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housing for the masses: barrio 17 de octubre, 1950

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.

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buenos aires: monumento a colón

Buenos Aires, Plaza Colón, Monumento a Cristóbal Colón

No denying it. I have a certain fondness for this piece of sculpture. Columbus was the subject of some of my first digital photos in 2002, he often wowed tourists when I began guiding locally ten years ago, & Plaza Colón was one of the few places my mom wanted to see during her first & only visit overseas (that’s a tiny her below!). But in addition to sentimental reasons, the Monumento a Cristóbal Colón remains one of the most remarkable pieces of public artwork in Buenos Aires… a city filled with hundreds of statues. That says something.

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montevideo: palacio legislativo

Montevideo, Palacio Legislativo

Visiting the national congress was a challenge: internet said one thing, the TI said another & everyone in between had an opinion as to official visiting hours. After dragging Darío to the Cementerio Central, we took a bus there. I walked in to confirm the time & was comforted by the lack of security. Sure, I passed through a scanner but everyone was laid back & it seemed like we were all hanging out instead of entering one of the most important buildings in the nation.

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montevideo: pocitos

Montevideo, Pocitos, Boulevard España

Women used to wash laundry in the now-absent Arroyo de los Pocitos, but the upper class realized the potential of its pristine beach. Pocitos became part of the city in 1886, & soon after trolleys bought hundreds of visitors to the first beach restaurant & hotel. Elite summer vacation homes characterized the area during early stages of development, becoming a mini-Mar del Plata.

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