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El Centro (Central Buenos Aires) is made up of Barrio San Nicolás, a rectangular area bordered by Avenida Córdoba to the north and Avenida de Mayo to the south. It’s rarely called Barrio San Nicolás and has taken on the name El Centro.
This entry focuses on El Centro west of Avenida 9 de Julio, while another entry covers Microcentro, a smaller section of El Centro to the east of Avenida 9 de Julio.
Plaza Lavalle
I walked to Plaza Lavalle on a short but pleasant pedestrianized section of Diagonal Norte from Avenida 9 de Julio. Plaza Lavalle sits a block west of the massive avenue.
In the center of the plaza is a small park and a monument to General Juan Lavalle. There was some interesting public art as well as a gigantic tree.
Other than the back end of Teatro Colón, there are some beautiful buildings surrounding the plaza. On the southwest corner is the Palace of Justice (Palacio de Justicia), the Supreme Court building of Argentina completed in 1905. On the southeast corner is the President Roca School (Escuela Presidente Roca), which was built in 1903.
On the northeast corner is the Synagogue of the Israelite Argentine Congregation (Templo de la Congregación Israelita, a synagogue and an Argentine Jewish history museum built in 1897. It’s also known as the Freedom Temple (Templo Libertad).
Across the street is the Cervantes National Theatre (Teatro Nacional Cervantes), which opened in 1921.
Avenida Corrientes
Avenida Corrientes, just a block south of Plaza Lavalle, is fun to walk down. This is considered the Broadway of Buenos Aires. There are lots of theaters, restaurants, and flashing lights located on the street as well as some public art. I found it more enjoyable at night. I walked down it late on a Saturday night and it was packed with people.
One of the most important theatres on Avenida Corrientes is the General San Martín Theatre (Teatro General San Martín). It was built in the 1950s and seats 1,100 people. A cultural center is attached to the theatre.
Other Landmarks
On the very western fringes of El Centro are a few other landmarks I noticed. The first is the Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Normal School (Escuela Normal Domingo Faustino Sarmiento), which is a block north of Avenida Corrientes on Avenida Callao. It was built in 1886. The large Church of the Savior (Iglesia del Salvador), sits a couple blocks north.
The other important building is the Water Company Palace (Palacio de Aguas Corrientes). It was built in 1887 as the former headquarters of the public water works, Aguas Argentinas. It definitely doesn’t fit in the neighborhood and is easily the most beautiful water pumping station I have ever seen. There’s also a museum inside explaining the history of water treatment.
