In relation to security and safety, if you live in a what is considered a more pleasant neighbourhood and are cautious, perhaps you can avoid a lot of the incidents that seem to happen. Having said that, for safety I would think perhaps Madrid or Barcelona is a fair comparison (however pickpocketing and petty theft is less common here from what I know)?
I politely disagree, as in BA some of the more atrocious crimes have happened in ¨pleasant¨ neighborhoods and even ¨countries¨ (country club like suburban neighbourhoods.
A Recoleta address does not guarantee absolute safety. An Once address doesnt mean you are going to get mugged every week, either.
Further, I do not think it is an accurate or fair portrayal to compare BA's crime scene with any city, as in my opinion (I have lived in large cities in both the US and Europe) it is quite unique in its own way.
There is crime, and quite a lot of it, but this is also a very large city in (gasp) a third-world country which still, contrary to what the current administration tells us, has many people living in conditions which none of us ex pats could ever imagine, and guess what?
That new Blackberry you just whipped out in the subte? It could be worth more than the amount of money someone lives on for a 3 month period.
Sure is tempting for the thieves. My point is that there is everything. Usually by using ¨big city common sense¨ that you would use in just about any large major city, most of these things can be avoided. But yes, there are professionals (there is indeed a convention held in BA for these) who will getcha no matter what.
I love BA, thankfully nothing bad has happened to me aside from 1 case of petty thievary, but I must say that the lack of follow-up and seriousness from law enforcement makes it frustrating and uneasy when there is a crime to get any results. This is why, unless they are required to do so for insurance purposes, most people don't even bother reporting small crimes, robberies, etc, because they know the police will not do much and it will add insult to injury and be a waste of time.
It is certainly not like Madrid or Barcelona, as in these cities, thanks to Spain's strict gun control laws, murders or even armed robberies (with the exception of knives perhaps) are extremely rare and when a murder does occur it is usually talked about for years, making Spain (aside from rampant pick pockets and a lot of petty thievary) quite safe.
In BA, apparently Ricardo Fort (local Argentine celeb) feels unsafe going to the Hard Rock Café for a drink on his own.
