Palermo Neighborhood - Buenos Aires, Argentina

This neighborhood is crossed by diverse avenues, Santa Fe, Libertador, Figueroa Alcorta, all which unite the center with the north area of the city and some continue many kilometers in the Great Buenos Aires, the avenue Las Heras arises in the Plaza Italia, important center for the transport, and it runs toward the center in some itineraries in diagonal with the layout of the city. They stand out several monuments of the many in this neighborhood, as that of Garibaldi, in Plaza Italia, that of the Spaniards, that of Urquiza and the one dedicated to Sarmiento, carried out by the french sculptor Rodin. In this neighborhood  the population of resources concentrates, from middle class to high class. These last ones concentrate on the exclusive Small Palermo, near Recoleta. There is great concentration of buildings, many new, among that those that stands out the highest in South America, of recent construction.
 

Subdivisions: Although appearing as one big swath on the official map, Palermo can be subdivided into several contrasting and acutely individual parts, the most clearly delimited of which may be considered further de facto neighborhoods of Buenos Aires.

Palermo Chico and Barrio Parque. The most upmarket part of Palermo, "Palermo Chico" ("Small" or "Exclusive" Palermo), is on Palermo's north-eastern edge, across Figueroa Alcorta Avenue and between San Martín de Tours and Tagle streets. The National Museum of Decorative Arts is located in Palermo Chico, in a dazzling old palatial home. Neighbouring "Barrio Parque" is strictly a residential area, laid out in winding streets by Carlos Thays; many of the wealthy and famous own homes in this section.

The center of Palermo Hollywood is Plazaleta Jorge Cortazar, better known by its informal name, Plaza Serrano, a small oval park at the intersection of Calle Serrano and Calle Honduras. Young people gather here late at night in impromptu singing and guitar sessions, sometimes fueled by drinks from the myriad of funky bars and restaurants that surround the plaza.

The neighborhood was named Palermo Hollywood because many Argentine film studios were initially attracted to its once-cheap rents and easy parking. Palermo Soho is better known for boutiques owned by local designers, with some restaurants mixed in. The term Palermo Soho has taken on more cache in recent years, with venues in Palermo Hollywood now calling themselves part of Palermo Soho, even if they are on the other side of the line. In the end, they are all real estate vendors' terms anyway. Both areas were historically where Middle Eastern immigrants originally settled, and this presence is still apparent in the businesses, restaurants, and community centers that remain.

Las Cañitas was once the favored neighborhood of the military powers during the dictatorship period of 1976 to 1982. Because of this remaining military presence, the area remains preeminently safe and among the most secure of all of the central Buenos Aires neighborhoods. A military training base, hospital, high school, and various family housing units still remain and encircle the neighborhood, creating an islandlike sense of safety on the neighborhood's streets.

Today, however, the area is far better known among the hip, trendy, and nouveau riche as the place to dine out, have a drink, party, and be seen in the fashionable venues built into converted low-rise former houses on Calle Báez, though with Palermo Viejo's rise on the scene, it is becoming overshadowed. The polo field where the International Championships take place is also in the neighborhood and is technically part of the military bases. The polo field's presence makes the neighborhood bars and restaurants great places for enthusiasts to catch polo stars dining out on the town, celebrating their victories in season.

History: The origin of the neighborhood goes back at the beginnings of the century of 1600, when Juan Domínguez Palermo buys a great quantity of lands in the area, at low cost to be marshy, and it commences to cultivate vineyards and to raise livestocks, For its lands ran a road that drove toward the north.

The area continued being developed during the following centuries like area of vegetable gardens, in the decade of 1830 Juan Manuel de Rosas, the governor from Buenos Aires, and more important character of the country during those years commences to acquire lands, ending up almost possessing 550 hectares, in which he cleans up the swamps and it builds his big house, call San Benito, in the current avenues Sarmiento and Libertador, years later, when the régime of Rosas falls, it will be sent to demolish, disappearing of the history until recent times, when they were commenced to carry out excavations and they were given to the light the foundations. At the end of XIX century the suburb was developed, in the adjacent lands to the stream Maldonado where frequently the marginal sectors were located as malevos housings and prostitution houses, like it is depicted in several stories of Borges.