- Florida Street
Florida Street (in Spanish: Calle Florida) is an elegant street at
Buenos Aires city centre,Argentina , some stretches of which have been pedestrianised since 1913. [es icon Calle Florida History: [http://www.buenosaires.com/historia/LaCalleFlorida.htm www.buenosaires.com] ]The pedestrian section starts when Perú street crosses
Avenida de Mayo , not far fromPlaza de Mayo ; after 50 meters, Perú street crosses Rivadavia and changes its name to Florida. The street then runs northwards for approximately one kilometer, up to Plaza San Martín in the Retiro area. It intersects Buenos Aires's other pedestrian street, Lavalle, the street of movie theaters.Florida is one of the city's tourist attractions. It features a variety of shops and shopping arcades selling
leather goods, jewellery, books and souvenirs. After the devaluation of2001 , the prices have become attractive to foreigners carrying hardcurrency , especially business travelers who stay at nearby hotels.San Telmo and all other attractions of Buenos Aires city centre are a short walk away.Highlights
The
Galerías Pacífico building takes its name from the British-ownedBuenos Aires and Pacific Railway company which once had offices in part of the building and operated a railway service linking Argentina toChile and thePacific Ocean . The building was restored in the 1990s and now houses an up-market shopping arcade and featuresfresco es by some of Argentina's most renowned painters.During weekdays, many pressed and serious pedestrians from the nearbt " financial district " of Buenos Aires come to Florida street to unwind. The "Di Tella" gallery was one of the hubs of the Buenos Aires
pop art scene during the 1960s and 1970s.Florida also features numerous renowned restaurants, cafés, and tea rooms.
By day, Florida is bustling with shoppers and pedestrians because of its proximity to the financial district. By evening, the pace relaxes as street performers flock to the area, including tango singers and dancers, living statues, and comedy acts.
It has been argued that the restoration of
Puerto Madero in the 1990s and the deterioratingcrime situation in Buenos Aires made the Florida area less attractive for dining and other nighttime entertainment.WriterJorge Luis Borges lived close to the northern end of Florida, and was fond of taking walks through the semi-deserted street in the pre-dawn hours. Borges was an outspoken critic of the renovation work done on the street in the 1970s; he was blind, and the new arrangement of trash cans, flower pots, and magazine stands was a seriousaccessibility risk for him. He was also influenced by his esthetic-minded friends who saw the new scheme as a break with tradition.Transportation
To get to Florida from almost any place in the city, the preferred means of transportation is the subte (underground). Five metro lines have stations within a short walking distance of Florida.Most bus lines reaching the city centre area have stops near Florida.
The Retiro transportation hub, which features a terminal for long-distance buses and access to three major railway lines, is located near the northern end of Florida (the Line C metro provides access to both Retiro and
Constitucion station ).ee also
*
Florida group
*Tourism in Buenos Aires
*Obelisk of Buenos Aires
*Teatro Colón
*Tourism in Argentina
*List of upscale shopping districts External links
* [http://www.downtown.com.ar/calleflorida.html Florida Street]
* Welcome to [http://www.callefloridastreet.com/ CalleFloridaStreet.com]References
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