Will Palermo Soho spring back after the quarantine is over?

There are 14 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 2,613 times. The latest Post () was by Rice.

1st Official Post
    • Official Post

    Yesterday we took the car and drove through Palermo Soho. Many, many, MANY establishments were shut down, with 'For rent' and 'For sale' signs everywhere. It was a desolated sight and we hadn't realized it was THAT serious, given that delivery has kept going strong considering the number of our neighbors' buzzers we hear every night.


    Larreta is reopening outdoor dining on Monday, and some places have promptly placed outdoor counters / tables as the sidewalk allows.


    Walking on the Avenidas, I also realized that many stores have converted their offering. The wine shop on Scalabrini has far less wines and alcohol bottles on display, and half the store now sells vegetables. Many cafés have closed - takeaway coffee is not a big thing and not enough to pay the bills. Several grocery stores have popped up, though, especially selling vegetables and basic foods.


    Since the weather was really nice, yesterday there were some people at Parque centenario. Some enjoying the sun with their masks one, and some with the mask under their chin.

    We have also spotted some people with no mask at all. It was just 20°C but with a mask on it is hard to walk at a speedy pace and breathe well.

    I myself went out to buy vegetables yesterday and it was a disaster: if I kept my glasses on the nose, I couldn't see anything because of the vapor from my breathe. If I kept them on the mask's fabric, they slipped down. I was sweating and had to use a tissue and I felt like a criminal taking off my mask. At the same time, my glasses fell, the mask rubber band broke and I was ready to yell a giant f.... off and go home.


    The veggie store owner was trying to do his best putting his mask on whenever a client was in the store. The guys delivering meat entered with no mask and with half a cow on their shoulders, and later smoke a fag outside. A guy collecting his laundry was in line with no mask.

    • Official Post
    Quote from Rice

    I had no idea that Palermo Soho had become so blighted. What about Palermo Viejo, or have you driven over there? Palermo Hollywood has long seemed touch & go, even with no pandemic.

    We didn't drive through that part because we were coming from Paternal. I was never a fan of Palermo Hollywood - there are some bits nicer (really nice, that's to be said) but also odd empty patches where I didn't feel safe even in daylight. Soho has a nice walkable areas with restaurants, shops and some green (not well maintained, though). It was really disheartening to see a ghost town in the middle of Palermo. Maybe Splinter can have a ride in Palermo soho with his Go Pro on the helmet and show you how it it like.

    In the past we had gone out early in the morning or on Sunday morning so it was expected to see closed shops. But yesterday it was 3 PM and the city was busting again in the avenidas.


    In Paternal, we went on Av. B Justo to collect a ML purchase and we walked 4 blocks where the furniture stores are. They are still there (I suspect they all own), but they receive by appointment, only. We were able to enter in one, they had us scrub our shoes at the entrance and sprayed our hands with alcohol and water. Even if we could go on in and the staff was keeping distance, I was too uneasy to make small talk because of the mask.


    We have N95 masks bought before they stopped selling them to the general public. They are very hard to breathe, especially during the hot weather. I am considering buying a fabric mask for the summer. When I'll be old, I'll show it to my offspring and tell them about that time we made it through a pandemics...

    Didn’t get to see the end of your post, serafina , because this ad obliterated it.


    Where or to whom will you show your masks when you are old?


    Anyway, why were the furniture store people so worried about your shoes? Coronavirus or dog poo? Seriously, I thought concerns over virus brought in on the shoes were dropped months ago? (the concerns, not the shoes -)

    • Official Post

    I hope to my grandchildren... or grandcats. :D


    Also the dietetica on Scalabrini and Cabrera has this cafeteria tray with a wet rug soaked with alcohol (I guess) where clients are supposed to clean their shoes, plus another dry rug to dry the sole. ?(


    I always skip it because I am not sure how to use it and it is very small. I am afraid to slip.


    I agree with you, Rice. I would be more concerned with people wearing their mask BELOW their nose. On the subject of masks, I have seen a new one last week!

    It was a aerosol mask with the holes closed by a paper napkin. Seriously?!


    Drive-Mask-001P-2.jpg?v-cache=1381569071

    Quote from Rice

    The paper towel mask: Universally acclaimed by experts as extremely effective against microscopic aerosolized particles!

    To be fair none apart from n95 is of any use whatsoever against aerosolized particles...Which this virus is spread as well as through as through other means. It has been proven that masks are pretty much a waste of time . We are lucky here we can self exempt without having to give a reason. Also if they worked then they really should have bio hazzard disposal units for them.

    • Official Post
    Quote from hairyscotsman

    To be fair none apart from n95 is of any use whatsoever against aerosolized particles...Which this virus is spread as well as through as through other means. It has been proven that masks are pretty much a waste of time . We are lucky here we can self exempt without having to give a reason. Also if they worked then they really should have bio hazzard disposal units for them.

    We have a N95 with the valve. The rubber band keeps breaking. Breathing in the warm weather is very hard. They are very tight (hence effective).

    In the UK many pub/restaurant chains are taking part in the Government scheme to boost business in the hospitality sector. For one month you'll get 50% off the cost of meals.

    The Argentine version will of course see menu prices doubling before any announcement is made. :D

    Quote from hairyscotsman

    To be fair none apart from n95 is of any use whatsoever against aerosolized particles...Which this virus is spread as well as through as through other means. It has been proven that masks are pretty much a waste of time . We are lucky here we can self exempt without having to give a reason. Also if they worked then they really should have bio hazzard disposal units for them.

    So the cloth masks advocated by every government in the world are worthless, hairyscotsman ? I just want to clarify.

    Quote from Rice

    So the cloth masks advocated by every government in the world are worthless, hairyscotsman ? I just want to clarify.

    100% correct...Apart from your statement saying that every government advocates them .

    They have it written on them over here by law that these masks will not stop you catching any virus. The idea of masks was only beneficial before when they were saying that it is transferred only by saliva..ie..coughing sneezing etc. And touching surfaces. And it was always to stop people who were asymptomatic from spreading the virus NEVER to stop you catching it.

    Now they have admitted that its is also caused by particles in the breath therefore rendering masks of the cloth variety next to worthless. They have also discovered that asymptomatic people rarely spread the disease..The WHO said this a few months back The size of the holes in the cloth masks to allow you to breath are so big in comparison to the virus size its like trying to keep mosquitos out by using a chain link fence.

    There is lots of information out there from surgeons and doctors etc backing up my statement..

    Quote from UK Man

    Maybe Sweden were right?

    I have been following sweden very closely and after all the abuse they took it is now becoming very very clear that there policy was 100% correct . They have virtually eliminated deaths now...Whilst keeping the economy open..There GDP actually grew in the first quarter of the year. No quarantine. No mandatory masks or social distancing and no closing of schools or any businesses.

    Ultimately they treated this as every other country has treated every other virus for 100s of years....By letting it do its thing and achieving herd immunity..No second wave etc..

    Neil Ferguson of imperial college london has a huge amount of blame to take for this quarantine and subsequent farcical situation with his now disproven model of what would happen. You only have to look at his other models for the last 20 years which have been so far removed from the reality of what the eventual outcome was i am amazed he is still employed and actually the UK and USA and many other countries followed our lead.

    A quick google search will show his predictions for sars ..swine flu...foot and mouth etc etc

    Quote from UK Man

    In the UK many pub/restaurant chains are taking part in the Government scheme to boost business in the hospitality sector. For one month you'll get 50% off the cost of meals.

    The Argentine version will of course see menu prices doubling before any announcement is made. :D

    This has been fantastic for the consumer..Every monday to Wednesday its 50% off and so many places taking part that i have eaten out all month on these days...Only problem is according to owners and staff is thursday to Sunday its dead....