Advice for living in Microcentro

[adotdotdam]

So this will be my first time in BsAs. I have rented apartment on Reconquista close to Viamonte.

Going there early in January for a month to dance tango... and maybe hit Uruguay beaches. Depends on tangueras ;-)



I would welcome a few cents of your collective wisdom about living at this locale. So I will not have to discover that the place I was looking for is just around the other corner. Where to get my lunch, dinner? Banks, ATMs? Groceries, I love fruits!

Is Reconquista safe at midnight? at 3 am?
Best place to order custom made tango shoes?
Any other tips?


Your advice will be appreciated! Beer is on me at Krakow bar in San Thelmo. Canadian maple syrup anyone ? )

 

[steveinbsas]

So this will be my first time in BsAs. I have rented apartment on Reconquista close to Viamonte.


I would welcome a few cents of your collective wisdom about living at this locale. So I will not have to discover that the place I was looking for is just around the other corner. Where to get my lunch, dinner? Banks, ATMs? Groceries, I love fruits!

Is Reconquista safe at midnight? at 3 am?
Best place to order custom made tango shoes?
Any other tips?


Your advice will be appreciated!

You previously asked about renting not far form your "newly chosen" location:

I meant corner of Esmeralda &
"Marcelo T. Alvear which is one block on the other side of Av. Santa Fe and becomes Charcas in Palermo"
So, I gather, recommendation is that I should rent in Recoleta or Palermo?

I think Reconquista and Viamonte is somewhat less desirable than Esmeralda and Marcelo T. Alvear. I lived in both Palermo and Recoleta. I definitely preferred Recoleta and it's proximity to El Centro. I never considered living (for any amount of time) in either of the areas you've asked about. I was only around there a couple times at night (fairly early in the evening but after dark) and it was a bit spooky.

I am curious about one thing: You received good advice the first time you asked about renting and it appeared that you came to a good conclusion. What's the point in asking again if you have already rented the place at Reconquista and Viamonte? If you haven't paid a non-refundable deposit I suggest you follow your own logic and search a bit more.

 

[L_K_P]

i lived at marcelo t alvear con recnoquista for 1 month and yeah after about 12pm it was definately freaky. if u intend to walk outside your ap after 12 you probably want to live somewhere else

 

[Roxana]

There is a good place to take tango classes nearby, on Florida 500, I dont remember the exact name, it is something like Buenos Aires Dance Club, and it is an apartment in a building.

For tango custom made shoes, there are some stores on Arenales street, near Libertad. I also dont remember exactly. However at the tango classes you will get the info from the tango experts.

There is a website, search for Buenos Aires Milongas, that shows the schedules of all the tango and milongas places in town.

You can take tango lesson all day long, there are places like Confiteria Ideal, on Suipacha street, almost Avenida Corrientes (near to the Obelisco) that offer classes all day long.

I agree that the area is not great after midnight, but as you are going to hang out, you always can call a radiotaxi ( I dont know about your Spanish skills) which will pick you up at your place.

 

[steveinbsas]

As others have posted, life is/can be cheap in Buenos Aires. If you are only going to be here for one month it's certainly worth paying a bit more to rent a place in a more secure location (though crime can happen anywhere).

Perhaps you read about the expat/tourist who lost his backpack (with his camera and laptop) to the birdpoop scam at the Retiro station (while trying to save about 50 pesos going to EZE on his last day in BA).

You can take a taxi to and from any of the places you go to learn/dance Tango (at night) and you will probably enjoy the rest of your visit much more if you rent in Recoleta or Palermo. I wouldn't rent in either Retiro or San Nicolas (which are the names of the two areas you asked about, at least according to the "Tango Map" of "Los 100 Barrios Portenos").

You can get this map at the Galeria Pacifico on Florida at Cordoba. It has all the Tango locations you'll ever need to find.

It is also a fact that nice grocery stores, fruit vendors, and restaurants for lunch and (especially) dinner are far more plentiful in Recloeta and Palermo.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

I suggest you stay away from Confiteria La Ideal, sucks.

You will be very close to Escuela Argentina de Tango, it is at Centro Cultural Borges, in the backyard of Galerias Pacifico. Claude Murga teachs there, she was co-star with Mora Godoy in Tanguera.

However, I suggest you look for techniques clases only. The Sunderland Club is one of the best places. Yuyu Hererra is an excellent teacher. Mariel Altobello too. You can find then in FB. Being in Buenos Aires you should learn to walk.

Tango Shoes, avoid Comme il faut, they don´t have leather shoes, it is all plastic.

Lolo Gerard is an excellent place to make them custom. It is in front of Shopping Abasto.

The place you choose is not the worst in the area. But, at night there is a lot of night life if you stay "in the bajo" (Reconquista and 25 de mayo streets). But if you go up to 9 de Julio is ugly. It is downtown, at night there is no people at streets, just homeless and prostitutes.

There are 2 milongas you will be more or less close: Cachirulo at Maipu 444 on Saturday since 7.30 and El Beso on Riobamba and Corrientes. These are 2 of the most "traditional" milongas.

At Cachirulo they have the rules posted on the wall: 1) Here we dance close embrace or you are out; 2) You only invite the lady to dance through cabeceo or you are aout 3) You pick her at her table and you leave her at her table or you are out; 4) You only dance forward or you are out; 5) You don´t do boludeces (adornitos, voleos, planeos, colgadas, volcadas) or you are out.

At Cachirulo, Canning and el Beso you must call in advance for a table.

Cachirulo is at the Beso on thuesdays.

El Beso is more relaxed but the dance floor follow the same rules.

Regarding cabeceo, after you accept you wait until the man is in front of you IN YOUR SEAT, keep eye contact, then you smile and if he confirms you stand up. Otherwise you will misunderstand it and it will be very embarrassing.

Specially at the Beso, only accept a 3er tanda with a milonguero only if you want to have an affaire with him.

At the other side of corrientes you have Porteño y Bailarin. I don´t like the place, but you should know it.

You can take the bus 140 on Cordoba Avenue and it takes you straight to Palermo:

Canning (Monday and fridays); La Viruta (from wednesday to Sunday)(after 1 am its for free, on friday and satuday after 3.30, before that there are only begginers)(do not take clases there); Milonga 10 (Thuesdays and saturdays), Praktica X (Thuesdays) and Villa Malcolm (it sucks, well, I assume you didn´t travel to go to a place just like the only you can find at home).

To go to the Sunderland Club for classes, you go to Retiro Train station and you take the train the Jose Leon Suarez, you will be there in 15 minutes. You go until Drago and from there it is 6 blocks far. Classes starts at 8. There is a train every 15 minutes.

In summer time you should go to la Glorieta (Same train station, you take the one that goes to tigre and until Belgrano C) ON Saturday and Sundays.

Have fun.

Regards

 

[mini]

Tango Shoes, avoid Comme il faut, they don´t have leather shoes, it is all plastic.

What? That's simply not true. The heels are plastic but the shoe can be leather or cloth. Comme il faut have the best support in shoes for women. Another good brand is Greta Flora. Many other brands are complete complete junk with terrible support which is not good for such high heels. Never mind the price difference was not that much between junk & excellent.

 

[adotdotdam]

Thank you for the advice...
At this point I am committed to this address.
I got too many tips where to rent, Steve…
Regarding radio taxi, I already got two suggestions:
Taxi Premium (5238 0000) 4374-6666
Taxi First SRL 11-4765-7480
My Spanish will be very basic, and I gather that the Reconquista at this point is a pedestrian zone. So, how to call a taxi? Meet at the corner of Viamonte?

Interesting rule about “only forward dancing.” I understand that the floors are very crowded but, after viewing many videos, I came to the conclusion that the back step is more esthetically pleasing. At least to me… Is this rule enforced at all indoor milongas?

 

[steveinbsas]

My Spanish will be very basic, and I gather that the Reconquista at this point is a pedestrian zone. So, how to call a taxi? Meet at the corner of Viamonte?

Florida and Lavalle are pedestrian only in this area. I think Reconquista is open to vehicle traffic where you will be staying, but I am not absolutely certain. In any case, be sure to get a "rechargeable" (no contract/pay as you go) cell phone as soon as you arrive if you don't bring one that "works" here (Moviestar is OK). Prior to your arrival, your time will be well spent practicing how to (coherently) call of a cab in Spanish. Also learn how to tell anyone who wants to clean "bird poop" off your shirt to go to hell.

 

[adotdotdam]

Have an unlocked quadband.
Where to buy SIM card at the EZE, or elsewhere? And what is the cost per min so I will know how much airtime to get...