Buenos Aires - Argentina - page 126

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were dumped into the Río de la Plata after the construction of the autopista, or highway
system. Over time, sand and sediment began to build up , plants and grasses gr ew, and
birds now use it as a br eeding ground. Ask trav el agents about bir d-watching tours. I n
the summer, adventurous Porteños use it as a beach, but the water is too polluted to swim
in and you must be careful of jagged debris and the homeless who set up camp her e. In
spite of official legal protections, Puerto Madero development is slowly creeping onto the
preserve. While the Ecological Preserve forms a sort of lung for the city, the height of the
buildings in Puerto Madero has been blamed for blocking Río de la Plata winds, further
decreasing air quality in downtown Buenos Aires.

Plaza San Martín & the MicroCentro
Plaza San Martín, a beautiful par k at the base of Calle F lorida in the R etiro neighbor-
hood, acts as the nucleus of what 's called the city 's MicroCentro. In summer months,
Argentine businesspersons flock to the par k on their lunch hour , loosening their ties,
taking off some layers, and sunning for a while amid the plaza's flowering jacaranda trees.
A monument to G en. José de San Martín towers over the scene. The park is busy at all
hours; even after midnight, the playgr ound will be teeming with kids and their par ents
out for a late-night stroll. Plaza San Martín was once the location of choice for the most
elite families at the beginning of the 20th centur y. The San Martín Palace, now used by
the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Círculo Militar, once the home of the Paz
family who o wn the La Prensa ne wspaper; and the elegant P laza Hotel testify to this
former grandeur. The construction of the modern American E xpress building unfor tu-
nately destroyed this once completely classical area. Temporary art exhibits, usually with
a social purpose, often occur within the Plaza, forcing you to stroll and take in each image
and think as you consider their connections. The Plaza was also recently renovated with
improved sidewalks and paving, as well as brighter lighting.
Plaza San Martín cascades do wn a hill, at the base of which sits the Islas Malvinas
War Memorial, a stark circular wall engraved with the names of the nearly 750 dead and
an eternal flame, o verseen b y guar ds fr om the v arious branches of the militar y. The
memorial directly faces the E lizabethan-style British Clock Tower, since r enamed the
Torre Monumental, though most locals still use the old name. I t was a gift fr om the
British, who built and ran the nearb y Retiro train station complex. O ddly, it r emained
unscathed during the war but was attacked b y a mob y ears later, which also toppled an
accompanying statue of G eorge Canning, the B ritish foreign secretary who r ecognized
Argentina's independence fr om Spain. The tower is open to the public and pr ovides a
view of the city and riv er.
Calle Florida is the city's main pedestrian thoroughfare and a shopper's para-
dise. The busiest section, extending south from Plaza San Martín to Avenida Corrientes,
is lined with boutiques, r estaurants, and r ecord stores. It extends all the way thr ough
Avenida de Mayo to the south, forming into Calle Perú, where many international banks
have retail branches. D ay and night, str eet per formers walk on glass, tango, and offer
comedy acts. Take care when watching the performers to keep an eye out for pickpockets
who work the mesmerized crowds. You'll find the upscale Galerías Pacífico fashion center
here, where it intersects Calle Viamonte (see “Shopping,” below). Most of the shopping
on the str eet itself, however, is middle-of-the-r oad, as upper-end r etailers hav e moved
into malls and other parts of the city. Leather stores however abound, so compare prices
and bargain by stopping into a fe w before finalizing your purchase. Many can also cus-
tom-make a special order in a day or two if you can't find exactly what you want. Florida

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