To the city's poet laureate, Jorge Luis Borges, Buenos Aires was as eternal
as air and water. To many Argentines, their capital city is synonymous with
the country itself - indeed, nearly 40% of the population lives in the city
or its massive, sprawling suburbs.
Buenos Aires is situated on the banks of the Río de la Plata. A city transported
from its European parents, its compact and regular center is reminiscent of
Paris, and its tree-lined avenues and frequent plazas have a beguiling, faded
elegance.
In this cosmopolitan city, sophisticated dressers mingle with the shabbier unemployed
from the surrounding suburbs.
Downtown, the Plaza de Mayo is the traditional focus of activity, and
lately has been the scene of mass protests against the government's handling
of the economic crisis.
Nearby Avenida 9 de Julio is popularly known as the world's widest thoroughfare
and is truly a pedestrian's nightmare.
Avenida Santa Fe is the most fashionable shopping area. Buenos Aires' attractions
include the Catedral Metropolitana, which contains the tomb of revolutionary
hero José de San Martín; the Teatro Colón, a world-class facility
for opera, ballet and classical music, and a cluster of worthwhile and popular
museums like the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, the Museo del Cine and
the Museo Histórico Nacional, which presents a panorama of the Argentine experience.
Don't miss the colorful Italian suburb of La Boca, which features brightly
painted wooden houses lining the Riachuelo waterway, or the Cementerio de
la Recoleta, a testament to the national passion for death. Buenos Aires
is an expensive city, but whether you're after a bargain hostel or a top-end
hotel, it is possible to stay right in the center of things.
Congreso is a good place to look for inexpensive lodgings, while mid-range
hotels are concentrated on Avenida de Mayo. Food bargains can be had
in the suburbs of La Boca and San Telmo. Downtown, Lavalle
and Avenida Corrientes are the places to go for pizza, coffee with the
city's intellectuals or one of those ubiquitous meaty dishes.
CITATIONS
Information on these pages has been retrieved from the following sources:
www.cia.gov
www.presidencia.gov.ar
www.lonelyplanet.com
www.bcra.gov.ar
www.bibnal.edu.ar
www.literatura.org
www.mrecic.gov.ar
www.geographia.com
www.sectur.gov.ar
www.buenosairesherald.com
http://news.bbc.co.uk
http://lanic.utexas.edu
http://travel.state.gov
www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk
www.latin-focus.com
www.argentinas-hotels.com
www.worldatlas.com
www.imf.org
www.weatherhub.com
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