Top 10 Buenos Aires

Around Town – Palermo
88
Palermo Not-So-Viejo
Few would have predicted that a
neighborhood known for auto
mechanics and homes for the
aged would lead Buenos Aires’
post-crisis boom. Palermo Viejo’s
Italianate casas chorizos were
renovated to house the boutiques
and restaurants that dominate its
streets today. It is also called
Palermo Soho as a nod to its new
tenants’ urban-chic sensibilities.
% La Rural
The Sociedad Argentina
Predio la Rural, or La Rural, has
occupied a hallowed
position during its
120-plus years at the
corner of Sarmiento
and Santa Fe.
Equestrian shows,
livestock auctions, the
annual agricultural fair
(see p42), and the
spectacular Opera
Pampa (see p35) take
place here. d Map L2 • Avda.
Sarmiento 2704 • 4777-5557
• www.la-rural.com.ar
Campo Argentino de Polo
^ Polo, the aristocratic bastion
of sportsmanship and breeding,
has been popular in Argentina for
over a century now. Palermo’s
Neo-Classical Campo Argentino
Campo Argentino de Polo
Elephants at Jardín
Zoológico
de Polo, also known as La
Catedral, holds 30,000
spectators and is the spiritual
heart of the sport in Argentina.
Tickets for December’s Open
tournament can be difficult to
come by, but the spring season’s
qualifying matches serve as
great entree to the experience,
and come at cheaper prices.
d Map K1 • Avda. del Libertador 4300
• 4777-6444 • Open Sep–Dec
• www.aapolo.com; www.ticketek.com.ar
Jardín Zoológico & Many of the animals’ dwellings
in this zoo
emulate their native
settings – Indian
elephants roam
around a miniature
temple, while red
pandas mill about a
Chinese pavilion.
Most famous here are
the white Bengal
tigers. d Map L2
• Cnr Avda. Las Heras & Sarmiento
• 4011-9900 • Open 10am–7pm Tue–Sun
• Adm • www.zoobuenosaires.com.ar
* Museo Xul Solar
The boundless imagination
of Argentina’s greatest abstract
Expressionist is just barely contained
within this museum that
once served as the artist’s home.