Buenos Aires can truly claim the title city, and is immense. However, much of what is interesting is concentrated in the (reasonably compact) Capital Federal, or city proper, with suburbs sprawling out in all directions. The Capital Federal is divided into a number of barrios, each with their own distinct feel.
I stayed in Santelmo, which is pervaded by a feeling of decayed splendour. The streets in the barrio are lined with once elegant, mostly two story, apartments, built in the early twentieth century. My hostel (Hostel-Inn Buenos Aires for the curious) was just such a building, with a moulded facade and a marble staircase and floors. One might predict that the atmosphere of past opulence might draw artists, and indeed, the barrio is full of them (and some foreigners). People-watching is easy: Santelmo is full of streetside cafes, bars, and restaurants.
The heart of Santelmo is Plaza Dorrego. Here you can find two certain tourist draws: antiques and tango. Santelmo is known for both, and on Sundays, when the antique market on the plaza is in full swing, on may hardly move for all the tourists. Fortunately the barrio empties out on other days.
A sharp contrast to Santelmo is Palermo, where the more trendy Buenos Aireans choose to stay. Here one may find all the style one might wish to, and beautiful people sporting it. One may spend hours sipping coffee and watching people (or shopping).
The only barrio where one might not feel completely safe is La Boca, the home of Boca Juniors. This barrio is the poorest off all, and is known for its crime. However, tourists visit it in droves, to see the famous Camanito, a street with brightly painted houses. The story is that people couldn't afford to buy paint, so would steal paint from the nearby shipyard, and thus end up with bright houses. I'm sure the only reason the houses remain colourful is the tourists.
One would be remiss, when listing the barrios, to forget Recoleta. This was once the home of the extremely elegant in Buenos Aires, and sports one of the world's most exclusive graveyards. It is in this splendid yard that many of Argentina's most notable notables lie, including the ever present Evita.
The commercial heart of Buenos Aires is the microcentro, which is also the target of foreign shoppers. Here one finds Avenida Florida, a mini heaven for those in search of cheap style. All the brands may be found, at ridiculously cheap prices.
This is, in fact, one of the wonderful things for foreigners in Argentina. It is extremely cheap. One need never count ones change, ever. A good bottle of wine costs about US$3.00 and a hearty meal US$4.00. Of course this is not nearly as fun if you're an argentino.
One need never be bored in Buenos Aires. The streets are filled with coffee shops, restaurants, parillas, bars, bookshops, etc. Transport is easy, with both a good bus and excellent subway system. The subte (for so the subway is called) is a welcome relief for all those who have struggled with London's underground: trains are frequent, the system is easy, and the stations are even decorated with reasonable art!