If you think this avenue has always been about elegant buildings and fancy embassies, think again. In the mid-1800s, before it became the broad boulevard you see now, there were train tracks right here, hugging the edge of the Río de la Plata. Imagine the chugging and clanging of steam engines, smoke trailing behind as locomotives made their way towards San Fernando. The railway eventually moved east and, as the city expanded, these old tracks were replaced by new roads and a fresh vision for northern Buenos Aires.
Avenue Figueroa Alcorta was finally finished for the grand celebrations of Argentina’s centennial in 1910 - it was first called Avenida Centenario, in honor of the country’s hundredth birthday. But the avenue has gone through more reinventions than a telenovela character: it was briefly named after the not-so-popular President José Félix Uriburu, before finally achieving its lasting tribute to José Figueroa Alcorta, the only person in Argentina to lead all three powers of government. That’s right, the man was a national legislator, then Vice President and President, then President of the Supreme Court. Talk about someone who always wanted the top bunk.
As you walk, you’ll weave through some of Buenos Aires’ most iconic and beautiful neighborhoods. The avenue starts its journey in Recoleta, right where Avenida del Libertador splits. Here you’ll spot gems like the National Museum of Fine Arts and that giant metallic flower sculpture, the Floralis Genérica, which opens and closes its petals with the sun. The avenue boasts a curving pedestrian bridge, designed in the 1960s by César Janello. Now, if you’re thinking “Why so curvy?” - well, it was built for a 150th anniversary exhibition, then moved a hundred meters south to make way for a never-finished “Altar of the Homeland.” Funny how even bridges here have their own journeys.
At one point, there were plans for an enormous Monument to the Shirtless Ones during President Perón’s era - imagine a statue reaching up 140 meters into the Buenos Aires sky! But like some Argentine dreams, it was left behind with a change of government.
Entering Palermo Chico, the avenue brushes past elegant mansions and embassies where aristocrats used to toast to Parisian fashions. The area was designed in 1912 by landscape architect Carlos Thays specifically for the city’s elite, inspired by the grandest notions of French urban design. Many early mansions have vanished, replaced by modern apartment blocks, but a few historic homes still host embassies: Spain, Iran, Uruguay - you name it. In 2005, the controversial Grand Bourg Tower appeared, trying to look like an old French mansion with a dramatic flair, sparking some heated debates among local architects. Let’s just say not everyone found its mix of old and new quite as harmonious as a tango.
Keep watching for unexpected delights: across from the embassies stands Palacio Alcorta, an entire city block converted to swanky residences, using a structure originally built in 1927 for - get this - a Chrysler car dealership with a circular rooftop test track! Imagine racing cars on the roof - talk about a penthouse with perks.
Farther along, you’ll pass the world-famous MALBA museum, home to an impressive collection of Latin American art, then a cluster of shiny residential skyscrapers called Le Parc, one of which stretches up 170 meters. Next door is the Paseo Alcorta shopping center, and past the mounted police headquarters, the avenue rolls on into the gardens and lakes of Parque Tres de Febrero, with the legendary Planetarium and Japanese Garden adding a cosmic and serene twist.
Near the Bosques de Palermo, you might just watch rowers and swans gliding by, while the solid hum of city life blends with birdsong and laughter. The avenue continues all the way through Belgrano, passing old British-built railway viaducts, parks, clubs, and universities, right up to the gates of the legendary River Plate stadium.
From steam trains to shimmering skyscrapers, aristocratic mansions to ambitious public works - Figueroa Alcorta Avenue is where Buenos Aires struts its most impressive side, one block at a time. I hope your legs are ready, because along this avenue, the city truly rolls out the red carpet... and sometimes a traffic jam!
