Even arriving in Buenos Aires from the detached (if rather comfy) viewpoint of a bed on the top floor of a coach it’s immediately obvious that it has that something special. The main roads through the city are new and well thought out. In the outlying residential zones the streets on each side are narrow and nearly all lined with trees and beautiful buildings. Further on, the road opens out into the business district, which is more spread out and scattered with modern high rise buildings containing an array of international companies like Microsoft and Coca Cola. Eventually the coach reaches the Recoleta district, home to all the government buildings. These huge stone monoliths are wonderfully carved buildings sitting in amongst an array of parks, all filled with sculptures and art.
The Retiro bus station itself it a bit of an anticlimax, an arc of 75 bus bays with people rushing around and a few shifty characters eagerly eyeing any unattended luggage. After a small adventure trying to get a payphone to work to let the letting agency know we were coming we got a taxi to our apartment – home for the next 15 days. Getting an apartment was not only cheaper than staying in a hotel, it provides the opportunity to make a few home cooked meals rather than eating out every night, which can get wearing.
The city is divided into districts (much like Soho, or Tribeca). There are too many to list, but our most frequented were:
- Recoleta is the government area
- (Micro)Centro is the downtown district full of shopping and offices
- San Telmo, the oldest district – a quiet but beautiful residential area
- Puerto Madero, the docks on the banks of the Rio de la Plata
- La Boca, Little Italy – mostly a rough docks area but full of interesting sights
- Palermo is the posh residential area, full of parks and museums
Our apartment was in Palermo, which is further divided into smaller areas:
- Palermo proper, with the majority of parks and houses, sometimes called Palermo Nuevo (new), as opposed to
- Palermo Viejo (old), which is further divided into Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood, a leafy collection of cobbled streets and home to the best shops and houses in town.
- Las Cañitas, home to the horse racing track, polo field and me for the next two weeks.
From Frommers (link to source)
Las Cañitas was once a favored neighborhood of the military powers during the dictatorship period of 1976 to 1982. A military training base, hospital, high school, and various family housing units still remain and encircle the neighborhood, creating an islandlike sense of safety on the neighborhood’s streets. Today, however, the area is far better known among the hip, trendy, and nouveau riche as the place to dine out, have a drink, party, and be seen in the fashionable venues built into converted low-rise former houses on Calle Báez; though with Palermo Viejo’s rise on the scene, it is becoming overshadowed. The polo field where the International Championships take place is also in the neighborhood and is technically part of the military bases. The polo field’s presence makes the neighborhood bars and restaurants great places for enthusiasts to catch polo champions celebrating their victories in season.
The apartment was lovely, 70sqm of wooden floors, a full size kitchen and a decent balcony on the 8th floor of a block of apartments in the centre of Las Cañitas. Within just a couple of blocks were a good variety of restaurants catering to all budgets and regions of the world. A few blocks further and there were artisanal produce shops such as bakers and greengrocers along with the largest and most varied supermarkets I’ve ever seen (Jumbo Palermo). Combined with the range of transport options provided by the nearby subway and bus routes we picked pretty well.
