BA Boarding House

[alexcraig]

Hello there,

I am new to this forum and new to forums in general until today!

I am looking to uproot my life in London and come to Buenos Aires in about 12 months time. I am trying to find somewhere to stay that can cater to my most basic of needs (just a bed, bath and meals) at as low a cost as possible for a relatively long time (possibly up to 12 months). I am presuming it will be a boarding house of some kind?

Disregarding all visa issues, does anybody know of anywhere like this that might suit what I need?

Best,

Alexander

 

[jez]

Are you only looking to stay in Argentina for 12 months? Are you coming here to study?

I would just stay here on a Tourist Visa trying to obtain a different visa type wouldn't be worth you while...unless maybe a student visa??

 

[alexcraig]

hey man, cheers for your reply.

I'm not coming to study, nor am I coming to work or look for work. Sounds a little mysterious but it's more of a change-driven thing.

12 months is probably the minimum I'd come for, possibly longer if I could stay. Do you know much about visas? The tourist one sounds good if it would just let me be there for a while.

Do you think that those kind of long-term boarding houses are around anymore?

really appreciate your input, thank you.

Alexander

 

[MizzMarr]

If I were you I wouldn't worry about a boarding house (what you're talking about sounds more like a hostel, and that will get pricey--there are some suggestions around other threads for pensiones which may be more like what you're talking about) but look for shared housing. There are frequently postings for shared apartments on craigslist, but also segundamano.com.ar. Also look up 'casa compartida buenos aires' and you'll see a bunch of listings. That way you can enjoy establishing yourself with roommates without a constantly changing cast of characters. I know of a few people who have rented rooms long-term in a shared apartment for anywhere around 300 dollars a month.

I don't think you have to worry about anything other than the standard-issue tourist 90-day visa if you're not set on staying here long term. See if you like it and then play it by ear. Cheers!

ETA: Whoops--I meant $300 usd for an all inclusive room in a shared apartment.

 

[Chaz]

There are not many places cheaper than 800 pesos inclusive for rooms, there are boarding houses but they could be hard places to live, a cheap one would be 500 pesos. It is hard to find work and English teachers earn very little. Remember inflation is also very high. Things have changed alot in five years and unless you have some money in the bank I would not come here.

 

[alexcraig]

hey hey,

the pensiones sound great, I will have a look through the other threads for info on them. The apartment sharing could work, but in reality I am looking for exactly the isolation and anonymity that a 'boarding house' would have. I am coming to work on something of my own, which requires a certain level of social seclusion and so feel that sharing an apartment with people would be counter-productive. If I was coming to work, I would unquestionably jump at the chance to house-share, but for this trip I think isolation is the key.

I don't suppose you know whether or not the 90-day tourist visa is renewable? It would be perfect at first, but if I decided that I wanted to stay longer, I think I might encounter a few problems!

Cheers for your help, is totally invaluable!

 

[starlucia]

You might also consider staying with a house mother; might be your cheapest option outside of an apartment share. My Spanish teacher arranges them for students/tourists, and the apartments are quite nice and well-located... for $10-20 a night, you get a private room, cable/Internet, weekly maid service, daily breakfast, and a host mom that says hello but generally stays out of your way. Unfortunately, don't know of any boarding houses in BA (or anywhere outside of the novel "Sophie's Choice" )

 

[alexcraig]

hey, thank you for your reply.

I'm not going to be looking for any work, I have worked as an english teacher in Quito before and have a ready source of income for when I come. What I really need to know is how feasible it would be to find that kind of accommodation. Is there a reason you say that boarding houses would be a hard place to live? I am open to most ideas, so any guidance is much appreciated.

Cheers.

 

[alexcraig]

The house mother sounds like a pretty good option. Do you have any more info on where I could research that a little bit? Love the Sophie's Choice reference. Is kind of exactly what I am looking for!