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BalvaneraBalvanera is a barrio or neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Origin of Name and Alternative Names The official name, Balvanera, is the traditional name of the parroquia (parish), which refers to the church of Nuestra Seora de Balvanera, erected in 1831. 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). 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 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 During the 19th century, 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 with Adolfo Alsina and UCR leaders Leandro Alem and Hiplito Irigoyen. By 1900, Balvanera was associated mostly with violently contested elections - and with the brothels in the Junn 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. 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 as well. 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. 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. The southern part of Balvanera is home to some traditional institutions of the Galician community, and features a lively furniture trade along Belgrano avenue. 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. Geography Balvanera is located to the west of downtown Buenos Aires (el centro, which comprises San Nicols and Montserrat). The elegant northern neighborhood of Recoleta (part of the area known as Barrio Norte) is located north of Balvanera, crossing Crdoba avenue. Most dwellers of Balvanera live in apartments in 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. 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 kilmetro cero reference, from which all Argentine routes count the distance to Buenos Aires, is marked by a monolith in Plaza Congreso. Highlights 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 part of Balvanera is home to many faculties of the University of Buenos Aires, including Medicine, Odontology, Economics, and Social Science, as well as the Clnicas University Hospital. Many private universities have facilities in Balvanera. The Ramos Meja general hospital and the Santa Luca ophtalmology 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 caf Los Angelitos in the corner of Rivadavia and Rincn was a meeting point for poets and musicians. It features a relief of angels in its faade, which is one of the landmarks of the barrio. In the 1960s, caf La Perla across Plaza Once was one of the birthplaces of Argentine rock, the earliest manifestation of Rock en Espaol. (The early hit La Balsa starts with a reference to the washroom of La Perla.) 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 galeras (galleries). The block of Pueyrredn avenue across Plaza Once features a busy bazaar-like commercial area known as La Recova. North of the Once train station, many former warehouses have been recycled into lofts, offices or entertainment venues. One of them, the Repblica Cromagnon concert hall (formerly a mini-stadium and dance hall), was set on fire on 30 December 2004, which killed near 200 and injured more than 600. The Abasto shopping mall is located on 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 the conversion from market to high-end shopping mall, a process of gentrification of the area started in the mid-1990s, only to be slowed down by the 2001 economic crisis. Transportation Being close to the downtown district, Balvanera has access to diverse transportation options. Road Westbound: The main avenues are Independencia, Rivadavia, and Crdoba. Access to the elevated Autopista 25 de Mayo (a toll road that provides rapid access to the Ezeiza airport) is fairly easy. Eastbound: The main avenues are Belgrano and Corrientes. Both run all the way to the riverbank and the Puerto Madero area. Northbound: The main avenue is Entre Ros; north of Rivadavia, its name changes to Callao. Southbound: The main avenue is Pueyrredn; 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. Balvanera has access to four out of the five subte lines. This is the preferred transportation option for people in a hurry 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. Bus Many bus lines go through Balvanera, including the 60 line, venerated by locals as el internacional, because its route passes many city landmarks. Around Plaza Once, numerous long-distance bus depots provide service to major locations in Argentina and neighboring countries. Some long-distance and international bus lines have relocated their termini to the new depot in the Retiro area, which is accessible by subte. Train The Once train station provides commuter service to the western neighborhoods of the city and to the suburbs. External links
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