Arrive Mid Jan from UK!

[plucy]

Hi all,
seems like lots of people arriving from northern hemisphere winters! I too have thrown in job, house and arrive in BA Jan 19th. I'm from N Wales but have been living near Brighton the last 3 yrs. No fixed plan as yet - may stay long term but want to spend a month first unwinding, warming up and getting a feel for the city. Will sign up for Spanish ( am an intermediate speaker)...mostly want to try out lots of dance classes, get writing and absorb the local culture. Would love to meet people for coffee as I'll know nobody...some fear but mostly excitement!

I'd be really grateful for some help with the following queries:-
1.I'm thinking of renting an apartment/ room for a month in order to have a proper base - any ideas of where to look for temporary rents/ room rents?
2. For a newcomer, which areas of the city are the best ones to stick to intially- for good access to main areas, safety, entertainment, public transport etc
3. Recommendations for Spanish courses..

Thanks for any help you can offer me, looking forward to arriving.

Lucy

 

[andreaNZ]

Hi Lucy!

If you ever fancy a drink or a cup of coffee just let me know!

[email protected]

We can do a little language exchange if you want. I love British English and as a Porteña I can help you with your Spanish

Cheers,
Andrea

 

[HowardinBA]

Hi Lucy,let us know when you arrive and we can all meet up and initiate you,haha.Seriously,have a great trip,BA is a lovely place.I moved here from Nottingham 6 years ago and I love it.P.S. bring your sun cream along,regards Howard

 

[Chaz]

Hia

Good luck on your trip

I have been here for afew years and my girlfriend is from Argentina. She gives Spanish lessons and would also show you round.

Private lessons are about the same as classes, but obviously you can meet afew people with the classes. The classes given by UBA the Uni here are OK and cheaper than the rest, you can look at there site. Getting registered for them is abit of a pain.

There is a large couchsurfing community here which is great for activities and advice.

Craigslist has some places for rent. But I would arrive here first rather than sending any money.

Send me a reply if you are interested in getting in touch

Regards

Cha

 

[starlucia]

Hi, Lucy. When I came to BA, I was also a single female traveling alone, so I'll give you some recommendations based on my own experiences.

1. It's easy to find short-term apartments; there are many agencies in BA. I used ByT Argentina 3 times and had overall pleasant experiences. The agents were professional and efficient (both in person and over e-mail), the apts. were as promised in the ads (maid service, high-speed Internet, well-stocked kitchen), and I always received my deposit back in full. You might save a bit of money using Craigslist or Solo Duenos, but I was willing to pay a little extra for the peace of mind of going through a well-established company (especially after reading some nightmare scam stories, like baileyessrog's epic post.) The big downside is that they require payment in cash when you check in (and ATMs here do not let you withdraw more than a couple hundred USD per day.) Another option is a homestay. These are usually cheaper, and a benefit is being able to practice your Spanish on a daily basis. If you'd like some homestay referrals, let me know.

2. You'll probably want to stay in Palermo. It's great for newcomers, since you're within walking distance of pretty much anything (shopping, dining, transportation, bars.) My absolute favorite location was on Charcas, a couple of blocks from Alto Palermo mall. Super-central and close to everything, but quiet at night. I also stayed on Paraguay and Borges (near Plaza Italia), and was very happy there as well. Just don't stay in Congreso, Microcentro, or San Telmo, at least not as a newbie.

3. For Spanish classes, I recommend working with a private tutor. There are many experienced teachers in BA, and since lessons are designed around your needs, you learn much more quickly than in a classroom (for the same price or often less.) Shortly after arriving, I began studying with a wonderful tutor that came highly recommended on several travel forums. Her name is Gabriela Ferrante (www.gabrielaferrante.com.ar), and she's a peach. She holds classes in different cafés and museums around town, so you get to know the city, and is a good source of information on things like restaurants, doctors/dentists, day trips, etc.

Good luck!

 

[Roxana]

I am argentinian and agree with Starlucia.

I will add that to have a better idea of the real estate market values, check with covello or interwin, two real estate agencies in Palermo area or clarin, the main newspaper.

Let us know when/once you come here!

 

[BaltRochGirl]

I also came to BA a single female, traveling mostly alone, my friend came for a 2 week vacation then went back home

I would suggest setting up an apartment for the first month, month and a half online, either craigslist or one of the many rental agencies (palermo, recoleta area close to santa fe and subte is easiest to start), most are fairly represented in the photos and then when you get here and get a better feel for the city and neighborhoods you can find an apt in person. That is what I did and while I didn't love my first apartment it was a good base to start from and if you do love your first apartment you can just extend the lease.

Buy a GuiaT from the first newstand you see, it will help you with buses and is the best and cheapest map to Buenos Aires around.

If you're interested in trying out Tango let me know I'm always looking for someone to go to milongas with.

Good Luck!

 

[sarl1]

Hi Lucy

Sorry to jump on the back of your post...I arrived from the UK (lived near Grantham) last weekend and am looking to make friends in BA. My Spanish is non-existent so makes meeting people pretty difficult, although planning to start private lessons next week!! Sorry I can´t offer you any advice in relation to your queries but would be happy to meet up, if you like.

All the best, and good luck in finding all you need.
Stacey

 

[HowardinBA]

Hi Lucy

Sorry to jump on the back of your post...I arrived from the UK (lived near Grantham) last weekend and am looking to make friends in BA. My Spanish is non-existent so makes meeting people pretty difficult, although planning to start private lessons next week!! Sorry I can´t offer you any advice in relation to your queries but would be happy to meet up, if you like.

All the best, and good luck in finding all you need.
Stacey

Hi Stacey,can you enable Private Messaging on your user CP?trying to message you,but can,t.Regards Howard

 

[sarl1]

Hi Stacey,can you enable Private Messaging on your user CP?trying to message you,but can,t.Regards Howard

Hi Howard

How do you activate the private messaging tool? I´ve looked through the user CP but can´t see it??? Perhaps I´m just being dumb!!

Thanks a lot
Stacey