Old Palermo (Palermo Viejo) is the oldest and most varied area of the Palermo barrio. Once the home of Che Guevara and poet Jorge Luis Borges, today Old Palermo thrives on its arts, culinary and fashion scene. By day you’ll find it busy with people visiting cafés, boutiques and design studios set along tree-lined cobblestone streets. Visit Old Palermo at night for a smorgasbord of drinking and dining options that are among some of the best the city has to offer.
Hip and trendy Palermo Soho is an area that blends contemporary fashion, modern dining and street art. Browse for handmade souvenirs and clothing at weekend markets located on Plaza Armenia and Plaza Cortázar (aka Plaza Serrano). Cafés, steakhouses and taprooms surround the bars and are great for people watching. Take phots of the colorful murals that decorate the buildings in the area. Russel Street and Santa Rosa Streets have a good concentration of street art.
Neighboring Palermo Hollywood gets its name from the television and radio studios that set up here in the mid 1990s. Mingle with the after-work crowd at a buzzing array of brewpubs, speakeasies and wine bars. Dine on everything from traditional Argentine and Italian, to Japanese, Moroccan and Peruvian cuisine. International bands take to the stage for intimate gigs at Niceto Club.
Make your way to open-air Distrito Arcos for outlet shopping at brands such as Adidas and Quiksilver. Alto Palermo mall has dozens of accessory, clothing and footwear stores. Peruse the maze-like stalls of the Mercado de Pulgas flea market for antiques and collectibles. Paintings by local street artists adorn the market’s exterior walls.
Bring the kids to the Centro Cultural de la Ciencia to have fun with hands-on science exhibits. Watch wedding ceremonies and attend mass services at the ornate Basílica del Espíritu Santo.
Public bus lines travel to all corners of Old Palermo and connect with other city neighborhoods. If you catch the metro, get out at the Bulnes, Plaza Italia and Scalabrini Ortiz stations. Alternatively, you can catch the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus to Plaza Armenia.
