Plaza Serrano, a Happening Place

One of my favourite places to go out at night in Buenos Aires is a little plaza in the heart of Palermo Soho (or Palermo Viejo) known as Plaza Serrano. The true name of this plaza is Plazoleta Julio Cortázar, but few people call it that way.

The plaza is right at the intersection of calle Serrano and calle Honduras (map), although calle Serrano is also named calle Borges on some maps (go figure!).

This is the bohemian part of Palermo. Nobody seems to be in a hurry here and there is a permanent cheerful spirit in the area. During the day, not much goes on, but at night this plaza comes alive with young people gathering to be with friends, drink, celebrate, sing, dance, play guitar, and just generally have a good time.

The best time to go is on either Friday or Saturday nights. The entire square is packed with people of all ages, and it’s easy to join and chat with any of them, and many sell funky jewelery and other art crafts while they gather together.

The plaza is surrounded by numerous cafés, bars and restaurants that usually take out tables and chairs to the curb. I specially like Bar Crónicos, a little bar with a heart of rock and roll, but there are other great places such as El Taller, or Madagascar, or República de Aca, to name a few. Any lover of nightlife will undoubtedly enjoy this places. I like sitting with friends at any of the cafés around the plaza, have a cold beer and chat.

On Saturdays and Sundays, from 11 am to 6 pm, there is a very interesting fair called the Independent Design Fair, where artisans sell wooden toys, ceramics,  funky jewelery, and more. This is also a great place to buy art. The railings around the playground act as an open air gallery for Palermo artists, and organizers control the quality of art on display.

The feria continues unofficially at many nearby bars, which push their tables and chairs aside to make room for clothing and accessory designers. Prices, styles, and items vary greatly. For instance, you might see a stall selling silk tops made from antique scarves next to neon anime bomber jackets. It is this stylistic variety and bazaar-like atmosphere that makes it a hot destination for trendy porteños who frequent the weekly fair. I would recommend arriving early.

Other independent design fairs in the city can be found in San Telmo, Plaza Francia, and San Isidrio. Chekout this website (in Spanish) for more information about specific venues and fairs. There are some nice pics of Plaza Serrano on Buenos Aires’ Most Popular Photographs at www.planeteye.com

Photo credit: Nieves Yanarello