Lonely Planet Buenos Aires
Page 36
British Arts CentreCULTURAL CENTER
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4393-6941; www.britishartscentre.org.ar; Suipacha 1333; bLínea C San Martín)
Offers plays, dance performances, film screenings, art exhibitions and concerts that showcase British culture.
Instituto Cultural Argentino-NorteamericanoCULTURAL CENTER
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-5382-1500; www.icana.org.ar; Maipú 672; bLínea C Lavalle)
Focuses on English-language courses but also hosts occasional artistic talks and workshops.
Instituto GoetheCULTURAL CENTER
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4318-5600; www.goethe.de/hs/bue; Av Corrientes 319; bLínea B Alem)
German cultural center offering language classes and film screenings.
Travel Agencies
Say Hueque ( GOOGLE MAP ; %011-5258-8740; www.sayhueque.com; Thames 2062; h9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat; bLínea D Plaza Italia)
Tangol ( GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4363-6000; www.tangol.com; Defensa 831; h9am-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-7pm Sun; bLínea C Independencia)
Anda Responsible Travel ( GOOGLE MAP ; %011-3221-0833; www.andatravel.com.ar; Billinghurst 1193, 3B; h9am-6pm Mon-Fri; bLínea D Agüero)
Travelers with Disabilities
Negotiating Buenos Aires as a disabled traveler is not the easiest of tasks. City sidewalks are narrow, busy and dotted with many broken tiles. Not every corner has a ramp, and traffic is ruthless when it comes to pedestrians (and wheelchair-users). A few buses do have piso bajo (they ‘kneel’ and have extra-large spaces), but the Subte (subway) does not cater to the mobility-impaired.
International hotel chains often have wheelchair-accessible rooms, as do other less fancy hotels – accessibility laws have changed for the better over the last few years. Imagine Hotel in Congreso is fully accessible. Some restaurants and many important tourist sights have ramps, but BA is sorely lacking in wheelchair-accessible bathrooms – although the city’s shopping malls usually have at least one, restaurants don’t often have the appropriate installations.
In Buenos Aires, QRV Transportes Especiales (%011-4306-6635, 011-15-6863-9555; www.qrvtransportes.com.ar) offers private transport and city tours in vans fully equipped for wheelchair users. BA Cultural Concierge offers service for low-mobility travelers, by helping with errands.
Other than the use of braille on ATMs little effort has been dedicated to bettering accessibility for the vision-impaired. Stoplights are rarely equipped with sound alerts. The Biblioteca Argentina Para Ciegos (Argentine Library for the Blind; BAC; GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4981-0137; www.bac.org.ar; Lezica 3909; hnoon-7pm Mon-Fri; bLínea A Castro Barros) maintains a braille collection of over 3000 books, as well as other resources.
Download Lonely Planet's free Accessible Travel guide from http://lptravel.to/AccessibleTravel.
WORKING IN BUENOS AIRES
Unless you have a special skill, business and/or speak Spanish, it’s hard to find work other than teaching English – or perhaps putting time in at a hostel or bar. And it’s good to realize that you’re not likely to get rich doing these things.
Native English-speakers usually work out of language institutes. Twenty hours a week of actual teaching is about enough for most people (note that you are not paid for travel time and prep time). Frustrations include dealing with unpleasant institutes, classes being spread throughout the day and canceled classes. Institute turnover is high and most people don’t teach for more than a year.
A TEFL certification can certainly help but isn’t mandatory for all jobs. You’ll make more money teaching private students, but it takes time to gain a client base. And you should take into account slow periods like December through February, when many locals leave town on summer vacation.
To find a job, call up the institutes or visit expat bars and websites and start networking. March is when institutes are ramping up their courses, so it’s the best time to find work. Many teachers work on tourist visas (which is not a big deal), heading over to Uruguay every three months for a new visa or visiting the immigration office ( GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4317-0234; www.migraciones.gov.ar; Av Antártida Argentina 1355; h7:30am-2pm Mon-Fri; g92, 106) for a visa extension.
For general job listings check www.craigslist.org. You can also try posting on expat website forums such as www.baexpats.org.
Visas
Nationals of the USA, Canada, European Union countries, Australia and New Zealand do not need visas to visit Argentina, but check current regulations. Most foreigners receive a 90-day visa upon arrival.
For visa extensions, visit immigration. Set aside some time as this process can take an hour or two.
Another option if you're staying more than three months is to cross into Colonia or Montevideo (both in Uruguay; Colonia is an easy day trip) and return with a new three-month visa. This strategy is most sensible if you are from a country that does not require a visa to enter Uruguay.
Australians and Canadians need to pay a reciprocity fee before arriving in Argentina.
OFFICE SPACE
The brainchild of one of BA’s many expat entrepreneurs, Areatres ( GOOGLE MAP ; %011-5353-0333; www.areatresworkplace.com; Malabia 1720; h8:30am-8pm Mon-Fri; bLínea D Scalabrini Ortiz) is a secure working office where you can rent a desk or office. There are copy services, internet and wi-fi connections, networking social events, meeting rooms, a large presentation room and even a Zen-like patio for the stress-prone. Facilities are cutting-edge – it’s like you never left Silicon Valley.
Women Travelers
Buenos Aires is a modern, sophisticated city, and women travelers – even those traveling alone – should not encounter many difficulties.
A few men feel the need to comment on a woman’s attractiveness. This often happens when a woman is walking alone; it will never occur when she is with another man. Comments usually include whistles or piropos, which many Argentine males consider the art of complimenting a woman. Piropos are often vulgar, although some can be eloquent. The best thing to do is completely ignore the comments. After all, many porteñas are used to getting these ‘compliments,' and most men don’t necessarily mean to be insulting.
On the plus side of machismo, men will hold a door open for you and let you enter first, including getting on buses.
Language
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Many thanks to the travelers who used the last edition and wrote to us with helpful hints, useful advice and interesting anecdotes: Borja Garcia, Bryce Bui, Greg Smith, Laura Cavatorta, Lucia Ledesma, Núria Sugranyes, Olivia Butterman, Owen Jones, Stan Jones.
Writer Thanks
Isabel Albiston
Huge thanks to Alan and Liz Seabright-Grear for your help, to MaSovaida Morgan and to Stefan Arestis and Sebastien Chaneac aka the Nomadic Boys. Muchísimas gracias to Jazmin Arellano for accompanying me on my research missions and to Cesar Saenz for picking me up from Ezeiza early on a Monday morning. Besos to all my friends in Buenos Aires, especially Cecilia Martínez, Patricio Santos, Bárbaro Poey, Patricia Franco, Nano Aznarez and Fac
undo Santos Martínez; thanks for your friendship and support.
Acknowledgements
Climate map data adapted from Peel MC, Finlayson BL & McMahon TA (2007) ‘Updated World Map of the Köppen-Geiger Climate Classification’, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 11, 163344.
Cover photograph: View of El Caminito, La Boca, Karol Kozlowski/AWL©
This Book
This 8th edition of Lonely Planet’s Buenos Aires guidebook was researched and written by Isabel Albiston, who also curated it. The previous edition was written by Sandra Bao, who also wrote the 6th edition along with Bridget Gleeson. This guidebook was produced by the following:
Destination Editor MaSovaida Morgan
Product Editor Jenna Myers
Senior Cartographer Mark Griffiths
Book Designer Virginia Moreno
Assisting Editors Imogen Bannister, Anne Mulvaney, Lauren O’Connell
Assisting Cartographer Hunor Csutoros
Cover Researcher Naomi Parker
Thanks to Paul Harding, Liz Heynes, Kate Mathews, Vicky Smith
Ebook thanks to Andrew Bigger, Ruth Cosgrove, Julie Dodkins, Blazej Hadzik, Craig Kilburn, Chris Love, Wayne Murphy, Jacqui Saunders, John Taufa, Glenn van der Knijff, Yanxiang Wang, Juan Winata.
Buenos Aires Maps
Map Index
The Center
Puerto Madero
Congresso & Tribunales
San Telmo
La Boca
Recoleta & Barrio Norte
Retiro
Belgrano, Nunez & the Costanera Norte
Palermo
South of Palermo
City Maps
The Center
1Top Sights
1Casa RosadaE5
2Centro Cultural KirchnerE3
3Manzana de las LucesC6
4Plaza de MayoD5
1Sights
5CabildoC5
6Catedral MetropolitanaD5
7Galerías PacíficoC1
8Iglesia Santa CatalinaC1
9Instituto Cultural Argentino-NorteamericanoB2
10Museo Casa RosadaE5
11Museo de la Policía FederalC3
12Museo Etnográfico Juan B AmbrosettiD6
13Museo Histórico y Numismático José Evaristo UriburuC4
14Museo MitreC3
Museo Mundial del TangoB5
5Eating
15180 Burger BarB1
16Aldo's Restoran & VinotecaD6
17BroccolinoB1
18D'OroC5
19FuraiboD6
20GranixC4
21Latino SandwichB6
22Tomo 1A2
VitaC5
6Drinking & Nightlife
23BahreinD2
24Café TortoniB5
25CocolicheB5
26La CigaleD2
27La Puerto RicoD6
28London CityC5
29New BrightonC3
3Entertainment
30Academia Nacional del TangoB5
31Centro Cultural BorgesC1
32El QuerandíC6
33Federación Argentina de PatoB5
34Instituto GoetheD3
35Luna ParkE2
36Patio de TangoC6
37Piazzolla TangoC4
7Shopping
38Arte y EsperanzaE6
39El AteneoC3
40El ColeccionistaB2
2Sports & Activities
41Academia Buenos AiresC5
42Alianza FrancesaA1
43Buenos Aires BusB4
44ExpanishD3
45University of Buenos AiresD4
4Sleeping
46Claridge HotelC2
47Goya HotelA1
48Gran Hotel HispanoB5
49Hotel Facón GrandeD2
50Hotel LafayetteD2
51Milhouse Youth HostelA5
52Portal del SurB5
53V & S Hostel ClubB2
City Maps
Puerto Madero
1Top Sights
1Reserva Ecológica Costanera SurD2
1Sights
2Colección de Arte Amalia Lacroze de FortabatA1
3Corbeta UruguayA2
4Faena Arts CenterB3
5Fragata SarmientoA3
6Puente de la MujerA3
5Eating
7ChilaA3
8i Central MarketA2
9i Fresh MarketB3
La Parolaccia del MareA3
10La Parolaccia TrattoriaA3
11Le GrillA3
3Entertainment
Rojo TangoB4
4Sleeping
12Faena Hotel + UniverseB4
City Maps
Congresso & Tribunales
1Top Sights
1Museo Botica del ÁngelE7
2Palacio BaroloE5
3Teatro ColónF2
1Sights
4Centro Cultural San MartínD3
Museo del Agua y de la Historia SanitariaC2
5Museo Judío de Buenos AiresF1
6ObeliscoF3
7Palacio de las Aguas CorrientesC2
8Plaza LavalleE2
9Teatro Nacional CervantesF1
5Eating
10AramburuF8
11Aramburu BisF8
12CadoreD3
13Chan ChanE5
14ChiquínD3
15El CuartitoE1
16Parrilla PeñaD2
17Pizzería GüerrínE3
18Plaza AsturiasF4
6Drinking & Nightlife
19El Gato NegroD3
20Los 36 BillaresF4
21Los GalgosC2
3Entertainment
22Café de los AngelitosB5
Centro Cultural Ricardo RojasB3
23Cosmos-UBAB3
24El BesoC3
25Espacio INCAA GaumontD4
26Tango PorteñoF2
27Teatro AvenidaF5
28Teatro Paseo la PlazaD3
29Teatro San MartínD3
7Shopping
30ZivalsC3
2Sports & Activities
31BA Free TourD5
4Sleeping
32Gran Hotel OrientalC4
33Hostel EstorilE4
34Hotel BonitoE7
35Hotel LyonC4
36Hotel MarbellaF4
37Imagine HotelE7
38Livin' ResidenceC2
39Novotel HotelE3
40Sabatico HostelE7
City Maps
San Telmo
1Top Sights
Feria de San TelmoC4
1Mercado de San TelmoC3
2Plaza DorregoC4
1Sights
3Basílica de Nuestra Señora del RosarioC1
4El Zanjón de GranadosC2
5Facultad de IngenieríaD3
6Iglesia San Pedro González TelmoD4
7Museo Argentino del TítereB3
8Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Buenos AiresD4
9Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos AiresD4
10Museo Histórico NacionalD6
11Museo Nacional de la Historia del TrajeB2
12Parque LezamaD6
13Pasaje de la DefensaC4
5Eating
14Abuela PanC2
15Bar El FederalC3
16Cafe RivasD3
17Café San JuanC4
18Cantina San JuanC2
19Casal de CatalunyaB3
20Comedor NikkaiB3
21El Banco RojoC3
22El DesnivelC3
23El Refuerzo Bar AlmacenB3
24El Refuerzo ProvisionesB3
25Gran Parrilla del PlataC2
26HierbabuenaD6
27La PoesiaC2
Lo de FreddyC3
28Origen CaféC4
29Pulpería QuilapánD5
6Drinking & Nightlife
30Bar BritánicoD5
31Bar Plaza DorregoD4
32Bar SeddónC2
33Club MuseumC2
Coffee TownC3
34DoppelgängerC5
35GibraltarC3
36On TapC6
&nbs
p; 37Pride CafeD3
3Entertainment
38Centro Cultural Torquato TassoD6
39El Viejo AlmacénD2
40La Scala de San TelmoD3
41La TrastiendaD1
42La VentanaD1
43Maldita MilongaC2
Tango QueerC2
7Shopping
44Gil AntiguedadesC4
45ImhotepD3
46L'AgoD3
47Materia UrbanaD2
48MoebiusD5
49Punto SurC4
50Puntos en el EspacioC4
51SignosC3
VinotangoC3
52Walrus BooksC3
2Sports & Activities
53Biking Buenos AiresC3
54RayuelaB3
4Sleeping
55América del SurB2
56Art Factory HostelB2
57Bohemia Buenos AiresC3
58Circus Hostel & HotelB4
59L'AdresseC6
60Lugar GayD4
61Mansión VitrauxD3
62Mundo BolívarC7
63Patios de San TelmoB3
64Scala HotelA3
City Maps
La Boca
1Top Sights
1El CaminitoB5
2Fundación ProaB5
3Museo Benito Quinquela MartínC5
1Sights
4Museo de la Pasión BoquenseB4
Museo del CineC2
5Eating
5El ObreroC3
6Il MatterelloB3
Proa CafeB5
6Drinking & Nightlife
7Café Bar RomaC4
3Entertainment
8Estadio Luis CondeB3
9La Bombonera StadiumB4
Teatro de la RiberaC5
10Usina del ArteC2