Buenos Aires is a big city that is conveniently divided up into autonomous fully functioning neighborhoods with vastly different feels. My fave cities – inclusive of Chicago & Seattle – feature similar make-ups so you have the feel of a smaller town as you don’t have to go far for anything you need with of course the benefits of being within a larger city. So I was super excited to start exploring the various hoods. 
Retiro – I used points to stay here at a fancy but stuffy & somewhat stuck-up (until I did my best to loosen them up a bit) luxury hotel right next to the Plaza San Martin. I was in BA for a week & it’s definitely not a cheap city so it was nice to save funds. It’s also quite centrally located (both walking & metro) bw the various hoods I was planning to check out & also helpfully near the Brazilian consulate. As an aside, I was mildly worried about my Brazilian visa coming through primarily bc they denied me in Chicago before I left bc I submitted my passport pic which was 11 mos old & they require pics no older than 6 mos (I blame the co I hired to facilitate this txn who are total idiots & massively failed – no one use Sameday Passport & Visa in Chicago). Given I’m a procrastinator, I didn’t have time to resubmit so was out money. I initially wasn’t sure I’d visit Brazil but as my trip progressed, I became increasingly excited to do so. So my first priority upon arriving in BA was knocking that out. I had a printed file of nearly 30 pages of requested info, including fake flight & hotel bookings that were promptly cancelled after submission. The prepayment process at the bank only increased my nervousness as I found myself in a massive queue w a bunch of locals paying their bills in cash in person despite signs everywhere notifying them that they can pay online. The line ran past bank closing time – 3pm how nice – but they still saw me & then I rushed to the consulate before they closed at 4. I was mildly nervous before I arrived. How silly. I was the only one there. I was helped by one super cool girl who laughed out loud at but then appreciated my helpful notes (I may be a procrastinator, but I end up quite organized). She asked a few questions & assured me there’d be no issues & they’d process it in 3 days. While she was doing my admin work, her friend & coworker asked where I was visiting in Brazil so the 3 of us proceeded to discuss my proposed route, they gave great recommendations & helped me reshape my route over drinks later that night. I’m loving Brazilians. 
Recoleta – Upper class Recoleta is home to the famous cemetery which is probably the number one tourist attraction in BA. It was cool. Definitely beautiful. I met awesome travelers in Mendoza who told me they loved it & spent 2 days wandering. I spent a couple hours. First off, it’s not that big. Secondly, it’s dead people which kinda creeps me out. Evita Peron’s gravesite is underwhelming but the crowds flock there. But even if it’s the most beautiful cemetery I’ve ever seen – & it definitely is – it still kinda gives me the creeps. Recoleta is high class with its wide tree lined boulevards, fancy shops, fancy museums, upscale restos & cocktail bars, & my fave… dog walkers walking 15-20 dogs at once. I spent a lovely day wandering around Recoleta but the traffic that comes with all that class was a bit stifling at times. My favorite part of Recoleta? This stunning bookstore, El Ateneo, transformed from a former theatre. Quiet, atmospheric, photogenic & inclusive of a quaint cafe in the back behind the curtain meant that I was sucked in for hours.  
Palermo – Palermo is a bit more middle class than Recoleta, has a few different sub-hoods & I was really digging its quiet winding streets, especially Palermo Viejo, until I rounded a corner & ran smack dab into the center on Sunday market day & only then saw the chain stores on the corner. For you Chicagoans, it reminded me of Bucktown which used to be cool & cutting edge back in the day & where the artists lived & then the yuppies moved in & pushed them out & shortly thereafter so did Marc Jacobs & Fresh. In a span of 10mins, I went from loving it to shaking off a shudder that ran down my spine so I peaced & shortly thereafter headed to San Telmo for a fabulous 19 course prix fixe dinner at a tiny resto (Aramburu) with no nameplate out front & blacked out curtains (so Alinea-like & just my style). 
La Boca – This is a bit of a sketchy hood – although I never felt unsafe – but I also visited during the middle of the day. The thing to see here is this area of brightly colored buildings, called Caminito, that IMHO has turned into a massive tourist trap with people hawking shit everywhere you turn & I freakin hated it. But La Boca is well worth the visit if you’re at all into sports & football as it’s the home of the stadium for La Boca Juniors, arguably Argentina & South America’s best & most famous club team. I would’ve loved to go to a game but timing was not on my side but just seeing the stadium was cool. 
San Telmo – This is my fave hood, by far, no question & I kept returning over my week in BA. South of the center & home to antique stores & markets, vintage shops, new age crystal stores, art galleries, cervecerias, experimental restos, bars, it seems to be the epicenter for cutting edge art, cool live music & legit tango shows (especially El Viejo Almacen). This was also the first place I was invited to join a proper mate (“ma-tay”) session with some locals the following day after I bought a crystal pendant from a local hippy. Mate is this craze across Argentina, but also Chile & Uruguay from what I can tell. Mate is an herbal mixture – everyone seems to have their own personal mix – they tote around along with a thermos of hot water, a special cup & metal sieve-like straw in a fancy leather wine-like carrying case. I’ve seen it a lot as it’s a very social thing to do – parks, streets, anywhere – everyone has their goddam mate. I’ve asked a bunch of questions as I’m curious bc there seem to be a lot of customs surrounding the drinking ritual & while I thought the entire thing was a bit ridiculous, I was really hoping someone would take pity on me & ask me to join their circle. So it happened with the crystal hippy who had a mate date the next day in his store w his artsy musician friends & asked me to join. The mate was kinda like tea but loose tea & a helluva lot more herb so the sieve straw is very necessary & it’s SUPER bitter (although I later learned from the lovely Brazilian consulate girls that you can buy flavored additions like mint or fruit to mask the bitterness but it sounds like that’s only for beginners &/or phonies). So the mate was interesting but the group of 5 BA locals talking rapid flow BA Spanish w their “jeje”s instead of “y”s for “ll”s all at once was overwhelming. I did fine the day prior one-on-one but I was fucking lost in the group which was a bit hysterical & yet I was very thankful for the experience… although I’m still not sure I get the mate obsession. So all this experience did was reinforce how cool San Telmo was. It’s home to the artists & the musicians & is definitely the hood I would live in if moving to BA. 

https://youtu.be/hDmHNBd1wKY