Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest in South America, after São Paulo. It is rated one of the 20 largest cities in the world, as well as the most visited city in South America and the second most visited city in Latin America (after Mexico City). It is also one of the most important, largest and most populous of South American capitals, often referred to as the Paris of South America. People from Buenos Aires are called “porteños”, meaning people of the port. Buenos Aires is the birthplace of the current Roman Pontiff, Pope Francis. The city will be hosting the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics.

Buenos Aires has a long tradition in visual arts, and it hosts many the most important art galleries, such as APPETITE, Braga Menendez and Ruth Benzacar. Museums, like MALBA and Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de Buenos Aires are also worth visiting. "La Noche de los Museos" (Night of Museums) takes place every November: on this day, most of the museums of the city are open all night long. Buenos Aires is also very active in street art, with major murals everywhere in the city. The birthplace of Tango lies in Argentina: its provocative dance moves were not considered respectable until adopted by the Parisian high society in the 1920s. In 2009, UNESCO declared tango part of the world's cultural heritage, making Argentina eligible to receive financial aid for safeguarding this cultural treasure for generations to come.

Accommodation in Buenos Aires university residences

There are many public universities in Argentina, as well as a number of private universities. Many of the university residences are independently-owned and offer affordable visitor accommodation during the university vacation periods. It should be understood that these residences are designed primarily for students and not children or adults expecting a high level of luxury. However, with this in mind, the halls do meet a level of comfort that we expect most visitors to be happy with, and we will welcome any feedback where this is not the case.

Getting around Buenos Aires

The city itself is divided into 48 separate neighborhoods and each is navigable by public transportation. The city is set up on a rectangular grid pattern, which makes finding your way while walking quite easy and is there commended method of transport.
There are over 100 busses lines, tens of thousands of taxis, and six subway lines that connect the city. To fully understand the bus system and their various routes the best thing to do is buy a Guia“T”de Bolsillo. It is a map of the city with all the bus routes listed; this is really the only way to figure everything out without asking around. The guide can be bought at any local Kiosk or street stand. Try to save your spare change for bus fare because only coins are accepted and you will soon learn they are very scarce in the city. Taxis are the simplest way to get around town as they are inexpensive.
 

Buenos Aires was established on the banks of the Río de la Plata (Platte River), which translates to "River of Silver." It was given this optimistic name by early explorers and settlers, who had gotten some silver trinkets from local Indians. The river didn't produce much in the way of silver, and settlers didn't find the true vale of the river until much later. In the eighteenth century, cattle ranching in the vast grasslands around Buenos Aires became very lucrative and millions of treated leather hides were sent to Europe, where they became leather armor, shoes, clothing and a variety of other products. This economic boom led to the establishment in 1776 of the Viceroyalty of the River Platte, based in Buenos Aires.

Using the alliance between Spain and Napoleonic France as an excuse, Britain attacked Buenos Aires twice in 1807-1807, attempting to further weaken Spain while at the same time gaining valuable New World colonies to replace the ones it had so recently lost in the American Revolution. The first attack, led by Colonel William Carr Beresford, succeeded in capturing Buenos Aires, although Spanish forces out of Montevideo were able to re-take it about two months later. A second British force arrived in 1807 under the command of Lieutenant General John Whitelocke. The British took Montevideo, but were unable to capture Buenos Aires, which was ably defended by urban guerilla militants. The British were forced to retreat.One of the most important cities in South America, Buenos Aires has a long and interesting history. It has lived under the shadow of secret police on more than one occasion, has been attacked by foreign powers and has the unfortunate distinction of being one of the only cities in history to be bombed by its own navy. It has been home to ruthless dictators, bright-eyed idealists and some of the most important writers and artists in the history of Latin America. 

Juan Perón and his famous wife Evita came to power in the early 1940's, and he reached the presidency in 1946. Perón was a very strong leader, blurring the lines between elected president and dictator. Unlike many strongmen, however, Perón was a liberal who strengthened unions (but kept them under control) and improved education. The working class adored him and Evita, who opened schools and clinics and gave state money away to the poor. Even after he was deposed in 1955 and forced into exile, he remained a very powerful force in Argentine politics. He even triumphantly returned to stand for the 1973 elections, which he won, although he died of a heart attack after about a year in power.

In 1999, a combination of factors including a falsely inflated exchange rate between the Argentine Peso and the US dollar led to a serious recession and people began losing faith in the peso and in Argentine banks. In late 2001 there was a run on the banks and in December 2001 the economy collapsed. Angry protestors in the streets of Buenos Aires forced President Fernando de la Rúa to flee the presidential palace in a helicopter. For a while, unemployment reached as high as 25%. The economy eventually stabilized, but not before many businesses and citizens went bankrupt.