Am I a little nuts to choose BA? Help.

[flowerpower]

If I only wanted to spend a limited time in a Spanish and English speaking country or in an enviornment that felt like a foreign country and didn't want hassles with immigration, personal safety, or economic uncertainties I would seriously consider Puerto Rico.

I've never been there but I know it's hot anf humid in the summer and hurricanes are something to thnk about (I rode out one in Mexico and it wasn't fun),

Forget about BA being like a European city. The busses and subway are far below European standards and so is the selection of goods (especially food and clothing). BA still does have a fair amount of faux French architecture in the older neighboorhoods close to the city center, but most of the apartment buildings built from the 50's throgh the 80's have pretty much overwhelmed the buildings that gave the city a European look.


If you don't speak much Spanish and can't communicate, the people in BA won't seem very friendly. If you stay in a hostel you are likely to get ripped off, possibly losing everything except the clothes on your back.

http://www.expat-blog.com/en/destination/central-america/puerto-rico/

http://www.city-data.com/forum/u-s-territories/643662-working-living-puerto-rico.html

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Puerto+Rico

Buenos Aires is so European as any city in Europe. I know the best of Europe and BA is very similar to those. The old continent also was built between the 50's and 80's. If you walk through London you will find construction of modern times and I am not referring to the new towers that try to imitate a pice of usa.
The idea that it is only valuable the built until 40's and the rest is just garbage, would do to many major cities lose their value.
Buenos Aires may have unfavorable aspects compared to some European cities, but at the same time also has advantages, for example in Europe is difficult to find a city with the dynamism of Buenos Aires. The layout of the city is neat as in New York, but in Europe the layouts are a mess and make you always spinning in the same place.
Buenos Aires is a beautiful and stylish. It is ridiculous the idea of looking for Paris in Buenos Aires (as you once said on here or something similar) because although they look alike, each is unique.

 

[arlean]

You guys have such a great sense of humor. Even with the negativity I get cheered up just from laughing. I agree that BA has a lot of problems right now, including staring hyperinflation in the face. Of course with dollars you have an advantage. But if you get paid in pesos, I don't know . . .

I think the city is beautiful. Plus I speak just enough spanish to get around. But I haven't found any unfriendly, impatient, or unwilling to help me. However, I have gray hair and there is great respect here for older people so maybe they expect more of the young. But my experiences here have been positive.

But I don't think I'd come to BA right now with real limited funds. What about Montevideo or Santiago? I know. It isn't BA. Nothing like BA. But the way things are going, that statement might someday have a double meaning! ;D

 

[ElQueso]

...But I haven't found any unfriendly, impatient, or unwilling to help me...

I was on Florida street yesterday with my sister-in-law, buying some clothes for a school trip they're taking this week. We went into Todo Modo to look around for a moment. We were at the front of the store, which is open for its full width, looking at things along the wall.

I heard a voice behind me say "pardon, me puedes decir donde hay taxi?" in a pure GEM (Gringo En Mexico) accent.

I heard a woman reply "Que? No le entiendo."

I've run into these situations before, particularly on Florida, a tourist trying to figure something out with possibly faltering Spanish. This guy said the words pretty good though, clear even with the accent.

I turned around to see who was speaking. It was an older guy standing in the entry to the store looking lost, and an older woman, well dressed and with a double handful of bags. She looked as if she had been startled.

The guy repeats his question, almost exactly the same.

The woman makes a face as if to say "what is this bozo wasting my time for," shrugs her shoulders and says "No se," huffs around him, literally storming out it seemed.

Of course, I helped the guy out by pointing out Cordoba a block away and telling him he could find his pick of cabs there.

I chuckled at the thought of the woman who couldn't be bothered.

 

[Mark2012]

If I only wanted to spend a limited time in a Spanish and English speaking country or in an enviornment that felt like a foreign country and didn't want hassles with immigration, personal safety, or economic uncertainties I would seriously consider Puerto Rico.

I've never been there but I know it's hot anf humid in the summer and hurricanes are something to thnk about (I rode out one in Mexico and it wasn't fun),

Forget about BA being like a European city. The busses and subway are far below European standards and so is the selection of goods (especially food and clothing). BA still does have a fair amount of faux French architecture in the older neighboorhoods close to the city center, but most of the apartment buildings built from the 50's throgh the 80's have pretty much overwhelmed the buildings that gave the city a European look.


If you don't speak much Spanish and can't communicate, the people in BA won't seem very friendly. If you stay in a hostel you are likely to get ripped off, possibly losing everything except the clothes on your back.

Buenos Aires is so European as any city in Europe. I know the best of Europe and BA is very similar to those. The old continent also was built between the 50's and 80's. If you walk through London you will find construction of modern times and I am not referring to the new towers that try to imitate a pice of usa.
The idea that it is only valuable the built until 40's and the rest is just garbage, would do to many major cities lose their value.
Buenos Aires may have unfavorable aspects compared to some European cities, but at the same time also has advantages, for example in Europe is difficult to find a city with the dynamism of Buenos Aires. The layout of the city is neat as in New York, but in Europe the layouts are a mess and make you always spinning in the same place.
Buenos Aires is a beautiful and stylish. It is ridiculous the idea of looking for Paris in Buenos Aires (as you once said on here or something similar) because although they look alike, each is unique.
My Advice it is to No listen the loser people here. they are frustrated for not have found an easy life like in usa. But there are many wich did it.

 

[walkingtwig]

if you dont mind kids get a job there in gymboree and then get a transfer to argentina. their sessions here are taught by english speaking music teachers....

 

[TomAtAlki]

All my life people told me "don't go now it's not safe, too expensive, too dangerous", what ever you put the word in. Believe me, I'm 64 and if I listened to any of that crap I'd still be living in the Bronx thinking the whole world was Jewish. Go have an experience, it may be good, or not but you will grow, and have a great time.
Nancy

 

[NickBA]

I'm a bit shocked at how negative all the responses are. The bottom line is that BA is a great city with an incredibly interesting culture. Yes, parts of it are dangerous, but that goes for most major cities in the world. Go while you're young, because in 10 years the experience will not be the same, plain and simple. My only major advice would be to come with more savings that $5,000 because you'll spend it much faster than you think...

 

[DontMindMe]

Most of the people replying are well above your age bracket. I'm not ageist by any means, but the 40+ crowd on here, the married folks with kids, live a completely different lifestyle. They are also living here permanently. It is different from what you want to experience.

I came at 22 and left at 25, but will be back for a while next year. (Long story.) $5000? You'll blow through that in a year, maybe less. That's living in a shared apartment, cooking frequently, and not going out a whole lot. Remember, you won't land and immediately start making money. And you're going to want to go out and actually do stuff. Towards the end of my time, I met several young people (teachers and the like) who were going home earlier than planned because they ran out of money despite working as much as they could. It happens frequently. Yes, you can be a waiter, work in a hostel, teach, or maybe do something for one of the expat businesses, but these jobs will pay very little. If you're not dead set on Buenos Aires and really want to go somewhere for a year and live comfortably with funds for fun stuff, consider elsewhere. If you are dead set on Buenos Aires, consider adjusting your time here to six months, or save up more money, keeping in mind that the longer you wait to come down, the more expensive it will get. It is a great place to have fun and have the type of temporary learning experience you say you want to have! It is NOT a great place to be broke.

 

[TomAtAlki]

[quote name='Don'tMindMe']Most of the people replying are well above your age bracket. I'm not ageist by any means, but the 40+ crowd on here, the married folks with kids, live a completely different lifestyle. They are also living here permanently. It is different from what you want to experience.

I came at 22 and left at 25, but will be back for a while next year. (Long story.) $5000? You'll blow through that in a year, maybe less. That's living in a shared apartment, cooking frequently, and not going out a whole lot. Remember, you won't land and immediately start making money. And you're going to want to go out and actually do stuff. Towards the end of my time, I met several young people (teachers and the like) who were going home earlier than planned because they ran out of money despite working as much as they could. It happens frequently. Yes, you can be a waiter, work in a hostel, teach, or maybe do something for one of the expat businesses, but these jobs will pay very little. If you're not dead set on Buenos Aires and really want to go somewhere for a year and live comfortably with funds for fun stuff, consider elsewhere. If you are dead set on Buenos Aires, consider adjusting your time here to six months, or save up more money, keeping in mind that the longer you wait to come down, the more expensive it will get. It is a great place to have fun and have the type of temporary learning experience you say you want to have! It is NOT a great place to be broke.[/QUOTE]

Back in the 70's (ancient times) it cost me and Nancy $10,000 a year to travel. That was IN THE 70'S. How can a person think they can live for $5000 a year anywhere?

 

[nicoenarg]

[quote name='Don'tMindMe']Most of the people replying are well above your age bracket. I'm not ageist by any means, but the 40+ crowd on here, the married folks with kids, live a completely different lifestyle. They are also living here permanently. It is different from what you want to experience.

I came at 22 and left at 25, but will be back for a while next year. (Long story.) $5000? You'll blow through that in a year, maybe less. That's living in a shared apartment, cooking frequently, and not going out a whole lot. Remember, you won't land and immediately start making money. And you're going to want to go out and actually do stuff. Towards the end of my time, I met several young people (teachers and the like) who were going home earlier than planned because they ran out of money despite working as much as they could. It happens frequently. Yes, you can be a waiter, work in a hostel, teach, or maybe do something for one of the expat businesses, but these jobs will pay very little. If you're not dead set on Buenos Aires and really want to go somewhere for a year and live comfortably with funds for fun stuff, consider elsewhere. If you are dead set on Buenos Aires, consider adjusting your time here to six months, or save up more money, keeping in mind that the longer you wait to come down, the more expensive it will get. It is a great place to have fun and have the type of temporary learning experience you say you want to have! It is NOT a great place to be broke.[/quote]

I'm 26 (but yes, I'm married, no kids) and I'm advising him not to come right now. This has got nothing to do with age or whether we have a different life-style or not. Its just not that affordable to be "backpacking" through Buenos Aires right now.

US$5000 a year? Are you serious? We don't pay rent here and we cook at home A LOT and we spend way more than $5000 US dollars a year. At the official rate (4.5), $5000 will get you 1875 pesos a month. I am not sure what kind of shared accomodation you have in mind but I find it hard to believe one would be able to survive on that for a year if they wanted to enjoy Buenos Aires and, to use your words, live a different life-style while here. At the unofficial rate, its a little more bearable (at 6), you get about 2500 pesos. Still that would be difficult to live on.

But each to their own I guess, I find it hard to believe he could make it here on that amount of money, living as a tourist, for 6 months, let alone a whole year.

To the OP, do your research and make your own decisions. I think you'd be nuts coming here right now. I think you'd be smart to wait at least till after August this year or better yet, till the end of 2013. The clouds might lift a little by then.

Now it also depends on what you want to experience. You want to come here and enjoy or do you want to come here and be miserable for a year? The choice is yours to make of course. You have differing opinions here, which is always good, and you can choose to go with whichever side of this argument you want.