La Plata

La Plata is the capital city of Buenos Aires Province. This planned city is recognized for its layout, a perfect square with the "Historic Axis" preserved intact until today; and for the outstanding design of the diagonals that cross it forming rhombuses within its contour, forests and squares placed exactly every six blocks.

Understand
It covers an area of 940 km² at 9.87 m above the sea level. It sits on the "pampa húmeda" (wet pampas), 56 km south-east of Buenos Aires city.

La Plata was designed around a central axis marked by 51st and 53rd Avenues, where the main buildings and landmarks are located: the Cathedral, City Hall, Plaza Moreno (Moreno square), the Teatro Argentino, the Provincial Legislature and Government house around Plaza San Martín (San Martín square). It was designed by Pedro Benoit and his prestigious team, who are among the most distinguished in the world. His basic design was a perfect square, cut in half diagonally and with squares and parks in the intersections of avenues, grand tree-lined boulevards and a forest near the center of the city.

Climate
Its weather is mild, with an annual average temperature of 16.3 °C and an average rainfall of 1023 mm per year. The average humidity is of 77.6% and the predominant southeast winds blow during four months in the year. Summers are hot and humid while winters are cool and cloudy.

History
La Plata was born because of a political motive: The urgency of giving a new capital to the province of Buenos Aires, after the battle of Caseros. It was discussed at the time the possibility of moving the capital of the Buenos Aires Province to some existing populations, but the idea of creating a new city, lying on the field as a vast mathematical network, prevailed over any other opinion. So while other cities began as small populated and poor villages, which they were slowly becoming cities, La Plata, however, was from the beginning like a city, and not in poverty if not in opulence. La Plata was born, once and for ever, in full adulthood without a past. It had fame even before existing. It would be the great city of the future, the perfect capital; it was the magical city coming from the heart of the desert. In 1882, the final plans of the city were approved, and the works began. Three month after the first streets began to pave. Finally the solemn day of its foundation came, it was on 19 November 1882. In the Moreno Square the cornerstone was laid, guests gathered under a large wooden shed, where the official banquet was served, while people gathered around 400 roasters where juicy steaks were cooked. The feast of meat was followed by racing of rings, acrobats and fireworks.

The party was over; the next day the construction works of the new capital began. The town developed, in its early years, with breakneck pace, growing in the abundance. There was work and money, so says the popular song: "I go to La Plata, the new capital, where much is gained, with little work". In a few months the final forms of the city began.

Tourist information

 * La Plata tourism website

By bus
Buses from Retiro and other places in Buenos Aires leave all the time - they cost A$39 (September 2016) and take 1 hour or so. There are two companies that cover the route: Costera Metropolitana and Plaza. On business days the buses leave from the Retiro neighborhood, not the main Retiro bus station. On weekends and holidays, Costera's buses leave from the interior of the station (platforms 1 or 2). The Plaza bus' stop is across the street from the main bus station. There are a number of bus stops, look (or ask) for the 129 to La Plata "por autopista" (by the freeway). If you take the 129 to La Plata "por Centenario", it'll take twice as long as it makes local stops along the way.

By train
Trains leave from Buenos Aires all day from Constitución station. Travel time for the full journey is just over one hour.



Get around
La Plata is an easy city to navigate because of its numbered grid system. (However, many street signs are missing, which makes it more difficult to determine your location.) You can easily walk from one side of the city to another within 45 minutes. Taxis are plentiful and cheap. They can be hailed on the street, but be observant: the diagonal avenues that cut through La Plata can be confusing and taxi drivers might take advantage of that to rack up the price on the meter.

The city buses, or the micro, are very cheap and reliable. Within one city zone (the square-grid downtown counts as one zone) the bus costs AR$6.25 (Argentine pesos) as of September 2016. It will cost a little more to travel into the suburbs. You must specify the amount you are paying or your destination upon entering the bus. If you are confused as to how much you should pay, ask the bus driver. Buses only accept prepaid bus cards (called "Sube"), which you can buy at any news stand for AR$30. (If you don't have one, but you have the exact change, you can often ask a friendly fellow traveler to swipe their card for you and then pay them in cash.) You must also hail the bus as it approaches the bus stop or it will not stop. The Sube card is good throughout the greater Buenos Aires area (not the whole province, just the city and its immediate suburbs).

A local train-tram named Tren Universitario runs in a half-circle around the city, from the railway station via the University and the city's largest hospital to Los Hornos neighborhood.

Public buildings walking tour
Starting on 1st Avenue, between 51st and 53rd Avenues, you can go on a walking tour along a strip of famous buildings. The first point is Rivadavia Square (Plaza Rivadavia) and opposite it is the important Police Department. Walking a bit further to the south-west you reach San Martin Square (Plaza San Martin). On 6th Street you can see the Government House and on 7th Avenue is the Parliament (Palacio Legislativo), the building where senators and deputies work.

The next destination is the “Argentino” theatre, built in a modern style. Right down the street you can find the Town Hall (Palacio Municipal), opposite Moreno Square, and on 14th Street, you can see and visit the Cathedral that was inspired by those in Cologne and Amiens. Many of these buildings were constructed in French style, and all of them date back to La Plata foundation in 1882.

Theatre




Concerts
La Plata's well known reputation as the starting place for a number of indie-rock bands can be seen in some of the few pubs that the city has. On the weekends local bands gather in pubs to play (often for free). Most pub life starts at 02:00. Some of La Plata's rock bands that are now well known in the rest of Argentina started in these pubs.

Second-hand bookshops
In the past they were called “Librería de Viejo”, now, “Librería de Usados”. All these bookshops have the same layout. In the middle of the room there is a big, rectangular table with books on offer. And on the shelves against the walls, there are difficult to find books, old editions or luxurious bindings. You are not going to find there the latest books of publishing companies but books that have been sold by their owners because of trips, house moving, death, desire to renew, etc. As La Plata is a university city, philosophy, history or good literature books are easy to find and buy and also at a cheap price.

If you love books go to “Don Cipriano” (49th Street, 471) or “Libros Lenzi” (Diagonal 77th, 521)