Is it all that bad? Please say it isn't!

[header]

Hello there, I just stumbled upon this forum from my desk in The Netherlands. I'm contemplating a move to BA for four years with my family. I have two young daughters, age 2 & 5. The job offering would guarantee a comfortable lifestyle.

The main thing right now is, trying to get a feel for the place. How enjoyable would our life be? The whole purpose is to have a good, adventurous and interesting experience. Firstly I had the impression that BA would surely deliver that. The people were supposed to be great and the city vibrant.

I had some worries about crime, but after reading a lot about it and speaking to some people I have the impression that the fear is bigger than the threat. Sure, it's not as safe as The Hague, but with a bit of common sense it's not Mexico-City either.

Let me boil it down. What I've read the last 50 minutes on this site is extremely negative. Many many posts about the arrogant Argentines, the crime, the pollution, the prices etc. How it's nice for a year, but after two years you want to leave screaming.

So what's up? Are the positive people just not that active here or is it really that bad? I would really like to hear some positive sounds! I'm a very upbeat guy myself. In The Netherlands there is also a lot of complaining about social decline and bla bla bla, but I don't encounter it at all.

I guess attitude and perspective do matter and I'd love to hear as wide a spectrum as possible. How would our lives be, for real? Thanks a million!

 

[HowardinBA]

Hi Header.I have been here for 7 years and have been reading those "negative " posts day in day out...why don,t they just ship out,if they don,t like it then move!!!As for me I love it here in Buenos Aires,I don,t live in the capital but am only 30 mins away,by train for 1 pesos 25 centsthat,s a positive for a start.I play tennis here and there are courts all over the place,another positive,the food, as you will have read,is very good,positive no.3....my work is in La Zona Norte,have car,and don,t travel into the capital at all.no 4...all in all I have no intention of leaving here,come and see,have a good look around and go from there..if you follow negativity,you,ll become infected by it.good luck,regards Howard

 

[Fabe]

You mention the negativity .
I imagine you want it to be better , citing that u are a positive guy.
I too started as part of the shinny happy people.
Now , you want a lie ? Or do you want the truth ?
I SOOO want it to be beter , probably more than anyone n the forum.
Read the forum through , you have a family. Make the right choice .

 

[Mano Negra]

No, its not at all bad! In fact it is absolutely fantastic! BA is without doubt the best city in the world to live in if you have a half way reasonable income. Dont be put off by all the moaners who want everything to resemble the idyllic paradises they allegedly came from. I"ve been here 2.5 years and I love it!!

 

[fifs2]

Hi there and welcome to the site where too much information can be as harmful as too little in the important decision you have to make. When I moved to Bsas in 2003 we didnt have access to this information and as we didnt have a child yet born (one on the way as it transpired) we were considering ourselves in the move.

Please do search on the site for the lists of very many wonderful things about Bsas..from jaracanda trees to excellent childcare you will find many of us extolling some things in which Bsas is world leading in fact (ice-cream etc). One of the reasons why you will see so much negativity from veterans in particular is that we have witnessed a decline in the quality of life especially in terms of spiralling prices, increased feeling/reality of insecurity so in comparitive terms things for us are worse than X years ago..but does that mean it will be horrible for a newcomer? Absolutely not. if you come here with a healthily cautious attuitude (none of that Paris of the South ideology which is gteed to disappoint), expecting to love some things and hate others and more importantly the financial wherewithall to live well in a nice neighbourhood you can live very very well for a few years for sure. Having a set time frame in mind will also help greatly in getting the best out of this place as many expats move to Bsas with no fixed time frame in mind which probably causes extra stress wishing it could be more perfect than it is.

Bsas is a great ride for anyone with a sound head on their shoulders. We left in 2010 but keep our business here. There is much to love in the experience so take the negativity with some pinch of salt but I recommend you read the psts of veterans of serious minded people like Perry, SteveBsas, CityGirl, Napolean etc etc to see the truth that lies behind pure griping. And to quote amuch hackneyed phrase..you only regret the things you don't do. In spite of a rough ride for us re personal security we would never say we regretted our bsas near 9 years and have our little Porteno son as the best souvenir....

 

[sesamosinsal]

A little whining is OK, but here you have some folks who do it excessively.

With that said, I know many people -- including myself -- who still love Buenos Aires and other parts of Argentina. This time of year is especially nice, as you can head to the parks in the evenings and the weekend, eat a delicious ice cream outside, go for a swim, etc.

Sometimes I get frustrated with things, but overall, I am very happy here. Many others are as well, and most of them have flat out told me that they refuse to post here because of the negativity.

 

[kurtdillard]

Header;
Its both good and bad in Argentina. Having a stable job that pays well makes it a lot easier to enjoy life here. Note that the cost of living in Buenos Aires has risen rapidly in the past 5 years while the economy exploded, so its as expensive as a lot of US and European cities. I lived in Bs As for a couple of years, I loved the variety of things to do and places to eat, but I hated the traffic, air pollution, and big-city attitudes. Those are problems you find in most big cities. So we moved north 800 km to Corrientes.

Take what you read on this site with a grain of salt. There are a lot of incredibly negative people who even continue to post harsh comments long after leaving Argentina. On the other hand, there are some absurd Argentinians who excuse everything done by their government, even the most reprehensible acts. Truth lies somewhere in between and I still like living down here

 

[katti]

No it's not bad at all! I absolutely love it here, although the country has some serious problems (political and economical). If you have a good job and earn in dollars or euros you are definitely good, although an inflation of 20% is something you feel...

it is very European, but (a lot) less organized. If you are a very punctual "I want to get everything done in a second" kind of person, this country will drive you crazy. Never forget that this is a third world country, (which is definitely not the same as a first world country we are used to), but from all the third world countries, this is definitely the best

Good luck!

 

[perry]

I am back in my love stage with Buenos Aires and the truth be said all the negative experiences I passed have helped me for my personal development and understanding of another culture. Life is about challenges and becoming a better person for it .

Attitude is everything and this will attract positive experiences . Miles Lewis and others here are proof of this fact .
As a major city Buenos Aires is definetely one of the top three cities of the world with a tremendous cultural life, nightlife and daylife. The city is also dropdead gorgeous in parts with incredible trees and beautiful buildings on most corners .

It is not cheap but it never was except for one brief period in the last years .