Buenos Aires
for Beginners

Boasting Old World Sophistication and South
American Charm, Buenos Aires is Argentina's Jewel.
By Marissa Rodriguez

Stroll the stone streets of the arts district, explore churches and buildings with European façades, or spend an afternoon watching the city’s super chic at an outdoor café. No it’s not Paris, but it’s close. Welcome to Buenos Aires, considered by many the Paris of South America, and with good reason.
Located on the coast of the Río de Plata, Argentina’s capital, in the central region of the country, is at once a vibrant metropolis and a center of international industry, without having lost the warmth and complexity of a thriving art hub. And much like the City of Light, it’s the romantic paragon of a capital city in all its coexisting juxtapositions. From the street performers who dance tango with pained expressions in San Telmo to the stiletto-heeled clubgoer, it all fits in. And as such, it’s attracted artists and bohemians inspired by the motley culture––such as tango king Carlos Gardel—while producing some of its own—writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges and Victoria Ocampo.
Established in the 1500s by Spanish explorers, today’s city of 16 million still holds close to its European heritage. Churches maintain their gilded Spanish interiors and apartments along the interior of the city boast wrought-iron balconies. Even federal buildings seem palatial. The artisan and historic heart of the city lies in the districts of San Telmo and Monserrat. The first is one of the big city’s oldest and most well preserved. Artists sell their wares along the cobblestone streets of the main plaza, and dancers surprise tourists with impromptu performances. The second city takes its name from the Church of Nuestra Señora de Monserrat, a national landmark.
The Casa Rosada, or the pink house, is also la Casa de Gobierno, or the government house, and is the working home of the Argentine president. However, it is well known as the building from which Evita Perón gave her most famous address. The Italian-style building was constructed in the late 1800s and mirrors latter-day palaces. Perón herself is interred along with other Buenos Aires royalty, or troublemakers depending on your point of view, at the Cementerio de la Recoleta
Directly in front of the Casa Rosada is the Plaza de Mayo, a major tourist attraction and site of political protests. It’s surrounded by many places of interest, including Catedral de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Museo del Antiguo Congreso Nacional, the national bank, the city council, and several restaurants.
Wander south of the plaza, between the streets of Peru and Avenida Paseo Colón and the city is packed with must-see sites, including the Manzana de las Luces, built by the Jesuits in the early 1800s. It was the former site of the city’s university. Just south of that is the theater Sala Claustro, which itself is just north of the tangería El Querandi, named for the region’s indigenous people. Such clusters of upscale restaurants, tango venues and historical sites are common in this historic area and also along Avenida de Mayo, which runs directly from the European façade of the national Congress directly to the Plaza de Mayo.
Avenida Corrientes, similar to New York’s 42nd Street, is a mix of shops and theaters playing contemporary theater and Broadway-style shows. In May of this year the show du jour was Victor/Victoria with an international cast. Art lovers should head immediately to the MALBA, Buenos Aires’ museum of Latin American art, and one of the most important of its kind in the world. In addition to the museum’s dadaist and surrealist works, MALBA is also home to film, literature and design programs.
Wandering the streets in search of excellent restaurants is no difficult task. Argentina is well known for unparalleled barbeque and nowhere else have the country’s top chefs gathered than in Buenos Aires. At Las Nazarenas, a grill and wine bar, a wide array of prepared meats and Argentine wines are plentiful. Most popular is the Argentine malbec, a lush red wine that falls somewhere between a cabernet sauvignon and a merlot. Some of the best come from Mendoza, the Napa of Argentina. If wine is not your drink of choice, sip on a Quilmes, the national beer.
Buenos Aires also has its own take on dinner theater. Instead of murder mystery, the tango is the evening’s entertainment. La Ventana is a rustic restaurant where every seat has a view of the stage on which several professionals demonstrate their traditional tango and regional dance skills. Madero Tango, along the same vein, offers a more slick and show-business approach to tango, flavoring the music and dance with contemporary pop elements.
The city’s Western European influence again sneaks into the cultural menu, as the city boasts some impressive spots, including Café Tortoni and Campo dei Fiori. The neighborhood of Palermo is also well known for its fashionable restaurants.
At any point in throughout the year, visitors are awash in local festival. This month on the 10th, visitors to the Mataderos neighborhood can enjoy the Día de la Tradición, and watch la Feria de Mataderos, a gaucho festival and the Desfile Criollo de Carretas, a parade along Avenida de los Corrales.
February is carnaval month and the neighborhoods of Mataderos, Monserrat, Palermo, Parque Patricios, Retiro and Villa Crespo all have their own festivities, turning some parks and plazas into impromptu parties. The international influence is apparent in the city’s Chinese New Year, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, February’s Japanese festival in Palermo and Russian Orthodox Easter celebrations.
The party-loving city also has a deep love of sports. On any given game day, throngs of spectators, many painted for the country’s flag, crowd La Bombonera soccer stadium in the La Boca neighborhood.
Expansive estancias, or ranchs, lie just beyond Buenos Aires city limits, but the ambience and lifestyle is a world apart. Here, Argentina’s world-class beef is bred and brought to the table by generations of families. In some cases the ranch hands have also lived and worked the ranch for generations right alongside the owner families. San Antonio de Areco is home to some of the region’s most beautiful.

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