8.00am | Secrets of the obelisk

Discover underground passageways and a mysterious chalet

It might sound contradictory, but start your exploration of the city's hidden secrets at its most famous landmark: el obeliso. Underneath the famous obelisk, there is a pair of underground passageways crossing Avenida 9 de Julio: Pasaje Juan de Garay (Obelisco Norte) and Pasaje Pedro de Mendoza (Obelisco Sur).

They were created in the 1940s and were restored in 2014, with the addition of air conditioning, wifi, and places to charge mobile phones. The passageways are connected to subte lines B, C and D, and have a couple of bars with good breakfast promotions.

On weekdays, many office employees pass through these spaces, stopping at the kiosks, the hairdressers, the hardware store or the shoeshiner in this underground world.

When you return above ground, on Av. Cerrito, if you look up, you can see a curious building located at Sarmiento 1113. If you look very carefully, you can see that there's a chalet built on the top of the building. Owner Rafael Díaz ordered the chalet to be build based on his original home in the city of Mar del Plata, on Argentina's coast. He sold furniture here, and even had a radio station that broadcast from the top floor. The curious construction, with French roof tiles, predates the obelisk and the construction of Av. 9 de Julio. It now serves as the administration offices for the building below.  


Moving on

From Sarmiento 1113, walk nine blocks in the opposite direction from Av. 9 de Julio. Turn left in Ayacucho and three blocks on, you'll reach Avenida Rivadavia, and our next stop.
 
 
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CORRIENTES AV. y 9 DE JULIO AV.