I also live in Almagro and I love it. It may not be as pretty as Palermo or Belgrano, but Corrientes is extremely convinient with bus lines that go everywhere and the B line subte. There are a lot of stores in a variety of price ranges (nearby Once for cheap, Shopping Abasto for expensive) and I've found some great hole in the wall bars and restaurants. Plus, if you really like Palermo it's only a short bus ride or walk away. I've never had any problems with security and I can go for weeks without seeing any tourists. In terms of rent prices, 1200-1600 seems to be the range for a 1 bedroom, long-term lease apartments I have no idea for short term, furnished places.