Retiro, Buenos Aires

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Retiro

Area	km²
Population
Density	/km²
Comuna	C1
Important sites	Retiro station, Florida Street, Plaza San Martín

Retiro is a barrio or district in north-eastern Buenos Aires, Argentina, famous for its high-society inhabitants, the Santa Fe avenue shopping district, San Martín square, and the Retiro transportation hub, which features train, subway (Line C), and the main bus terminal, always teeming with commuters in weekdays.

The northern end of Florida Street is in the leafy San Martín square, surrounded by great palaces and hotels. The Retiro lowlands were the training grounds for José de San Martín's Granaderos corps, and modern-day San Martín square features a statue of the independence hero on horseback, as well as the memorial for the dead in the 1982 Falklands/Malvinas war.

Across the street, opposite Retiro train station, there is a park which features the Torre de los Ingleses ("British Tower"), a monument donated by the Anglo-Argentine community for the 1910 centenary celebrations, with the relief of the British arms at its bottom. This monument has been the object of several acts of sabotage in the wake of the aforementioned conflict. The park was previously named Plaza Británica but was named Plaza Fuerza Aérea Argentina ('Argentine Air Force Square') in 1982.

The Israeli embassy on Arroyo street was bombed on March 17, 1992 with a toll of 29 casualties and 242 wounded.

The main axis of transportation in Retiro is Libertador avenue, which changes its name to Leandro N. Alem after crossing Retiro train terminal. To the east of Leandro N. Alem avenue stands the high-rise business district of Catalinas Norte as well as the northern end of the Puerto Madero development, which has recycled the old port warehouses into lofts and entertainment facilities.

Retiro is (together with Recoleta and parts of Palermo and Belgrano) a popular residential area for expatriate executives.

Coordinates: 34°35′41″S, 58°22′33″W