New Family In Ba

[mjohnstone]

If sending your kids to Lincoln school or St. Andrew's you might want to consider living as mentioned above in the northern suburbs (Martínez, San Isidro, Acasuso). There are a couple of gated communities in the area, such as Boating Club in San Isidro. Some of the houses there are usually rented (furnished or empty) to foreign executives, so owners are used to replacing "garantías" with company referral letters, etc. Your company's relocation department or a relocation firm should be able to help you out. Ask the school too.

 

[garryl]

Martinez, Belgrano R and I add Palermo Chico for you. If you live in Martinez, you are not far from CFK's house.
By the way, most business people and embassy families working in China live outside Beijing, there is an area that almost looks like a neighborhood in US, people choose to live there mainly because the pollution is bad in downtown, and most people are assigned to China, they do not want to know much China anyway, neither they want their kids to know much, the schools are run like an US school, not a hard decision for them to make. You probably can find something like that. Only very few brave ones really mix with Chinese schools, that's much harder work, But it will pay off one day when the American kid can speak perfect Chinese and do something useful for different people.

 

[Matiasba]

Martinez, Belgrano R and I add Palermo Chico for you. If you live in Martinez, you are not far from CFK's house.
By the way, most business people and embassy families working in China live outside Beijing, there is an area that almost looks like a neighborhood in US, people choose to live there mainly because the pollution is bad in downtown, and most people are assigned to China, they do not want to know much China anyway, neither they want their kids to know much, the schools are run like an US school, not a hard decision for them to make. You probably can find something like that. Only very few brave ones really mix with Chinese schools, that's much harder work, But it will pay off one day when the American kid can speak perfect Chinese and do something useful for different people.

At some point I could understand it, cause China, its language, its milenary culture, is frighteningly different from americans, the habits, traditions, etc, but Argentina?!?! Argentina is part of the western culture, language is way more similar to english, the customs, the culture, the way people dress, theres not this huge gap like you have it with China (although due globalization you have almost the same people in every city in the world, just urban citizens)

 

[syngirl]

One thing I should say is that while Martinez/San Isidro is a little less dense than some areas of Capital it's not exactly suburbia. The houses may be larger but the properties are small so if you're really after outdoor green space with generous lawns you need to go to Nordelta and the barrio cerrados -- most of those places started precisely as weekend getaways so the lot size is much more generous. You'll absolutely need two cars if you live in one of the barrio cerrados, and I'd even say you'd probably want two if you were in the Zona Norte. In the barrio cerrados while you may think the surroundings are pretty your spouse will go insane being trapped there with basically nowhere to go, a car is an absolute must and both of you will just have to get used to crazy traffic if wherever you're coming from doesn't have it. I just think ugh, with a couple of kids doing activities you end up spending half your day chaufffering people around.

La Lucila is most likely the other place that LaCoqueta was thinking of. It's an area with very nice houses but again, let me explain, it's not suburbia with enormous green lawns. Your neighbour's house is going to be backing yours pretty closely. I like the Acasuso area as well.

But look, again I underline, there's not really somewhere out there with an international bubble of expat families sending to Lincoln. Contact the school. I'll be surprised if 15% of the student body is foreigners. And if most of those are here for 18-24 month contracts what does it matter, these aren't really going to be friends. Argentines can be difficult to get to know but it is true, at least if your kids get Argentine friends they will be more accepted and those are friendships that are likely to be deeper than with international kids who are just biding their time until they get to go home.

From what I've seen from people working in the embassies they tend to get placed in apartments in Recoleta / Palermo areas. If they have kids a lot go for Belgrano. And then yes there are a few that go for the northern suburbs. Contact the school. They are your best resource for finding out where to live. And if they don't recommend anything contact your embassy.

 

[mmoon]

I have to refute the comment that said your children will lose years of school if you send them to an Argentine school. Our child went to Belgrano Day School and his school in the US accepted his report card and his grade completion there without question. In fact, he was ahead of the other kids in his grade in California. BDS was very accommodating about translating everything and sending official copies of all documentation to the school.
It might get a little complicated if Uri had kids in high school, but he already made it clear that they are young.

I do think the security issue in BA is important, but it shouldn't be the sole issue determining 2-3 years of your life. I know plenty of people in gated communities who have been robbed...there's usually inside connection and who wants to live like that with a false sense of security? I used to leave my keys with the doormen when I went for a run. It was an old, kind of funky building, but those guys were solid, and had worked there for decades. They were part of the community.

 

[PhilipDT]

Hi Uri dont take it personal, cause it is really not, and I dont intend to ofense anyone, but whats the grace of living like this? whats the grace of limiting almost to nothing the local interaction? how much do you know of other culture living in a bubble and sending your kids to an international school? how much of Argentina, the REAL Argentina, would you know?
Its like the people that travel, go to the Hilton and then eat at american restaurants, in China, in Africa, in Europe, and in South America. Is the basic conservative mentality, the same everywhere, no matter if you re in China or South America. The world is soooo much diverse and rich!

((Again, nothing personal Uri, be sure of that, just I dont get this people)

People who frequently move tend to chose international schools so that the kids education isn't completely messed up every time they move and I doubt there is a "country" where Argentines are not the majority of the residents.

 

[Kriegerf]

Hi Uri dont take it personal, cause it is really not, and I dont intend to ofense anyone, but whats the grace of living like this? whats the grace of limiting almost to nothing the local interaction? how much do you know of other culture living in a bubble and sending your kids to an international school? how much of Argentina, the REAL Argentina, would you know?
Its like the people that travel, go to the Hilton and then eat at american restaurants, in China, in Africa, in Europe, and in South America. Is the basic conservative mentality, the same everywhere, no matter if you re in China or South America. The world is soooo much diverse and rich!

((Again, nothing personal Uri, be sure of that, just I dont get this people)

Hi Veteran, I understand your concerns, and I didn't get it personal. However, I'm not sure how many times in your life you've been relocated with your family and kids while taking into account all the complexities involved. For sure local culture and knowing the REAL Argentina, as you called it, would be great, but is it ariority? Absolutely not. So there will be time for everything but again first things first. Bedside that there are other reasons as well which are not relevant, and I said that as someone who has been traveling for many years.

 

[Redpossum]

Hi Veteran, I understand your concerns, and I didn't get it personal. However, I'm not sure how many times in your life you've been relocated with your family and kids while taking into account all the complexities involved. For sure local culture and knowing the REAL Argentina, as you called it, would be great, but is it ariority? Absolutely not. So there will be time for everything but again first things first. Bedside that there are other reasons as well which are not relevant, and I said that as someone who has been traveling for many years.

Well, in any case, once you get here, drop by one of our coffee chats or some other sort of get-together and introduce yourself. Different things happen at different times and places. Me, I'm thinking that English pub with the fish & chips is sounding damn good. A pint of best bitter, bangers & mash, maybe a game of darts, oh yeah.

 

[Matiasba]

People who frequently move tend to chose international schools so that the kids education isn't completely messed up every time they move and I doubt there is a "country" where Argentines are not the majority of the residents.

I wasnt considering interaction in a country club, I consider that is in some way a lie, in the sense its not reality, and Im talking from a country club!, this is just not real, its like a fantasy tale or some ilusion created by people with money, this is not the real world, the real BsAs, the real Argentina. I meant interaction with the city, with the people, argentine wide middle class who not live in a "country". What diversity you can find in a country? your neighbour sends his kids to the same school that you, they have the same life, the same education, the same ideology, etc. The otherness is 100% denied. If you go to a plaza instead of a country club, youll find diversity, different people of any kind, you ll see diversity, diverse habits, diverse looks, diverse ideology. There are lots of papers wrote about how rich (socially) is the public space compared to the private space.

 

[Matiasba]

Hi Veteran, I understand your concerns, and I didn't get it personal. However, I'm not sure how many times in your life you've been relocated with your family and kids while taking into account all the complexities involved. For sure local culture and knowing the REAL Argentina, as you called it, would be great, but is it ariority? Absolutely not. So there will be time for everything but again first things first. Bedside that there are other reasons as well which are not relevant, and I said that as someone who has been traveling for many years.

I see your point. Its just that I know lots of people who instead of experiencing BsAs openly they lock up, imprisionig themselves in the northern suburbs, having their lives as much american as they can. If they could recreate everything or bring everything, they would do it!! And Im aware this happens only with americans, no other nationality has these requests, or these wishes to turn their new country into America.