Buenos Aires

Introducing Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires runs on nostalgia and cosmopolitan ambition. For every group of trendsetters laughing over cocktails, there’s a cluster of oldtimers gathered around a radio, a tear rolling down someone’s cheek as Carlos Gardel sings of the glowing street lamps of his beloved city. The dichotomy is rooted in Argentina’s tumultuous past. The capital city, once a prosperous European-style metropolis teeming with glamorous tango halls and grand cafes, buckled under the strain of a military government and several economic collapses. But Buenos Aires is back on its feet. A talented generation of designers, fútbolistas (soccer players), musicians and restaurateurs have reinvigorated the beleaguered capital, transforming it into one of the most talked-about travel destinations on the planet.

The hype, after all, is warranted – the steak really is the best in the world, dance halls fi ll with tango students every night of the week, the soccer matches are intense and passionate, the wine is aff ordable and delicious. But Buenos Aires’ magnetism, as any porteño (BA local) will tell you, extends well beyond such clichés. Architecturally speaking, the city is a fascinating microcosm of styles from colonial to belle epoque to modernist. The Parisian-style cafe circuit, backed by an intriguing literary history, is paradise for bookish types and coff ee lovers, and the edgy local fashion scene seduces design-minded travelers.

Gorge yourself on red meat at a rustic parrilla (grill restaurant), nurse a bottle of Malbec at an old-fashioned milonga (social dance) as local tango dancers embrace dramatically on the wooden dance floor, pull an all-nighter at a thumping electronic venues along the Costanera, revel in gaucho culture at a peña (folk music club). Give Buenos Aires some time. Soon you’ll begin to understand the bittersweet charm – the poignant collision of old-fashioned sensibility and contemporary revolution – that simultaneously thrills visitors and makes old men shed a tear or two.

Last updated: Jun 30, 2009