Corrientes Avenue
Encyclopedia
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
capital of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. The street is intimately tied to the tango
Tango (dance)
Tango dance originated in the area of the Rio de la Plata , and spread to the rest of the world soon after....
and the porteño
Porteño
Porteño in Spanish is used to refer to a person who is from or lives in a port city, but it can also be used as an adjective for anything related to those port cities....
sense of identity. Like the parallel avenues Santa Fe, Córdoba, and San Juan, it takes its name from one of the Provinces of Argentina
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
.
It extends 69 blocks from Eduardo Madero Avenue in the eastern Puerto Madero
Puerto Madero
Puerto Madero, also known within the urban planning community as the Puerto Madero Waterfront, is a barrio of the Argentine capital at Buenos Aires CBD, occupying a significant portion of the Río de la Plata riverbank and representing the latest architectural trends in the city of Buenos...
neighborhood to the West and later to the Northwest, and ends at Federico Lacroze Avenue in the Chacarita neighborhood. Automobile traffic runs from west to east. Line B of the Buenos Aires Metro
Buenos Aires Metro
The Buenos Aires Metro , locally known as Subte is a mass-transit system that serves the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The first station of this network opened in 1913, the first of its kind in South America, the Southern Hemisphere and the entire Spanish-speaking world...
runs most of its length underneath the street.
The Asociación Amigos de la Calle Corrientes ("Friends of Corrientes Street Association") is a group that collaborates on the urban planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
of the street. They have placed commemorative plaques on 40 street corners bearing the distinguished figures from the history of the tango.
History
The plan called for the massive razing of most of the avenue's north-side real estate and, so, met with strenuous opposition from affected landlords, retailers, as well as intellectuals like Roberto Arlt
Roberto Arlt
Roberto Arlt was an Argentine writer.-Biography:He was born Roberto Godofredo Christophersen Arlt in Buenos Aires on April 2, 1900. His parents were both immigrants: his father Karl Arlt was a Prussian from Posen and his mother was Ekatherine Iobstraibitzer, a native of Trieste and Italian speaking...
. A coup d'ètat in 1930, however, made way for the plan's implementation, carried out relentlessly until its completion, in 1936. The newly inaugurated avenue coincided with the construction of the Buenos Aires Obelisk
Obelisk of Buenos Aires
The Obelisk of Buenos Aires is a national historic monument and icon of Buenos Aires. Located in the Plaza de la República, in the intersection of avenues Corrientes and 9 de Julio, it was built to commemorate the fourth centenary of the first foundation of the city.In order to enrich the...
, since then one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. Today, when referring to Corrientes prior to the widening, the term "Narrow Corrientes" (Corrientes Angosta) is used.
The opening of the Obelisk and surrounding Plaza de la República in 1936 created a roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
at the Ninth of July intersection. Corrientes, like most major city avenues, was made a one-way thoroughfare by a 1967 municipal ordinance. Growing traffic demands led to the opening of the avenue through the plaza, and around the Obelisk, in 1971. Sidewalks were widened in 2005 to facilitate retail activity along the avenue, which had declined since the 1970s. The section west of downtown between Avenida Callao and Uruguay Street is converted into an expansive outdoor reading room during Bookstore Night, an annual event inaugurated in 2007. Mayor Mauricio Macri
Mauricio Macri
Mauricio Macri is an Argentine businessman turned politician, and Head of Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. Son of Francisco Macri, a businessman of Italian origin prominent in the industrial and construction sectors, he represented the City of Buenos Aires in the Lower House of...
announced in 2010 that the financial district section of Corrientes, between Ninth of July and Avenida Leandro N. Alem, would become a two-way avenue.
Base to obelisk
- Luna ParkLuna Park, Buenos AiresFor any of the amusement parks of the same name, see Luna Park; for any other use of the term, see Luna Park Luna Park is an 8,000-seat arena, located on the corner of Corrientes and Bouchard Avenues, in the barrio of San Nicolás, east Buenos Aires city and near Puerto Madero...
, former boxingBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
ring, currently used for other sports - The back of the Buenos Aires Central Post OfficeBuenos Aires Central Post OfficeThe Buenos Aires Central Post and Communications Office is a public building and landmark in the San Nicolás district of Buenos Aires.-Overview:...
- The downtown microcentroSan Nicolás, Buenos AiresSan Nicolás is one of the neighbourhoods of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, sharing most of the city and national government structure with neighboring Montserrat and home to much of Buenos Aires' financial sector...
banking district - Pedestrian Florida StreetFlorida StreetFlorida Street is an elegant shopping street in Downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina. A pedestrian street since 1971, some stretches have been pedestrianized since 1913....
- Teatro Gran RexTeatro Gran RexThe Teatro Gran Rex is an Art Deco style theatre in Buenos Aires, Argentina which opened on July 8, 1937, as the largest cinema in South America....
- Teatro OperaTeatro OperaThe Teatro Opera is a prominent cinema and theatre house in Buenos Aires, Argentina.-Overview:The Opera Theatre was developed in 1871 by Antonio Petalardo, a local businessman who foresaw a need for popular theatre catering to the city's booming population in subsequent years...
- Many of the country's most important theater companies.
- Numerous traditional and historical restaurants, including Argentine cuisine, Spanish cuisineSpanish cuisineSpanish cuisine consists of a variety of dishes, which stem from differences in geography, culture and climate. It is heavily influenced by seafood available from the waters that surround the country, and reflects the country's deep maritime roots...
and Italian cuisineItalian cuisineItalian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Italian cuisine in itself takes heavy influences, including Etruscan, ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Byzantine, Jewish and Arab cuisines...
. - The Obelisk of Buenos AiresObelisk of Buenos AiresThe Obelisk of Buenos Aires is a national historic monument and icon of Buenos Aires. Located in the Plaza de la República, in the intersection of avenues Corrientes and 9 de Julio, it was built to commemorate the fourth centenary of the first foundation of the city.In order to enrich the...
, at the intersection with 9 de Julio Avenue9 de Julio AvenueAvenida 9 de Julio is a wide avenue in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Its name honors Argentina's Independence Day, July 9, 1816.The avenue runs roughly one kilometer to the west of the Río de la Plata waterfront, from the Retiro district in the north to Constitución station in the south...
and the Plaza de la República.
“The street that never sleeps”
- Los Inmortales pizzeria, previously the Café de los inmortales, ("Café of the immortals") with photos of the historic figures that visited it.
- Güerrín pizzeria
- Café La Paz, historic meeting place for leftistLeft-wing politicsIn politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
activists - Bar Ramos
- La Giralda Cafeteria, serving Spanish-style hot chocolateHot chocolateHot chocolate is a heated beverage typically consisting of shaved chocolate, melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and sugar...
and churroChurroA churro, sometimes referred to as a Spanish doughnut, is a fried-dough pastry-based snack that has disputed origins. Churros are also popular in Latin America, France, Portugal, Morocco, the United States, Australia, and Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands. There are two types of churros in Spain....
s - General San Martín TheaterCentro Cultural General San MartínThe General San Martín Cultural Centre is a cultural centre located in Buenos Aires, Argentina near the major thoroughfare Corrientes Avenue.It is run by the city government, and hosts diverse cultural and artistic events...
- Paseo La PlazaPaseo La PlazaPaseo La Plaza is a cultural and commercial complex in the San Nicolás section of Buenos Aires, Argentina.-Overview:Paseo La Plaza was built where the bustling Mercado Modelo once stood. Serving residents in or near the 1600 block of Corrientes Avenue for much of the twentieth century, the ornate...
, an urban oasisUrban oasisAn urban oasis is a public open space, park, or plaza which is located in between buildings or formed by surrounding buildings in an urban setting. It can exist in any kind of culture. There are various sizes of urban oases. Central Park, Frederick Law Olmsted's park in New York City, can be...
with theaters, retail stores and restaurants - Hernández, Liberarte, and many other bookstores
Off-Corrientes
"Off-Corrientes" refers to the alternative playhouse area. It is also home to the Ricardo Rojas Center of the University of Buenos AiresUniversity of Buenos Aires
The University of Buenos Aires is the largest university in Argentina and the largest university by enrollment in Latin America. Founded on August 12, 1821 in the city of Buenos Aires, it consists of 13 faculties, 6 hospitals, 10 museums and is linked to 4 high schools: Colegio Nacional de Buenos...
, which promotes experimental art (but is itself located on Corrientes).
Once
The BalvaneraBalvanera
Balvanera is a neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina.-Origin of Name and Alternative Names:The official name, Balvanera, is the name of the parroquia centered around the church of Nuestra Señora de Balvanera, erected in 1831.The zone around Corrientes avenue is known as Once after Plaza Once de...
borough (also known as Once) is a traditionally Jewish neighborhood known for the wholesale
Wholesale
Wholesaling, jobbing, or distributing is defined as the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services...
and retail
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
sale of clothing, now also home to merchants of other nationalities, including Koreans
Korean people
The Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. Koreans are one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous groups in the world.-Names:...
and Peruvians.
Abasto
Beyond Pueyrredón Avenue is the hometown of Carlos GardelCarlos Gardel
Carlos Gardel was a singer, songwriter and actor, and is perhaps the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was born in Toulouse, France, although he never acknowledged his birthplace publicly, and there are still claims of his birth in Uruguay. He lived in Argentina from the age of two...
, the tango singer known as the "morocho ("dark-haired man") of Abasto". In disrepair not many years ago, the neighborhood is slowly making a comeback. The neighborhood's name is derived from the Mercado de Abasto
Mercado de abasto
Mercado de abasto is a 1955 Argentine musical comedy film directed by Lucas Demare.-Cast:*Tita Merello*Pepe Arias ... Lorenzo*Juan José Miguez*Pepita Muñoz*José De Angelis*Luis Otero*Marcelle Marcell ... Julian*Joaquín Petrocino*Luis Tasca...
, a former fruit and vegetable market refurbished by local developer IRSA
Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anónima (IRSA)
Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anónima is the leading real estate development firm in Argentina.-Overview:IRSA was founded as a realty by Isaac Elsztain, an Argentine Jewish immigrant, in 1943. The small independent realty, based in Buenos Aires, grew slowly and, as late as 1991, had a...
into what is today the city's largest shopping center.
Almagro
AlmagroAlmagro, Buenos Aires
Almagro is a mostly middle-class barrio of Buenos Aires, Argentina.The neighbourhood is delimited by La Plata avenue and Río de Janeiro street to the west, Independencia avenue to the south, Sánchez de Bustamante, Sánchez de Loria and Gallo streets to the east, and Córdoba/Estado de Israel avenues...
is a calm residential neighborhood inhabited by apartment-dwellers. The center of activity is at the intersection of Medrano and Rivadavia
Rivadavia Avenue
Avenida Rivadavia is one of the principal thoroughfares in Buenos Aires, Argentina, extending from downtown Buenos Aires to the western suburb of Merlo.-History:...
Avenues.
Villa Crespo
Villa CrespoVilla Crespo
Villa Crespo is a middle-class neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, located in the geographical centre of the city. It had a population of 83,646 people in 2001, and thus population density of 23,235 inhabitants/km²....
is another traditionally Jewish neighborhood. Unleavened bread is available for passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
, as are other seasonal specialties. It is in this area (formerly called "Triumvirate") that the greater part of the 1948 Leopoldo Marechal
Leopoldo Marechal
Leopoldo Marechal was one of the most important Argentine writers of the twentieth century.- Biographical notes :...
novel, Adán Buenosayres
Adán Buenosayres
Adán Buenosayres is an Argentine novel, written by Leopoldo Marechal. It was first published in 1948....
, takes place; Marechal also wrote Historia de la Calle Corrientes in 1937. The neighborhood is home to the Atlanta
Club Atlético Atlanta
Club Atlético Atlanta is an Argentine sports club from Buenos Aires. Nicknamed Los Bohemios , its football team won the 2010/11 Primera B Metropolitana championship and promoted to the Primera B Nacional for the 2011/12 season.-History:The club was founded on October the 12th, 1904 in Buenos...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club.
The barrio was home to tango great Osvaldo Pugliese
Osvaldo Pugliese
Osvaldo Pedro Pugliese was an Argentine tango musician. He developed dramatic arrangements that retained strong elements of the walking beat of salon tango but also heralded the development of concert-style tango music.Some of his music, mostly since the 50s, is used for theatrical dance...
.
Chacarita
Corrientes ends at the Estación Federico LacrozeEstación Federico Lacroze
Federico Lacroze railway station is a passenger railway terminus in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The station is located in the city's outlying barrio of Chacarita in a predominantly residential area. It is just a short distance north of the Cementerio de la Chacarita, the city's largest cemetery...
train station next to Parque Los Andes, where fairs where held until September 2005. Just west of the park is La Chacarita Cemetery
La Chacarita Cemetery
Cementerio de la Chacarita in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is known as the National Cemetery and is the largest in Argentina.-Location:The cemetery is in the barrio or district of Chacarita, in the northern part of Buenos Aires...
; the largest in Argentina, the cemetery is at times referred to colloquially and in tango lyrics as La Quinta del Ñato (a lunfardo
Lunfardo
Lunfardo is a dialect originated and developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the lower classes in Buenos Aires and the surrounding Gran Buenos Aires, and from there spread to other cities nearby, such as Rosario and Montevideo, cities with similar socio-cultural situations...
term referring to a person's last dwelling
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
).
Corrientes in tango music
Corrientes Avenue is featured in several tango lyrics, notably:- A media luz by Carlos Lenzi and Edgardo Donatto
- Calle Corrientes by Alberto VaccarezzaAlberto VaccarezzaBartolomé Ángel Venancio Alberto Vaccarezza was an Argentine poet and playwright.Vaccarezza was born in Buenos Aires on April 1, 1886. He is usually credited as the foremost exponent of the sainete genre, having written its most popular play, El Conventillo de La Paloma...
and Enrique Delfino - Corrientes angosta by Ángel "Pocho" Gatti
- Corrientes y Esmeralda by Celedonio Flores and Francisco Pracánico
- Tristezas de la calle Corrientes by Homero ExpósitoHomero ExpósitoHomero Aldo Expósito was an Argentine poet and tango songwriter. He was author, among other things, of the famous tangos like Percal, Naranjo en flor, Margó, Flor de lino, Qué me van a hablar de amor, Ese muchacho Troilo, and Te llaman Malevo...
and Domingo Federico, 1942 - Pucherito de gallina
- Café Dominguez