Has Buenos Aires declined since 2019?

[antipodean]

I have been visiting and sometimes "living" in BA on and off for the past decade. I have done so because it is (or rather, has been) my favorite city in the Americas ever since my first visit over ten years ago. My last stay was in mid-2019 (I left at the end of that year) and I had not been in Argentina since - until this week.

I feel like I am in shock at how run-down the place looks/feels versus the last time I was here.

My question is: Is it me or has this city gone to pieces during the past five years? I am keenly aware of the economic/political situation but it seems like the city has weathered such things in the past much better than it apparently has these past few years.

Any insights are welcome.

Cheers.

Across the board, there has been pretty much zero massive investment over these years (and also those prior) to your last visit.
Most vehicles and busses on the streets today simply looked newer in 2019 than 2024.
Buildings that used to be (more) freshly painted in 2019 are now covered in mould and grime.
Most new constructions and public works since 2000ish have been made with cheap, low quality materials that simply don't age well.
Villas in the conurbano have grown significantly in size and sprouted up in new locations (e.g. the drive between the city and Ezeiza or Quilmes...).
Many "historic" buildings that used to be "part of the charm" in a bohemian kinda way a decade ago, are literally decaying without upkeep in a not so charming kind of way.
The recent storms did not do wonders for the green areas of the city which now look comparatively "thinned out".
A look south across the skyline from an office in Microcentro does look more like the skyline of Havana than a developed metropolis - stuck in time and neglected. Same thing happens to any city when money for new investment as well as money for upkeep and maintenance is short.

That said some areas and projects have been advancing since then. Nuñez, Barrio Chino and Vincente Lopez look and feel far more modern now than in 2019, for example. Things like eco-parque and Ezeiza airport modernisations have been also completed and look good.... but these are just specks in a metropolis of over 13,285 square kilometres. Regardless of this, at times, grim reality, there are still plenty of nice and new things to get to know since 2019 and the soul, lifestyle and culture of Buenos Aires are the same as always.

 

[Big Ed]

I've noticed the same, especially around the downtown area. There has been a lack of investment and less money for maintenance.

A lot of the world is dealing with inflation still from the Covid era. AI is going to do away with a lot of low end jobs many that were already outsourced to latam, like call centers. I'm not a weirdo doomer, but I think the world continues to go through some growing pains for years while we transition to a new economy.

What antipodean says is true. The city is moving north to the Nunez, Vicente Lopez, Olivos area. It would be a shame if downtown was abandoned like has happened in some other latin american countries.

 

[QuilmesSlo]

Having spent considerable time in Los Angeles and being familiar with its economic and social problems,I ask what kind of idiot tourist posts this rubbish? Main Street, you jackass, is not the main street of Los Angeles, but rather the wholesale district and that has had its problems for 50 years. You couldn’t make it to First and the huge Japanese district? Or maybe to Fort Street and the old Chinese district which is so big is now occupies a large part of the San Gabriel Valley. Beverly Hills is not empty and I guess you couldn’t be bothered with West Hollywood, Santa Monica, the South Bay, the Valley. I can see that despite the fact you say you were in Los Angeles, you entirely missed the city. Leave. You blight our streets.

Beverly Hills is not what it was, imo. Vacancies, a fair amount of crime. I am not sure what tea you are drinking.

 

[Greg S]

Having spent considerable time in Los Angeles and being familiar with its economic and social problems,I ask what kind of idiot tourist posts this rubbish? Main Street, you jackass, is not the main street of Los Angeles, but rather the wholesale district and that has had its problems for 50 years. You couldn’t make it to First and the huge Japanese district? Or maybe to Fort Street and the old Chinese district which is so big is now occupies a large part of the San Gabriel Valley. Beverly Hills is not empty and I guess you couldn’t be bothered with West Hollywood, Santa Monica, the South Bay, the Valley. I can see that despite the fact you say you were in Los Angeles, you entirely missed the city. Leave. You blight our streets.

 

[malandro]

Beverly Hills is not what it was, imo. Vacancies, a fair amount of crime. I am not sure what tea you are drinking.

Dearie, Beverly Hills is not what it was when you could see Humphrey Bogart at Romanov’s, or when I last saw Warren Beatty outside the Beverly Wilshire. You will find people who swear the orange juice at the Polo Lounge has changed since the Sultan of Brunei bought the place. The crime rate in Beverly Hills is pretty much average for the USA as a whole and the vacancy reflects the problems city centers throughout the US are having. North Rodeo is just fine and Hermes won’t miss your patronage. The tea is Earl Grey, extra Bergamot, the smoke is legal, but the real key is having been born there.

 

[Greg S]

Apologies to other expats for my response here. But this fellow needs to be corrected. He's an insulting fool.

I attended UCLA and USC. Lived in Santa Monica (N of Montana) and Beverly Hills (N of Wilshire) and West Hollywood (N of Sunset). I worked for the LA Times for 15 years. I worked on stories involving rising crime, homelessness, illegal immigration, wealth disparity, etc. I know what I'm talking about.

Can you find safe, upscale bubbles in the S Calif? Yes. It is a huge place. But you can find those in any major city.

The USA is the wealthiest nation on Earth. Argentina is NOT. That these problems exist and grow in the USA to the extent that they are is an embarrassment. The end of an empire is always ugly. That's what the USA is seeing.

Stop whining about Buenos Aires. If you don't like it, leave. It is that simply.

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[Greg S]

Dearie, Beverly Hills is not what it was when you could see Humphrey Bogart at Romanov’s, or when I last saw Warren Beatty outside the Beverly Wilshire. You will find people who swear the orange juice at the Polo Lounge has changed since the Sultan of Brunei bought the place. The crime rate in Beverly Hills is pretty much average for the USA as a whole and the vacancy reflects the problems city centers throughout the US are having. North Rodeo is just fine and Hermes won’t miss your patronage. The tea is Earl Grey, extra Bergamot, the smoke is legal, but the real key is having been born there

Dearie, Beverly Hills is not what it was when you could see Humphrey Bogart at Romanov’s, or when I last saw Warren Beatty outside the Beverly Wilshire. You will find people who swear the orange juice at the Polo Lounge has changed since the Sultan of Brunei bought the place. The crime rate in Beverly Hills is pretty much average for the USA as a whole and the vacancy reflects the problems city centers throughout the US are having. North Rodeo is just fine and Hermes won’t miss your patronage. The tea is Earl Grey, extra Bergamot, the smoke is legal, but the real key is having been born there.

 

[Big Ed]

Apologies to other expats for my response here. But this fellow needs to be corrected. He's an insulting fool.

I attended UCLA and USC. Lived in Santa Monica (N of Montana) and Beverly Hills (N of Wilshire) and West Hollywood (N of Sunset). I worked for the LA Times for 15 years. I worked on stories involving rising crime, homelessness, illegal immigration, wealth disparity, etc. I know what I'm talking about.

Can you find safe, upscale bubbles in the S Calif? Yes. It is a huge place. But you can find those in any major city.

The USA is the wealthiest nation on Earth. Argentina is NOT. That these problems exist and grow in the USA to the extent that they are is an embarrassment. The end of an empire is always ugly. That's what the USA is seeing.

Stop whining about Buenos Aires. If you don't like it, leave. It is that simply.

RIP Beverly Hills: Video shows high-end retail stores now shuttered amid LA crime wave

A social media account is documenting the spate of high-profile business closures in Beverly Hills including Barneys New YorK, Escada, Chanel, Nike, Rite Aid, Starbucks and more.

nypost.com

Santa Monica Mayor Joins Karen Bass in Urgent Talks on Homelessness Crisis - SM Mirror

City Leaders Lobby Federal Lawmakers for Solutions During Washington DC Visit Santa Monica Mayor Phil Brock joined Los Angeles Mayor...

smmirror.com

OPINION 📸 Skid Row has arrived in West Hollywood - WEHOonline.com

ADVERTISEMENT The Poinsettia Recreation Center may lie just outside of West Hollywood city limits, but WeHo residents of the Avalon and the many nearby multifamily residences live face to face …

wehoonline.com

Isn't this thread about whether Buenos Aires has declined or not?

 

[Greg S]

Isn't this thread about whether Buenos Aires has declined or not?

It is. But it's silly to discuss it in isolation from what's happening worldwide. If ONLY CABA had these issues, I would be concerned. This is global. Only being concerned with problems in CABA while the world's capitals are going through similar convulsions would be like fretting about skin cancer when your pancreas is rotting away. Without perspective, why even discuss this?

 

[Greg S]

I have been visiting and sometimes "living" in BA on and off for the past decade. I have done so because it is (or rather, has been) my favorite city in the Americas ever since my first visit over ten years ago. My last stay was in mid-2019 (I left at the end of that year) and I had not been in Argentina since - until this week.

I feel like I am in shock at how run-down the place looks/feels versus the last time I was here.

My question is: Is it me or has this city gone to pieces during the past five years? I am keenly aware of the economic/political situation but it seems like the city has weathered such things in the past much better than it apparently has these past few years.

Any insights are welcome.

Cheers.

You know, it's REALLY declined since about 1927! Oh, what do we do?!