Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, is located on the Atlantic coast of the American continent.
For centuries, it has been an important port of entry, from which the rich agricultural and mineral resources of the hinterland are exported, as well as European goods and people.
Buenos Aires is known as the "Paris of Latin America". To this day, on the outskirts of the city, you can still see the quiet streets, the jacarandas blooming along the streets, and the hustle and bustle of the city center.
Buenos Aires became the federal capital of Argentina in 1880. Its urban area is about 190,000 hectares, with the exception of the province of Buenos Aires.
In 1887, the districts of Belgrano and Flores were incorporated into the capital, which remain the outermost part of the city of Buenos Aires. These two districts were also the first commuter communities, with residents mostly company employees, civil servants, and British managers and employees of railways and utilities.
Some of the backcountry corners of the Flores and Caballito districts are still indistinguishable from the suburbs of London. In 2011, the Argentinian writer Ernesto Shoh described the district of Caballito as follows: "If you turn right onto Vidra Street, walk a few blocks ahead, and all of a sudden, it's like Alice has stepped into wonderland, and you're in Victorian London." No matter how hard you rub your eyes, the miracle is still there, it's real, you can see and touch it. The entire 4 blocks, all of which are typical Victorian two-storey villas, are the same as Victorian London. "It's not hard to imagine how British bank clerks in the eighties of the 19th century set off from here and boarded a modern tram to Buenos Aires' financial center, the city centre, three or four blocks north of Plaza de Mayo.
From 1880 to 1930, Buenos Aires' development was almost chaotic. According to statistics, at the beginning of the 20th century, 25% of Argentina's manufacturing capacity was concentrated in the city and surrounding areas, 30% of the country's industrial activities lived here, and more than half of the industrial investment was also concentrated here. As the dominance of Buenos Aires became stronger, the rift between the Buenos Aires and the inhabitants of the provinces also grew, with the Buenos Aires people often feeling that the ideas of the people of the provinces were backward or even regressive, while the people of the provinces thought that the people of the capital were vain and sophisticated, and that they were not really "Latinos".
Despite the city's rapid growth and lack of planning, Buenos Aires has always billed itself as the "Paris of Latin America", arguing that the standard of architecture here is on par with that of European capitals. However, when Henri Le Corbusier, one of Europe's most famous contemporary architects, came here in 1929, he was saddened by the sight: "Buenos Aires is the most inhuman city I have ever seen, and it makes you feel tormented by the heart. For weeks, I walked the streets like a madman, hopeless, depressed, depressed, manic, desperate. But at the same time, the city excites him: "In addition to here, what else can make people feel such great vitality and power, and the pressure of fate is so strong and endless?"”
Leaving aside whether Buenos Aires can compete with European capitals, at least one thing is that it is superior to other cities, and that is that it was very fortunate to be far away from the devastation of World War II. As a result, buildings of various eras and styles have been preserved and staggered.
In the 21st century, people began to re-converge towards the riverside area of Puerto Madero. The area around the Old Marina has been redeveloped to become one of the city's most sought-after areas, with 50-storey luxury apartment towers serving sweeping views of the Río de la Plata River and the rest of the city centre. New restaurants, a new large art gallery and an international hotel have given the city a new look. At the same time, new gated communities have emerged on the outskirts of the city, connected to the city center by highways.
However, not everyone in Buenos Aires is happy with this expansion. In fact, the most striking difference between the city and many other capitals in Latin America and the post-industrial cities of North America is that its historic center still has a large number of residents. Thousands of office workers rush to the city center every day, and middle-class families choose to live as close as possible to the Obelisk, Piazza de Mayo or the Riacuero River, perhaps because the streets and magnificent buildings still have an irresistible charm.
On weekend evenings, restaurants in Boca are dotted with long tables covered with red checkered tablecloths and lined with wooden chairs. On the table, there are pastas, steaks, and especially strong Argentinian wines, and the rich tannins almost blow up the taste buds. Most of the guests are locals, from couples to families with children.
It was getting late, and tango music was playing behind the bar. The dreary atmosphere was stirred up, and the older couple was the first to stand up and start dancing, followed by the younger ones, and in a short time the whole restaurant was filled with pairs of dancing. Men straighten up, holding women's hands with their left hand, resting their right hand lightly on their waists, and the more sophisticated ones place a handkerchief on their right hand. There is no pretense, no showmanship, and when people have had enough, they will withdraw from the crowd and return to their families to continue enjoying the wine.
This late-night dance scene in Boca takes tango back to where it came from in the first place, in those inconspicuous corners of the city.
There are different theories about how exactly tango was born, and even the meaning of the word "tango". Some say it's mimicking the sound of African drums. The problem with this claim is that there are no drums in the tango music. Others say it derives from the Portuguese verb tangere, meaning "to touch", but this is not a distinguishing feature of early tango. In fact, the word most likely originated in an African language and denotes an enclosed space for people to dance.
Regardless of the origin of the word, we are almost certain that tango first appeared in the seventies and eighties of the nineteenth century. At that time, Buenos Aires, a city of immigrants, was booming, with port workers and soldiers returning from the battlefield gathering here to party all night long with ** and fine wine.
Buenos Aires doesn't have much of a local cuisine, with the exception of yerba mate, there are probably only two kinds of food: the "empanada" (empanada), which is common in many Latin American countries, and the "loquero" bisque made with pork, corn and green beans. Basically, each immigrant group brings a unique cuisine to the Argentine capital.
One of the most emblematic cookies is called "Alphacho", which is not the exclusive property of the capital, but the national dessert of the whole of Argentina. The filling in the cookie is a "milk sauce" from Pampaster. It is made by boiling and concentrating milk into a sweet paste that can be eaten by children with a spoon and can also be used with a variety of desserts. Buenos Aires also has many restaurants with different Spanish flavors, with the Basque Country having the most. Despite the fact that Buenos Aires is right by the river and not too far from the Atlantic Ocean, Buenos Aires people clearly have a preference for meat and less interest in fish.
Italian cuisine dominates, with pizzerias everywhere and plenty of high-end restaurants** fresh pasta and a variety of regional Italian dishes.
The Italian influence is also evident in Buenos Aires' many high-end shops and shopping centers. Due to the abundant resources of agricultural products such as animal fur in Argentina, fur products are particularly exquisite. In July and August, when the short winter days arrive, the broad ladies who live in Barrenot or Palermo walk through the market in fur swaying. Of course, fashion needs to be appreciated, which is why Buenos Aires people are also the most social people in the world.
There is football, there is tango, cafes and restaurants are bustling, bookstores, theatres and performance venues abound. Day or night, Buenos Aires is always alive and welcoming visitors from all over the world to see what it has to offer. (This article**:Economy** Author: Nick Kestor).
*:Economy**.