Shopping Palermo Viejo is as upscale, sophisticated, and hip as any shopping destination in New York or Europe, with its own brand of charm to boot. There are sidewalk cafes and juice stalls for when you get tired of shopping or walking.
Shopping fanatics will love this charming upscale-yet-downbeat district of Buenos Aires, whose charm includes cobblestone streets and boutique shopping featuring top designers from Argentina. Palermo Viejo is in the northeast part of Buenos Aires, and taxis from the center of town to this shopping district run less than $5. That’s a bargain!
The best way to see the area and get into the best shops is to walk, once you exit your taxi. Start on Avenue Armenia, where you should stop in Trosman. This boutique carries cotton separates and shimmery swimsuits do die for. To get the same quality of design in the US you would have to pay much more, but here in Palermo Viejo the cost is much much less.
Continue walking to Calle El Salvador, where you can check out superior quality leather goods at Humawaca. The leather here is especially unusual and beautiful, offered in a rainbow of colors like peach and pink! One designer at Humawaca is Ingrid Gutman. She comes from an architectural background so her bags are unusual as well as beautiful.
Stick with Calle El Salvador and you’ll run into another shop, this time featuring wonderful colorful underthings. This shop is called Juana de Arco. Take a peek just for the visual display, even if you’re not in the market to buy any undies.
On to Avenue Malabia, wehre you’ll find El Diamente for lunch. Ask for a table on the roof, where people-watching is the best around. All of Buenos Aires is visible from up here! Entrees are reasonable at $7 to $20. Along the same street head for Mariano Toledo for some couture…museum quality clothing!
A little more ways down the street make sure to stop into Ferroni, where shoe designer Josefina Ferroni makes exquisite shoes…only about a dozen of each design so you can pretty much bet that once you get back home, you’ll be the only person around wearing that shoe. The shoes are top design but reasonable prices. Ferroni is reason enough to visit Palermo Viejo.
Just a few streets away, on Calle Uriarte stop in for a drink at the hippest place in town, called Casa Cruz. Finally, a little further away, so maybe take a cab or get ready to walk a lot, is Celedonio Lohidoy. They sell one-of-a-kind jewelry in a rainbow of colors. You’ll think of wildlife and flora when you look at their pieces. Have fun here, it’s a very unusual jewelry shop, and worth the extra walking to get here. Well worth it.
