Leaving San Diego for BA in April!

[Sean-Ryan McCray]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I appreciate the time you've all taken to share your thoughts, and even more so I apprecaite your honesty. I couldn't ask for any more from such a helpful community.

My round trip ticket is purchased, so this trip IS happening. Any insight into what region I should look to live in? Obviously I've done the due research, I'm now looking for some first hand experienced insight and it would seem that there is no better place to find that than here! (Keep in mind I am a 24 year old male, university graduate with a year's experience at a leading internatinal finance and specialty insurance group - in search of a job).

Thanks again.

 

[GuilleGee]

Check out the Mind Co. (http://www.themindco.com/). I have heard they don't pay the best, but it would probably be a good stepping of point for someone with your skills, plus they will help you will a DNI/CUIL etc.

 

[Hache]

Hi everyone,

I've been following this wonderful site over the past few months in preparation for my travel to Buenos Aires. I'm moving to the city from Southern California (in April) with the intentions of living there for at least a year.

Welcome Sean-Ryan!

I've decided to pack up, move, and discover something different before it's too late...

You already know you won't be young/free-to-roam forever.

Go (come) for it!

I'm traveling with the intentions of gaining a better understanding of what I want out of life, bettering my spanish, discovering opportunities, and meeting new and wonderful people in the city.

You'll find all those thing here. Maybe more.

I'd appreciate any insight into where I should look to live, what my chances of finding a job in the city are, and in all honesty... Anything you have to say. Thanks so much for your time, I can't wait to join you all in Buenos Aires!

Honesty's all you got so far. Even when some replies may be too business-oriented, it's all true... Any questions you might like to ask to a local, just shoot.

 

[jayjane]

Coming from someone who has moved abroad twice so far (about to make BA # 3), I think living outside of the U.S. is a good experience and will add to your resume back in the U.S. as well. I am heading down in April too but, this time I am moving abroad with a husband that is from Argentina. By all means get ready to go and GO! However, I would say that as difficult as it is to hear the negative comments when you are excited about your adventure, do take heed. It is good to have a backup plan. How long can you stay without running out of money in case you don´t find suitable work, etc. If you don´t find a job, how else can you make your time marketable/successful so you feel you have accomplished something?

I have spent a lot of time in BA on extended vacations and must say the job situation can be super difficult especially if you do not have contacts or, the proper work visa paperwork. Many of my husband´s friends who are locals and have great qualifications have trouble finding work. It isn´t impossible without a work visa but, it is pretty close. Just be prepared. Even with teaching English a lot of the better jobs are on the books. Locals are pretty educated so likely you will not be bringing down skills that are superior to theirs plus they speak Spanish and some even speak English too. There is no short supply of qualified Argentines in many cases.

As far as where to live, I personally do not recommend moving into neighborhoods with high concentrations of foreigners such as Palermo because you´ll hear a lot more English in these neighborhoods and they also tend to be a little pricey. There are several posts in the forums about neighborhoods. Almagro, Devoto, Nuñez, Saavedra, and maybe even Belgrano are some neighborhoods you might want to look into.

 

[khachosan]

Hi, I started out in San Telmo and love it. Its the oldest part of town, quaint with lots of interesting walking. Might I suggest you open an account with Capitol One online bank. www.capitolonedirect.com I got their credit card and there are NO fees to use it. Just a good exchange rate, period. Now I am opening a High Interest Checking Account with them. High Interest is a joke at 1% but it is better than most banks give. They do not charge to use foreign ATM machines and reimburse up to $10 a month the fees the ATM bank charges. Don not, under any circumstances bring Am EX traveler's checks. What a headache to cash them. Opps, your a finance person. Welll, my heart is in the right place.

 

[JSRinCal]

Hey, I just went to BA for 3 months and lived there with my wife. Ok, I'm a bit older at 35, and granted I was with my wife, but I recently married and definitely had an idea of where I would have lived had I been single there. My first choice would be as close to Honduras and Jorge Luis Borges as you can get. There's a circle there with a great scene of good restaurants, shopping, and bars. Very upscale area with gorgeous women everywhere. The only drawback is that it's a little distance from Santa Fe and any main shopping. One key point that no one has told you is that, although wages are low, restaurant food and cab fares are also a quarter the price they are in the states, and tips are nominal. Oh, only use the radio taxis, and don't tip them...they don't expect it. They'll even round down to the nearest dollar. Definitely, avoid the bus system, take cabs when the subway isn't convenient, make your way to the other side of Santa Fe to the parks, go up to visit Belgrano for that old Italian feel, go down to experience Plaza Dorego and Parque Lezamo in San Telmo on the weekend, go further down and toward the water to experience La Boca on the weekend (in the daytime!), go up to the Mataderos fair in Matederos I think on Sundays, take some tango lessons to meet women (not as much pressure as Malangas unless you already know tango), go to the movies since they are mostly in English with subtitles, and make your way over to Uruguay (old town Colonia) with some girl you meet (or further east to the beaches...still have to go through Colonia to catch a bus to the beaches) on the Buquebus, which you catch down past Casa la Rosa at the end of Ave de Mayo (you might need to do this to renew your Visa anyway since you have to leave ever so often if staying for over a certain number of months-this is the cheapest and quickest way to do that). Have fun...first two weeks will be frustrating just getting oriented with the city...it's dirty and 10 times the size of Manhatten, so be prepared. The subway system is easy, but I still say stick with the cabs, especially if you have to transfer trains...it gets smelly and crowded down there. There are tour buses to get acquainted, but if I had to do it again, the first cabby that spoke English and was cool (there were some), I would have paid to take me around the city. We just learned on our own and wasted a lot of time doing it. There are my two (or twenty) cents..... Good luck...I hope you're prepared to eat lots of meet. It's all about the lomo and chorizo

 

[LAtoBA]

One key point that no one has told you is that, although wages are low, restaurant food and cab fares are also a quarter the price they are in the states, and tips are nominal.

Uhhh what restaurants are you going to? I don't know of any good or quality restaurants in BA (outside of your neighborhood parilla) that are still "cheap". Personally I don't think that US$9 or $10 dollars for lunch is cheap, not expensive, but definitely not cheap especially in a developing country. And that figure from my experience is at a middle of the road Argentine restaurant or milanesa place. If the guy is going to be using up his savings paying that kind of money to go out and eat everyday, I don't see how that's doable.....unless he's stacked pretty good. But maybe I'm going to the wrong places.

 

[jayjane]

I have to say I am with you on that LAtoBA. Sure, you can find dinky places to eat crappy that are cheap I guess but, generally food is not that cheap if you are living on local wages. But, I´d love you to prove me wrong. Where are these cheap restaurants that are a quarter of the price of those in the U.S.?

A lot of restaurants have better deals during the lunch hour. I suggest first trying restaurants at lunch before spending the moula for a dinner. If you don´t like the lunch fair I wouldn´t waste my time with going to dinner there. There are a lot of good restaurants in Buenos Aires but, I wouldn´t categorize them as cheap.

 

[starlucia]

Definitely, avoid the bus system, take cabs when the subway isn't convenient

Are you kidding? First of all, the kid wants to stay for at least a year, so daily cabs would end up being a major expense. Second, the public bus system is one of the best things about life in BA. The drivers are maniacs, but you can get anywhere you want for a peso, almost 24 hours a day. It's a good way to learn the city, get some reading done, and interact with the locals a bit (I've had some great conversations with strangers standing near me on the bus.)

 

[sdsurfista]

Hi Sean

I am also from SD (mission beach). I have been here for a few weeks. I run my real estate business in CA remotely from anywhere I want to go, so work is not an issue for me, but I have talked to other expats who are leaving because they can't afford to live here on a low income.

So just make sure you have some money to live on and the option of returning home if needed.

For me BsAs is lots of fun, but 5 wks will be plenty. There are other S American cities I find much less expensive and a more relaxed pace.

As someone mentioned restaurants here are expensive, on par with Socal.
Most basic staples except buses, taxis, and the subte will be close to the cost at home (no idea how the locals make ends meet..)

Also, in SD at least at the beach you see a lot of people smiling, happy, relaxing, enjoying life and engaging strangers. I do not see that as much in BsAs, although I have met some really cool people by going out of my way being friendly.

For me the city is kind of like vegas. You can stay out all night and always find something to do, but you can only, eat, drink, and dance so much. I would not want to spend a whole year here. Compared to SD I would imagine the summers and winters are at best, uncomfortable. And the pace of living is much more like you would experience in Chicago/NYC/Boston.

But I am sure you will enjoy it here, so don't let the posts shape your experience. I probably will stay in Mendoza and Cordoba instead for my next trip to get a little more rest and save a little money.

Have fun.