3 months in BA?

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slade

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I have three months to spend in Argentina (Dec thru Feb). I want to experience the culture, learn Spanish, and mainly do a lot of writing. I don't want to live in a major tourist area or neighborhood...would like to rent a small studio preferably with character in an older part of town. Basically, I want to wake up go to a cafe and sip a coffee, go home and write and then stroll around in the afternoons in parks, etc. But I also want to be able to go out at night and have fun when the mood strikes me. Some people are telling me BA is too crowded and expensive and I would be better off in other cities.

Advice on if BA is really what I am after?

If so, what neighborhoods are the best to live in that are chill, not full of skycrapers, etc.?
 
It just depends on what you are looking for and your personal situation. It sounds like while you plan to work on your writing, I assume in this time frame you will not be generating any income and will be either living off savings or credit carding it, but perhaps that is just an assumption?
In my opinion Buenos Aires is a great place to do what you have in mind, because it does offer you to ability to do this for much less than going to Europe, for instance, and while the inflation is high and I have found myself batting an eye at some of the increases in prices of some things, in my opinion it is still A LOT cheaper than living in a capital European city (Madrid for instance) if we are talking in the the realm of eating out/going out, but possibly competitive in terms of rent prices and maybe even more expensive when it comes to things like buying clothes thanks to the high import taxes (but really, just dont buy any clothing here or anything that you feel is way overpriced here unless you really need to, IMO)
Living-wise, I feel you can still live in ¨touristy¨ areas like Recoleta or Palermo which are also the safer areas and most centrally located and experience the true Buenos Aires experience without running into tourists. I live in Recoleta and have yet to run into many.
 
You should look for a place in Almagro. It's central enough, but has an old neighborhood kind of feel. I'd recommend renting a shared apartment to save money if you can find one--you can hole up in your room to write, but come out and have automatic friends when you want to go out and socialize. Definitely do some research on how much money to bring (also assuming you won't be earning while you write), but it's just three months. You'll have a ball. I've known others who came here to write and it was the beginning of a much greater adventure. Best of luck!

ETA: San Telmo does have lots of beautiful buildings with character, but it is definitely more touristy, dirty, and dodgy than Almagro.
 
I'd look at San Telmo, it has IMO some of the most beautiful buildings in the city. It can be a bit sketchy and many won't live there, but it sounds like what you're after.
 
Thanks for the reply. I'm not going to be looking for work while I am in BA. Will be on a budget but do have funds. I have traveled a bunch but not in south America...so am not interested in a shared apartment or hanging with other travelers, etc. (done a lot of that). I want to get to know the place and have a chilled out time and focus on writing. Your replies are all great so far! Thanks and keep them coming.
 
If you don't want to share an apartment (could be with locals or foreigners), expect to spend probably a minimum of $500 dollars/mo for a furnished studio apartment. There are lots of threads on this website that discuss costs of living, housing resources, etc. good luck and have fun.
 
If you're looking for neighborhoods that aren't dotted with skyscrapers, I think your best bet may be a bit off the beaten path and head to the north-eastern barrios. Some parts of Belgrano (near the old mansions) are absolutely stunning and it's a pretty safe neighborhood.

I personally live in Coghlan which is a smaller neighborhood and about 20% cheaper in most aspects. It's more traditional housing and smaller apartments and people are very friendly. The downside is, if you want to take the Subte, it's a bit of a hike although the upside is you can catch several buses that go right into downtown and only take about twenty-thirty minutes depending on the time of day and where you want to go. I like it a lot because it has a more neighborhood feel to me. There's also lots of small cafes, bakeries, and a huge park (Parque Saavedra).


Coghlan is also bordered by Belgrano, Saavedra, Villa Urquiza, and Nuñez. Saavedra and Villa Urquiza are more residential but they're very quiet.

But that's just my two cents. :D
 
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