Coming to BA - Pilar

[Kahretsem]

Hi All

From March 2011 my wife and me, and our two year old daughter, will move to Argentina for a minimum of ten months. We are from Denmark but have lived the last year in Guangzhou, China. We are respectively 35, 37 and 2 years old. To start up in a new country is therefore not new to us but we will still have a lot of questions regarding Argentina peculiarities and others. I will examine the different threads as they may answer a lot of questions but will return with new threads.

I have an assignment where I shall participate in building a new factory just outside Pilar.
My first question is where we should locate us. Are there an expatriate life in Pilar or should we move to the suburbs of BA near Highway 8 (to Pilar).
And do anyone have experience of which homepages we can use to find an apartment or house that is furnished.

I am looking forward to use your appreciated help as well I will help others later.

Mette, Eva and Martin

 

[citygirl]

If you will be working in Pilar - you probably want to live near there (the commute from Cap Fed to there every day would be exhausting with traffic). You will probably want to look for a gated community - there are plenty. You probably won't find tons of expats in Pilar however (well, you will during polo season from Oct-Dec but after that, not so much). However, it's a cute place - there are a bunch of restaurants, bars, shopping.

I am assuming you will have a car correct? You will need one living out there.

Is work not going to help you arrange housing?

 

[Kahretsem]

I am assuming you will have a car correct? You will need one living out there.

I am asking for the car in the contract. Are still negotiating. If I live in the suburbs I believe that I will drive against the rush hour traffic thus the traffic will not be that horrible from my side???

Is work not going to help you arrange housing?

The work did give me a homepage and I can choose from different agents. The work will be helping but I do not know how prepared they will be. As we have a little daughter we would like to avoid living at a hotel the first month before finding the right apartment.
Also it seems more difficult to locate a furnished housing in Pilar why I hope that someone may help. My wife really likes to watch for possible locations. You girls must know how it is

 

[French jurist]

Hi !

I do live near Pilar, in Del Viso, about 10 kms away from it.

In fact there are a few expats living in Pilar, because there is an industrial zone there. There even is a Sheraton in Pilar.

It's good that you arrive in march, just after summer, because houses are rent for the summer season for very good prices around Pilar (about 4 times a normal rent) so the owners would mind renting a house starting just before summer.

Furnished houses ? Yes, they might be hard to find. Nevertheless I may have an opportunity to find you one from someone I know who has a furnished one and who could, eventually rent it but chances are slim.

In fact, in my gated community, 15 minutes away from Pilar, there actually are 2 or 3 houses available for rent. Maybe could something be negotiated with the owners like they would rent it temporary for the summer season and rent it to you afterwards.

Be advised that rental contracts usually run for 2 years here, and temporary ones run for a maximum of 6 months. But everything is negotiable.

I'll make a few phone calls to see what could be done for you, meanwhile do not hesitate to ask questions, I know well the area.

I think there are like 2 other members who live in the area as well, one woman teacher living too in Del Viso (but it seems she vanished from the site a few months ago ?).

Pilar is a small town, quite nice. There are a few private schools. Quite many restaurants. Usual life of a provincial small city (everybody knows everybody and so on).

 

[French jurist]

Hi ! I live in Pilar and posted a message that is pending approval, it will appear soon I guess (I am mentionning options for housing inside).

As already stated, you really need to live in the area. Anyway, it makes no sense living in the city if you can live in a greener area. Rush hours are terrible. If you exit Capital around 5pm, expect to reach Pilar one hour or more later. Much more if there are accidents (there are many)

 

[Kahretsem]

If you exit Capital around 5pm, expect to reach Pilar one hour or more later

My work space will be just outside Pilar where we will build a new factory. I do therefore believe that I will drive from City to Pilar in the morning, and off course into the City by the afternoon thus I will drive against the traffic.

We do look for both places. The greener area, which we do not mind at all, because of our daughter. The suburbs is more so my wife have easier access to meet other expatriats. She will be by her self much of the time.

 

[French jurist]

If you exit Capital around 5pm, expect to reach Pilar one hour or more later

My work space will be just outside Pilar where we will build a new factory. I do therefore believe that I will drive from City to Pilar in the morning, and off course into the City by the afternoon thus I will drive against the traffic.

We do look for both places. The greener area, which we do not mind at all, because of our daughter. The suburbs is more so my wife have easier access to meet other expatriats. She will be by her self much of the time.

In this case yes, you can search areas just north of BA like Olivos, Martinez and so on.
There is a small expat community in Pilar because there is an industrial zone there, there even is a Sheraton, but yes, it can't be compared to the real city life.

 

[syngirl]

If you exit Capital around 5pm, expect to reach Pilar one hour or more later

My work space will be just outside Pilar where we will build a new factory.

Do you know the name of the zone outside of Pilar? It would help for figuring out which direction it lies.

 

[citygirl]

You will be driving against traffic but still, I would plan on it easily taking an hour (esp if you are on the "far" side of Pilar. I used to commute out towards Pilar 3-4x a week to ride horses and traffic was often a problem even at odd hours. And coming back into the city - it would often be backed up.

No matter where you decide to live, car should be required either for commuting purposes or if you're living out there.

French Jurist - a good friend of mine used to live in Del Viso.

 

[rachelusa]

Don't dismiss unfurnished property straightaway. There are companies that rent out furniture on a long term basis - it's not particularly high end stuff but saves buying or shipping. I will ask for contact details from friends who do this.