As the years go by, the area of influence expands. Because as a place becomes better known and begins to grow, its costs and prices also increase, and it may even begin to become saturated. At that time, the most experienced look for some other virgin area to conquer. That is what has happened in recent years with La Juanita, a neighborhood located at the entrance of José Ignacioand that seduces with 150 hectares of forest and beaches.
The pioneers in La Juanita
In 2005, Santiago Rivero decided to open his own restaurant. Employed for some time in one of José Ignacio, at the age of 25 he concluded that it was time to start his own project. He teamed up with two friends and they bet on Juanita, not so much because of real estate strategy but because it was the most accessible place. In addition, they were attracted by the wild and paradisiacal environment.
This is how it was born La Olada, the first restaurant in this neighborhood, which owes its name to a saying from a local fisherman: “if the wave brought it, and it is daytime, then it is not theft.” This place was made with wood donated by neighbors, and even with four main posts brought from Rivero’s grandmother’s ranch. “It is a very rustic place, very pleasant, with a lot of nature,” describes Silvia Alegre, Rivero’s wife and his co-worker from the second season onwards, who also says that when they settled, the street ended right in front of the restaurant. “We made a giant bonfire, and if people saw it was lit, they knew we were open,” she remembers.
At that time there were only tenement houses and no hotels. But 18 years passed and things changed a lot. “It has been impressive how La Juanita has grown in every sense. Today it is the place where things happen, and a great gastronomic pole has been formed,” says Alegre, who lives here with her husband and her children. And although happy with the growth, she is encouraged to state two wishes for the coming years: one, that someone buys the forest to preserve it; and two, that the spirit and identity of the neighborhood that still endures today be maintained.
Gastón Carrau, owner and creator of La Posadita, is also witness to this great growth. He opened his business in 2013, after having worked for a few years in an exchange house in José Ignacio and having fallen in love with the area. “The people are fantastic, their idiosyncrasy is divine. At that time there was nothing, only natives or very deep-rooted people, but you could tell that it was a place that was popular with foreigners, and that gave it a special taste, because it was focused on a world-class audience,” he says.
Aware that it was a prosperous area with potential, he opened his inn with the intention of promoting meetings between guests, and as his business grew, so did the neighborhood. “The evolution has been exponential. What was originally a fishing village is today a pole of architectural, gastronomic and hotel trends with the maximum avant-garde,” he maintains.
Other pioneers have been some famous ones, the first to buy and build their homes here. This is the case of Nicolás Repetto and Florencia Raggi, Alan Faena and Adrián Suar (who recently put his house up for sale).
What’s coming
Although many believe it is part of José Ignacio, La Juanita is a neighbor and has clear boundaries: between the Eugenio Sainz Martínez road, the lagoon and route 10. “Its front is located on one of the most beautiful coasts in the East, and towards the interior there is a lush pine forest,” illustrates Aldana Blizniuk Salaya, from the Salaya Romera real estate agency.
She says that demand in the area has grown recently, “although it is still a place chosen primarily for vacations.” Regarding prices, The properties can vary depending on the proximity to the coast, the construction and the immediate environment, between US$ 2000 to US$ 7000 or more per m2. If she had to predict a future for the area, the specialist is optimistic and she does not believe that it will lose its calm and bohemian air, with overtones of exclusivity. “With José Ignacio almost without land supply, inaccessible for many and at times overwhelmed in season, the potential of La Juanita will continue to boom for a long time.”
Félix Babini, partner of Tres restaurant, is not as auspicious, although as a trader you appreciate the growth. With several seasons working in the area, he opened his own project with two partners, one of whom is the son of the owner of Rizoma, a hotel, cafe and bookstore in the very charming area. “We started having dinners there, and when the structure was not enough, we looked for our own place,” says Babini. They found it just around the corner, and there they located an avant-garde proposal for the neighborhood, with pastas that deviate from the traditional, ingredients from local producers and with the contribution of fresh fish.
In love with La Juanita, “its vibe and its wave”, he also admits that this season he encountered more constructions, venues and movement. “I love that it is growing, because I have a restaurant and I plan to have more business in the future, but I am afraid that it will ruin the tranquility and disconnection of La Juanita. Maybe people who want that solitude will have to move to another nearby, more uninhabited place in the coming years,” he reasons. For now, so far this season in Three they have already surpassed last year’s results. “I have never seen so many people. Today there are 25% more Brazilians than in 2023,” he points out. Growing without losing identity or giving up potential, La Juanita’s great challenge for the near future.
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