The mother of Sunday street closings

Six days of the week this street (Defensa) in the bohemian neighborhood of San Telmo, Buenos Aires, Argentina is full of cars, adding to the city’s reputation as the second noisiest in the world (next to New York).

However, every Sunday it’s a remarkably different place when what seems like at least half a mile of the street is closed to auto traffic and replaced completely with people, as you can see. In fact, there were so many people walking through the streets that it felt like they just wanted to be there to experience life with just other people and no cars.

Of course, there are plenty of attractions to draw people, from the restaurants and shops along the streets, to the local crafts (art, clothes, mate gourds (mate seems great for spring allergies)) and antiques, to the street performers (including a windblown couple that was one of the most creative live art performances I’ve ever seen in a street).

The one thing I kept wondering is, with so many people so tightly packed for half a mile, why they only close the street for only one day of the week.

Read more about Sundays in San Telmo here.

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neilkt