Baby Boomers in BA

[victoria]

Hi,

Looking to meet some Baby Boomer expats in advance for my BA move this year. I'm sick of cold, dark Minnesota winters and the recession. I recently lost my job in a lay off and there's a hiring freeze on in the Twin Cities.

I'll be selling my house this spring and plan to be in BA for three months for a feasibility relocation visit.

I've been to BA before with my tango dance group and I loved the South American friendliness. I don't speak Spanish (yet), but do have two Porteno friends.

Are there early retirees/Baby Boomers out there or is all younger expats? Not that I have anything against younger people (my two BA friends are), but it would be nice to get to know someone my age in a similar situation.

Cio,

Victoria

 

[steveinbsas]

Hi Victoria,

I am a boomer who fled Chicago in 2000.

After 5 years in Mexico I came to BA in May of 2006.

I'm here to stay.

If you search the forum under "expat life" topics you will find a great deal of useful information.

Please contact me when you know when you will arrive.

Chau (I know that looks strange but that's how it's spelled here)!

Steve

 

[victoria]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the spelling correction ... I had no idea!

I will research the forum more. My move probably won't be until fall after I see my son off to college, but there is a chance I may leave right after my house sells. In this market, who knows, but it is in a very desirable neighborhood.

Are there many of us boomers in BA? What made you leave Mexico to live in Argentina?

Victoria

 

[steveinbsas]

Hi Victoria,

I came to Argentina from Mexico because I could not afford to live in Paris, and immigrating to France is almost impossible. Besides, the weather in Argentina is generally better than in France, especially in the winter. (Paris remains a great place to visit.)

Mexico is a powder keg ready to explode.

In Mexico I was always a GRINGO.

Here I look like a porteno (local-if-not-wealthy-white guy).

It was also a lot easier to learn castellano (the Argentine version of Spanish) than French!

And the cost of living in Argentina is (still) less than Mexico, France, or the US.

There are more than enough boomers in BA to create a circle of friends.

Life is good.

Steve

Please do not be discouraged by the naysayers or whiners on this forum. Few of them actually live here! (One who bailed out recently can simply be ignored.)

 

[victoria]

Thanks, Steve

May I ask, what barrio do you live in and do you rent or did you buy?

Victoria

 

[steveinbsas]

Hi Victoria,

I live in Recoleta and I bought two years ago.

I do not rent my apartment but I do exchange it (for months at a time) through the home exchange website:

www.homeexchange.com # 32432.

Chau,

Steve

 

[TomAtAlki]

Hi Victoria,

Tom and I own an apartment in Palermo, and are planning on living there 3/4 of the year in less than 2 years time. We need to finish up some business in Seattle before we move. For now we just go down several times a year.
Nancy

 

[Stanexpat]

Hi Victoria,

I came to Argentina from Mexico because I could not afford to live in Paris, and immigrating to France is almost impossible. Besides, the weather in Argentina is generally better than in France, especially in the winter. (Paris remains a great place to visit.)

Mexico is a powder keg ready to explode.

In Mexico I was always a GRINGO.

Here I look like a porteno (local-if-not-wealthy-white guy).

It was also a lot easier to learn castellano (the Argentine version of Spanish) than French!

And the cost of living in Argentina is (still) less than Mexico, France, or the US.

There are more than enough boomers in BA to create a circle of friends.

Life is good.

Steve

Please do not be discouraged by the naysayers or whiners on this forum. Few of them actually live here!

Steve are you now a one man chamber of commerce? At least try to be factual when you offer people advice. Your cost of living statement is flat wrong. If people start showing up there based on the belief the COL is lower they are in a for a rude awakening.

This lady has lost her job and is hoping to sell her house. I would troubled learn that she decided to move to Argentina wasting her time and remaining money on some fantasy about how much cheaper it is to live there. If she wants to move there for other reasons fine but she will find her COL probably just as high if not higher than where she lives today.

Quit trying to paint such a rosy picture of Argentina. There are plenty of quality of life problems there just like everywhere else.

 

[steveinbsas]

Steve are you now a one man chamber of commerce? At least try to be factual when you offer people advice. Your cost of living statement is flat wrong. If people start showing up there based on the belief the COL is lower they are in a for a rude awakening.

This lady has lost her job and is hoping to sell her house. I would troubled learn that she decided to move to Argentina wasting her time and remaining money on some fantasy about how much cheaper it is to live there. If she wants to move there for other reasons fine but she will find her COL probably just as high if not higher than where she lives today.

Quit trying to paint such a rosy picture of Argentina. There are plenty of quality of life problems there just like everywhere else.

Wow, Stan, I actually had you in mind when I used the the term naysayers. Back it up with numbers regarding the cost of living here if you can Stan, especially the rate of utilities compared to the US (even with recent increases)

Wallow in your own misery if you must, but I know how cheap it (still) is to live here. Perhaps you just don't know how to economize.

When I have posted about the job market here I have been very negative, but I am not the kind of person who ever looks for jobs. Victoria did not ask about jobs, anyway.

From your previous posts, it does sound like you paid too much for some things here, especially bribes (since the day of may arrival I have paid none).

I have a much higher standard of living in Argentina than I did in Mexico or the US...for less money....and I have the numbers to prove it.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to re-emphasize that fact.

You are indeed the one I referred to in the previous post: Please do not be discouraged by the naysayers or whiners on this forum. Few of them actually live here! (One who bailed out recently can simply be ignored.)

 

[steveinbsas]

If I had heeded your advice, Stan, I would't be here...or happy.