Main Shopping Areas in Buenos Aires
There are several main shopping areas in Buenos Aires that should cover all of your needs and wants.
Florida and Lavalle are two pedestrian shopping streets that intersect in the heart of the Microcentro. Both streets are lined with shops and restaurants, as well as craftsman in the streets selling their wares. You’ll find leather shops, shoe and clothing stores, as well as electronic stores, perfumeries, and sports shops. Because of the popularity of the area and large presence of tourists, the prices tend to be a bit inflated for the quality, but it’s a great area to have instant access to all sorts of souvenirs. In this same area, about half a block from Av. Florida, is the Galerias Pacífico, located in the 700 block of Florida. In this vast mall, with Sistine Chapel-like paintings on its ceilings, there are dozens of clothing, electronic, souvenir, and shoe stores, as well as cafes and restaurants. On its top floor is the Centro Cultural Borges, which hosts frequent art exhibitions.
In the Once area of the city there are hundreds of clothing, fabric, and furniture stores, as well as leather shops. This is where the locals go to shop for bargains. Don’t expect top quality, but the prices are the best in the city. Avenidas Pueyrredón And Rivadavia are packed throughout the day with shoppers and infested with pickpockets, so just be sure to watch your back and guard your wallet. Price range is low to moderate.
The swankiest area for shopping in the city is in Recoleta, especially along Marcelo T. Alvear and Junín. Fashion houses such as Hermés, Versace, and Christian Dior live in these neighborhoods, as well as local high-end brands like La Marina. The prices are on the luxurious end, just as the fashion and architecture. If you’re in the mood for a wider range of prices (and a nice long shopping trek), Avenida Santa Fe is one block over, and runs all the way up to Plaza Italia in Palermo replete with stores and outlets.
One curious out-of-the-way destination is the leather district, which is on Calle Murillo in the barrio of Villa Crespo. It consists of three blocks of stores that sell nothing but top-quality leather goods (mostly jackets), and while the prices are high, they’re much more reasonable than what you’ll find in Recoleta or even the tourist circuit of the Microcentro. To reach the leather district, take the B line of the Subte to the Malabia/Osvaldo Pugliese stop and go three blocks down Malabia until you arrive at Murillo.
