Buenos Aires is divided into 47 neighborhoods. The most famous are Palermo, Barrio Norte, Recoleta, Belgrano, San Telmo, La Boca, Retiro and Downtown; in the north are fashionable areas like Recoleta, Palermo and Belgrano where there are many cafes, restaurants and expensive designer shops. In the south are San Telmo and La Boca. San Telmo is generally known as the bohemian neighborhood, where there are many artists' studios and antique shops. La boca, is famous for its colorful painted houses, it is a working class and industrial area. In the middle are Barrio Norte, Retiro and the Downtown area. The latter very famous for its museums, pedestrian streets and government buildings.
There are 47 neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. Palermo, Barrio Norte, Recoleta, Belgrano, San Telmo, La Boca, Retiro, and Downtown are the most well-known; in the north, fashionable neighborhoods such as Recoleta, Palermo, and Belgrano are home to numerous cafes, restaurants, and high-end designer stores. San Telmo and La Boca are located in the south. San Telmo is recognized for its bohemian atmosphere, with many artist studios and antique shops. La boca is a working-class and industrial district known for its colorful painted buildings. Barrio Norte, Retiro, and the Downtown area are in the middle. The latter is well-known for its museums, pedestrian streets, and government structures.
The microcentro (city center) district is not at the geographic center of the city, but it can be considered the city's heart: it's the hub of government and finance, and it's where the city's principal avenues emerge and spread out into the surrounding neighborhoods. Monserrat and San Nicolás are the official barrios that make up the district.
Every traveller to Buenos Aires should see Plaza de Mayo, the site of many of Argentina's most significant historical events, as well as the famed balcony of the Casa Rosada presidential building, where Evita Perón addressed the masses below. To visit the legislative buildings and the adjoining Palacio Barolo, walk down the magnificent Avenida de Mayo and cross the 12-lane wide Avenida 9 de Julio (passing the Obelisco). In Buenos Aires, the city center is not the ideal spot to go for nightlife, so stay somewhere else and visit during the day.
Palermo is Buenos Aires' most populous area, a stylish zone famed for its stores, restaurants, vibrant nightlife, and ability to keep up with the current trends. Palermo is a wonderful spot to stay for those who want to be close to the activity, with a variety of lodging options ranging from hostels to boutique hotels.
The neighborhood is separated into smaller sections. Palermo Hollywood, to the north of Avenida Juan B Justo, is a district full of music venues, media enterprises, and cafes where employees sip flat whites. Palermo Soho, to the south, is crowded with retail boutiques, cocktail bars, and restaurants.
Puerto Madero neighborhood is located by the river and is an extension of the downtown area. It is one of the newest and more stylish areas of Buenos Aires. Old docks and warehouses, previously used to store ship cargos, have been completely refurbished and converted into modern office buildings and luxurious apartments, restaurants and bars.
Recoleta is one of the most touristic areas in Buenos Aires. It takes its name from the Franciscan convent that dates back to 1716. It has beautiful Italian and French style buildings and many green areas. It is best known for having the “Cementerio de la Recoleta” (Recoleta Cemetery), very rich in art, history and in luxurious tombs that the most important personality's Argentinean history, such as Dorrego and Evita.Peron are buried.
Near the cemetery, on Junin Street, are many restaurant, discos and bars. Everyday there are many porteños and tourist enjoying themselves until the very early hours of the morning.
In Recoleta many cultural events take place, the Centro Municipal de Exposiciones, is one of the most well know places; this centre hosts book fairs and many other cultural events. On the weekends there is a handicraft market in the park near the cemetery, where you will be able to buy many high quality products or enjoy live music and shows.
San Telmo is one of the oldest and more traditional neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. Originally it was called Altos de San Pedro; it was later changed to San Pedro Telmo. This neighborhood was one of the more affected by the yellow fever of 1870. It had an enormous population exodus and deterioration that stopped its growth, as a result many new buildings were not constructed and all the old ones are in place.
San Telmo is also the artist's quarter where Bohemians find large spaces at low rents, but it is also the site of high-density slum housing in conventillos (tenements) once built as single family housing for the capital's elite.
There are many handicraft markets and antique shops. On Sundays you can visit the big antique market or enjoy some of the free live tango shows in Plaza Dorego.
La Boca is Buenos Aires most colorful neighborhood. It was built by the Italian Immigrants, mainly from Genova, and until now it is known as "La Piccola Italia" little Italy. La Boca, thanks its name due to that it is situated in the mouth of the Riachuelo River.
The constructions were those of the typical houses with walls of foils, also present in other port areas as Berisso, in La Plata that give the neighborhood an unique physiognomy in the city. The tourist artery of this neighborhood is the picturesque Caminito, street of hardly 100 meters next to the coastal road, in which stand out the countless colors of its constructions, with murals and relief's.
In the streets there are a variety of artists that offer their products and shows. There are some places of tango very exclusive and several Italian taverns, especially on the street Gnocchi. A characteristic element of the neighborhood is the Club Boca Junior, one of the most important of the country that possesses its stadium, The Bombonera (chocolate box), with capacity it for more than 55.000 spectators.
Belgrano is a very stylish residential area. It was named after Manuel Belgrano, one of Argentina's forefathers. There are many beautiful mansion, embassies and high rise residential buildings.
Palermo previously was owned by Juan Manuel de Rosas a former Buenos Aires governor. After his fall from power the area became public parkland. Palermo consist of two different area, “Palermo Chico”, little Palermo, full with beautiful parks, a Zoo and the Japanese and the Botanical gardens that has near 7000 species vegetable, and various shopping's and “Palermo Viejo”, old Palermo well knows for its bars, international restaurants and pubs, being an important place for night entertainment.
There are several important monuments in this neighborhood, as that of Garibaldi, in Plaza Italia, that of the Spaniards, which of Urquiza and the one dedicated to Sarmiento, carried out by the French sculptor Rodin. The population of resources in this area concentrates, from middle to high class. These last ones concentrate on the exclusive Little Palermo, near Recoleta. There is a great concentration of buildings, many new, among them some that stand out as one of the highest in South America. In old Palermo, near to Villa Crespo and Colegiales, there are more low constructions, some from the beginnings of the XX Century.
The first settlers gave the name "Retiro" to this place because there was a heritage to retreat (retiro) spiritually, Later on, the name was associated with the enormous railway station that operates there many years ago, trains to all parts of the country left from this station.
There are many chique hotels situated here and you will find the terminals of many buses and train here as well. If you planning to travel to one of the other provinces in Argentina, this is the place from were you will leave?
Juan de Garay re-founded Buenos Aires in 1580, just north of Pedro de Mendoza's encampment near Parque Lezama. In accordance with Spanish Law, he laid out the large Plaza del Fuerte (Fortress Plaza), later called the Plaza del Mercado (Market Plaza). The Plaza de la Victoria was laid out after the victories over the British invaders in 1806 and 1807. It acquired its present of Plaza de Mayo after the month in which the Revolution of 1810 occurred.
Major colonial buildings in the centre included the Cabildo, part of which still exists and a church at a site now occupied by the Cathedral Metropolitana. Inside the cathedral is the tomb of the repatriated San Martín, who died in France. In the center of the plaza, the Pirámide de Mayo is a small obelisk over an earlier monument, around which the Madres de la Plaza still march every Thursday afternoon in their unrelenting campaign for a full accounting of Dirty War atrocities
In the centre of Buenos Aires there is always happening something. Busy with people, strolling on the street of Florida, the main shopping street, the hustle of the outrageous amount of traffic during rush hours, and business people working in the commercial buildings.
Here you can walk on the widest avenue in the world, 9 de Julio, and take a look at one of the most famous statues of Buenos Aires, “el Obelisco. Or simply visit Corrientes Avenue, densely populated with theatres, cinemas, restaurants and bookshops.