Neighbourhoods: el Abasto

Continuing with my celebrated series of articles about the 100 barrios porteños (neighbourhoods), this time I am going to write about one of the most typical barrios of  Buenos Aires: el barrio del Abasto.

Cradle of tangoand witness of the history of Buenos Aires, is one of the most popular destination chosen by porteños as well as tourist to breath and feel tango in the place of its birth, visiting the street named after the legendary singer, Carlos Gardel, and the corner on which “El Morocho del Abasto” sang his first “milongas”.

El Abasto was basically born with the old “Mercado Central de frutas y verduras” (Central Market of fruits and vegetables). The Market was inaugurated in 1893, causing the growth of a new area, mainly populated by immigrants. The result was the proliferation of many “conventillos” (large houses with one family/group of people living in each room and sharing bathrooms, kitchen, etc.), canteens, and theatres. A barrio with a strong character and rich with culture.

But in 1984, almost a century later, the fruit and vegetable market was moved to another part of Buenos Aires, leaving a large part of the areas’ population unemployed. This caused the beginning of a phenomenon known as the “casas tomadas,” or “taken houses,” where the people illegally occupied abandoned properties.

The building that had once been the Central Market was kept closed and abandoned until 1998, when it was re-opened as a large shopping mall know as the Abasto de Buenos Aires (map). This is when everything came back to life. The entire exterior of the building was kept intact to maintain its historical value. The interior, on the other hand, was completely gutted out and reconstructed using the latest technology available at the time, also incorporating surrounding areas. Huge apartment building were constructed as well as hotels (such as the Abasto Plaza (map), a supermarket, and many restaurants.

If you haven’t been to a Tangoshow in Buenos Aires I recommend “La Esquina de Carlos Gardel” dinner show (map). The theatre is located where Carlos Gardel used to hang out and dine at with his friends. When you enter the theatre you will see a statue of him. The theatre has the ambiance and the sophistication of the thirties.

The pedestrian street Carlos Gardel (map) was also inaugurated with a monument to the famous singer. These were some of the first measures taken to turn el Abasto into one of Buenos Aires’ tourist attractions, a dedication to Tango.

Photo credit: Tanenhaus on Flickr