living in Puerto Madero

[BABear]

Hello all,

As I have posted on this site before, we are considering a move to BA this summer. We have been looking mostly in the Belgrano area, but recently we have also considered Peuerto Madero. Any advice people might be willing to share? I am American, we have 3 year old twin boys and thinking about being there for approx 2 years. Looking for a place that has access to parks and places to walk to for mom who will be home all day (restaurants, shops,grocery, etc). Also want to be located in a palce where I am likely to be close to other Americans. Thank you for any opinions.

 

[PhilipDT]

My favorite neighborhood, there are tons of parks, nice views, great restaurants, good shopping can befound mere blocks away in microcentro. Be warned the people on this site have a strange bias against the neighborhood.

 

[mariposa]

well i don't like puerto madero. just because i don't like it, does that have to be a) a bias or b) strange?? i just don't like suburbs and gated communities, or places that remind me of such....

 

[jimdepalermo]

I'm also a fan of Puerto Madero. Great parks, safest corner of town, clean streets, nice properties with great amenities (swimming pools, gyms, party rooms are fairly standard in those buildings).

Here's the downside

• It's so separated from the rest of the city that it's hard to get around without a car. There are a couple of colectivos that go into the area, but transportation is basically by taxi or private car.
• Although improving in services, it still lacks the density of little shops - kioskos, laundries, food stores, verdulerías, fiambrerías, etc. - that make BsAs so liveable. There are are now representatives of most kinds of shops in the area, but they're few and far between, and it seems to me that most people there drive to accomplish their errands. By contrast, my Palermo area has everything I need on a routine basis within 2 blocks of my home.
• When you decide to go elsewhere, you have the entire Microcenter to get through in order to get anywhere else.
• It's the most expensive part of the city. Plan on spending 50-100% more for housing there than in comparable parts of Palermo, Recoleta, or Belgrano. (And the utility subsidies have already ended there, while most of us are still waiting for the axe to fall.) Also consider your increased transportation costs when figuring a budget.
• It feels planned and artificial, lacking the organic neighborhood sense that you get in any other part of the city. Personally this doesn't bother me so much as the prior concerns, but I'll be the first to mention it. And surely not last!

Good luck!

 

[davonz]

I like Puerto Madero because its alot quieter than the rest of the city due to less traffic, and there are lots of open spaces.

However it doesnt feel like the rest buenos aires (this could be a good thing or bad thing), doesnt have all the little shops etc, and the big one for me is the cost of rent etc there.

 

[mulderfox]

it`s a nice and safe area, but it will be expensive

 

[starlucia]

Puerto Madero just feels so... artificial. I don't see why one would move all the way to Buenos Aires to live in the one neighborhood completely isolated from Buenos Aires, that caters almost exclusively to tourists and businesspeople. Don't get me wrong, on a warm weekend day, I love to walk along the canal and share an overpriced chai tea at Central Market, but I wouldn't want to be trapped there. Belgrano would be a very good fit, in my opinion -- tons of families and family-oriented activities, a sizable expat community, lots of parks and shopping, good restaurants. Weekday afternoons, the area around Juramento is mobbed with kids in their school uniforms (the older ones hanging out in groups, the younger ones lining up at Volta and Freddo with their moms or nannies.) Chinatown is nearby, which is fun for a Saturday excursion, and you're a short bus or train ride away from further dining and shopping options in Las Canitas or Palermo.

 

[puvenlee]

Puerto Madero isn't really convenient. You should give Belgrano a second thought

 

[Crema Americana]

Puerto Madero is a nice area. Now if it's the lifestyle you want and can afford... that is a different question.

Most expats seem to live in Palermo.

I suggest before you settle on a place, you ask or research about the street intersection. It's hard to judge an area from overseas and there's a lot of variance within the barrios depending on what you want.

 

[BuenosAires4me]

I visited Puerto Madero, recently, on a weekday afternoon. It was like being in a ghost town. There is limited shopping and only 1 (I think) supermarket. There are different areas of Belgrano, some being more desirable than others. Belgrano "R" is probably the nicest.
And the winner is Recoleta. The area around Plaza Vincent Lopez would be perfect. This park has a large popular playground. There are lots of stores supermarkets, cafes, preschools etc. The area is safe and conveniently located.