Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina. It is the main business and cultural center in the country, and it was declared City of Design by UNESCO in 2005. In short, Buenos Aires is the result of a combination of elegance, noise, culture, art, tango, nightlife, style, and mate.
SOME HISTORY
The city of Buenos Aires was founded twice: On February 2, 1536, by Spaniard Pedro de Mendoza, who gave it the name “Ciudad del Espíritu Santo y Puerto Santa María del Buen Ayre”, and in 1580 by Juan de Garay, who chose the name “Santísima Trinidad y Puerto de Santa María de los Buenos Aires”.
Buenos Aires owes its characteristic cultural eclecticism to the Spanish, Italian, Syrian-Lebanese, Polish and Russian immigrants that arrived at its port during the 19th century after the implementation of a State policy aiming to populate the country. During the 20th century, successive immigrations turned Buenos Aires into a cosmopolitan city in which people with different cultures live together.
ARCHITECTURE
Colonial, renaissance, baroque, neoclassic, art nouveau, art deco, modern, international, and many other architectural styles are combined in Buenos Aires. Thus, one of the main attractions of the city is its architecture, which reflects the Spanish, French and Italian influence. Wide avenues, extensive green spaces, monuments and sculptures, churches and great mansions coexist with houses, office and apartment buildings and modern skyscrapers.
NIGHTLIFE
Buenos Aires hardly ever sleeps: it is known around the world for its incredible nightlife. Possibilities are very varied: concerts, festivals, nightclubs, theaters, pubs, bars, milonga and tango houses… Besides, night activities in Buenos Aires are long lasting. While some bars and pubs open at 6 pm, serious clubbing does not begin before 2 am, and frequently goes on until 7 am, or later. Many coffee stores also stay open till dawn, especially Thursday through Saturday, since it is quite common for young people to have breakfast before going to bed.
GASTRONOMY
The “Paris of South America” –as Buenos Aires is known for its European style– offers a wide variety of gastronomic choices: all kind of meals, from different countries, and for every taste and budget. The influence of Spanish and Italian immigrants is reflected in Argentine cuisine. Many restaurants and bars organize jazz, tango or rock shows to entertain people while they enjoy their best dishes.
Argentina is famous for its high-quality meat. Hundreds of restaurants in Buenos Aires have grills and serve different cuts of traditional Argentine asado. Italian food is also widely spread: Restaurants specialized in pizzas and pastas can be easily found in the city. Empanadas –a small pie filled with different stuffings, such as minced beef, onion and cheese, vegetables, etc. – are a good alternative to eat while enjoying the best Argentine wine.
The city has specific areas that offer different types of restaurants: Puerto Madero has the most exclusive and sophisticated restaurants; Palermo and Las Cañitas offer gourmet specialties and dishes from different countries in places decorated according to the latest trends; and Av. Corrientes is the perfect place to taste the best pizza in Buenos Aires.
It is important to take into account that, in Buenos Aires, people usually have dinner after 10 pm, and some restaurants are open until dawn. While in Paris, New York or London restaurants are crowded at about 8:30 pm, this generally happens in Buenos Aires after 11 pm.
CULTURE
Buenos Aires breathes culture. The city is full of museums related to history, fine arts, modern arts, decorative arts, popular arts, crafts and music, as well as public libraries, arts centers, bookstores, theaters and movie theaters. Many events and festivals are organized in Buenos Aires, several days or even weeks of art celebrations that include shows, lessons, chats, conferences and parties.
Museums: Buenos Aires has important museums devoted both to national and international art, as well as football museums, costumes museums, puppets museums, etc. Most of them have a permanent and a temporary exhibition.
Arts Centers: Buenos Aires has plenty of places fully devoted to artistic activities: theater and dance companies, musicians and plastic artists, photographers, literary and film critics, etc. share their work with the audience and organize different workshops and courses. Generally, Arts Centers have an art gallery where the work of different artists is exhibited, and a theater hall where plays are presented and movies are screened.
Bookstores: Buenos Aires has a flourishing book industry. Thus, it is full of bookstores. The most important ones are located on Corrientes, Santa Fe and Juramento, and at shopping malls. To buy rare volumes, first editions, antiquarian or sold-out books, manuscripts and foreign language books, Avenida de Mayo, San Telmo and the old bookstores on Corrientes (between Callao and 9 de Julio) are the best options. Book fairs at Parque Centenario, Parque Rivadavia, Plaza Lavalle and Plaza Italia offer low-cost, second-hand and rare books.
Theaters: Plays are constantly presented at the different theaters in Buenos Aires. General San Martín Theater, Colón Theater and Cervantes National Theater generally stage classic plays and innovating versions of universal theater and lyric. In Abasto, Palermo and San Telmo, there are many theaters that present avant-garde plays created by young people. Av. Corrientes is the focus of the commercial circuit where musicals, tango shows and local versions of international plays are staged.
Movie Theaters: Movie theaters in Buenos Aires offer several screenings per day. In general, they are open from 1 pm to 11 pm; however, on Fridays and Saturdays, some theaters have a “late night” screening as of 1 am. There are some theaters fully devoted to Argentine films, while international movies are screened in all theaters. Films d’autour and theme-movie cycles are generally shown in arts centers and movie clubs.
Music: Each music style has its own circuit in Buenos Aires. The most traditional places to listen and dance tango are San Telmo and Abasto. Those interested in Argentine folklore must go to a peña, where people may enjoy musical shows, take dancing lessons, taste typical food and drinks, and dance. Colón Theater is the house of classical music (it is currently closed due to remodeling). Buenos Aires also has places exclusively devoted to jazz and electronic music. International rock shows are usually organized at soccer stadiums; however, Buenos Aires also has smaller places to stage innovating rock bands.
ACCOMMODATION
The main neighborhoods in Buenos Aires offer multiple accommodation options for tourists: hotels, guest houses, furnished apartments, apart-hotels, hostels, and bed & breakfasts. The main chains of three-, four- and five-star hotels worldwide also offer their services in the city. In addition, there are apart-hotels and economical hostels for people expecting more affordable fees.
SHOPPING
Buenos Aires has several shopping circuits that offer different type of products: antiques in San Telmo, souvenirs in La Boca, leather items in Retiro, and avant-garde objects, clothes and decorative items in Palermo. Due to the favorable exchange rate, shopping malls in Buenos Aires, such as Alto Palermo, Paseo Alcorta, Patio Bullrich, Abasto and Galerías Pacífico, are frequently visited by tourists. However, to taste the real flavor of shopping in Buenos Aires, it is compulsory to go to any of the many markets and fairs in the city.
TRANSPORTATION
Multiple means of transportation allow people to travel around the beautiful city of Buenos Aires: six metro lines, over-150 bus lines and seven interurban railways. There is also a fleet of over-40,000 black-and-yellow taxis roaming the city. Furthermore, low-fare limo services, known as remises, have become very popular in recent years.
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