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    Palermo Buenos Aires: Discover What to Do and See in Argentina’s Most Bohemian and Stylish Neighborhood

    Buenos Aires is one of the most captivating, charming, and welcoming metropolises in South America. Though this “Paris of South America” has a neighborhood, café, bar, and parrilla to fit the unique tastes of every traveler, if you could only experience and live in one part of this city Palermo Buenos Aires should be it. This “Brooklyn meets Latin America” cluster of charming city blocks combines the best of old world architecture and living and 100s of years of history, with more chic cafes, bars, and impeccable restaurants blended into a pleasant, walkable have more than most other places in the world.

    Though the embassy and wealth filled Recoleta and Puerto Madero are loved for their decadence, and the busyness and quintessential views of Microcentro and downtown are a must for tourists, Palermo Viejo and its many character filled corners is the perfect place to stay for a trip, start your days with a coffee before exploring, and soak up a quintessential experience of “Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires” affectionately known as “CABA.”

    Over the past 15 years of come and gone from Buenos Aires many times, thoroughly enjoying ever trip. However, Palermo Soho, Palermo Hollywood, and the surrounding greenery have come to be my favorite parts of the Argentine experience to soak up again and again.

    Read on to discover the layered beauty, class, and charm of the Buenos Aires barrio you must experience.

    Contents

    Palermo Buenos Aires Highlights

    • Enjoyable the walkable patchwork of
    • Cafés, restaurants, and day markets in Palermo Soho
    • Drinks and nightlife in Palermo Hollywood
    • Wandering the classy neighborhoods filled with Old World architecture in Palermo Chico
    • Walking for hours through the beautiful paths and greenery of Bosques de Palermo (Palermo Woods)

    Quick Guide to Palermo Buenos

    If you want:

    The Palermo Map Explained: The hipster neighborhoods, expansive parks, and Old World enclaves that make up “Palermo Viejo” and “Palermo Nuevo”

    Palermo Buenos Aires

    Palermo Buenos Aires, officially divided as Palermo Viejo (Old Palermo) and Palermo Nuevo (New Palermo), is a patchwork of city blocks comprised of cafes, shopping streets, plazas, and “Old World meets new” residential areas that make up the largest and greenest neighborhood in Buenos Aires.

    The most popular area of Palermo, for tourists, nomads, and nightlife seekers, is the neighborhood officially referred to as Palermo Viejo and is comprised of the chic Palermo Hollywood and her hipster sister Palermo Soho.

    Palermo Buenos Aires

    Palermo Hollywood

    Palermo Hollywood was historically a home to TV and film production companies, which contributed to the neighborhood’s unofficial name of “Hollywood” and the pleasant number of upscale restaurants, cafes, parrillas, and wine bars. As the film production crews moved out, young professionals took over the neighborhood adding street art, character, and the start of a uniquely “Brooklyn” vibe. If you’re aiming for a convenient place to stay, less than 5 minutes from the massive parks in Palermo (Bosques de Palermo) Palermo Hollywood is a great place to base as a tourist or nomad.

    Palermo Soho

    Palermo Soho, just on the other side of Avenida Juan Bautista Justo and comprising the other half of Palermo Viejo, picks up where Palermo Hollywood left off in continuing the Brooklyn inspiration and hipster vibes. With more cafes, bars, shops, and restaurants in a more densely packed area around Soho’s Plaza Serrano and Plaza Inmangrantes, Palermo Soho Buenos Aires manages to hit “peak chic.”

    Once upon a time, Palermo Hollywood was tx`he busier of the sister neighborhoods and Soho was the quieter option to base, but this isn’t the case anymore. Palermo Soho now delivers enough eating, drinking, and partying opportunities to keep you busy 24/7, so if you are aiming for a quiet place to base your accommodation, look for Villa Crespo over both Palermo Hollywood and Palermo Soho, for quieter vibes and cheaper prices, walking distance from the lovely chaos of Palermo Viejo’s stars.

    Bosques de Palermo | Palermo Woods

    The largest greenspace in all of Buenos Aires, and essentially the “green lung” of Buenos Aires is known unofficially as “Bosques de Palermo” or “Palermo Woods.” This neighborhood, which isn’t actually residential and has no accommodation to host you for a stay, is a 1000 acre greenspace (400+ hectares) is home to the Japanese Gardens, the Palermo Botanical Gardens, the Eco Park (a more humane reimagination of the 140+ year old Buenos Aires Zoological park) perfect for walking and enjoying wonderful walking trails, and shady greenspaces perfect for a picnic

    Palermo Buenos Aires

    As a lover of all things mountains and green but equally appreciative of artful architecture filled and manicured cityscapes, Bosques de Palermo is a personal favorite of mine in Buenos Aires, perfect repeated strolls, miles of running, a workout in the park, or even a spring picnic with wine and tasty bits from a local shop.

    Be sure to set aside some time to wander this

    Outside of the stylishly trendy SoHo and Hollywood and the outdoors Bosques de Palermo lie the upscale and classier sectors of Palermo that blend with neighboring Recoleta, home to wealth, Embassies, and old world architectural views

    Palermo Chico, Barrio Parque

    Located a not short walk east from Hollywood, Soho, and “The Woods” lies Palermo Chico and Barrio Parque (directly neighboring the Palermo parks) resembling the cityscape of Recoleta much more than the café and bar laden Hollywood and Soho. Palermo Chico and Barrio Parque are clearly upmarket, filled with large apartment complexes that exhibit Old World French and Italian architectural design, and classically styled cafes downstairs that seem to have been plucked from Rome along with their patrons.

    This neighborhood, for exploration or a shortstay, benefits from being sandwiched between the lovely parks of the “Bosques” and Barrio Norte (home to Recoleta) filled with some of the best museums in Argentina – to include the Museo de Latinamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA) which showcases contemporary Latin American Art, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, the Museo Nacional de Art Decorativo, and the Recoleta Cemetary.

    The beautiful experience of walking the streets of Palermo Chico into Recoleta and plethora of upscale culture and art museums and experiences make Paermo Chico and Barrio Parque a place that deserves at least a day of exploration, if not the base for older travels aiming for a comfortable, cultured experience in CABA

    Alto Palermo, and Villa Freud

    Last but not least, the newer block in the neighborhood is Alto Palermo. Palermo Alto isn’t actually new, but it is taken up by a massive, modern mall and new shops in the Alto Palermo, as well as a large cinema. If you ever want a mainstream experience and some heavy aircon, the Alto Palermo mall in this upscale residential neighborhood is the place to go.

    Not terribly discernible or unique from it’s neighbors Alto Palermo and Palermo Soho, Villa Freud is simply interesting because the neighborhood is unofficially known as “Villa Freud” due to its high number of psychoanalysts and psychotherapists live in the area.

    Villa Crespo: The Quiet and Pleasant Cousin

    Though Villa Crespo is not part of any of the Palermo neighborhoods, this laidback residential barrio is a wonderful, quieter alternative for those that love the vibrantly quiet chaos of Palermo, but prefer to be situated outside of the action, and walk in for the cafes, wine bars, and restaurants at will. Palermo SoHo and Hollywood are conveniently located for maximizing short stays and blitz tours exploring Buenos Aires, but long stayers and nomads may want a neighborhood option that is a little quieter while keeping Palermo accessible. That option is Villa Crespo. With Palermo’s recent popularity jump, apartment prices on AirBnB and otherwise have jumped accordingly. So, if you want to be within a stone’s throw of Palermo, with a little more quiet and savings in your pocket, do consider the “quiet cousin” Villa Crespo for longer stays

    Other Neighborhoods You Should know and explore

    Barrio Norte: Beautiful and upscale in Recoleta and the embassy district

    Just east of Palermo Chico is Recoleta within the larger “Barrio Norte.” This area has historically been home to Argentina’s most expensive real estate, wealthiest and most powerful individuals, embassies, richest museums, and architecture that’s clearly inspired by the old world French and Italian roots of Argentina’s early immigrants. Even if you don’t stay in this luxurious area, do set aside a morning or afternoon to walk down its streets, and experience on of its clearly Italian and French heritage cafes and bistros.

    Belgrano and Colegiales: For those considering staying longer, urban and livable make this a BsAs gem

    Belgrano may be too sleepy and average for the average vacation or tourist, but therein lies its beauty in the Buenos Aires patchwork of neighborhoods.

    Belgrano is a beautifully middle to upper class residential neighborhood tucked just outside of the Buenos Aires tourist zones of Microcentro, Recoleta, Palermo, and the like. This barrio that’s easy to make home is still filled with restaurants, cafes, and cobblestone streets, simply not over the top enough for it to be its own tourist destination, but more than enough for professionals in Buenos Aires and long stay expats to call it home. With rental prices nearly half that of Recoleta and Palermo, if you plan to be in CABA more than a few months, put Belgrano on your list as a potential home away from home in BsAs.

    **

    Though I am very much an independent traveler, Argentina is a very social destination and rich culture, and without a guide (or at least a close friend), you won’t be able to experience the richness of the culture you should before you go. As such, I highly recommend signing up for one, or a few, tours. In the process, you’ll likely make unexpected friends.

    Palermo Buenos Aires Things to DO

    Museums to Explore

    • Evita history museum
    • MALBA Museum (Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires)
    • Recoleta Cemetery
    • Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo
    • Museo de Arte Popular Jose Hernandez
    • Evita Perona Museum
    • Planetarium

    Neighborhoods to Walk

    • Palermo Soho: Wander the shopping streets around Plaza Serrano, and meander along Honduras street, Gorriti street, Thames street, and Serrano street for plenty of cool shops, cafes, and graffiti art. The intersection of Thames street and Sta. Rosa street is a great place to start
    • Bosques de Palermo: From Plaza Italiana, walk through the Carlos Thays botanical garden, then the Eco Park, then the Japanese gardens, and finally the Rose Gardens and Parque Tres de Febrero

    Markets and Shops to Shop

    • Plaza Serrano Street Market & Plaza Armenia Street Market: 10 am-8 pm every Saturday, Sunday, plus National Holidays.
    • Distrito Arcos: A cool outdoor strip mall sitting on the divide between Palermo Hollywood and Palermo Soho

    The first time I came to Buenos Aires in 2011, Palermo was a livable, lovable place, but barely on the radar of tourists.

    When I returned to Buenos Aires in 2015, Palermo was a home to young professionals experiencing the best of a wave of hipster driven cafes, bars, and fun little spots.

    Today, Palermo, Buenos Aires is the first stop for a cluster of tourists, long stay travelers, and digital nomads. But why?

    • Cafes
    • Coworking spaces and remote work friendly situations
    • Great nightlife
    • All walkable
    • Everything you need nearby and a great, comfortable base for exploration.

    All in all, Palermo manages to offer everything a neighborhood needs to be comfortably livable, an artistic touch that makes it pleasant to simply be on the streets, and a concentration of restaurants, cafes, bars, and tours that means you’ll never have to walk far to enjoy creature comforts.

    Whether you’re on vacation, or a nomad on the road, the little beautiful bubble that is Palermo delivers everything you need to live a happy life day to day, and stay entertained when you’re ready to venture out and explore.

    Why should you visit Palermo: Hip vibes in an endless Brooklyn stye landscape of cafes, bars, restaurants, and eclectic arts and entertainment

    • Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood are the perfect neighborhoods to relax and base while exploring Buenos Aires for nomads, tourists, and backpackers with a little extra money
    • Convenient place to base and explore the rest of the city from, with great transport options (bus, train, cheap Uber and Cabify rides) and returning to great food, drink, and nightlife every night
    • Palermo is commonly called the “Brooklyn of Buenos Aires”
    • Cool shopping streets, cafes, parks, and art exhibits dot both neighborhoods
    • The entire neighborhood is extremely walkable with the creature comforts, food, and drink being a short walk from everywhere in the neighborhood
    • Though Palermo is among the more expensive neighborhoods, money goes a long way here for the quality of life it buys

    Where to eat and drink in Palermo: Essential food and drink

    Essential Palermo Buenos Aires Restaurants

    • Don Julio (Legendary steak house)
    • La Cabrera (Legendary steak house)
    • Cabernet (European food & wine)
    • 1810 Cocina Regional (Tradional Argentine Cuisine)
    • El Preferido (Modern reimagination of a traditional “bodegan”)
    • Cucina Paradiso (Arguably the best and most authentic Italian food in Buenos Aires, founded by an Italian chef living in Buenos Aires)
    • Malcriada Café (Dr. Emilio Ravignani 1338)
    • La Mar Cebichería (Arévalo 2024) – Peruvian
    • The Argentine Experience (Fitz Roy 2110)
    • Nuevo D’accordo parrilla: A deliciously reliable, fairly priced, and authentic parilla that’sopen early and open 7 days a week

    Tip for eating Palermo, and Argentina overall: Eat what the do well, skip what they don’t

    Stay away from the things Argentines and Latin American doesn’t specialize in – like sushi and chinese food. If you want good Asian food, go to Barrio Chino. Beyond that, skip the more exotic foods (i.e., sushi) without a reliable recommendation.

    Essential Bars in Palermo

    • Parque Bar Botanico
    • Hache
    • Boticario
    • Uptown
    • Ser y Tiempo Wine Bar
    • Desarmadero (Gorriti 4295)

    Essential Cafes in Palermo

    • Libros del Pasaje
    • Berta
    • Nelan

    What more cafes? You can find 30 plus great coffee shops in our list of Best Cafes Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood

    Essential Palermo Nightlife Spots

    • Niceto Club – great for live music
    • La Virtua Milonga
    • Salon Canning

    ESSENTIAL LOGISTICS

    Landmarks to Know in Palermo, and Get Around

    • Plaza Inmangantes de Armenia also known as Plaza Palermo Viejo: This great park is surrounded by cafes in the morning to start your daily wanderings from and finish your day at with a glass of wine. (Click for Google Maps Location)
    • Santa Fe Avenue: This main thoroughfare divides Palermo Soho and Hollywood from the parks. Staying closer to here means louder living that’s less comfy, but easier access to all that CABA has to offer (Click for Google Maps Location)
    • Plaza Serrano: In Palermo Soho, this plaza is the center of everything by day and night. Nightly, bar life around this plaza goes late. On the weekend, lovely markets carry on. By day, all of the blocks around this plaza offer cool shops and graffiti art to explore (Click for Google Maps Location)
    • Jorge Luis Borges Street: The main street that runs down the center of Palermo Soho from Avenida Santa Fe. A great street to start walking down to explore the neighborhood, and if you ever need to find a café, bar, or restaurant (Click for Google Maps Location)
    • Jumbo (Grocery Store): This is the most reliable grocery store in Palermo, constantly stocked with everything you’ll need, with a great selection of wine and meat. (Click for Google Maps Location)

    FAQ

    • How much time should you spend in Palermo?

    Three days is plenty for the major Palermo Neighborhoods of Palermo Hollywood, Palermo Soho, and the Palermo Woods, and two nights out is plenty to sample the restaurants, bars, and entertainment.

    However, if you plan to be in Buenos Aires for longer, Palermo is a perfectly located neighborhood to explore the rest of the city from. Several train stops connect Palermo to all of the other neighborhoods in Buenos Aires worth experiencing, and a Uber or Cabify ride costs between $2.50 and $5 on average to get to Recoleta, Microcentro, Belgrano, and all of the nearby neighborhoods, with Paermo still being the most pleasant, comfortable, and entertaining option.

    • Is Palermo a nice part of Buenos Aires?

    Palermo is a historically stylish and hip neighborhood that leans towards upscale, making it one of the nicest parts of Buenos Aires.

    • What is Palermo Argentina known for?

    The Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires is known for its hipster, Latin America meets Brooklyn vibe with countless cafes, wine bars, bars, and restaurants as well as graffiti art and fun shops that add up to it being a fun and uniquely endearing place to visit or live.

    • What is the difference between Palermo Hollywood and Palermo Soho?

    Palermo Hollywood and Palermo Soho are two halves of Palermo Viejo in Buenos Aires. Palermo Hollywood was historically a production center for Argentine movies and TV shows as well as young professionals. Palermo Soho grew out of the hipster trending of improving neighborhoods with cafes, bars, eclectic entertainment, and markets. While the neighborhoods have different roots, they look and feel quite the same today, offering similarly enjoyable experiences.

    • What is the population of Palermo Buenos Aires?

    In 2022, the population of Palermo, Buenos Aires was 248,635 spread across a ~16km2 area.

    More great articles to help you explore Buenos Aires and Argentina

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      About A Brother Abroad

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Carlos is a nomad, slow traveler, and writer dedicated to helping others live abroad and travel better by using his 7+ years of experience living abroad and background as a management consultant and financial advisor to help other nomad and expats plot better paths for an international lifestyle. Click here to learn more about Carlos's story.