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aWALKING BUENOS AIRES

g�deb�k

www.walkingbuenosaires.com

4 PERFECT DAYS IN BUENOS AIRES2009 © Jeff Barry

Book DesignCecilia Sorochin | SoroDesign

4 Perfect Days in

BUENOS AIRES

written by

J E F F B A R R Y

aWALKING BUENOS AIRES

g�deb�k

DAY 1 · CentroWelcome • 13

Plaza de Mayo • 15Madres de Plaza de Mayo • 16

Obelisco • 17Avenida de Mayo -a walk • 18

Your �rst Night in Buenos Aires • 22Teatro Colón • 23

Bars & Cafés of Buenos Aires • 24

DAY 2 · Barrio NorteBarrio Norte -Recoleta & Retiro • 27

Girondo & Norah • 32Palacio Paz • 34

Bookstores along Esmeralda • 36Night • 37

DAY 3 · PalermoPalermo • 39

Victoria Ocampo • 41

Plaza Serrano • 43Xul Solar Museum • 43

DAY 4 · San TelmoSan Telmo • 45

The Southern edge of San Telmo • 46Bar El Federal • 48

Casal de Catalunya • 49Evita’s Eternal Flame • 50

La Boca • 51

EXTRA DAY · ExploreTake a Bus • 54

On the 39 Bus • 55

Puerto Madero & Costanera Sur • 57A Visit to Flores • 59

APPENDIXRestaurants • 60

More than 20 Picture-Perfect Spots • 61

TA

BLE

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NT

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TAB

LE of CO

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How do you Fall in Love with a City? • 9 Arrival • 11

Plazas • 56

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8 9

How do you Fall in Love with a City?

A place beckons you with some nostalgic, ro-manticized notion, a South American capital with European charm, the passion of music and words pulsing through the people who call it home. You yearn for moments that will remain with you, memories more fragile than photo-graphs, times that stay, linger through your mind years later when you’re cooking dinner, relaxing on your back porch, or browsing in a store. Once you experience this city, Buenos Aires is a part of you forever.

This guide presents one way of experiencing Bue-nos Aires, the way I recommend to my own friends on their �rst visits. A wealth of activities exists in Buenos Aires and in 4 days you can only sample the best of the city’s offerings. This guide is simply a way for me to share some of my own approaches to the city. I’ll leave detailed descriptions of the really well-known sights to others but I will include many of those in this itinerary so that you know on which places to focus your time.

INTRO

Bar

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ARR IVAL

Flights from the U.S. to Buenos Aires are overnight trips, arriving during the early morning in Argentina. A simple way of getting from the airport is to use Manuel Tienda León, which offers bus and car ser-vice to downtown Buenos Aires. No need to make a reservation, simply stop at the Manuel Tienda León counter located just as you exit the customs area.

ARRIV

AL

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32)

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Once you’ve settled into your hotel or short-stay apartment you have a couple of options depending upon how well you rested during the night-time �ight. The �rst is to grab some rest for a few hours before beginning a busy day of exploration. But if you’re up to it and ready to go, then take the second option of heading

DAY 1on out by all means. If you didn’t like the airplane breakfast, then a café is likely your �rst destination.

Buenos Aires is a café society. The ca-fés nourish not only the stom-achs but also the souls of those

who inhabit the city, and a café can be found practically within a few blocks of any part of the city. So, avoid the hotel restaurant and set out down the street to �nd

the nearest café. The cafés of Buenos Aires all serve essen-tially the same types of food and the quality doesn’t vary a

WELCOME

Congress Building

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15 great extent. The true difference among the city’s cafés is their ambiance.

PLAZA DE MAYO – the heart of the city

and the country

Take a while to enjoy the Plaza. Casa Ro-sada, the pink building at the end of the plaza, is the seat of power for the execu-tive branch of the Argentina government. You’ll �nd many photo opportunities around the plaza. While the massive ca-thedral is rather plain from the exterior, the inside is constructed in an entirely different style and you should de�nitely venture inside.

Farmacia d e la Estrella

OPTIONS: Just around the corner from La Puerto Rico is the Museum of the City (Museo de la Ciudad) at Defensa 219/223. It has a small collection worth visiting. Open everyday 11 am - 7 pm.

Across Defensa Street from the City Museum is the Basilica de San Fran-cisco… spend a few minutes inside the church, admiring the interior.

One of the reasons I suggest starting at La Puerto Rico is that it’s just a block away from Plaza de Mayo.

Though I suggest choosing your own café to start your �rst day in the city, for those of you who want some guidance then La Puerto Rico at Adolfo Alsina 420 is a good choice. It has a wonder-ful old world charm. The nearby corner of Defensa and Alsina is rich with history. Right on the corner is the old pharmacy La Estrella. If it’s open you’ll want to step inside and take a look around.

Basilica d e San Francisco

Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana).

Plaza de Mayo

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THURSDAY AFTERNOON , 3:30 p.m., you must �nd your way to Plaza de Mayo. That’s the time when the mothers of the disappeared continue their weekly march in remembrance of the 30,000 people who were abducted, tortured, and killed by the government during the most re-cent military dictatorship (1976 – 1983).

The Madres march in a circle for a half-hour. But don’t leave the plaza yet. Af-ter completing their march the Madres head to the statue closest to the Casa Rosada for what is usually a highly po-liticized speech.

You should stay for the speech even if you don’t understand Spanish. At the end, the Madres break out into a rous-ing chant, something you will remember for the rest of your life.

OBELISCO

Okay, the city’s principal landmark bears a strong resemblance to the Washington Monument. But it’s an obelisk so the simi-larity cannot be helped. Most people zip by the Obelisco in a car or while hurrying to cross Av 9 de Julio, barely taking note of the circular Plaza de la Republica that encompasses the Obelisco.

Come here after the Argentine national football teams wins a game in the World Cup and it’s a different scene, awash in blue and white with fans jumping, cheer-ing for the celebration.

Even on an ordinary day the Obelisco of-fers a surprising respite from the chaotic pace of the city’s center. Located in the heart of downtown, right in the middle of what is claimed to be the widest avenue in the world, the Obelisco can be a refreshing break. Besides it’s a superb spot for taking the essential photo down the middle of Av 9 de Julio.

And, late in the afternoon, you might see the colorful military honor guard arrive to take down the Argentine �ag.

MADRES DE PLAZA DE MAYO

The symbol of the Mothers in the Plaza.

At the corner of Plaza de Mayo facing the cathedral is a diagonal street that is lined with beautiful of�ce buildings. You can’t help but notice the obelisk that sits at the end of that avenue.

Microc entro

The avenue you’ll really want to go down next is Avenida de Mayo. It runs in a straight line 13 blocks from Plaza de Mayo to the national congress on the other end. I �nd Av de Mayo to be the most beauti-ful street in the entire city, though there are several others that give it close com-petition. Take a slow walk down Av de Mayo, being sure to look up and admire the architecture. The next two pages are a walking tour that highlights Av de Mayo.

Walking around Av de Mayo.

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Casa de los LiriosAv. Rivadavia 2031

[11]Casa de la Cultura (former La Prensa)

Av. de Mayo 575

[1]

Café TortoniAv. de Mayo 825

[2]Hotel Castelar

Av. de Mayo 1150

[3]

Bar 36 BillaresAv. de Mayo 1265

[4]Hotel Chile

Av. de Mayo 1297

[5]

Hotel MajesticAv. de Mayo 1317

[6]

La InmobiliariaAv. de Mayo between L. S. Peña & San José

[8]

CongressAv. Entre Ríos between

Hipólito Irigoyen & Rivadavia

[9]

Con�tería del MolinoAv. Rivadavia 1801

[10]

Café de los AngelitosAv. Rivadavia 2100

[12]

AVENIDA DE MAYOa walk

Palacio BaroloAv. de Mayo 1370

[7]

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If you didn’t start your day at La Puerto Rico (or if you decide to

take another break), there are a couple of classic cafés on

nouveau in Buenos Aires but this is one of my favorites.

Remember I said that Buenos Aires was a café society? I already men-tioned three classic ca-fés. Well, now you have options for two more. Across the street and a half-block from the art nouveau building is Café de los Angelitos. But my suggestion is to try something a little further a�eld.

On Rivadavia �nd the subway (subte) station. This is the “A” line and is the only line with the old wooden rail cars. You’ll have a lot of fun riding this subway line. You might �nd that you want to take it a few times, even all the way to the end of the line and back just to enjoy the expe-rience! But for this particular trip you’ll want to take it west bound to the Castro Barros stop.Coming out of the subway look for the

has been renovated. Honestly, I liked it a little better before the remodeling. Ironi-cally, it seemed more authentic when it was a little drab. But it’s a good stop par-ticularly if the Tortoni is too crowded.

At the end of Av de Mayo you will be faced with the massive Congreso Nacional. Off to your right, when facing the congress, is a remarkable, abandoned building with a windmill on its cupola. You can’t miss it. That’s the now empty Con�teria del Mo-lino and we all wish that it will re-open and be saved from further decay. (Use this building as a milestone for marking the next path in the day’s journey).

The street running past the congress, just in front of the Molino, is Av Rivada-via. At 2031 Rivadavia is an outstanding

example of art nouveau architecture in Bue-nos Aires, built in the �rst decade of the 20th century and unlike any-thing else in the city.

There’s a lot of great examples of art

nearest intersection and on the north-east corner you’ll �nd Las Violetas (Rivadavia 3899). It is a stunning café,

almost rivaling the Tor-toni in its splendor. Not as many tourists make it out here but it’s a very special place.

After you’ve relaxed at Las Violetas you may want to take the subway back to the downtown

area and go rest for a while at your ho-tel. Depending upon what part of the city you’re staying, you may simply decide also to take a taxi from Las Violetas.

If you want to enjoy the services of a guided walking tour, then you should check out the Buenos Aires 101 tour offered by Alan Patrick

Cupola in Av d e Mayo

Cafe Tortoni, founded in 1858, is the oldest in the city.

Subway The A Line

Tea Time in Las Violetas

Las Violetas vitreaux

Av de Mayo. Every guide-book will tell you to drop in at the Tor-toni and that certainly is worth doing at some point during your stay in Buenos Aires.

Another classic is 36 Bil-lares (Av de Mayo 1265), which recently

Mural in subway

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YOUR FIRST NIGHT IN BUENOS AIRES

You probably already know that people in Buenos Aires eat dinner late. Restau-rants don’t even open for dinner until 8 p.m. You can choose a restaurant from my recommended list at the back of this guide. After dinner, you may choose to wander a bit near the restaurant or you may opt for attending a tango show.

I’m not an expert on tango shows, which exist entirely to serve tourists. But a cou-ple that I recommend are El Viejo Alma-cén or Piazzolla Tango. The showplace for the latter is located in a gorgeous ar-

cade from 1915 that has recently under-gone renovation. I de�nitely do not think that a tango show is an essential part of visiting Buenos Aires, but it can be en-joyable as long as you always remember that the tango show is purely a tourist attraction. I would advise not to opt for the dinner part offered by an tango show venue. Most likely, the beef will be over-priced and not as good as you might �nd in a regular restaurant.

The true tango dancers can be found at milongas and I’m by far am not an au-thority on the best milongas. One that I usually recommend is at Con�teria Ideal on Suipacha street. That’s also a decent place for a meal.

Unfortunately, Teatro Colón is closed for renovation until sometime in 2009 or later. The renovation was sup-posed to be completed by May 2008 but keeps getting delayed, possibly until 2010. While the present Teatro Colón celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2008, there actually was another Teatro Colón that was built in 1857 alongside the Plaza de Mayo, where the current Banco de la Nación is lo-cated. The �rst Teatro Colón closed in 1888. While the new Teatro Colón was being built over the following 18 years, the dominant opera house in Buenos Aires was Teatro de la Ópera, which was built in 1872. Another theater of that time was Teatro Politeama, which remained popular well into the 20th century. The Politeama wasn’t just an

opera house, but provided a venue for a lot of popular entertainment.

Despite being closed, the exterior of Teatro Colón is still a magni�cent building. The surrounding neighbor-hood, which also features the country’s justice building, is worth a visit.

TEATRO COLÓN

Engraving of the original Teatro Colón

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BARS & CAFÉS OF BUENOS AIRES

You can spend a month in Buenos Aires visiting a different café everyday and not exhaust the supply of watering holes that echo a sense of the past. Yet, many of these old-fashioned bars and cafés that have served elderly men sitting quietly drinking beer, watching football, read-ing the paper, are undergoing a dramatic change. Some are becoming modernized into more pro�table restaurants. Oth-ers have been renovated for tourists into what resembles an early 20th century café but come complete with tango dancers.

You may have to go out of the city center to �nd a truly traditional café that gives the feel of decades past. I’ll leave that adventure of exploration to you, which is by far the best way to stumble across something memorable. But if you really want to �nd a truly old-fashioned café then take a taxi out to the south side, to the barrio of Barracas. At the corner of California street and Av Montes de Oca you’ll �nd Bar El Progreso, which still retains the charm of decades past.

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DAY 2

The area north of downtown is known for being the wealthiest and most sophis-ticated part of Buenos Aires. Formed by the adjoining neighborhoods of Recoleta and Retiro, Barrio Norte is high-class. You could just spend the entire day wan-dering around admiring the architecture.

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BARRIO NORTE:RE C O L E T A & RE T I R O

If you don’t want to do that, then here’s one way to enjoy the day.

Start with a visit to Recoleta Cem-etery, which is one of the world’s great cemeteries. The tombs in the cemetery are outstanding. Depending upon your fascination with cemeteries you could spend half-a-day exploring the cemetery. The best way to get acquainted with the cemetery is to visit the Web site www.re-coletacemetery.com.

(

Recoleta Cemetery

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It’s great fun to explore the cem-etery on your own, but a knowl-edgeable guide can make sure you see the most remarkable tombs and learn some fascinating history.

If you’re not so much into cemeteries, you should still give Recoleta Cemetery a visit if for no other reason than to fol-low all the other tourists to the resting place of Eva Perón. You won’t see much at her black marble mausoleum other than some plaques with her name and some �owers left by her admirers. But she’s such a famous �gure, legendary in many ways, that it’s just one of the things you should do while in Buenos Aires.

Finding Evita’s tomb can be little confus-ing since there are no signs posting di-rections. I’ll give you a hint: she’s buried off to the left side of the cemetery. First, look for the signs pointing to the tomb

of Sarmiento (a 19th-century president of Argentina). Once you found his burial place, then walk by a few more rows of tombs and you’ll eventually come across the little “street” containing Evita’s mau-soleum. There’s almost always a lot of �owers left in front of her resting place. Most likely you’ll just need to look for the crowd or follow behind a tour group. It’s where everybody goes.

Once you �nished with the cemetery then take a quick look inside the church next door. Afterwards wander around the sloping plaza. If you’re there on a week-end the plaza will be �lled with artisan booths selling crafts. It’s a good time to pick up a souvenir. But on weekdays the plaza isn’t too busy.

If you like museums, then the national �ne arts museum is worth a visit. It has an excellent sculpture collection and an outstanding permanent exhibition of Ar-gentine art.

By this point you probably should take a break before continuing with the rest of the day. Across from the cemetery gates is Av Alvear. You’re likely to notice a Brit-ish-styled red telephone booth. The café at the corner, La Biela, is a well-known establishment and a good stop for re-freshments. If you’re ready for a meal there is an assortment of restaurants all

lined up next to each other just down from La Biela. All of these restaurants are fairly generic Argentine steak houses ca-tering to tourists. I don’t have a speci�c recommendation here. Each place is go-ing to be fairly similar, so just choose the one that strikes your fancy.

After lunch you will want to stroll down Av Alvear to admire the architecture and the expensive shops. Take your time and

Evita

Recoleta. Daguerrotype year1867Rooftops at the Recoleta Cemetery

Centro Cultural Recoleta

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31 walk down Av Alvear until you get to Plaza Pellegrini.

At Plaza Pelligrini you will undoubtedly notice the huge embassies belong to the Brazilian and French governments. Take a moment to re�ect that these buildings were originally constructed as single family homes. Before com-ing to the French Embassy (you’ll see the huge French �ag out front) wander a half-block to your left down Av Cer-rito. The huge red brick mansion behind the large fence is the VIP quarters of the Four Seasons hotel. This is where people like Keith Richards and Bono stay when they’re visiting Buenos Aires. Okay, head back up to the French Embassy and turn onto Av Arroyo. Carefully cross Av 9 de Julio to cross into another section of Barrio Norte.

At the corner of Arroyo and Suipacha you’ll see a small plaza that is the site of

the former Israeli Embassy, which was destroyed by a bomb in 1992 that killed 29 people and wounded 242.

One of my favorite museums in Buenos Aires is the Museo de Arte Hispano-americano Isaac Fernández Blanco. It’s located at Suipacha 1422 and is de�nitely worth a visit. True to its name, the museum has a nice collection of colonial Spanish-

American material which are displayed in a very nice setting within the house.The ground �oor has a mostly religious theme. So, if you’re looking for that co-lonial feeling which you �nd in, say, Lima then this is the place to go in Buenos Aires. Be sure to wander down into the basement which also has an interesting assortment of domestic items used by upper-class porteños of the day.

The museum regularly sponsors some very good photographic exhibitions. The photo exhibitions generally don’t have anything to do with colonial Spanish-America but provide a good reason to make recurring visits to the museum. The house itself is worth a visit alone.

But don’t be fooled into thinking that this is actually a colonial house. It was built in 1921 by architect Martín Noel, but he didn’t live in the main house. That belonged to his brother Carlos who was mayor of Buenos Aires from 1922 - 1927. Martín lived in the front part of the es-tate, the group of rooms that are part of the front wall. The brothers also had a famous neighbor that gets very little at-tention these days.

Av Alvear Old PostCard

Museo Fernandez Blanco

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For most who pass along calle Sui-pacha, the plain, unassuming house next to Palacio Noel goes unnoticed. Thousands of houses and apartments in Buenos Aires feature more charming exteriors. Of course, as with many build-ings in the city, you never know what is behind the facade. In this particular house during the mid-20th century, many of the lead-ing artistic �gures of Buenos Aires partook in the dancing and drinking offered by their charismatic host, a monu-mental �gure in Argentine literature, the poet Oliverio Girondo. Serving as hostess for these fortnightly soirées,

rival Borges.Always scandalous and seeking publicity, Girondo sought ways to shock the bour-geoisie. He promoted his most famous book Espantapájaros (Scarecrow) by hir-ing a horse-drawn funeral hearse to pa-rade an ef�gy of a “learned man” along the streets of Buenos Aires. After the stunt the papier-mâché “scarecrow” resided in Girondo’s house. (It is now often on dis-play at the Museo de la Ciudad, and is pictured on page 6 of this guidebook.)Girondo is hardly known outside the realm of Spanish-language literary readers despite the fact that Notre Dame university in Indi-ana has an extensive collection of his works. Girondo, if not for his life alone, is overdue for discovery by the rest of the world.

Continuing on down Arroyo you’ll pass a number of art galleries. Arroyo will end at Esmeralda street where there’s a beauti-ful apartment building. Turn right on Es-meralda and in a few blocks you’ll come across the back of Palacio San Martín, which faces one of my favorite plazas in the city, named suitably enough Plaza San Martín.

Find a spot in the plaza and relax for a while.

GIRONDO & NORAH

while cultivating her reputation as a co-quettish seductress, was his wife the writer Norah Lange. (She also was the unrequited love of Jorge Luis Borges, according to the most recent biographer of Borges.) Family wealth �nanced Girondo’s global journeys and bohemian, but comfortable, lifestyle. In the 1920s Girondo lived in Par-

is and Rome, traveling widely while amassing a vast collection of sculpture, paintings, and re-portedly, one of the largest pri-vate collections of gold pre-Co-lombian artifacts. Returning for good to Buenos Aires in 1932, Girondo re-assumed his leader-ship of the literary avant-garde much to the annoyance of his

Espantapájaros. Original book cover.

Plaza San Martin

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PALAC IO PAZ

The massive Palacio Paz bordering Plaza San Martin was certainly the most extrav-agant attempt to bring the feeling of Paris to the Argentine capital. Most visitors ad-mire the enormous facade from the front, the plaza offering a prime perspective, or by taking a tour of the interior.

The plain apartment building on the corner was the home of Argentina’s most famous writer, Jorge Luis Borges. He lived up on the sixth �oor for many years, and for most of that time with his elderly mother.

Turn to your right and head up Marcelo T. Alvear so that Palacio Paz is on your right. Half-way down the block you’ll come across the back entrance to Pala-cio Paz. At that doorway look closely at the small plaque with the �ne script on the door, near where the key would be inserted, to see that the door itself did indeed come from Paris.

Before leaving the block locate the brownish building across the street at #738. Pedro Figari, a talented Uruguayan painter, lived here during the years that he called Buenos Aires his home. Several of his paintings are on permanent display at MALBA.

Palacio Paz Cupola

Retiro Train Station

Florida Street

OPTIONS

From the plaza you have a couple of options, wander down to the train station and have a coffee at a very enchanting café or do some shop-ping along Florida street.

But you also should take a few moments and wander around the side of the build-ing, down Maipu street. Walk past the Military Museum tucked into the corner of Palacio Paz and go to the corner of Maipu and Marcelo T. Alvear.

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BOOKSTORES ALONG ESMERALDA

of which are located in this general area of the city. Each year the rare book dealers band together for an exhibition of their holdings and an opportunity to see some of their prime works.

Tucked between two of the bookstores is the entrance to an apartment building.

The gate likely will be closed but peek through the glass and you’ll see a lovely courtyard just beyond the entrance corridor.

Continue south on Esmeralda and notice the beautiful apartment building at the corner of Esmeralda and Cordoba. Before reaching the corner be sure to glance up and observe the building from the rear. It presents a good op-portunity for studying the residential architecture of the city.

In keeping with the literary theme of Esmeralda street, one of Argentina’s most-known poets, Alfonsina Storni, lived in this building. In 1938 at the age of 46, Storni committed suicide at the seaside resort of Mar del Plata by walking into the ocean.

NIGHT

Have dinner at either Chiquilin or Artu-rito then enjoy strolling down Av Cor-

rientes, the Broadway of Buenos Aires, and spend some time exploring the new & used bookstores. If you’re looking for a tango CD, then the best place to check is Zival’s at the corner of Corrientes & Callao.

The 800 block of Esmeralda in the mi-crocentro appears initially as another hectic, non-descript block in the city’s chaotic downtown. Yet, nestled mid-way along the block are three charming bookstores. Even if you don’t go inside, browsing at the windows may reveal some fascinating books, maps, and old prints. But if you have time and the stores are open, then go inside.

Buenos Aires has many rare book dealers, many

L’Amateur Rare Bookseller

Placio de las Aguas Corrientes

B.A. at night

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PALERMO

Palermo is a huge neighborhood. Ameri-can expats seem to love Palermo though it’s not really so high on my list. Hon-estly, Palermo Viejo, which really isn’t as old as its name implies, reminds me of any trendy district in any U.S. city. I love those neighborhoods when I’m in the U.S. but I just �nd so many other areas of

Buenos Aires more fascinating than Pal-ermo. Regardless, do plan on spending most of an entire day exploring Palermo. And, �rst, I’m going to direct you to the area of Palermo that is truly interesting, what I call the embassy and museum district but more commonly known as Barrio Parque.

Mind boggling. To have a house large enough that it eventually could become a museum. What could it be like to live

Floralis Generica Sculpture

DAY 3

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41 in such a place, to grow up amid such massive rooms? It probably left you in a rather warped mental state. This sec-tion of Palermo offers the opportunity to view three museums that were once grand houses. They’re all within walking distance, two are free to the public, and all can be easily visited in one afternoon.

You’ll likely have the chance of exploring the museums at your leisure without jos-tling among a crowd.

A good starting point is the Museo de Arte Decorativo (Avenida del Liberta-dor 1902), which is the most palatial. The permanent collection is supplemented by various exhibitions. But the interior of the house is the primary attraction and worth much more than the minuscule price of admission. The restoration of the building has improved tremendously in the last few years so that you will soak in the stunning ambiance of gentile living

of the Buenos Aires aristocracy. A very nice Web site featuring a virtual tour of the house is www.mnad.org

Across the broad avenue, just behind the Spanish embassy, is the Ocampo house at 2831 Ru�no de Elizalde and across from Plaza Chile. Victoria Ocampo was the grand dame of arts and culture in Buenos Aires for decades, spanning the 1920s till her death in the 1970s. The house she built in Palermo was the site of many parties featuring the best writ-ers and artists of the nation. The house is now the Casa de la Cultura del Fondo Nacional de las Artes and can be visited freely by the public. Though there’s really very little on the inside, the house gives you a chance to walk in the same rooms visited by many of Argentina’s great writ-ers, including Jorge Luis Borges.

The most striking aspect of the house is its modernist style, especially consider-ing the typical architecture of Buenos Aires. The house looks more like Miami Beach than Buenos Aires. The juxtapo-sition of the house next to the Spanish Embassy and the other palatial resi-dences is a strong architectural state-ment that be�ts a woman like Victoria Ocampo, 39 years old when she built the house.The architectural appearance of the house is even more astonishing when you realize that it was built in 1929. Victoria Ocampo herself designed the house, though she hired the famed Argentine architect Alejandro Bustillo to �nalize it. The story is that Bustillo so disliked the house that he refused to put his name on it. A more typical

Bustillo design, just down the street, is the Belgian Embassy, which was built a year after the Ocampo house. Modern sculpture is now positioned around the exterior of the Ocampo house and the inside provides space for exhibitions and presentations. Considering that Victoria Ocampo lived in this house for 12 years, the house it-self also played an important role in the development of literary culture in Bue-nos Aires. The house was the location for the party that launched Ocampo’s literary journal Sur in 1931. She also had another estate out in the suburb of San Isidro, a home called Villa Ocampo that is now owned and man-aged by Unesco, along with a special Web site that �lls you in on Victoria’s amazing life: www.villaocampo.org

VICTORIA OCAMPO

Museo de Arte Decorativo

Villa Ocampo Ocampo’s house in Palermo

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A few blocks behind the Ocampo house in Palermo is the Museo Metropolitano at 3217 Castex . The exhibit here changes regularly. But again, it’s the house that you’ve really come to see. While only a few rooms are open to the public it’s free and you almost always will be the only one visiting the museum. A cozy coffee shop is located at the entrance.

Rounding out the set of museums in this corner of Palermo is Museo de Arte Lati-noamericano de Buenos Aires, known more commonly by its initials MALBA, just a few blocks away at the corner of Figueroa Alacorta and San Martin de Tours. MALBA is an extraordinary collec-tion of contemporary Latin American art, perhaps the best in the world. features works by internationally known artists such as Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera as well as several Argentine artists like An-tonio Berni and Xul Solar.

The MALBA building itself is bright exam-

ple of modern architecture and has a gift shop, bookstore, and café. If you happen to be staying in Buenos Aires for an extend-ed stay and like art house �lms, then you should check out the cinema schedule in MALBA. Unlike the other museums in the area, MALBA isn’t free (except on Wednes-days). See www.malba.org.ar for more in-formation about visiting the museum.

XUL SOLAR MUSEUM

Xul Solar (1887-1963) is one of the most signi�cant artists of the 20th century, yet he is little known outside of his native Argentina. Repeatedly, I have asked people with art history de-grees about Xul Solar and have been met with only blank stares. Since �rst seeing Xul Solar’s incredible watercolors several years ago, I’ve been fascinated by his work and the story of his life. His friend Jorge Luis Borges referred to Xul Solar as the most intellectual person that he knew.

I feel strongly that people should be sure not to miss the Museo Xul Solar in Buenos Aires. The museum building itself is an excellent renovation of Xul Solar’s Palermo home and is at 1212 Laprida street.

Reprints of Xul Solar’s paintings do not prepare you for the vibrant colors of the actual works. You really need to see the art of Xul Solar in person to appre-ciate it fully. Samples of his work and info about the museum can be found at www.xulsolar.org.ar

Next to MALBA is Museo Renault, which despite its name is not a museum. It’s re-ally a place to go if you’re in the mood for high-priced (by Buenos Aires standards) cuisine. Housed in a former car dealer-ship, that was designed by the same Ital-ian architect who created the majestic Palacio Barolo on Av de Mayo, the roof of the Museo Renault building had an usual feature: a race track for test driving automobiles.

If you’re not so into museums, then another way to enjoy Palermo is wander through the many parks in the area. The city’s botanical gar-den, though small, makes for a re-laxing stroll.

Night along PLAZA SERRANO

For an evening of entertainment in Paler-mo, wander down to the trendy heart of Palermo: Plaza Serrano (also known as Plaza Cortázar). The area is packed with restaurants and designer stores. I must admit that I’m not really an authority on the nightlife or shopping in this area. If you’re intrigued by Palermo and want to know more about its stores and eateries, then you should de�nitely check out the blog: trendypalermoviejo.blogspot.comMuseo Renault

MALBA

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SAN TELMO

On Sundays almost every tourist in Bue-nos Aires descends on the barrio of San Telmo for the weekly event that is part antique fair, part �ea market, and a great time for “people watching”.

Plaza Dorrego is the center of the action where dozens of booths line the square,

all selling an assortment of goods. Look closely, be prepared to bargain, and you might come across a memorable �nd to carry home. Around the Plaza are a num-ber of bars and cafes of varying quality, but try to squeeze into the classic Bar Dorego on the corner and have a seat at one of the old wooden tables.

In recent years the fair has expanded for blocks down Defensa street and along side streets. And if you have lots of money

A wall in San Telmo

DAY 4

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47 or just like to window shop, then you’ll enjoy Defensa street even more since its lined with wonderful antique stores �lled with gorgeous objects. Enjoy strolling through the bustling crowd on Defensa but be sure to wander over one block to Balcarce street, which even on Sunday is a quieter example of the real nature of the neighborhood.

San Telmo is my neighborhood and I love it but to really appreciate San Telmo you must also visit the barrio during a week-day when most of the tourists are busy enjoying other parts of the city. During the week, San Telmo reverts back to its normal self with crumbling facades, cob-blestone streets, and bohemian vibes.

The southern edge of SAN TELMO

If you walk south on Defensa, a few blocks further from Plaza Dorrego, go-ing under the highway overpass and beyond, then you’ll eventually run into Parque Lezama. On weekends this park is turned into a massive market for lo-cals, where purely practical item such as clothes, socks, and household goods are

sold cheaply. So, it’s really better to ven-ture down here on a weekday when the park is quiet and peaceful.

Bordering the park is the Russian Or-thodox Church with its blue domes. On another edge of the park is the National History Museum, which is located in a reddish building from the early 1800s that was one of the �nest homes in Bue-nos Aires during its day. Surprisingly, that house was built for an American from Baltimore though it was later acquired by a man named Lezama for whom the park is named. While you’re around the muse-um be sure to look down Av Caseros and admire the English style townhouses.

Finally, walk down the hillside and towards the edge of the park. You will not want to miss the old Canale cookie factory. The south side of Buenos Aires is dotted with factories from the early 20th century, sev-eral of which are being refurbished into lofts for living spaces and of�ces.

Just before reaching Parque Lezama you’ve probably noticed two classic ca-

fes on opposite corners of Defensa, right across from the entrance to the park. Both are excellent places to grab a cup of coffee. The Britanico is open 24 hours, 7 days a week, and is a great place to go after a late night out on the town. The Hipopótamo Bar has a more charming interior and serves good pasta dishes. If you can, give both places a try.

Sunday in Plaza Dorrego

Plaza Dorrego Sunday Market

Bar Británico

Storefront in San Telmo

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BAR EL FEDERAL

Located on the corner of Perú and Carlos Calvo, El Federal is another one of those classic places in Buenos Aires. Indeed, El Federal is one of the most picturesque places in the city. Yet, that also means that it is often full of tourists. The prices are still very reasonable, no more than any other café in town. It’s surprising that they haven’t raised the prices with all the tourists.

We noticed the Spanish style building at Chacabuco 855 on several of our walks through San Telmo. It’s the Cultural Cen-ter for the Catalan community in Buenos Aires. The interior of the building is bound to please any architectural buff. Casal de Catalunya offers a memorable experience for lunch or dinner. Or, you can just try the tapas bar. The restaurant isn’t visible from the glass front doors. If the doors are closed, ring the buzzer to let the staff know that you’re out front. Momentarily, a waiter will come to the door and walk you back to the res-taurant, along the way you’ll pass a deco-rative bar and a large, spiral staircase. Take a moment to look up at the winding stairs and you will see a beautiful stained glass window in the ceiling. The tables in the restaurant are spread apart, giving everyone enough room for

El Federal does have a beautiful bar. Photos just don’t do it justice. So, you de�nitely should consider El Federal as a place for stopping. There used to be a quaint little bookstore deep inside the café, but that now has been turned into a storeroom. Most of the books were overpriced anyway (compared to the bookstores on Av Corrientes) but there’s something likable about a bookstore within a café, a tempting invitation to browse for a few minutes. Bar El Federal

CASAL DE CATALUNYA

privacy and a long, relaxing meal. The res-taurant was closed for many years but re-opened in 2006.

The building itself is quite a gem, which also features the Teatro Margarita Xirgu. While the Teatro Colón remains closed for renovations, you may want to check out the offerings at the Margarita Xirgu. Not only is the theater itself a splendid example of early 20th design, it has played a rich role in the theatrical history of the city.The striking facade of the building that makes it so distinctive from any other structure in Buenos Aires isn’t the original. Constructed in 1890 the building origi-nally had the typical French-style facade that adorns most of buildings of that pe-riod. Over time the building was modi�ed extensively and the current facade dates from 1936 (and was refurbished in 2006).

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Most tourists seek out Evita’s tomb inRecoleta but a better way of encoun-tering the mythic �gure adored by the Argentine working class is a visit to the CGT Labor Union Building, located at 802 Azopardo street, a street that is be-tween San Telmo and Puerto Madero.

The building itself is a drab example of post-war architecture. But what you came for is not to admire the construc-tion, or even to go inside, but for the image of Eva Perón painted high up on the corner of the building. The eternal �ame just below Evita’s �gure doesn’t burn so bright these days, often barely noticeable.

The CGT is the dominant coalition of la-bor unions in Argentina. The Peróns used the labor unions as their base of power and the union is still a core strength of Peronism politics. CGT is the acronym for Confederación General del Trabajo, the General Confederation of Labor.

The unions, as much as anyone, are re-

sponsible for the adoration of Evita and Juan Perón. In 2006 when Perón’s body was disinterred from Chacarita cem-etery and relocated to a million dollar mausoleum in the suburbs, his cof�n was �rst transferred to the CGT build-ing amid a parade of cheering (and largely drunk) laborers. We skipped out from work that day to catch the festivi-ties. After all, it’s not everyday that the cof�n of a dictator thirty years dead is paraded through the city streets.

Across the street from the CGT is the massive neoclassical College of Engi-neering of the University of Buenos Aires. What’s remarkable about this building is that it was originally built in 1950 to be the Eva Perón Foundation. But after the Perón’s fall from power, that facility found a better use as the engineering school.

Evita was never liked by those who are buried in those gilded tombs of Reco-leta. Here at the CGT building you can �nd her true admirers.

LA BOCA

A destination in every guidebook to Bue-nos Aires is La Boca, but those books cover only the same tourist corner of the neigh-borhood and give the impression that the rest of La Boca is a dangerous area to be avoided. La Boca is certainly a grittier area than swanky Recoleta. If you’re adventur-ous, don’t be paranoid about exploring beyond the tourist zone around the little street known as Caminito.

And rather than browsing in the souvenir stores of La Boca, you must pay a visit to the museum devoted to Quinquela Martín (1890 - 1977), who captured the

spirit of the neighborhood in his majestic paintings. His extraordinary art depicts the toil and hardship of those who called La Boca home and worked all day load-ing and unloading goods from the ships docked in the port. Indeed, if it wasn’t for Quinquela Martín’s inspiration to foster Caminito as a development that some-how preserved the feel of the old Italian immigrant community that once existed in La Boca, then most tourists would never ever make it down to La Boca. So, while you’re there, you really should pay a little thanks to the artist.

Safe pathways for walking from San Telmo to La Boca include Av Almirante Brown and Av Regimiento de Patricios.

EVITA’S ETERNAL FLAME

Colorful houses in La Boca

Caminito Street in La Boca

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EXTRA DAY

An extra day or two in Buenos Aires pro-vides a lot of opportunities, all of which are worthwhile. Many people take the ferry for a day trip over to Colonia, Uru-guay and that’s highly recommended. Others �nd an estancia in the countryside and that’s also enjoyable. Yet another op-tion is to go up to the coastal wetlands of Tigre, which is �ne, too, though not my favorite of those three activities.

Or, you may choose just to stay in Buenos Aires, relax and explore the city on your own. That is really what I recommend since it’s the best way to truly get a sense of what it’s like to live here.

There’s nothing better than just picking a random street in Buenos Aires and walk-ing. If you want a couple of hints, rather than picking your own street, then choose Chile street in San Telmo and walk west. Another option if you’re starting out in Palermo is to take Gascon street all the way down to Boedo.

Pocketwatches in Casa Raab

EXTRADAY

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TAKE A BUS

If you’re not into so much walking, then for a peso a person you can get a remark-able view of the city on one of the city’s public buses (just avoid the rush hour). A couple of lines that will take you through a diverse range of neighborhoods are the 39, the 24, and the 29.

The #39 offers an exciting journey. Catch the 39 where it starts in Cha-carita, or you also can pick up in Pal-ermo around Plaza Italia before the bus makes its way down Av Santa Fe. Eventually the bus will turn down Tal-cahuano and head towards the barrio of Constitución. The neighborhood will look rather seedy, but stay on board the 39 and you will soon be treated to the magni�cent Constitución Station. Most passengers will depart here in or-der to take a train somewhere to the south. But you’ll probably want to stay on the bus for a while longer.

The 39 continues past Constitución and into the lower edge of San Telmo, turning eventually onto Av Caseros. You can get off at the corner of Case-ros and Bolivar. It’s perfectly safe there anytime of the day or night. From there you can walk one block over to Defensa

and then up another block to have a drink at Hipopótamo or Bar Británico. From the corner across from Británico, you can pick up the 24 bus for a bus tour in the other direction.

The 39 also keeps heading south, brushing past La Boca and on into Bar-racas. The return trip on the 39 is also interesting. Catch it on Av Caseros near Parque Lezama and you will be taken through the center of the city, Barrio Norte, Palermo, and �nish up in Cha-carita, just across from the cemetery where the great tango singer Carlos Gardel is buried.

If you’re out in Chacarita, then you a great place to stop for food is El Impe-rio de la Pizza, one of the many great pizzerias in Buenos Aires. And the 39 starts its route back into the city from right in front of El Imperio de la Pizza.

Tango lorem ipsum dolor...

ON THE 39 BUS

Filete on an Old Bus

Crowd ed Bus!

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PLAZAS Pleasant green spaces in the city

There are many more plazas in Buenos Aires than just the prominent ones, such as Plaza de Mayo or Plaza San Martín. While these are great places not to be missed during your stay here, many other charming plazas are scattered through-out the city. Seek out one or more of these green spaces to encounter an es-sential aspect of Buenos Aires.

The plazas are for relaxing, so �nd a bench or a spot in the grass and spend some time there rather than just walking straight through on the way elsewhere.

As I write this I sit in Plaza Alem fac-ing the grand 1910 Aduana, or customs building. When the port behind the build-ing was active a hundred years ago, this spot was bustling with activity. Av Bel-grano, bordering the plaza, was the main route for transporting goods between the port and the rest of the city.

Today the area is an almost forgotten corner of the city’s urban core. In the mornings the plaza is �lled with men, who seem to be day laborers awaiting a job but I’ve never been quite sure. By afternoon the crowd has dwindled to a dozen or so, mostly older men sitting around playing cards.

Midday - nearby of�ce workers sit around for lunch, couples rendezvous, snatching a few romantic moments during the day.

Plaza Alem isn’t beautiful, the grass is worn, but there is a languid life that car-ries the often weary soul of Buenos Aires.

PUERTO MADERO & COSTANERA SUR

The restored waterfront area of Puer-to Madero is not my favorite place for spending time in Buenos Aires. It’s actu-ally a very nice area, remarkably clean compared to the rest of the city, but at the same time Puerto Madero is distinct-ly without any character that de�nes it as part of Buenos Aires. Indeed, it re-sembles the re-developed riverfront ar-eas found in many mid-sized U.S. cities. (Puerto Madero even has a TGI Friday’s and a Hooters!) On a short stay, I think you’re safe to skip Puerto Madero.

But if you feel the need to escape the hectic pace of Buenos Aires and want a feel for someplace different, then ven-ture just beyond Puerto Madero and

Plaza San Martín. Old Photograph

Parque Lezana

Parqu e Ameghino

Puerto Madero. Puente de la Mujer

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the fancy high-rise apartment towers to the actual coast, Costanera Sur, where you’ll �nd a lovely tree-lined promenade and a nature reserve with walking trails. The Ecological Park (free admittance) is a great spot for birdwatching and spot-ting the occasional wildlife typical to the Pampas wetlands.

Fans of sculpture will surely not want to miss one of the �nest marble works in the city, Fountain of the Nereids, locat-ed at the southern end of the promenade (or more precisely, 1600 Tristán Achával Rodríguez street).

In Greek mythology, Nereids are beauti-ful women, living in the sea, who offer aid to sailors during storms. Created by Lola Mora in 1903 the sensual marble work is typical of Mora’s rebellious and controversial style. An outrage over the nakedness of the �gures prompted city

In the late 1800s wealthy residents of Buenos Airs started building summer homes, quintas, in the village of Flores. At that time Flores was located a good ways from the congested, smelly center of the city.

The slightly higher elevation of Flores offered a fresh breeze air. Today, the city of Buenos Aires encompasses Flores though this former summer village is still somewhat dif�cult to reach. But that is changing with the opening of the sub-way extension. The easiest way to get there today is by taking the “A” line of the subway to the end of the line, which is now Caballito (though soon the sub-way will go all the way to Flores). From Caballito you can walk ten nice blocks west to Flores.

A stroll around the streets of Flores, Av Yerbal or Bacacay, for instance, reveals the nice homes that would �t in just as well in the more known neighborhoods of Recoleta and Palermo.

One of the oldest homes in Flores is now a cultural center. Casa Marco del Pont (206 Artigas street) is adjacent to the historic train station and that’s another sight that should be visited for a bit of the 19th century. You can freely enter the house and wander the grounds. On Sun-day evenings you might encounter tango dancing in one of the house’s salons.

While Flores still has a large share of up-per middle class residents, the lower half of Flores is dominated by more recent immigrants and includes a large Korean neighborhood.

Patio of Museo de la Cárcova

A VISIT TO FLORES

Fountain by Lola Mora

of�cials in the early 20th century to move the sculpture from its original spot downtown. The art work �nally found a place at this remote spot.

Again, for admirers of sculpture, another nearby stop is a museum dedicated to reproductions of great sculptures in the world. The facility is named for artist Er-nesto de la Cárcova and located at Tris-tán Achával Rodríguez 1701, just across from the Lola Mora sculpture. Many of the reproductions are from the �rst half of the 20th century. The museum keeps odd hours, opened Monday – Friday (9:30am – 12:30pm & 5:30pm – 7:30pm) and weekends (11am – 5pm).

A good restaurant, on the grounds of the museum, serves typical Argentine food.

Casa Marcó del Pont

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Recommended RESTAURANTS

La Posada de 1820 Tucumán 501, corner of San Martín (downtown)Los Pinos Azcuénaga 1500 (Recoleta)36 Billares, Av de Mayo 1265 Chiquilín Sarmiento 1599 (center)Don Ernesto Carlos Calvo 375 (San Telmo)Arturito Av. Corrientes 1124 (center)Restaurant Casal de Catalunya Chaca-buco 863 (San Telmo)

The most comprehensive online source for restaurant reviews is Oleo (www.guiaoleo.com.ar), which features com-ments and ratings by locals.

SaltShakerAt www.saltshaker.net you’ll �nd the ongoing examination of the Buenos Aires food scene by American expat and chef Dan Perlman, who offers not only his own reviews of restaurants but also a unique dining experience at his own Casa SaltShaker.

MORE THAN 20 PICTURE-PERFECT SPOTS (the guidebooks don’t tell you about)

CASA DEL FANTASMA

This art nouveau apartment building from 1915 features the ghost of a painter who committed suicide and haunts the upper �oors. (Some people do say La Boca can be a rather scary place at night).WHERE: corner of Benito Perez Galdós and Av Almirante Brown

1908 TRAIN STATION IN BARRACAS

A small, picturesque train station at the southern edge of Buenos Aires, secluded from the rest of the city and apparently from the passage of time. WHERE: Villarino & A. Bardi streets

ONCE

The garment district in the heart of the Jewish barrio, stirring with activity on weekday mornings.WHERE: Start at Paso & Lavalle and wan-der around.

ABANDONED BOATS

Rusted remains rest in a formerly vibrant shipping channel. This is a rather remote spot along the smelly riverfront. You’ll probably be the only tourist around and even very few locals, so you should be careful if you venture down here.WHERE: Montes de Oca & Pedro de Mendoza

STREET POSTERS

More than just advertising, street posters

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are forms of social and political expres-sion. Not everyone reads the newspapers or watches the news on TV but everyone sees the posters on the street.WHERE: everywhere!

SANTA FELICITAS

A beautiful church constructed in 1875 for the memory of a young woman mur-dered by a spurned suitor.WHERE: Isabel La Católica street, be-tween Pinzón & Brandsen streets

TEMPLO ISRAELITA SEFARDI “OR TORAH”

Architecturally, perhaps the most impres-sive synagogue in Latin America.WHERE: 1444 Brandsen street

AV CASEROS

A couple of the nicest blocks on the south side. One side of the 400 block was built for the English managers of the railroads.WHERE: 400 & 500 blocks Av Caseros

OLD GARAGES...GUIDO

Stylish parking lots of the early 20th cen-tury for when cars were new and just for the wealthy...many examples in the city, such as the art deco garage in RecoletaWHERE: 1653 Guido street

QUILMES TRUCK

This distribution center for Argentina’s most popular beer features a facade un-like any other in the city.WHERE: 1400 block on Piedras street

PALACIO DE LOS PATOS

Massive apartments from 1928. Be sure to peek through the front entrance at the mail boxes and courtyard.

WHERE: 3050 Ugarteche street

OLD POCKETWATCH STORE

On an incredibly charming street in the center of Buenos Aires, a family of watch repairers maintain the time.WHERE: Pasaje Rivarola

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PAYSANDU STREET IN CABALLITO

One block, never visited by tourists, proves that the city’s graceful architec-ture isn’t con�ned to only one or two neighborhoods.

LA COLORADA

This red brick apartment building from 1911 is a dramatic divergence from the French in�uenced architecture dominat-ing Buenos Aires. WHERE: 3791 Cabello street

CANALE FACTORY

A former cookie factory that shows the stylish side of the industrial revolution in Argentina.WHERE: Av Martín Garcia, across from Parque Lezama

OMBU TREE NEAR BIOY’S HOUSE

One of the great trees in the city, near the

home of one of the city’s greatest writers of the last century.WHERE: Posadas & Av. Alvear

ELECTRIC SUBSTATIONS

More examples of municipal utilities be-ing housed in splendid architecture.WHERE: Throughout the city, but par-ticularly in San Telmo.

ARCHITECT SIGNATURES

An architectural detail to search out are the distinctive signatures of those who designed the buildings.WHERE: everywhere!

TILE WORK ON BUILDINGS

Deteriorating quickly, there are still great examples of tiles adorning many buildings.WHERE: everywhere!

COLEGIO NACIONAL

The country’s most prestigious high school in the oldest sector of the city. A good spot for observing the youth of Buenos Aires if you go by when school is ending for the day.WHERE: 233 Bolivar street

BENCICH BUILDING

Magni�cent apartments from the early days of the 20th century on a street lined with art galleries. WHERE: Arroyo & Suipacha

THE HOUSE OF FERNÁNDEZ BLANCO

The city’s latest restoration of a house whose grand interior shows how the elite once lived. WHERE: 1418 Hipólito Yrigoyen street

AGUAS CORRIENTES

Simply the most astonishing building in Buenos Aires, both architecturally and for its use to house the city’s waterworks.WHERE:1950 Cordoba Av

PHOTO CREDITSMany thanks to all the photographers that collaborated with their images to make this book:

© Héctor Antonio Vázquez Brustpage 12, Congress Buildingpage 14, Basilica de San Franciscopage 37, BA at night

© Karine Aggery page 29, Centro Cultural Recoletapage 33, Plaza San Martinpage 35, Florida Street

© Carla Peronipage 16, Microcentro

© Miro Schaappage 17, Obelisk

© Hernan Herreropage 22, Bandoneon

© Marcelo Gerpepage 26, Recoleta Cemetery

© Iván Javier Bagalápage 42, Museo Renault

© Debbie Schiel page 60, Restaurant

© Daniel Battistonpage 57, Puerto Madero

© Cleferson Comarela Barbosapage 51, Colorful Houses in La Boca

© Barbara Lanapage 46, sifones in Sunday Market

© Core21page 46, San Telmo tango scene

TYPOGRAPHYThis book was typeset in the Rotis Family,

designed by Otl Aicher in 1988 as a maximum readability typeface.