BOEDO, ONE OF THE 48 BUENOS AIRES DISTRICTS

Boedo is on the cusp of being cool, (a Buenos Aires neighborhood, 15¨taxi trip from Hostel Colonial). A crop of new cafes and stores celebrating the arts have recently emerged as fixtures along the avenue for which the district is named. However, while the press has begun to take note, the tourist population still remains largely ignorant of these new ventures inside and around this area defined by Independencia and San Juan Avenues, around the 4000 mark.

Your first stop on this neighbor could be "Esquina Homero Manzi", named for beloved tango author and cinema director Homero Manzi who mentioned the location, San Juan and Boedo Avenues, in his song, ‘Sur’. The song paints a nostalgic picture of the past and is older than Boedo, the neighbourhood, which was not formally defined until its borders were drawn in 1972:

Old San Juan and Boedo, and all of the sky,

Pompeii and what was before the flood.

The mane of your girlfriend in your memory

and how your name flowered in the farewell.

The corner that belonged to the blacksmith, the mud and the land,

your home, your path and the settlement,

and a perfume of herbs and alfalfa

that again fills my heart.

The city has done its part to enhance Boedo’s appeal so that it may again be remembered in the hearts of many as it was in the heart of Manzi by erecting statues down the avenue which bears the barrio’s name, and creating a tourism and cultural map and website that illuminates just how much those who have yet to visit are missing.

A quick look at the map ‘boedo+10’ reveals I seemed to have stumbled into another Buenos Aires theatre district. “Boedo XXI Theatre” (853 Boedo Ave) is particularly popular and there are hordes of people entering. There’s something here for everyone, with plays created specifically for kids, adolescents, and adults as well as choreography and yoga classes on the premises.

While the many recent additions to Boedo seem to suggest a vested interest in creativity, the area has always been a haven for authors of literary works and tango lyrics, poets, and sculptors. Various street corners bear plaques with these artists’ names to remind visitors of this special aspect of the area’s history.

There seems to be something about the crux of San Ignacio and Boedo Ave. that gets one’s creative juices flowing. In the 1920s prominent Socialist party members met and voiced their opinions on a podium near the intersection.

Currently though, most visitors remember the site for two other reasons: the famous sculptor Francisco Reyes who has been honored in that the corner now bears his name, and the divine “Café Margot” (857 Boedo Ave..

Literary types seem to burrow in here under the soft glow of the lights and draw inspiration from the elegance of waiters in fine attire contrasted against the aged brick walls.

There are quite a few “parrillas” (barbecues), including “Cosechero” (2000 Beauchef Street), which adds live folk music to your dining experience. There is too of course, Tango and dinner, lest it be forgotten that Boedo was the birthplace of the dance. To celebrate this piece of history, head over to the dinner show at “Esquina Osvaldo Pugliese” (909 Boedo Ave.), or “Bien Bohemio” (745 Sánchez de Loria Street), if you’ve wandered a bit north.

Finally, for after-dinner activities check out “Cossab Bar” (4199 Carlos Calvo Ave.), which has possible the largest selection of beers in the capital, many of them home brewed or artisan. After having drank so much Malbec wine it seems to be leaking out of your pores, I promise it will be a welcome change!

Boedo, in Buenos Aires, near the hostel,  is a place to discover. Another recommendation of this Buenos Aires blog.