2 Month Stay. Arriving this weekend.

[ChicagoJordan]

Hello. My name is Jordan and I am arriving in Buenos Aires this weekend. I will be there to work with some of my team members for two months so I am hoping to get to know more about the city, people and sharpen my Spanish during my stay (which is very weak today).

I am currently pursuing an apartment in Palermo. Ive read some mixed feelings on Palermo and I am wondering if anybody would be willing to share what they feel to be positive and negative about Palermo?

The place I am pursuing is located at AV. CORONEL DIAZ Y GUEMES in Palermo. My coworkers tell me this intersection is in a noisy part of Palermo. Is this an excessively noisy part of Palermo?

Also, I do Jiu Jitsu and was wondering if anybody has any suggestions for places to practice Jiu Jitsu in Palermo or a nearby neighborhood? I'll also need a regular gym to become a member of and would appreciate any suggestions for gyms in Palermo.

Spanish classes are also on my list of todo's but Im guessing there is already a thread regarding Spanish schools for ExPats so I'll search for that.

Of course I have to watch some football while there. I think I may be stretching it by asking if there is a Green Bay Packer and/or Wisconsin Badger bar anywhere in BsAs. I read a thread about a bar showing some football which should get me by if I cant find the Packer or Badger games on television.

Thanks much and hopefully I have a chance to meet some of you during my stay.

Jordan

 

[Neil]

Noise is everywhere, if you have the choice rent an apto. in the back (contrafrente) of the building..view isen't the greatest (usually into a courtyard or other buildings..) but noise is reduced to an acceptable level. Buenos Aires is a big noisy city.!

 

[Ries]

Noise really depends on the individual apartment.
Both Guemes and Coronel Diaz have 3 or more bus lines that cross that corner, so there is plenty of traffic, and Coronel Diaz has taxis pretty much 24/7.
But I know someone with a very nice, quiet apartment right exactly on that corner- its quite pleasant inside.
I live a block away, and I love the neighborhood- its very urban, with everything right downstairs. The Subte is right there, lots of collectivo lines that go everywhere, lots of restaurants, stores, and services.

However, there are certainly more quiet, residential neighborhoods with one and two story houses, in other areas.

There is always the tradeoff between the convenience of a dense urban neighborhood, and the more peaceful ambience of a less dense, more residential area.
I would rent for a couple of weeks to begin with, and then explore different areas, to find your ideal mix.

 

[Katie]

There aren't any Packer or Badger bars specifically, but there are some American-style sports bars that are run by expats that show various games. The best one I can think of is The Alamo, http://www.elalamobar.com/. On the website they say that they show "all college-professional games" but that seems pretty impossible. I know there are other sports bars run by expats, but I can't think of the names. Search around on this forum and I'm sure you'll find some other places.

P.S.: Go Bucky!!

 

[JHB1216]

The place I am pursuing is located at AV. CORONEL DIAZ Y GUEMES in Palermo. My coworkers tell me this intersection is in a noisy part of Palermo. Is this an excessively noisy part of Palermo?

Hey Jordan the noise could be a problem depending how close to the street your apartment is located. It also depends on what floor you are located. Check the bus schedules as well to see how many bus go through that intersection as the buses are a little loud here and they run 24/7.

But everything is relative here. My wife and I use a fan every night for white noise to filter out the noise from the street.

Also, I do Jiu Jitsu and was wondering if anybody has any suggestions for places to practice Jiu Jitsu in Palermo or a nearby neighborhood? I'll also need a regular gym to become a member of and would appreciate any suggestions for gyms in Palermo.

Centro San Ti offers Jiu Jitsu and they are located at Av. Estado de Israel 4263. You can find more information at http://www.centrosanti.com.ar/.

 

[BA Brian]

There are usually Wisconsin students at the Alamo bar on Saturdays so that would probably be your best bet. The Alamo will show the games that are most popular with the crowd for the day. Also, the Casa Bar is opening earlier on the weekends to get part of the football crowd. I was there last Sunday and the owner was very accommodating. He tried to put on the Texans game but it was one of two games not available. It was probably a good thing since they were horrible! Anyways, these are probably your two best options.

 

[Napoleon]

Noise is everywhere...

Buenos Aires is a big noisy city.!

I love this!

Seriously, you will want to buy some earplugs in the States. They might save your sanity. And they are difficult to find down here. (Maybe that's why my ~37 year old Argentine is already hard of hearing... though he doesn't realize it.)

When the Today Show was down here a year or so ago, they said that Buenos Aires is the 4th noisiest city in the world. I have no idea how they calculate that, but I also don't dispute it either.

PS- You're not really going to improve your Spanish unless you consciously do things with only Spanish speakers several nights a week while you're here... but you will spend the first week or two just wondering where this funky accent came from.

 

[dsc]

Seriously, you will want to buy some earplugs in the States. They might save your sanity

A necessity for travel in Latin America.

The worst city I've been for noise is Panama City, Panama.

I guess I'll see how where I'm staying in Palermo is by comparison.

Should be better than Corenol Diaz y Guemes, but I'm still bringing the earplugs..

 

[Anitabaires]

HI!

hope you enjoy your stay in Buenos Aires!!
Palermo is a great neighbourhood to stay in, despite its noise!

for spanish lessons you can check this website!
www.araucaria-languages.com.ar

 

[jimdepalermo]

Welcome to Palermo, Jordan!

I don't find the noise here any worse than in most US cities. I had a place in the West Village of NY for several years that was deafening on weekends, certainly worse than anything I've encountered here, where I also live on a busy bus street in Palermo.

If you're coming from a suburban cul-de-sac, you may have some adjusting to do. If you're in central Chicago now, I doubt you'll notice any difference in the noise level.

For me Palermo is the ideal neighborhood to live in. I'm a little farther out, closer to central Palermo Soho, but the feel of the neighborhood is the same. Compared to Recoleta, it's less congested (and noisy). Prices for everyday things, from your corner cafe to shoe repairs to laundry, are a little lower. Transportation is very good, since you'll be close to the Subte D and every bus line you'll need, plus taxis are plentiful along Sante Fe and Guemes. It's comfy enough that you may find you seldom leave the neighborhood.

I basically can't think of any strong negatives to living at Cnl Díaz and Güemes. I think you've lucked out!