Commuting to La Lucila

[duffdouglas]

Hi there. I will be working in La Lucila next year and wanted to know about commuting and where I should be apartment hunting. I would prefer to live in the San Telmo or Palmero areas but wanted to know what the commute would be like and any advice. Any thoughts appreciated! Thanks

 

[Neil]

http://www.tbanet.com.ar

Says a trip of 27 minutes from Retiro to La Lucila Mon-Fri...

I have taken this train from Belgrano R Stn to Tigre and it's ok on weekends, weekdays it can get crowded...
If you were considering living in Palermo/San Telmo you would have to get to the nearest Train Station by local bus or Subte (w/ a walk).

 

[EvergreenGal]

I live in La Lucila....worse case it takes that long to Retiro....but it is very crowded during "rush hours". That being said you would be going the opposite direction during that time period so it would work out better for you.

 

[marksoc]

You should live in Belgrano (near the Belgrano C train station, maybe between it and the D Subway Line), so you could be 9 minutes from Retiro by train and also less than 20 from La Lucila.

 

[duffdouglas]

Thanks for the time info. I'll be working at the Lincoln School and am trying to figure out if living in Palmeroish areas + commuting to Lucila will be worth it purely for the lifestyle. How suburbish is Lucila?

 

[sergio]

La Lucila is a fairly affluent part of the suburbs, mostly houses and families. It's not a great place for singles or even young couples. Belgrano would be a compromise between living in suburbia and the city. Maybe easier would be somewhere in Retiro, the area around Calle Aroyo (a very beautiful and upscale area) or Plaza San Martin. There you could walk to Retiro Station. Also you would be able to get a seat on the train if you are clever and queue up at the head of the queue for the trains which originate at Retiro. At Belgrano you would never get a seat at rush hour though the ride would be short. Train service is acceptable. One other plus is that you won't have to be around your colleagues or parents if you stay away from La Lucila and Zona Norte in general. Seeing parents at restaurants and in local businesses is NOT likely to be fun and you are almost 100% guaranteed NOT to see them if you live in the center/Retiro etc.

 

[syngirl]

Don't live in Palermo or San Telmo if you're working in La Lucila... San Telmo a long walk to Retiro, or a bus to get the train, and Palermo you have to take the bus to the Belgrano station in Chinatown, adding at least another 20 mins onto your commute. Pain in the butt and not worth it. You work 5 days a week and have weekends 2 days, why make the majority of your life hell? Live in Las Canitas and you're a few minutes walk to Lisandro de las Torres. You have to take the Mitre line ramal Tigre to get off in La Lucila. You have great restaurants right thee, close to the park, and a hop skip and a jump to Palermo on the weekends. You could also live Belgrano between Cabildo and Libertador, or Nunez. But if you're attracted by Palermo, Las Can it's a great neighbourhood, close to Palermo, but better yet, super close to your morning commute and you won't be quesioning yourself everyday why you punished yourself with an extra bus to take to your work.

 

[duffdouglas]

Interesting. Thanks for the info. I live in Beijing right now and its the same thing - live in the suburbs with the families near my work or live in the 'hip young expat' area, which I chose to do.

My girlfriend will be working primarily in the San Telmo/Palermo area we imagine so we're trying to figure out the best of both worlds.

And of course lots of park space for our dog to run around

 

[steveinbsas]

Telling us that your girlfriend will be working on the San Telmo/Palermo area changes things quite a bit. The two areas aren't really as close as they might appear on a map and they are as different as night and day, especially at night.

You might consider living in Retiro near Plaza San Martin. That way you can take the train from Retiro to La Lucila and your girlfriend can take linea C to San Telmo or to 9 de Julio to connect to linea D to Palermo. "Posh" Retiro is possibly less safe at night than Palermo, but there is street crime everywhere.

If you live in Palermo you will face a convoluted commute to La Lucila (taxi to or subway and then walk to train) and your girlfriend would also have two subway lines to deal with on her way to San Telmo. If you live in Nunez or Belgrano near linea D of the subway, she would have a direct commute to Palermo and you could walk to The Nunez or Belgrano train stations which would take you directly to La Lucila.

FYI: I live in Nunez after three years in Palermo and Recoleta and I love it!

But I don't have to commute.

 

[sergio]

The best part of Retiro is Calle Arroyo which is one of the loveliest in all of BA. I think it's comparatively very safe - I'd say a lot safer than Palermo. The Plaza San Martin can be dicey at night. If you want to be close to Retiro Station, you can cross 9 de Julio and live in Recoleta in the area around Patio Bullrich. From there you can walk to Retiro in about 15 minutes or take a 5 minute or less bus ride.