Named after the UCR political party founder Leandro Alem, this bustling avenue spans from Plaza San Martín to Casa Rosada (Pink House), where government headquarters are located, and is a lesson in Argentine political and economic history.
You can start the tour at Plaza San Martín which is full of shady trees and also where the Monument to the soldiers fallen in Malvinas/Falklands is placed. The neighboring Kavanagh building is another important landmark, and in front of Plaza San Martín, in the Plaza Fuerza Aérea Argentina, is the Torre Monumental clock tower which is another of the city’s historical sites. Further on, a few blocks with skyscrapers and banks form part of the central commercial district of the city, and here you will find some emblematic skyscrapers such as Torre Catalinas Norte, named after Alem’s unrequited love, and others such as the IBM tower and the Alas building. In front of Catalinas is the Edificio Dinamarca, which on weekdays has a good Danish lunch spot, Club Danés, on the 12th floor with a great view of the river and skyline.
Crossing Corrientes Avenue (from where you can see the Obelisco), the Centro Cultural Kirchner, once the central post office of the city, is well worth the visit and offers a lot of interesting exhibits and cultural activities. Other government offices line Alem until reaching the famous Casa Rosada and Plaza de Mayo, where government headquarters are located. Don’t miss out on one of the weekend tours before losing yourself on the other side in the San Telmo district as you look for antiques and a nice place to stop for coffee.