Why Buenos Aires feels like a world of its own

HostI was looking at a map of South America the other day and my eye kept landing on Buenos Aires. It sits right on the edge of the water, looking out toward the ocean, and people always talk about it like it's this strange piece of Europe that drifted across the sea. What's it about that place that gives it such a specific feel?

GuestIt starts with the way the city looks, but it goes much deeper than that. When you walk through the center, you see these massive stone buildings with gray roofs and tall windows. They look like they were plucked right out of Paris or Madrid. The streets are wide, and there are huge parks everywhere. But the strange thing is, all of this is laid out on a very tight grid, sort of like New York. So you have this old world style mixed with a very planned, new world layout. The people there have a joke about it. They say they're Italians who speak Spanish, live in French houses, and think they're British. It sounds like a joke, but it’s actually a pretty good way to describe the mix of roots you find there.

HostThat sounds like a bit of a crisis of who they are. If it's such a mix of different places, does it actually have a soul of its own? Or is it just a copy of other cities?

GuestOh, it has a soul, and it’s a very loud one. You feel it in the rhythm of the day. A normal Tuesday there doesn't really get going until late. You won't find many people out for a quick breakfast at dawn. But at eleven at night, the steak houses are completely packed. You’ll see whole families, even little kids, out for dinner when people in other countries are already asleep. And then there are the cafes. They're the heart of everything. People don’t just grab a coffee to go in a paper cup. They sit down at a marble table. They stay for two or three hours. They talk and talk. It’s a city of talkers. In fact, they have more head doctors per person than anywhere else on earth. They're obsessed with digging into their own minds and figure out why they feel the way they do.

HostWait, more than New York? That sounds like a lot of over-thinking. Doesn't that make the city feel kind of heavy or sad if everyone is constantly analyzing themselves?

GuestIt’s not so much sad as it's deep. There's a lot of longing in the air. You hear it in the music, especially the tango. For a lot of people, tango is just a dance for tourists, but in the city, it’s much more than that. It’s the sound of the docks, the sound of heartbreak, and the tough life of people who moved there with nothing. It has this grit to it. They even have a word for a kind of sadness that feels good to sink into. It’s a pride in their own struggle.

HostI’m struggling with the Paris comparison again. If there's all this grit and struggle, and I know they've had a lot of money troubles over the years, is the "Grand Paris" thing just a marketing line?

GuestWell, it depends on which way you turn. If you go to the north side, it looks like a movie set. Manicured trees, white stone walls, very posh. But if you head south to a place like La Boca, it’s a totally different world. It’s all bright, clashing colors and walls made of wavy metal sheets. That was a poor dock neighborhood where people used leftover boat paint to brighten up their homes. The city is full of those kinds of jumps. It’s grand and it’s falling apart at the exact same time. And the money troubles you mentioned actually change how people live. Since the value of their cash can drop so fast, they don't really believe in saving for a rainy day. They spend what they have now. They buy books, they go to the theater, they stay out late. There are more bookshops there than in almost any other city in the world. They live for the moment because they don't know what the money will be worth tomorrow.

HostThat sounds almost like they're being flashy because they have to be. It feels a bit arrogant to say you have the most bookshops or the most head doctors while the banks are in trouble.

GuestIt can definitely come off as proud. But that pride is built on a lot of history. A hundred years ago, they were one of the richest spots on the whole planet. They built those grand buildings because they really thought they were the center of the world. Now, they're trying to hold onto that feeling while dealing with a very different reality. It makes the people very sharp, very funny, and very warm once you get to know them. They'll argue with you about politics or soccer for five hours, but then they’ll invite you over for a huge barbecue the next day. They're deeply passionate about their city, even when they're complaining about it.

HostSo it’s a place that's constantly looking back at its best days while trying to make the most of a messy present.

GuestEven when the lights go out or the banks lock their doors, you can still find a crowded room of people arguing about poetry over a glass of red wine at two in the morning.

HostThe map shows a city at the very bottom of the world, but the people there will tell you they're right at the center of it all.