Remember Villa Santa Rita’s name. This district of Buenos Aires may be more elusive than you think. Many locals mistake it for neighboring Villa del Parque or even Floresta.
Villa Santa Rita officially became a barrio on May 4, 1972. But its story stretches back much further. The neighborhood draws its identity from Santa Rita de Casia. She was canonized by the Catholic Church in 1900. September 5 is celebrated as Villa Santa Rita Day.
Notice the low-rise buildings. Villa Santa Rita mainly features single-family homes. Buildings are legally capped at eight stories with a terrace. An exception stands at the intersection of Cuenca and El Litoral streets. There, a 20-story building rises above the average.
The streets tell a story of their own. Cuenca Street holds the distinction of being Villa Santa Rita’s first paved street. The area boasts many narrow passages. These passages are no more than 200 meters long. They were built over 70 years ago as worker housing. Today, they are restored and attractive places to live.
Jorge Luis Borges, the celebrated writer, set his short story “Hombre de la esquina rosada” in Villa Santa Rita. The story unfolds in Julia’s salon. According to the tale, it was located on what is now Avenida Gaona near the Arroyo Maldonado. Today, the Arroyo Maldonado flows underground beneath Avenida Juan B Justo.
Villa Santa Rita is compact. It covers only 2.3 square kilometers. About 33,850 people live here. This results in a population density of approximately 15,000 people per square kilometer.
Several key locations dot Villa Santa Rita. These include Instituto Santa Rita and Colegio Quintino Bocayuva. Also notable are Colegio Casilda Igarzabal de Rodríguez Peña and Parroquia Santa Rita. The Centro de Jubilados y Pensionados “14 de Mayo” serves the community’s retirees. Sports enthusiasts gather at Club Social y Deportivo Imperio Juniors.
The Hospital Israelita provides healthcare to the residents. Its associated research center is named Instituto Denton A Cooley. Other important places include Biblioteca Rafael Obligado and Plazoleta Santa Rita.
Getting around Villa Santa Rita is straightforward. The area has few traffic lights. This makes it a quick route from central Buenos Aires to western and northwestern neighborhoods.
Buses are a common mode of transport. Many bus lines run through Villa Santa Rita. However, no subway or train lines reach directly into Villa Santa Rita. You can take the Metrobus to the Nazca or Concordia stops on Avenida Juan B Justo.
Previously, EMIPAR SRL, a metalworking company tied to refrigeration and automobile industries like Siam Di Tella, was located here. Its building still stands on Nazca Avenue.
Villa Santa Rita offers a blend of quiet residential life and rich cultural history. It is a place where literary echoes mingle with the rhythms of daily life.