monserrat and San Nicolás together form the the core and true commercial and downtown area of Buenos Aires, home to many government offices, private financial and commercial institutions, stores, theatres, restaurants and hotels. The pedestrians-only Calle Florida is shared between Monserrat and the Retiro area. Av. Corrientes Avenue is known for its bookstores, theatres and show rooms, pizza parlors and coffee shops. 9 de Julio Avenue is one of the world’s widest boulevards. In this sector are found such landmarks as the Plaza de Mayo, La Casa Rosada [Pink House], the Obelisk and the central offices of Government, the Teatros Colón and Liceo, and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Metropolitan Cathedral – On the corner of San Martin and Rivadavia streets, the Cathedral’s 12 columns represent the 12 apostles of Christ. Of note are the intricate floor mosaics, the frescoes in the nave by Italian painter, Pablo Parisi, the majestic main altar and the elaborate tomb of San Martin, Argentina’s greatest hero. Guided tours are available. Casa de Gobierno (La Casa Rosada) [Pink House] - Located on Balcarce Street No. 50, the Pink House has figured as Argentina’s house of government since the 1810, first obtaining it pink color by order of President Sarmiento in 1873. Every two hours from 7 am to 7 pm, one can watch the ceremony of the changing of the guards or granaderos. Museo de la Ciudad [Museum of the City] – Located on Alsina No. 412, this museum documents the development of the Buenos Aires during the colonial era. It is open weekdays from 11am to 7 pm and Sundays 3pm to 7pm. Café Tortoni – Av. De Mayo No. 829. Buenos Aires’ oldest and most prestigious café, the Café Tortoni has been in existence since 1858. Notable for its art nouveau décor, this café has been frequented by such patrons as Josephine Baker, Arthur Rubinstein, Jorge Luis Borges and Carlos Gardel. The Obelisk - Located on 9 de Julio Avenue, one of the world’s widest boulevards, the Obelisk was erected in 1936 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Spanish to the mouth of the River Plate and the founding of first settlement from which grew Buenos Aires. It stands 67 meters in height and in its interior rises a 202-step wrought iron staircase. Teatro Colón [Columbus Theatre] – Opened to the public in 1908 for opera, ballet and musical recitals and presentations, Teatro Colon has been favorably compared, in terms of acoustic quality and beauty, to Milan’s La Scala. The carvings, chandeliers, artwork, sculptures and general décor of the halls and salons, punctuated by carved columns, gilded cornices, balconies and mirrors, are immensely impressive. Article continues below...
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La Boca
In 1870 La Boca was awarded official jurisdictional neighborhood status and shortly thereafter certain young members of the barrio attempted to declare La Boca an independent republic, and action which was foiled by the intervention of President Julio A. Roca. Nevertheless, La Boca retains its independent style and is one of the cities most picturesque and unique neighborhood, full of color, life and music. Calle Caminito [Caminito Street] – A short pedestrian street framed by multi-colored walls covered in murals, hanging plants, balconies and laundry hung to dry on clotheslines. Artists and artisans set up shop in this street daily from 10am to 6pm, selling their wares to tourists and passersby. La Boca Fine Arts Museum – located on Av. Pedro de Mendoza No. 1835, La Boca. Exhibits only the works of Argentine painters, sculptors and craftspeople. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:45 pm. PalermoPalermo is a pleasant, tranquil, wooded area of Buenos Aires with many parks and streets lined with flowering jacaranda and magnolia trees, and a number of monuments and buildings of note as well as several stately mansions now housing embassies and museums. It is picturesque and rich in culture as well as gastronomy, with a number of excellent restaurants and bars to recommend it, particularly in the area of Old Palermo (Soho and Hollywood). Parque Tres de Febrero (also called Bosques de Palermo), 25 hectares of gardens and greenery, with rose garden, lake, bike paths, fountains and statues, is located in the Palermo neighborhood and is a popular spot for locals and visitors alike searching for a bit of nature in the big city. Museo de Motivos Argentinos José Hernández [Jose Hernandez Argentine Motifs Museum] - Located on Av. del Libertador 2373, this museum is dedicated to the folkloric arts and crafts of the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA) [Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires] – Address: Figueroa Alcorta 3415. Private collection Argentinian Eduardo Constantini, in which are to be found works by Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Fernando Botero and Antonio Seguí, among many others. Botanical Gardens - The gardens cover 7 hectares and hold botanical specimens from all parts of the globe. The gardens are punctuated by sculptures and fountains and hold a library, Botanical Museum, greenhouse and a gardening school. Main entrance is at Santa Fe 3951. Hours 8 am to 6 pm daily.
Puerto MaderoDating from 1887, Puerto Madero was originally developed as an international port for overseas traffic but was soon overwhelmed by the heavy demand of trade to and from Buenos Aires and was converted to a river traffic port. The docks and port area, defined by four dikes and intervening water channels, has since been refurbished and renovated as a touristic / commercial complex housing excellent restaurants, shops, offices, apartments, movie theatres and discotheques, as well as being the headquarters of the Yacht Club Puerto Madero and Argentine Yacht Club. Museum Frigate Presidente Sarmiento - Anchored at Dike 3, the frigate Presidente Sarmiento was brought from England in 1898 and served as a training vessel from 1899 through 1938. Visiting hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 8 pm. Saturdays and Sundays 9:00 am to 10 pm. RecoletaA high-class, very European area of the city full of large and elaborate mansions and private residences, excellent and popular restaurants, bistros and sidewalk cafes, and a number of exclusive shops and designer outlets. On weekends the area bustles with an open air arts and crafts fair. Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Pilar [church] – Constructed in the 1700’s for the Barefoot Recoleto Friars, an order of Spanish Franciscan monks, this church has been declared a National Historical Monument.
National Museum of Fine Arts Museum (MNBA) – Located on Av. del Libertador 1473, this museum houses, in its 32 permanent exhibit show rooms, Argentine artworks of the 19th and 20th centuries as well as those of a number of prominent international artists including Van Gogh, Manet, Degas, Goya and Renoir, as well as a temporary exhibit pavilion and gift shops. Open Tuesday through Sunday. RetiroThe Retiro area is home to the central train and bus stations, with their comings and goings of travelers to and from the National Capital, as well as a plethora of large hotels, apartment buildings and plazas. This area is well-frequented by the tourist and shopper, with stores and outlets offering crafts, leather, jewelry, designer clothing and much more. Calle Florida, which runs all the way from Plaza San Martin into the San Nicolas area, is a busy pedestrian street lined with stores and commercial outlets selling products of all kinds. Pacific Galleries – shopping mall in an intricately decorated and domed building originally designed in 1889 to house shops though for several years, as of 1908, it served as the offices of the Buenos Aires Railroad. The dome, which was added in the 1940’s when the building was again converted to a shopping mall, displays murals by Argentine and foreign artists. Located in the block bordered by Córdoba, Florida, San Martín and Viamonte streets San Telmo
San Telmo Fair – This takes place every Sunday in Plaza Colonel Manuel Dorrego between 10 am and 5 pm. Besides a fabulous array of antiques, you’ll also be regaled with the talents of tango dancers and musicians and the products of metal workers, leather workers, jewelers, woodcarvers and a plethora of other arts and crafts. |
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This neighborhood formed the first port area of Buenos Aires and was settled in large part by Italian immigrants between 1880 and the 1930s who worked as port workers and sailors. These immigrants brought with them their own dialect and their own style, including their own type of housing, preferring low, brightly painted wooden structures that were capable of being built on piles to escape the frequent flooding waters of the river. 
country. Open Wednesday through Friday, 1 pm to 7 pm; Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, 3 pm to 7 pm
Zoo -
A picturesque zoo dating from 1975 in which the animals are housed in quarters reminiscent of the architecture styles of their native countries (not necessarily natural habitats!). Access is gained by gates at the intersections of Av. Gral. Las Heras and Av. Sarmiento, Av. Libertador and Av. Sarmiento. Visiting hours are 10 am to 7 pm. 
Recoleta Cemetery – This elaborate cemetery, dating from 1822, is the resting place of Argentina’s most illustrious citizens. The sometimes massive mausoleums and tombs show colonial, neoclassical and baroque influences and one can spend hours wandering the treed paths between the vaults. Gates are open from 9 am to 7 pm.
A quaint and typical residential neighborhood of the city which, in the late 1800’s after a yellow fever outbreak swept through this part of the city, was taken over by craftsmen and artists who converted the larger mansions into multi-family dwellings and workshops. This is where to go to find antiques and fine handcrafts; it’s cobblestone streets are riddled with small storefronts and art dealers and antiquarians. Enjoy a coffee, beer or full meal in any of the cafes and restaurants in the Plaza Colonel Manuel Dorrego, one of the cities oldest and most typical squares in the heart of San Telmo.