LandingPad Buenos Aires

Here’s a guided list to the different neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This quick overview will help you decide where to live, eat or play. Each area has its own style and vibe: to find which areas of the city will be your favorite and which are a must-see, check out this list and the individual neighborhood links.

Almagro
Centrally located Amagro, a tango neighborhood, is authentically Porteño. Almagro provides family-friendly green spaces and parks, including the Parque Centenario, and is home to the third largest flower market in the world. The busy, hub neighborhood is highly trafficked – Almagro buzzes both day and night. Don’t skip the Abasto shopping mall and steer clear of Once at night.

Barracas
A lower middle-class neighborhood with a humble spirit and roots, Barracas residents and travelers find street parillas and restaurant beer specials. On afternoons and weekends, the area’s green spaces are filled with relaxation and refuge from the workweek. This neighborhood is quiet at night, and a great place to live for the serious employee. Beware of adjacent neighborhoods Constitución and La Boca.

Belgrano
Belgrano boasts of combination of vibes. With several universities and expansive residential areas, the neighborhood feels quiet, at least until you happen upon one of the enormous shopping areas such as Cabildo. To find the most unique and obscure ingredients in Argentina, Barrio Chino (the city’s Chinatown) is home to the grocery stores full of imported items. The modern neighborhood is home to both large high-rises and antique architecture, movie theaters, plazas and more. Belgrano is convenient for the shopper and family alike.

Caballito
This upper middle-class neighborhood is the main hub of suburban life in the city. The area is full of quaint apartments and subdivisions, and offers a homey feel. While Caballito is mostly a Porteño-laden area, the parks and scenic atmosphere offers something for the traveler as well. Be sure to visit Rivadavia street for tons of shopping, the vintage A-line subte and a move theater.

Centro
The lively Centro business district is the nerve system of Argentina, both economically and politically. Here, you’ll find fast-walking Argentines in business suits and travelers strolling for the famous landmarks and sights. The center’s buildings are large and daunting, and the area exudes success and progression.

Flores
Another thriving middle-class neighborhood, Flores’ charm is in its porteño traditions. Mate and thermoses are everywhere, and seeing porteños linger over the beloved tea is a common occurrence. The working-class area is also home to high-end shops and cafes.

La Boca
This famous area is home to the Boca Juniors’ soccer stadium La Bombonera, and is therefore bursting with middle class porteño spirit. Made famous by the area’s colorful and irregular design, the area is highly frequented by travelers looking for a photo opportunity. Although you may visit this area while in the city, you’ll likely stay in the accepted tourist areas and won’t (and perhaps shouldn’t) do much venturing. The neighborhood is widely-considered unsafe: you should be careful of your belongings here.

La Paternal
A quiet and tucked away neighborhood, La Paternal is as family-friendly as the city can get. La Paternal’s tranquility and residential feel make it a great place to live if a thriving nightlife isn’t your thing. The neighborhood stays busy with shopping centers, restaurants, cafes and the Argentinos Juniors soccer stadium.

Palermo
Palermo neighborhood is one of the most expansive in all of Buenos Aires, as it encapsulates Palermo Soho, Palermo Hollywood, Palermo Chico and Las Cañitas. Palermo Soho is the most bohemian, with many parks, shops and restaurants for shopping and leisure. Design firms and galleries line the streets of this area, while bustling shopping centers and Starbucks cafes engage the young, affluent crowd. Palermo Hollywood is the restaurant and bar hub – there’s a packed restaurant or popping bar on almost every corner. The area comes alive at night. Las Cañitas, home to many Argentine celebrities, is the most luxurious with its five-star restaurants and high-rise lofts. Palermo Chico, home to the zoo, Japanese gardens the much of the largos, feels rich. There’s a lot of money and time to spare in this subsection of Palermo.

Puerto Madero
This up-and-coming seaside neighborhood hosts high-rise apartment buildings and big businesses. Recent renovations turned warehouses into posh living spaces, restaurants and hotels. Here, you’ll get the feeling of money, power and success. The area is one of the newest and safest in the city, and a stroll on the water’s edge will offer beautiful views, especially at night.

Nuñez
Upper middle-class and quiet, Nuñez is home to sports clubs and River Plate soccer Stadium. The latter, which undoubtedly offers fanatic soccer chaos on game days, is a bit juxtaposed against the tree-lined streets and an otherwise tranquil area.

Recoleta
Recoleta offers plenty in the way of art and culture. It’s an upscale area with a very European feel: the French-style architecture is awe inspiring and cafes dot every corner. The neighborhood comes alive on the weekends when porteños and travelers alike stroll or lounge in its many parks. The area is home, of course, the Evita’s famous burial ground; the neighborhood is highly frequented and very safe for travelers.

San Telmo
San Telmo is easily the most well-preserved neighborhood in the city. The atmosphere is a lovely combination of Europe and Argentina, with cafes, tango clubs, beautiful architecture and cobblestone streets. Gourmet restaurants and dives populate the busy streets and offer refuge for the people-watcher (you can catch a free Tango show on the streets). The neighborhood bursts with life on the weekends as the famous San Telmo fair attracts porteños and travelers alike. The area is bustling and busy during the day, but not as safe at night.

Villa Urquiza
This garden-filled neighborhood is relaxed and upbeat. Plenty of parks bring families and children together; the green spaces and preserved vintage houses give the feeling of suburban life of the past. With newer apartment buildings and a rising youth population though, the area is growing and showing promise for many porteños.