1. The city is beautiful.
You want to walk everywhere just to admire the grand architecture and the eclectic mix of Italian, French, and modern influences. The city has also incorporated lots of green space with trees lining the large avenues and carefully maintained parks dispersed throughout the barrios.
2. The city has abundant, efficient, and cheap public transportation.
And even better, there are maps! The Subte subway system is my favorite because it is so fast and accessible. And if your destination doesn’t have a Subte stop nearby, buses fill the gaps. It seems as if you can get almost anywhere by bus even at 4am. Both options are easy to use thanks to the maps and fantastic signage. Allow me to geek out here for a moment. The coolest part about the transportation system is that the city maintains an excellent online interactive Buenos Aires map. You can input where you are and where you want to go and by which means of transportation you would like to arrive. Click Search, and you have perfect instructions and a map.
3. I can go running without people staring at me like I am crazy.
Throughout most of Central America, I got stares and unpleasant comments when I went running in the streets. I also had to be careful not to get run over by lunatic drivers. In Buenos Aires, there are other people out running, rollerblading, and cycling alongside me. Porteños are very active people, and they love being outdoors, just like me. The government of Buenos Aires encourages a healthy lifestyle by organizing a free program called Haciendo Deportes, and there are classes every day in the parks around the city. You can choose from pilates, yoga, gymnastics, martial arts, and my more. My second week here, I joined Buenos Aires Corriendo (BAC), a running group sponsored by this program. We meet three mornings a week and have a running coach to instruct us and keep us motivated.
4. There is always something going on in this city.
Actually, it would be more accurate to say there are always 100 things going on in this city. And many of these activities are free or very affordable. If you are interested in theater, music, art, dance, books, cooking, wine, tours, sports, festivals, dog shows (yep, there was one earlier this month, and everything in between, you will find something to do. The most exciting part for me is the possibility of finding something I never even knew I was interested in. My first Saturday in Buenos Aires, the government sponsored La Noche en Vela (Sleepless Night). From 7pm until 7am, there were over 100 free cultural events/ art displays in 60 different meeting points across the city.
5. The food is incredible.
It seems that Buenos Aires has taken the best cuisine from Western Europe and made it better. From the pastas caseras (homemade) and pizzas to the unending variety of facturas (pastries) and icecream, it is sometimes easy to forget you are in South America. Then you go have a delicious bowl of locro (a hearty stew) or a choripán (chorizo smothered in chimichurri on crusty bread), and you are back in Argentina. This country is also known for the high quality of its beef and wines. I am hoping that the amount of red wine I drink will offset the increased risk of heart attack from all the steak I eat.
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