The 2nd Most Beautiful Bookstore in the World

El Ateneo bookstore, in down town Buenos Aires, was voted the 2^nd most beautiful bookstore in the world. It was originally built as an opera house, but it was too small to make it, and closed after two years. It was later opened as movie theater but soon closed as well. It stood empty for several years before its current owner bought it, restored it, and opened for business as a bookstore. I’ve seen some impressive sights here in BA, but this ranks near the top of my list.