Buenos Aires - Sights and Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods -

San Telmo - Montserrat - My first nights in Buenos Aires were spent in the barrios of Montserrat/San Telmo. By Argentine standards, these places are middle class. However,  upon my arrival I thought I was getting into a warzone. It was trash night, and garbage bags lined the streets. They were piled 3 or 4 bags high. If you gathered enough of them on any block, you could make a fort. Buenos Aires doesn't have alleys, so there aren't any dumpsters. It's too bad, they could use the.   Poor people also lined the streets, to rummage through all the garbage with the hope of finding recyclable copper, paper, glass, and food. I scoffed at anyone who has said B.A. is "Paris of South America." If that is true, Paris is in trouble. The sidewalks in these neigborhoods which border the capital district are a mess. Construction projects often remove slabs from the sidewalk, and then never replace those slabs. Trash, dog poop, and more trash constantly line the sidewalks and streets. Graffiti was of course everywhere, as is the trend in most of the world outside of the USA.

Before I left, some websites suggested that San Telmo was unsafe, and I understand how the neighborhood can be perceived that way. At night, most streets aren't lit, and various characters who are out can make one feel uneasy. However, I never felt in danger. Maybe it's because I'm an athletic looking guy who probably isn't worth any fight I might put up. I definitely noticed some homeless staring at me but I think that can be attributed to whatever concotions they had ingested to ease their nights.

Despite the grittiness of San Telmo, it'd be the one neighborhood I'd live in if I moved to B.A. It has it's own style, that made me feel like I was really in another country. It's old and has a certain wise charisma. I could get over trash day, and have a good time there. Every Sunday in San Telmo is highlighted by a huge street market. The goods at these markets are generally crap (simpsons underwear, crappy souvenirs, generic pictures of tango,) but the performers and steet food are excellent. It's a fun scene to people watch.

Recoleta - The wealth of the city is in the North, and the discrepancy between middle and upper class is huge. I was quite surprised by it. I can't say any part of Buenos Aires feels clean, but Recoleta was definitely the cleanest area. I also found it to be sort of boring. The restaurants and shops had this "americanized" feel that was a turn off for someone wanting to experience another culture. While I enjoyed staying there for 8 days, it didn't have the same appeal that San Telmo did, at least for a traveler. It felt like the most elite people of Argentina who live in the neighborhood decided to do what they could to make their neighborhood as "westernized" as possible while leaving behind any traces of Argentina.

Palermo - The largest Buenos Aires neighborhood is Palermo. It's a vast place with many unofficial sub-districts. The most interesting parts are clustered right in the middle, and have the names of SoHo, Hollywood, and Viejo. I say they are most interesting because that's where all the travel guides tell you to go. However, as a resident in a metropolis of my own, I felt like these areas were screaming, "look, we can be L.A. too!!" The shopping was bland, the restaurants, while tasty were just trying too hard to give you an American experience rather than something Argentine. I enjoyed the areas of Palermo that consisted of 100 year old cafes with tattered furniture, and locals doing their thing. If it wasn't for everyone speaking Spanish, I could have been dropped in the middle of Palermo-Hollywood and thought it was Vegas. There was generic techno music thumping all over the place, high prices, and scenery that just didn't fit in with the rest of the town.

Boca -The tour books tell you not to go here, because it's dangerous. I will tell you not to go there because it's a tourist trap. The neighborhood is full of the lower class, and a pocket of Boca has the colorful houses  you see in all the brochures. Those colorful houses are really tourist traps selling crappy souvenirs. Boca should be avoided because there is nothing redeeming about it...unless there is a soccer game.

Puerto Madero - This neighborhood felt like an experience. In the last 15 years, marshland at the river mouth has been developed into a place for the upper class. It's full of high rise condos, big restaurant and shopping districts, an ecological reserve, and lots of open park space. The weird thing was, is that it felt like no one actually lived there. I have a feeling the condos were empty because most Argentines had been priced out of them. It's too bad because this is a nice area

Tigre - On my last full day, we went 20 miles North to the suburb of Tigre. This little town sits at the base of the Tigre river delta. It's full of little canals, houseboats, and homes. We took a water taxi for an hour long trip and experienced life on the water. The houses on the water fit into two categories. They were either completely dilapidated, occupied by a family living off the river and trying to make ends meet, or the house was a modest summer home for the rich folk, only to be occupied a few months of the year. Tigre was a nice change from the noise of B.A. I wouldn't say it was sleepy, but it was relaxing.

Central Federal District - Between San Telmo and Recoleta lies the central federal district. The buildings are grand and old. The Casa Rosada (the white house equivalent) is the focal point as all roads lead to it. During the day, this area is shoulder to sholder people. At night, it's peaceful and enchanting.

Me on 9th of July Avenue, the widest street in the world. It's wide because they have an obelisk in the middle of it.

The pink house, at night. It's like the white house, but pink, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Don't cry for this building on 9th of July Avenue. The iron work was pretty neat.

And the other side...

My sister in the Recoleta Cemetery, at a........DEAD END

Caminito Street in Boca is neat to look at for about 5 mintues. Then get out of the tourist trap as quickly as possible.

I crashed the Peron's house. They wern't home.

Folks enjoying Christmas Day in Recoleta Park. I could make a wise "crack" about this one.

Cruisin on the  Lujon River at the Tigre Delta. This house is a typical of a summer home.

The San Telmo Street Market is a great place to people watch, but I feel I missed out on getting pick-pocketed like every travel guide said I would.

The Malba