Navigate through the crowds to discover Art Nouveau architecture that somehow survived, vibrant Jewish history & an insane amount of commerce… a side of Buenos Aires often overlooked.
This guided walk covers 12 blocks & highlights the most important sites of a mini-neighborhood known as Once (pronounced \OHN-say\). Nestled within a district officially known as Balvanera, a single street serves as the axis for a stroll through the heart of central Buenos Aires.
Buildings by some of the best Art Nouveau architects in the city are a focus of the walk. Compare the styles of Virginio Colombo, Julián García Núñez & Mario Palanti while learning about conservation efforts & how Once surprisingly became a center for Art Nouveau.
Immigration is another main topic featured in this guide. Once is one of the most multicultural areas in Buenos Aires where Jews, Koreans, Bolivians & Africans work & live together. In a city that prides itself on being so European, this walk presents a very different & exciting view of the city.
Finally, commerce & transportation can’t be ignored in Once… they give the area a buzz that defines the neighborhood. Learn about the oldest train service in the nation, how it helped trade grow in Once, & how things are organized today. Two detailed maps are included in the PDF: one for the main walk along Calle Paso plus a second map that zooms in on Plaza de Miserere at the end of the walk.
The plaza may be a bit of an urban mess, but nearby is the café where rock nacional began. Also bordering the plaza is the tragic site of a 2004 nightclub fire which killed 194 people & wounded over 1,400. They are never forgotten thanks to a home-made memorial. Another memorial inside the train station commemorates loved ones lost in a tragic train accident in February 2012. Need more reasons to visit? The following blog post discusses the area in more detail: Why Once?
PDF guide
Looking for a break from tango, Palermo restaurants or San Telmo markets? This PDF guide offers an adventure with lots of surprising stories, from the AMIA bombing to a high school founded by Basque missionaries… fundamental to develop a more complete understanding of Buenos Aires:
Price: US $7.99 via PayPal. A link to download the PDF will appear after payment is confirmed. It’s a simple process, but be sure to hit the “Complete Transaction” button after payment to see the download link. Use Adobe Acrobat Reader to open & print the file.
Duration: The route takes about 90 minutes to walk at a leisurely pace. You may need extra time to gaze at all the architecture & take photos.
Format: A4 landscape, 25 pages. This guide may not be redistributed, resold or reprinted.
Release date: 09 Nov 2011. Updated 28 Jun 2012.
Suggestions:
- Descriptions for each listing are detailed. Given the amount of text, read through the entire walk before setting out.
- The best time to visit depends on you. To experience the area’s crazy & chaotic side, go weekdays during regular business hours (10:00—18:00). To enjoy the architecture without bumping into so many people, go on the weekend. Better still, visit the area twice—even if briefly—to see how dramatically the local landscape changes from weekday to weekend.
- Have fun & enjoy the walk!
Kindle Fire version
Like e-books? Endless Mile does… in fact, we like them enough to develop our own for the Kindle Fire. While this e-book version of the Once guide maintains the same content & design as the PDF above, it also incorporates dozens of high-quality photographs. One of the Kindle Fire’s best assets is its display, & this e-book takes full advantage of it. Sure, any Kindle reader can be used (be aware there will be some changes in formatting), but this release is optimized for the Fire. In fact, there are few e-books on the market with so much attention to design & detail, offering a fantastic learning experience.
Price: US $4.99 via PayPal. A link to download the .mobi file will appear after payment is confirmed. The process is simple, but be sure to hit the “Complete Transaction” button after payment to see the download link. Then transfer the file via USB cable to your Kindle Fire.
Format: MOBI, 15.8 Mb. This guide may not be redistributed, copied or resold.
Release date: 17 Oct 2012.
Special features:
- All images & graphics are optimized for the Kindle Fire. Remember to double-tap any image then pinch-zoom for more detail.
- The master map is linked throughout the e-book, making it easy-to-use & practical.
- This e-book contains an architecture guide that explains some of the important styles seen throughout Once.
- Play a bit with the navigation features & configuration before using the e-book in Once. Examples above are shown with the Caecilia font, maximum line spacing & minimal margins… but make it easy to read for you!
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[...] Within a few weeks, I’d released a Kindle Fire-optimized version of the Plaza de Mayo guide. Once/Calle Paso followed in October & the guide for the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos in Lisbon is complete as I [...]
[...] that contains a cluster of Tudor-style homes. Wright now offers a downloadable English-language walking guide of Once, as well as additional architectural guides to places such as Recoleta [...]
[...] that contains a cluster of Tudor-style homes. Wright now offers a downloadable English-language walking guide of Once, as well as additional architectural guides to places such as Recoleta [...]