buenos aires

A neighborhood as large & complex as Barracas has a number of elements that don’t fit into any of the previous categories. Rail networks divide the neighborhood, but the stations themselves are pretty fantastic. Named after its plaza, the grand Estación Constitución (Brasil 1128) is usually overlooked thanks to its hectic & messy surroundings. But go on a Sunday morning, weave through the drag queens walking home from nearby bars & take a close look at the station… both inside & out. The Art Deco extension on the east side is just as attractive as the main façade:

With a population of about 80,000 people, Barracas has lots of space to provide all the public services necessary. Unfortunately, the barrio has few parks for the large area it occupies, but the green space available is nice enough. The gigantic Parque Leonardo Pereyra is the largest, Parque España was the former location of a corral & slaughterhouse (now home to the fabulous Hernán Cullen Ayerza statue “El Aborígen“), Plaza Colombia had wonderful sculptures by Julio Vergottini (who knows when they’ll be replaced) & tiny Plaza Díaz Vélez is one of my favorite… just a few blocks from the Riachuelo:

Given that Barracas has been divided into so many different parcels & has such an industrial character, few people consider it a prime residential area. That wasn’t always the case. Prior to the 1871 yellow fever epidemic, a list of families that called Barracas home was like a high society directory with last names like: Álzaga, Balcarce, Berisso, Brown, Guerrero, Llavallol, & Montes de Oca. Most of those mansions have been demolished, but a few remnants hang on… like the beautiful Cambacérès family home, now a school (Avenida Montes de Oca 123):