Laura’s Buenos Aires

Hola, city-lovers! Buenos Aires is known for its tango but Laura Milsom insists the city has much more than that. “Everyone falls in love with something here,” she says. “Be it a person, the architecture, nighlife, neighborhoods, dancers, shops, wine. It is devilishly charming despite its chaos.” Read on to find out why Laura loves her city.

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Buenos Aires is My City

The first place I take a visitor from out of town is down Calle Florida to Plaza de Mayo, followed by window viewing of a parrilla restaurant with a full stack of meat cooking.

When I crave mint ice cream I always go Freddo.

To escape the sound of screaming buses I head to the ecological park.

If I want to have a great cocktail I go the bar Milion.

If you come to my city, get your picture taken with tango dancers and the obelisco.

If you have to order one thing off the menu from La Cabrera it has to be the butterfly steak (which feeds a family of four).

KEL is my one-stop shop for great selections of English books.

When I’m feeling cash-strapped I go Plaza San Martín (bitter tea drink they have here).

For a huge splurge I go Galerias Pacifico and buy a dress to go to the Oscars in.

Photo ops in my city include Puente de la Mujer (the woman’s bridge, above)

and the best vantage points are on the river side of the docks.

If my city were a celebrity it’d be Mick Jagger.

In my city, an active day outdoors involves going running and sailing, starting a fire and opening bottles of red wine.

My city’s best museum is the MALBA, the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires.

My favorite jogging/walking route is around the docks in Puerto Madero.

For a night of dancing, go to Rey Castro. Or, for live music, check out Notorious.

Peter’s Hot Dogs in Palermo is the spot for late-night eats.

You can tell if someone is from my city if they keep walking, regardless of whether it’s a red light or not.

In the spring you should walk from La Casa Rosada to Congresso down Avenida de Mayo.

In the winter you should drink submarinos and eat churros.

A hidden gem in my city is the record shops hidden under the bridge in San Telmo.

For a great breakfast joint try the Crown Plaza Hotel with its grand piano.

Don’t miss the Noche de los Museos festival in the city where all the museums are open during the night and are free.

Just outside my city, you can visit Tigre and its huge mercado de frutos.

If my city were a pet it would be a puppy that never learned and never grew up.

If I didn’t live in a city, I’d live in Bariloche with its lakes and mountains (southern Argentina).

When I think about my city, the song that comes to mind is “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.”

If you have kids, you won’t want to miss Temaiken Bioparque.

Don’t forget to check out National Geographic Traveler’s Places of a Lifetime guide to Buenos Aires for more tips on what to see and do in the city.

Photos: Javier Pierini/Getty Images, and lilianmirto and Monica2362 via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool