El Abasto

The bustling barrios of Abasto and Once, while a little dodgy at night, are part of the ‘real’ Buenos Aires that’s largely unaffected by the tourist trade. Walk west from Congreso along Av Corrientes, or take a quick taxi or Subte ride, to reach this cultural melting pot and commercial district crammed with colorful fabric shops and family-run Jewish and Peruvian eateries. The neighborhood’s centerpiece is the historic Mercado de Abasto, previously a massive fresh produce market and now a beautifully restored structure that houses the shopping mall called simply El Abasto. Nearby, on a gentrified street off Av Anchorena is the former home of tango legend Carlos Gardel – now the small but fascinating Museo Casa Carlos Gardel. The small tasting cellar at 0800-Vino is just a stone’s throw from the tango legend’s homestead, and one of the city’s premiere alternative theater spaces and cultural centers, the bohemian Ciudad Cultural Konex, is housed in a renovated factory a few blocks away.