Buenos Aires may be renowned for its long literary history and is a city swimming in used books, but, for the monolingual traveler, finding some of the great books in English is more challenging than one might think. Walrus Books, located in San Telmo, has accumulated a great selection of used English-language books at reasonable prices. Run by a North American ex-pat and his wife, Walrus is a cozy, vibrant little shop where travelers or members of the huge English-speaking community living in Buenos Aires can stock up on reading fiction, travel guides, classics, and children’s books. Walrus also buys books, so stop there if you need to unload some weight before you leave town.
Mishka, a specialty women s shoe store with rotating collections by an Argentine designer, creates leather 'shoes for princesses' at prices that will stop you in your tracks. From flats to heels to boots, shoes all follow the style of the season, drawing designs from the classic styles of the last century but using innovative materials and textures to create avant-garde, elegant footwear. Pick from hand-quilted ankle booties, British schoolgirl-style patent leather flats, or, as the saying suggests, rhinestone-accented princess pumps.
The Feria de Palermo is a great little open air market that happens in Plaza Palermo every Saturday and Sunday. Stands fill the streets of Costa Rica, Malabia, and Armenia, which also happen to surround this plaza. The stands include a variety of hand crafted goods, such as skirts, earrings, purses, toys, barbie clothes, small instruments and plenty of other interesting artisan items. You can even find useful things, such as plug adapters, for much cheaper than at a store. The market is open all year round, so make sure you pass by every so often to see what is new. - Rease Kirchner
Manuela Roth is an adorable boutique located in Palermo Hollywood. This store is much larger than your average boutique, with handmade treasures from wall to wall. In the window, you will see dresses, tops and skirts, with each one unique and to die for. If you venture into the store, you will find creative little touches, such as change purses, headbands and wallets. Everything you get here is made by hand and totally unique. It is definitely a store worth checking out when you are in the neighborhood, or even making a special trip for. - Rease Kirchner
Tucked in a completely renovated chorizo-style house (a narrow house that is shaped like a sausage), this elegant store creates its own island of tranquility. Shelves lined with large tea tins and museum quality display cases contain not only 70 varieties of teas from around the world, but also every kind of elegant tea-related item imaginable. There is tea music, teapots, teacups, tea strainers, tea filters and tea books all elegantly presented and gorgeously wrapped. Tea aficionados will appreciate the custom blending of such exotic teas as Ceylon Pettiagalla, Green Chamomile and Smokey Earl Grey.
New Garden may not be a super market, but compared to most other health food similar to it, it is much larger and better stocked. Here, you can buy foods that are a little harder to find, such as canned black beans or organic jams. You can also buy seeds, granola, dried fruit, etc. all by the kilo. It is a great place to stock up to make your own granola at home. The store is usually fairly busy, but there are generally several employees walking around that can help you.
The Feria de Palermo is a great little open air market that happens in Plaza Palermo every Saturday and Sunday. Stands fill the streets of Costa Rica, Malabia, and Armenia, which also happen to surround this plaza. The stands include a variety of hand crafted goods, such as skirts, earrings, purses, toys, barbie clothes, small instruments and plenty of other interesting artisan items. You can even find useful things, such as plug adapters, for much cheaper than at a store. The market is open all year round, so make sure you pass by every so often to see what is new. - Rease Kirchner
Manuela Roth is an adorable boutique located in Palermo Hollywood. This store is much larger than your average boutique, with handmade treasures from wall to wall. In the window, you will see dresses, tops and skirts, with each one unique and to die for. If you venture into the store, you will find creative little touches, such as change purses, headbands and wallets. Everything you get here is made by hand and totally unique. It is definitely a store worth checking out when you are in the neighborhood, or even making a special trip for. - Rease Kirchner
Black Jack video store may look small and common on the outside, but it's much more impressive than it seems. This store specializes in carrying the films that you cannot find anywhere else. The owner is incredibly friendly and employs a small group of youngsters who all know their movies quite well. You can stop in with just a vague idea of the type of movie you'd like to see and they will be ready with suggestions. They're also very good at finding movies for you if you can't quite remember the name. You can also have your movies delivered, free of charge, which is perfect for when you are sick and just want to watch movies all day.
Tucked in a completely renovated chorizo-style house (a narrow house that is shaped like a sausage), this elegant store creates its own island of tranquility. Shelves lined with large tea tins and museum quality display cases contain not only 70 varieties of teas from around the world, but also every kind of elegant tea-related item imaginable. There is tea music, teapots, teacups, tea strainers, tea filters and tea books all elegantly presented and gorgeously wrapped. Tea aficionados will appreciate the custom blending of such exotic teas as Ceylon Pettiagalla, Green Chamomile and Smokey Earl Grey.
Buenos Aires may be renowned for its long literary history and is a city swimming in used books, but, for the monolingual traveler, finding some of the great books in English is more challenging than one might think. Walrus Books, located in San Telmo, has accumulated a great selection of used English-language books at reasonable prices. Run by a North American ex-pat and his wife, Walrus is a cozy, vibrant little shop where travelers or members of the huge English-speaking community living in Buenos Aires can stock up on reading fiction, travel guides, classics, and children’s books. Walrus also buys books, so stop there if you need to unload some weight before you leave town.
Dietetica Palermo is a large dietary supply store on the corner of Charcas and Scalabrini Ortiz. This store carries a lot of organic food that you will have trouble finding in a normal grocery store. You'll also be able to purchase hard to find spices and baking supplies. This store sells dried fruit and nuts by the weight, so you can buy as much or as little as you want for a fair price. - Rease Kirchner