El Ateneo is sort of like Buenos Aires' answer to Barnes & Noble—only without the one-of-a-million retail-chain feel. That said, there are four branches in the Capital, but it's El Ateneo Grand Splendid, the four-level flagship store on Avenida Santa Fé, that gets top billing as the largest bookstore in South America. Once a theater (tango singing legend Carlos Gardel performed here), it now sells books on all the expected topics in Spanish as well as a small selection in English, and the latest CD and DVD releases. There's also a café on the ground floor behind the curtain where the stage used to be. Don't forget to take a bow.

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By Jeremy Helligar

I am a journalist from New York City living in Buenos Aires. After spending 15 years as a writer and editor in New York City, I moved to Argentina in...

Created: 25 Feb 2009

Updated: 25 Feb 2009

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