If you are planning a visit to Buenos Aires, you need to decide in which of the city's 48 barrios, or areas you are going to look for accommodation. The barrios range from super luxurious down to cheap back streets, where you would, as a visitor, not really be safe at night.
You may like to be at the hub of things and stay in the center of the town. The accommodation in this area tends to be geared towards business men and women. This is the business and financial area of the city, and although it is alive and buzzing with activity during the day, at night it slows down. When the businesses close, many of the shops and restaurants close too. It may be too quiet for you, if you have come to Buenos Aires to experience the Latin American vibrant nightlife especially the tango.
Even if you decide not to seek out an apartment there, you really need to spend time exploring the area. Many of the most interesting landmarks of Buenos Aires are in this part, called El Centro. The magnificent ten lane Ninth of July Avenue, or Avenida 9 de Julio passes through this area.
It has a really attractive square, called the Plaza de Mayo, surrounded by architectural gems such as the Catedral Metropolitana and the Casa Rosada:
The neighborhoods of San Telmo, Balvanera, San Nicolás are close to the central city. If you like shopping, Balvanera has in excess of 25,000 shops! San Telmo used to be the upmarket residential area of Buenos Aires before an epidemic of yellow fever in the 1870s that sent the residents fleeing to a new area, which is now called Recoleta. It still shows evidence of its colonial past in its old buildings.
San Nicolás is just another name for El Centro. It shares the central part of the city including the government buildings and financial sector with another of the barrios, Monserrat.
To the north of the city, are the very pleasant and safe areas of Recoleta and Palermo. However accommodation there tends to be expensive. Puerto Madero, Las Cañitas, and Palermo Soho are great areas if you want to be near some of the best restaurants.
Palermo is the largest residential area in Buenos Aires. It is really a grouping together of several areas:
* Palermo Viejo or Old Palermo still has many colonial Spanish buildings. It is very cosmopolitan, and you will find restaurants serving foods from all over the world there.
* Palermo Soho is highly fashionable and the haunt of lively, young middle class people.
* Palermo Hollywood got its name when radio and tv producers established themselves in the area. It is famous for its vibrant nightlife.
* Palermo Chico is the most upmarket part of Palermo. 'Chico' means 'small' or 'exclusive'.
* Barrio Parque is a residential area, consisting of up market houses and luxury apartment buildings.
* Las Cañitas is the area of high rises. This is the area that gives Buenos Aires its beautiful and impressive skyline.
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