Living in Buenos Aires

[donquixote]

Hi yall.
I have been to Argentina twice each time for a month. I have been to a few concerts, flew on areolinas Argentinas, cabs, hotel and never have I had to pay more then the locals. Could it be that I am Mexican American and show my indian features? I was looking at a photo I took on calle Florida and the people look just like me. It is a Argentine myth that they are most of European stock. Maybe in Balgrano or Puerto Madero.
Ciao

 

[Granadaiscool]

Hi yall.
I have been to Argentina twice each time for a month. I have been to a few concerts, flew on areolinas Argentinas, cabs, hotel and never have I had to pay more then the locals. Could it be that I am Mexican American and show my indian features? I was looking at a photo I took on calle Florida and the people look just like me. It is a Argentine myth that they are most of European stock. Maybe in Balgrano or Puerto Madero.
Ciao

No because they ask you DNI to prove you are a resident

 

[citygirl]

Well - I can tell you the reasons I've decided to move to Bs As after visiting there 4x in the last 18 months.
1. The lifestyle. After spending the last 9 years in NYC, it's refreshing to go to a place where it's not all about the pursuit of money. There is an emphasis on family & friends and enjoying life that I don't see here.
2. The horses. This is specific for me but as someone who rides & shows - there is a huge AFFORDABLE horse culture that you can't get in the states.
3. The ability to start a business. Yes, it's been challenging so far to wade through regulations but there are lots of opportunities there that I couldn't find here.
4. Buenos Aires. I think it's a city that has a lot of energy and beauty. There are great restaurants and bars and parks and museums...
5. Last but not least - the exchange rate. Everything being 1/3 of the price it is here makes it very enjoyable....

 

[syngirl]

Hey Citygirl, good luck with your endeavours, it's great to arrive with a positive attitude.
You would do best to arrive with a decent amount of savings back home, because the inflation here has meant rents, food, general cost of living is going up quite rapidly. You can see it on items at the market -- items that cost 9 pesos when I arrived 2 years ago are now 18pesos etc. However, after NYC this place will be cheap as chips.
Despite all the headaches of opening a business etc, there are definitely some success stories. Have you been in touch with Frank Almeida of Sugar & Spice? He's been here for ages and has a bakery in Palermo -- may be able to offer some useful advice -- he has a blog somewhere, google him, I'm sure he'll come up.

 

[citygirl]

Syngirl - thank you very much. I haven't been in touch with him yet but I will.
I find (having been an expat in Europe) that if you only spend time with other expats, it's very easy to get sucked into seeing the negatives. I think it reinforces an "us against them" mentality unfortunately.
I read all the complaints on here & honestly, I can't say I've experienced those things. Maybe it's because I'm lucky enough to have a lot of friends in Argentina but I have overwhelmingly found the people there to be generous & welcoming & helpful (and I'm a NYer - I have a healthy dose of cynicism...lol)
Yes, there are some things I find challenging (ej: the rather "fluid" sense of time when it comes to getting things done...lol) But what can you do - screaming doesn't make it get done any quicker!
I don't know.. if everyone chose to be there - why make it a negative experience? EVERY city in the world has bad parts about it & frustrations. I pull my hair out in NYC sometimes about the cost of living, the tourists, the subway in the summer, etc. But I loved the energy & the fun & the fashion here. I feel that way about Bs As & can't wait to get there....

 

[Guille]

citygirl.... I sent you a note earlier. But it is the first time I do that so I have no idea if it is obvious to you when you receive it, so I thought I'd let you know here.

 

[citygirl]

Guille - I just found it and sent you a reply

 

[citygirl]

Fishface - are you talking about Club Hipico Argentino? Would love to discuss - I've seen some shows there (ah.. that grass grand prix field!) My friend has a farm near Pilar & normally I ride with her but as I'll be in the city, I was contemplating lessons there. Please send me a note - I'm dying to hear more.
Do they have any English-speaking teachers? My spanish is okay but I don't know it would be up to the level for lessons. Funny thing learned the hard way - Gallope doesn't mean gallop, it means canter..lol Too bad I learned that en route to a rather large oxer!
Oh & my 1/3 comment, I was thinking of the exchange rate. I actually had posted earlier that everything pretty much seems to be at a 1:1 price with NYC (150 pesos for a dinner in Bs As, I would pay about $150 USD here. A 1 BR apt in NYC is about $2400, they seem to be about $2400 pesos there). So thanks the the 3 pesos to the dollar exchange rate, it's all 3x cheaper..

 

[JG]

I dont get where people say its so cheap here. sure, when you first arrive it does seem cheap or at least same price. but only after you live here do you realize same price is the same as expensive as you are struggling endlessly like the argies just to break even.
I losely calculate that a gallon of milk and juice, each cost about $4 dollars or a little more. neither in arg. are very good. the milk is watered down or something. and well the juice is loaded with high fructose corn syrup and sugar. i mean both not one or the other. and very little fruit.
And dont get me started on the cheese. A Snickers bar costs a dollar. Yeah, i know you remember Rite Aid, 3 for a dollar specials. Dont hold your breath here, unless a truck is coming your way that is.
Yes, all 4 are complaints, but really, inflation is soaring here and things, most of which are lower quality than back home, are rising to almost the same price. Someone i know is trying to find a temp. rental apt. very high prices. used furniture can be more than back home. many things are. But i bring you back to juice and milk and let me add coffee thats worth drinking. Its more here or same price which to me, is the same. Add the other things that diminish the life here, the incredible noise and more than just city soot, but real speeding clouds of black smoke that peg you against a building choking in your first hours of the morning.
Can I throw in just one unrelated thing i see all the time. In kiosks and supermarkets they spray Raid and disinfectant right OVER the food. just saw it this week, she used half the can of Lysol right over the candy, chocolate bars etc. Even though i didnt smell any foul odor, she sprayed and sprayed, the room was a fog of chemicals. Sandwiches just sitting there etc.
Ive seen them spraying the shelves in a supermarket as they wiped them. This gets absorbed by food such as crackers, cereal etc. If you eat something with a really chemical aftertaste, now you know why. If you watch cable tv, youll notice that 8 out or 10 commercials are for cleaning chemicals and sprays. they are chemical crazy!
The city has tango. and some other stuff. and all of the things i mentioned above. prices soaring....hope theres not a revolution brewing.

 

[syngirl]

JG is right about the coffee. I usually go for the Segafreddo because it's about 5-7pesos for 250g (I have a cafetera that just goes right over the flame, italian style)
I once bought Illy at Jumbo for 40 pesos.
I have occasionally bought Bonafide for about $17 pesos for 250g. I can't decide if I like their coffee though -- the one that I bought last time seemed kind of odd. I ended up mixing it with Segafreddo and it now produces a nice blend -- for about $11 for 250g I guess.
I have to go to a wedding in LA in july, I plan on stocking up on my PB, dark chocolate, and possibly some coffee, as well as an mp3 player for the bf. And I'm sure I'll have some other requests from him by then (a friend of ours got a Wii, I am pretty sure he'll want one too!)