Balvanera

Area	4.4 km²
Population	152,198 (2001)
Density	34,590/km²
Important sites	Plaza Miserere National Congress UBA's Economics' Faculty A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. ... Map of Buenos Aires with Balvanera highlighted. ... The National Congress ( Spanish: Congreso de la Nación Argentina) is the legislative branch of the government of Argentina. ... The Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) is the biggest university in Argentina, founded on August 12, 1821 in the city of Buenos Aires. ...
The neighbourhood is often referred to as Once

Balvanera is a barrio (neighborhood) of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The city of Buenos Aires is divided in 47 barrios: Agronomía Almagro Balvanera Barracas Belgrano Boedo Caballito Chacarita Coglhan Colegiales Constitución Flores Floresta La Boca La Paternal Liniers Mataderos Monte Castro Montserrat Nueva Pompeya Nuñez Palermo Parque Avellaneda Parque Chacabuco Parque Chas Parque Patricios Recoleta Retiro Saavedra... Buenos Aires (English: Fair Winds, originally Ciudad de la Santísima Trinidad y Puerto de Santa María de los Buenos Aires, City of the Holy Trinity and Port of Saint Mary of the Fair Winds) is the capital of Argentina and its largest city and port, as well as...

Origin of Name and Alternative Names

The official name, Balvanera, is the name of the parroquia (parish) centered around the church of Nuestra Señora de Balvanera, erected in 1831. A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. ...

The zone around Corrientes avenue is known as Once after Plaza Once de Setiembre, the alternative name of Plaza Miserere (the square in which president Bernardino Rivadavia's mausoleum is located). Bernardino de la Trinidad Gónzalez Rivadavia y Rivadavia (Buenos Aires May 20, 1780 - 1845) was the first president of Argentina, from February 8, 1826 to July 7, 1827. ...

The south-eastern part of Balvanera is often called Congreso, as it contains the Congress building and the neighboring Plaza de los Dos Congresos (Square of the Two Congresses, usually called simply Plaza Congreso).

The north-western part of Balvanera is referred to as Abasto after the landmark Abasto market (now a shopping mall; see below).

History and Communities

Until the 1860s, Balvanera was considered an outskirt of Buenos Aires proper. In 1836, a census set its population at 3,635. Most inhabitants lived in quintas (small estates), and the zone was known as las quintas. The Camino Real (now Rivadavia) was the main road from the city to the west.

In the late 19th century, Balvanera had a strong political tradition, identifying first with Adolfo Alsina and then with UCR leaders Leandro Alem and Hipólito Irigoyen. The Radical Civic Union (Unión Cívica Radical, or UCR) is the foremost opposition party in Argentina. ... The statue dedicated to Leandro N. Alem in the park dedicated to his name in Rosario. ... Hipolito Yrigoyen Juan Hipólito del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Irigoyen Alem (12 July 1852 - 3 July 1933) was twice President of Argentina (from 1916 to 1922 and again from 1928 to 1930). ...

By 1900, Balvanera was associated mostly with violently contested elections—and with the brothels in the Junín y Lavalle area where, according to Borges, the tango dance acquired its notorious erotic overtones. Natural growth and railroad development eventually assimilated the neighborhood into the city. Jorge Luis Borges () (August 24, 1899 – June 14, 1986) was an Argentine writer who is considered to be one of the foremost writers of the 20th century. ... Tango in the streets of Buenos Aires. ...

During the 1910s and 1920s, the area around Corrientes avenue became the center of Buenos Aires's Jewish community and the hub of the garment trade, which in turn attracted segments of the Arab and Armenian communities. Jews (Hebrew: יהודים, Yehudim) are followers of Judaism or, more generally, members of the Jewish people (also known as the Jewish nation, or the Children of Israel), an ethno-religious group descended from the ancient Israelites and converts who joined their religion. ... The Arabs (Arabic: عرب ) are a large and heterogeneous ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa, originating in the Arabian Peninsula of southwest Asia. ...

A number of Jewish institutions were erected in Once, including the AMIA community center that was bombed on July 18, 1994, in the bloodiest terror attack ever on Agentine soil. The AMIA bombing was an attack on the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association, or AMIA) building. ...

The southern part of Balvanera is home to some traditional institutions of the Galician community, and features a lively furniture trade along Belgrano avenue. Galicia (Spain) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Manuel Belgrano (June 3, 1770 – June 20, 1820) was an Argentine lawyer, politician, and military leader, born in Buenos Aires. ...

In the late 1970s, Balvanera became a favored location for electronics import shops while keeping its traditional garment district. Newly arrived Korean and Chinese immigrants became a strong presence in several fields of commerce (see Asian-Argentines). History A small neighborhood grocery store in Buenos Aires owned by Asian-Argentines Argentinas Asian population is descended from several waves of Asian immigration that have occured in the last century. ...

Geography

Balvanera is located to the west of downtown Buenos Aires (el centro, which comprises San Nicolás and Montserrat). The elegant northern neighborhood of Recoleta (part of the area known as Barrio Norte) is located north of Balvanera, crossing Córdoba avenue. San Nicolás de los Arroyos is a city in the north-east of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the western shore of the Paraná River, 61 km from Rosario and 240 km from the city of Buenos Aires (35º2030 South, 60º128 West). ... Recoleta in the map of Buenos Aires Recoleta is a barrio or neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina. ...

Most dwellers of Balvanera live in apartment buildings erected on small lots. Population density is very high, and the amount of green space is deemed insufficient. The meager green space of Plaza Miserere is usually taken up by illegal peddlers, people queuing for their bus, and preachers of all stripes.

As in most of Buenos Aires, the streets are laid out in a checkboard pattern. All streets and avenues are one-way.

The main streets of Balvanera are arguably Rivadavia, which crosses the entire city from East to West (North-South streets change their name when crossing Rivadavia), and Corrientes, which is the main thoroughfare of commerce and entertainment in Buenos Aires. The kilómetro cero reference, from which all Argentine routes count the distance to Buenos Aires, is marked by a monolith in Plaza Congreso.

Highlights

Notable Places

The mausoleum of President Rivadavia in Plaza Miserere (Once) used to be covered in graffiti; after a fence was erected around it, its state of repair has improved markedly.

The University complex on the northern edge of Balvanera is home to many faculties of the University of Buenos Aires, including Medicine, Odontology, Economics, Pharmacy, and Social Science, as well as the Clínicas University Hospital. Many private universities have facilities in Balvanera. The Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) is the biggest university in Argentina, founded on August 12, 1821 in the city of Buenos Aires. ...

The Ramos Mejía general hospital and the Santa Lucía ophthalmology hospital are located in southern Balvanera. Many private health-care institutions are located in Balvanera, mostly around the Faculty of Medicine complex.

Among the achitectural features in Balvanera are the neo-classical Congress building and the statue group in neighboring Plaza Congreso. The El Molino tea room is located across the street in a building that has seen several rounds of restoration since its heyday.

The café Los Angelitos in the corner of Rivadavia and Rincón was a meeting point for poets and musicians. It features a relief of angels in its façade, which is one of the landmarks of the barrio. The Annunciation - the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear Jesus (El Greco, 1575) An angel is an ethereal being found in many religions, whose duties are to assist and serve God. ...

Culture

There are many theater and concert halls in Balvanera. The Liceo theater and the Ricardo Rojas cultural center are two of the best-known venues.

For most of the 20th century, Once had a lively Yiddish theater scene; the IFT theater still stands on Boulogne Sur-Mer street, where mural paintings celebrate its rich history. Yiddish (ייִדיש, Jiddisch) is a Germanic language spoken by about four million Jews throughout the world. ...

Author Macedonio Fernández resided in Balvanera for most of his adult life. Many actors (such as Dringue Farías) lived in Balvanera within walking distance of the theater district.

In the 1960s, café La Perla across Plaza Once was one of the birthplaces of Argentine rock. The early hit La Balsa starts with a reference to the washroom of La Perla. Argentine rock, often termed Rock nacional is a musical genre. ...

In the 1980s, Cafe Einstein was a hub of alternative art, featuring acts such as Sumo. Sumo was a 1980s rock and reggae band from Argentina. ...

Much of the Argentine cumbia scene of the 1990s revolved around dance halls near the Once train station. Argentine cumbia is an umbrella term that comprises several distinct trends within the same tradition: the dance and music style known as cumbia in Argentina. ...

North of Once station, many former warehouses have been recycled into lofts, offices, or entertainment venues. One of these, the República Cromagnon concert hall (formerly a mini-stadium and dance hall), went on fire on 30 December 2004. In the tragedy, 194 people were killed and over 600 injured. República Cromagnon (Spanish for Cro-Magnon Republic) is a nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina. ... December 30 is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 1 day remaining. ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in...

Commerce

Abasto Shopping Mall

Currently, more than 25,000 shops are registered in Balvanera, where zoning regulations favor commerce. Many apartment buildings host one or more shops at ground level. The plot of the 2004 movie El Abrazo Partido revolves around one of Balvanera's many shopping galerías (galleries). Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 166 KB) Summary en: Description: Mercado de Abasto (Abasto Shopping), Buenos Aires, Argentina. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 166 KB) Summary en: Description: Mercado de Abasto (Abasto Shopping), Buenos Aires, Argentina. ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... El Abrazo Partido (2004) is an Argentine movie depicting episodes in the life of a Jewish family in the Once neighborhood of Buenos Aires and the other shopkeepers in a low-rent commercial galería (gallery). ...

The block of Pueyrredón avenue across Plaza Once features a busy bazaar-like commercial area known as La Recova.

The Abasto shopping mall is an impressive building that was the city's wholesale produce market until the late 1980s; its history is closely associated with the life and career of tango singer Carlos Gardel. The area around the market used to contain produce warehouses and low-rent housing for the laborers; with its conversion to a high-end mall, the area experienced a gentrification process since the mid-1990s, that was slowed down by the 2001 economic crisis. Tango music is traditionally played by an orquesta típica, which often includes violin, piano, guitar, flute, and especially bandoneon. ... Carlos Gardel (1933) Carlos Gardel (11 December 1890 – 24 June 1935) was an enormously popular tango singer killed in an airplane crash at the height of his career. ... Gentrification (a. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

Transportation

Being close to the downtown district, Balvanera has access to diverse transportation options.

Road

Westbound: The main avenues are Independencia, Rivadavia, and Córdoba.

Eastbound: The main avenues are Belgrano and Corrientes. Both run all the way to the riverbank and the Puerto Madero area. un lugar muy lindo y grande This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ...

Northbound: The main avenue is Entre Ríos; north of Rivadavia, its name changes to Callao.

Southbound: The main avenue is Pueyrredón; south of Rivadavia, its name changes to Jujuy.

During peak hours, most of Balvanera's streets are congested, some of them very heavily so. Most streets carry bus traffic; the main avenues have special lanes for buses and taxis.

Entre Ríos and Jujuy avenues have on-ramps and off-ramps to Autopista 25 de Mayo (an elevated toll road that provides rapid access to the western suburbs and to Ezeiza airport). A high-speed toll booth on SR 417 near Orlando, Florida A toll gate on the Sayama bypass (Saitama prefectural road 397) in Japan A toll gate on the Dom Pedro I Highway near the city of Itatiba, Brazil A toll road, tollway, turnpike or tollpike is a road on... Ministro Pistarini International Airport (IATA: EZE, ICAO: SAEZ) serves the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and is the countrys largest international and domestic airport. ...

Subte (subway)

Balvanera has access to four out of the five subte lines. This is the preferred transportation option for hurried people who don't mind some discomfort during peak hours. With the expansion works started in the 1990s, most of the city has become accessible by subte, including all intercity train stations. Vintage subway entrance on original Line A on Avenida de Mayo The Buenos Aires Metro (locally known as el subte, from subterráneo) is a mass-transit network that serves the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. ...

Bus

Many bus lines go through Balvanera, including the Colectivo 60 line, venerated by locals as el internacional, because its route passes many city landmarks. Other important lines include Colectivo 19, which has been the subject of a composition by Lito Vitale, and Colectivo 86, which links La Boca to Ezeiza airport. The colectivo 60 bus line runs from Constitucion station to Tigre Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. ... La Boca in the map of Buenos Aires An example of the colour of La Boca Caminito, Boca, Buenos Aires, Argentina. ...

Around Plaza Once, numerous long-distance bus depots provide service to major locations in Argentina and neighboring countries. (Most long-distance and international bus lines have their termini in the Retiro depot, accessible via subte.) Retiro is a municipality in the Colombian department of Antioquia. ...

Train

The Once train station provides commuter service to the western neighborhoods and suburbs.

External links

• Barrio de Balvanera (Spanish)
• Information and statistics (Spanish)
• News of Balvanera (Spanish)
• Jewish Once - a tour of Jewish life in Once