Most liveable barrios in BA not named Recoleta or Palermo?

[dr__dawggy]

Add all of Barrio Norte, Las Canitas, and maybe even San Telmo.....what are the most livable areas of BA apart from these usual expat haunts? I ask the question because after meeting friends in restaurants in Villa Devoto, Nunez and Caballito it has dawned on me that there are a lot of barrios in BA with great restaurants,cafes and bars, and an abundance of apartments, good transportation, relatively safe, good transportation and so forth...that most of us either do not know about or shy away from. So, what are some hidden gems in Buenos Aires where Ingles is still the exception not the rule ?

 

[mcaffa]

I'd add Belgrano, Colegiales, Villa Urquiza, Villa del Parque, Villa Crespo and Chacarita to the list. I briefly visited Villa Ortúzar once and for the most part, it seemed like a decent area too. I'd definitely consider checking these areas out if you are looking to live a bit off of the traditional tourist radar.

 

[fifs2]

As Ive mentioned before Caballito is real BsAs in the sense that English being spoken and expats are very rare - I havent actually met more than 5 expats on the streets of Caballito in my 6+ years living there. It is a very family oriented neightbourhood with old houses, great parks (Rivadavia and Centenarrio), cinemas, schools and the restaurant scene has some great traditional places but not a wide variety and very little trendiness...but as Ive also mentioned before it isnt pretty , quaint or trendy so I`d honestly suggest it more for someone who wants to get a nice house or appt. and practice their spanish with the locals who wont be trying desperately to practice their Engish.

 

[bsas]

I second Caballito. Barracas is a good choice also, but quite far from the usual night spots in Palermo. If that's your thing, you'd need a car or plenty of cash for cabs. The area around Montes de Oca and Martin Garcia is the safest.

 

[Davidglen77]

Villa Urquiza is a nice place to live if you are a couple or family. I wouldn't recommend it if you are single. Good transportation, nice housing stock, housing about 25% less expensive than other barrios. Decent shopping and close to Belgrano for more variety. The downside is there is NO nightlife except for a few family style restaurants and a community theater and Sundays just about everything is closed.
Villa Ortúzar is right next to Villa Urquiza, and a large part of it is being renewed, however at night it's very dark and I find it spooky. There are very few retail shops and a lot of warehouses and a good number of abandoned houses some of which are occupied by squatters. It's also next to some very active railroad tracks and behind the big ugly wall of the Chacarita cemetary. I would not choose to live there.
Chacarita has some nice streets and the part of the entrance to the cemetary is nice to look at but I know a lot of people who have been robbed around the Federico Lacroze railroad station. Not violent but not fun either.

 

[dr__dawggy]

As Ive mentioned before Caballito is real BsAs in the sense that English being spoken and expats are very rare - I havent actually met more than 5 expats on the streets of Caballito in my 6+ years living there. It is a very family oriented neightbourhood with old houses, great parks (Rivadavia and Centenarrio), cinemas, schools and the restaurant scene has some great traditional places but not a wide variety and very little trendiness...but as Ive also mentioned before it isnt pretty , quaint or trendy so I`d honestly suggest it more for someone who wants to get a nice house or appt. and practice their spanish with the locals who wont be trying desperately to practice their Engish.

No English....Even in Barrio Ingles ?

 

[starlucia]

I really like Belgrano; it reminds me a little bit of Philadelphia. On warm nights, we occasionally like to have dinner in Chinatown and then walk through Belgrano, checking out all of the embassies and old mansions.

And Barracas is kind of cool. I wouldn't want to live there (unless I had kids and wanted them to have some space and greenery), but it's a nice change of pace and has some decent neighborhood restaurants.

 

[polostar88]

Almagro.

(filler...)

 

[dr__dawggy]

Any thoughts about Congresso? Love the architecture in the area but I have been leery re: safety.

 

[glasgowjohn]

I like Villa del Parque and Caballito is pretty decent as well