Shop till you drop!

When I first arrived in Buenos Aires it was inevitable that some exploring was on the cards.  Obviously, shopping is a fantastic way to explore a city and it quite fun too!  The Argentinan style caught my eye so I set out in search of a couple of new items to disguise my european routes!   As I strolled up and down the avenidas and calles I stumbled across patterns of shops. I started to notice themed groupings, streets with dozens of shops selling the same items.  I thought it quite strange, but then on contemplation it made complete sense.  After a little research I found out that this grouping was quite common and if you asked a porteño there was pretty much a street for anything you desired, very Harry Potter!!!

Avenida Belgrano –Antiques to Art Decor 

There are lots of trendy furniture shops dotted around Palermo and Recoleta however these tend to be pretty ‘”caro” (expensive).  Avenida Belgrano is packed with every which furniture shop you could wish for and for a much fairer price than those in Palermo.  You can find tonnes of furniture there from art décor to antique items, and the cheaper price doesn’t necessarily mean you have to sacrifice the quality.

Calle Talcahuano- Instruments for all

Music, in my opinion, is a pretty integeral part of the Latino culture, so it comes as no surprise that the Porteños dedicate rather a large street to the selling of instruments.  Talcahuano is lined with shops where you can purchase almost anything in terms of musical needs.

Calle de Murillo- Leather goods

Villa Crespo is home to the leather district of Buenos Aires.  The quality is known to be good and sold at a fair price.  If your looking for a leather jacket or a Argentine polo belt this is the place to go and it is only a short distance from Palermo.

Calle Libertad – Silver and gold never gets old

This street specialises in jewellery, and has many places to buy and sell silver and gold.  Precious stones, rings necklaces; this place is an Aladdin’s cave of beautiful items.  Be sure to have a good look around before purchasing to find the best bargain.

If your looking for something in particular, then ask a local as the chances are there is a whole street dedicated to it!  Calles por rubros (items by street), although this seems slightly curious it actually seems to work with perfect effect.  Make sure you have plenty of time to shop as it is very easy to spend hours browsing, enjoy!