When I started writing a free PDF guide of the most attractive domes in Buenos Aires —sometime back in 2007— daily walks throughout the city made one thing obvious: corners (esquinas) offer the very best views.
Read More »buenos aires: esquinas
Back in BA, some big decisions had to be made. What neighborhood to live in? Would I have much work in Europe? How do I pick an apartment when my income was anything but certain? The global tourism decline of 2009 had everyone in the industry second-guessing, including me. I toyed with the idea of producing my Buenos Aires guides as quickly as possible then moving to Lisbon, but that would be expensive. Luckily with the help of friends, I weathered the storm.
Read More »personal: places lived 9
What’s new, Buenos Aires? That would be me! I’d spent a month earlier in the year getting to know the city & other places in the region as well. I’m still not sure what went through my head: selling most of my possessions, storing a few boxes in Laura & Dan’s garage, getting a new job with Rick Steves in Europe & flying half-way across the world with only four suitcases. But my experience in Cádiz gave me confidence that an international move is possible, even though sacrifices have to be made. After a fitful start, I not only fell in love with Buenos Aires but became obsessed about exploring the city.
Read More »personal: places lived 7
Back to Buenos Aires! Well, not literally… but I’ve neglected to place in this blog one very popular series of posts from the past. From 2007 to be exact. Back in the day when my only internet presence was line of sight, I wrote one of the most widely read English-language blogs about Buenos Aires. At the same time as I researched early housing projects in the city, I also began looking up & paying attention. I saw more domes than I’d ever noticed before, regardless of where those rambling walks took me.
Read More »buenos aires: domes
In 2013, the following article appeared as a two-page spread in the Autumn/Winter edition of Time Out: Buenos Aires. When the editor first contacted me to write about BA architecture, the only thing that ran through my mind was “1400 words?!” Somehow I managed to fit history, architectural styles, recommendations & current events in that limited space. They had to remove a couple of my listings to make the article fit, but I’ve put them back in this post.
Read More »buenos aires: architecture guide
I can’t lie… I’m proud of this series of posts written in 2007 & 2008. While only the years from 1910 to 1950 are covered, researching & photographing housing projects in Buenos Aires became a passion. La Teja compiled more information in 2010, & I’m thrilled that they included projects up to the present. But I’m content with being first and making this info available in English 😉
Read More »housing for the masses: master list
I may be too young to have fond memories of the newsreel, but I certainly remember many of the World War II Warner Brothers cartoons that ran during the newsreel’s heyday. Those short clips from around the world defined the first half of the 20th century by showing audiences what radio could not. Then along came television, & the newsreel slipped into oblivion.
Read More »argentina: british pathé
What’s that? No blog update in over a year about our guides? Exactly where did the time go? Brief announcements are made regularly via Twitter, but this seems to be a better format to review all that’s happened in 2013… what a year!
Read More »business: 2013 review
As a tour guide, I’m often interested in how destinations market themselves. How do cities or nations identify themselves to potential visitors? The golden age of travel may be long gone, but its memory persists in the guise of travel posters. Interestingly, Argentina used to portray itself as a nature destination & stressed the gaucho & beef… nothing about tango (at least in the posters I found) & only one hyping Buenos Aires. How times have changed.
Read More »found: argentina travel posters
Barrio 17 de Octubre • Villa Pueyrredón
(Avenida de los Constituyentes & Avenida General Paz)
Like several other Perón era housing projects, a name change occurred after military leaders ousted the President. 17 October 1945 marked the birth of Perón’s political presence when workers marched on Plaza de Mayo, demanded he be released from jail & requested his nomination as President. Later consecrated as the Día de la Lealtad & made a national holiday, such a polemic moment in history could not survive the anti-Perón years which followed the coup. A less controversial name for this neighborhood —Barrio General José de San Martín— today commemorates a less controversial historical figure. Locals also know it as the Barrio Grafa, named for a former adjacent textile factory (Grandes Fábricas Argentinas), today occupied by Walmart.
Read More »housing for the masses: barrio 17 de octubre, 1950