Palermo, Buenos Aires: parks, Soho and the subway
Palermo, Buenos Aires: the restaurants of Soho and Hollywood, the big parks and subway line D. Three addresses we scored on foot.
Contents 10 sections
What the district is like
Palermo is the largest and most sought-after barrio in Buenos Aires. It is so big that locals split it into parts with names of their own: Soho with its design shops, Hollywood with restaurants and TV studios, Chico with embassies, Botánico by the botanical garden.
In the north are the parks everyone calls the Palermo woods: lakes, a rose garden, the planetarium, the racecourse. To the south come dense residential blocks.
On foot
Palermo is easy without a car. Cafes, bakeries, greengrocers, gyms and co-working spaces are on every block. Subway line D runs under Avenida Santa Fe and reaches downtown in a few stations.
The streets are shaded by plane trees and the pavements are wide. From the northern part you walk to the parks; from the southern part it is ten blocks or so. At night hundreds of restaurants and bars open around Plaza Serrano and along Gorriti.
What we measured
The addresses are Avenida Santa Fe by the subway, Calle Borges in Soho and Gorriti in Hollywood.
| Address | Score | Groceries | Station or stop | School | Park | Noise and air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avenida Santa Fe, 3253, Buenos Aires | 91.9 | 3 min | 1 minBulnes | 6 min | 6 min | −0.9 |
| Jorge Luis Borges, 1975, Buenos Aires | 91.7 | 2 min | 9 minPlaza Italia | 2 min | 5 min | −0.9 |
| Gorriti, 5000, Buenos Aires | 84.3 | 2 min | 17 minPlaza Italia | 5 min | 2 min | −0.9 |
Map numbers match the table rows. Use the plus button to zoom in.
The avenue gives transport; the Soho streets give quiet by day and noise by night, which the method cannot see. What it can see is on How the score works.
Who it suits
- Expats who have just arrived.
- Remote workers.
- Young professionals.
- Families who value the parks.
The trade-offs
Rents are high by local standards, and short lets are priced in dollars. Soho and Hollywood are noisy at night. Long-time residents complain that the barrio has become too fashionable.
The housing
Low houses with a patio beside new towers. There are many small flats in buildings from the last twenty years, with a rooftop pool and security. Palermo apartments for rent come furnished more often than not.
What to check
First find out which Palermo it is. Walk the block on a Friday night. See whether the flat faces the street or the back, and whether the building has a generator for power cuts.
With children
Parks with lakes, a playground in every square and plenty of schools. At weekends families come from all over the city.
Without a car
Subway, buses and bike lanes go everywhere.
Neighbours
Recoleta, older and more formal, lies towards downtown. Belgrano to the north is more family-minded, and Villa Crespo to the south is similar and cheaper.