Zack, Abasto can be a little dodgy (not too bad, but there's more crime and it's a bit dirtier the further you get from Almagro, imho) of an area, and la Balvanera is a large neighborhood, very central to downtown. It's not a tourist barrio like San Telmo is. Whether I would personally I want to live there depends on the address. Also, for an apartment being off of a busy street could mean that it's extremely loud inside. Let us know more specifics and I'm sure you can get some good feedback on that particular place.