Other Moms To Chat With?

[JenJen]

Hi! I'm planning to relocate to BsAs with my husband and our toddler in a year or two from the Dominican Republic where we have been living for almost a year. As my father was Argentine I have some family in the city. I'm looking for other moms of young children to talk to about their experience living in BsAs with kids. Talking to my cousins really doesn't clear anything up for me as they've never lived anywhere else and so don't have anything to compare it to. If anyone is willing to chat a little and answer a few questions either answer me here or by PM


/Jen

 

[AngelinBA]

Hi Jen, ask away, there are lots of mums here who can help you out. And talking about our kids has to be more interesting than discussing US politics and / or quality of Argentine pizza.

 

[JenJen]

Thanks! I haven't been in BA since 2007 and at that time I didn't have kids, so I'm trying to figure out if everyday life will be at least a little bit easier there than here in StoDgo! There are hardly any parks here and most of them are only asphalt. We would probably be living in Caballito so I could be somewhat close to my family in Boedo and Flores, and from what I remember there is at least one big nice park there. Do you guys play with your kids at the parks? What are the positives and the negatives for your kids in BsAs?

 

[AngelinBA]

I don't know the Caballito area, so don't know about parks there but everywhere I've been in the city, there are heaps of 'plazas'. Normally grass or at least lots of trees, and the majority have play equipment for kids. We don't take our kids to the plaza that often because the ones nearest to me are full of petty thieves and homeless people, but if I lived closer to one of the nice kid's play areas, I'd join the other mums there every day.
As to the positives of having kids in BA, everyone loves kids. You can take your toddler to a top restaurant and not only will they have lots of highchairs, but nobody will frown at you for bringing your kids with you. You will get more consideration from drivers when you try to cross a road with kids (not a bad thing at all) and there are loads of theatres activities, classes, etc.
The main negative for me is living in apartments with no outside area.

 

[JenJen]

Yes I Feel we need to live close to a playground, as we are lucky enough to be doing right now. So we will have to investigate if the ones we are thinking of are good or not. We recently lived in an apartment where we had to drive for our son to be able to play outside. Not doing that again. This is not a walkable city, at all. And I would like to be able to cross the street at least somewhat safer. So what you're telling me about drivers and kids sound really positive to me!

 

[Marive]

I don't have kids so I cannot make any contributions to the talk in that sense, but I live near Caballito so I can tell you that you have some really nice parks there, such as Parque Rivadavia, Parque Centenario and Parque Chacabuco (depending on what area of Caballito you will be living in). There may be others too that I don't know of, but these three are huge and have plenty of grass, trees and open spaces to enjoy with kids (I'm not sure about Chacabuco, but Rivadavia and Centenario have playgrounds and caroussels for children). Good luck!

 

[JenJen]

Thanks Marive! Those are the two parks I thought would be good how do you feel walking around Caballito by yourself? I'm so happy to hear this, because I really need big parks close by with my little energy monster - and I really enjoyed Caballito the times I've been there

 

[Marive]

You're welcome! In general terms I feel that Caballito is a safe neighborhood, and I walk around by myself all the time and never had any issues, but usually during daytime. To be cautious, I always use the large avenues and crowded streets and avoid solitary or dark streets (although always bear in mind to keep a tight grip on your purse on crowded streets and don't carry valuables in your pockets, just like in any big city). I also avoid crossing the railroad that runs parallel to Rivadavia Ave because it gives me an uneasy feeling, although during daytime there are lots of people so probably it's not that big a deal (not sure at night though). You may also want to check with your relatives about the specific area where you will be living, so that they may warn you if there is anything in particular that you should know about or avoid. I think that by following the basic big city guidelines you should be fine and will really like Caballito, it's a lovely neighborhood.

 

[Jaredberryman]

I lived in Caballito for years and I have two small children. Caballito has two large parks, Parque Rivadavia, and Parque Centenario. Parque Centenario is if I am not mistaken the largest in the city.

This year I moved out of Caballito. I couldn't take it any more. The traffic, pollution, and noise was absolutely stifling. Most buildings in Caballito are apartments, so forget having a back yard or much green there. Housing can also be expensive in Caballito compared to other parts of the city, although I did own an apartment that was too small for a family of 4 (60 sq mts.). I live in a suburban area now and I couldn't be happier. Yes, Caballito is a nice neighborhood. A good friend of mine lives there in a large apartment with an adolescent and pre-adolescent. They seem to like it, but they have been there forever. It is a nice neighborhood with so much to do and see. But it is a very stressful neighborhood with a lot of movement. I personally do not think it is good for a family with small children and that you should consider a neighborhood with more houses that is quieter. It also depends on what part of Caballito you will live in. Do not live in Primera Junta area, as it is dangerous, dirty, and the noise is unbelievable. Parque Rivadavia is a bit better, but lots of noise, too. The Pedro Goyena area is really pretty and also much quieter.

Overall, Caballito is a safe part of the city, depending where you are at. I walked all through the neighborhood and never witnessed anything shady going on, except as you go down Jose Maria Moreno and get down towards Parque Chacabuco. Caballito is not next or even close to any villa, and there are not many neighborhoods in Capital left that have that distinction.

On the plus side you have lots of restaurants, things to do and see. But you will have lots of people even for simple everyday tasks, like purchasing goods at the store. During weekends, the parks are virtually unusable because of the quantity of people that frequent them. During the day, they are nice and not so full (except for Parque Rivadavia, which is always full of so many people). There are also some "hidden" plazas that are much less crowded and are really basically like parks, like Plaza Giordano. These have less people since they do not come from the surrounding neighborhoods of Almagro and Palermo (who have less green). You do have some big clubs as well like Ferro and el Club Italiano where you can take your kids to activities such as swimming, etc.

But do not expect anything to be easy. It's like pulling teeth. I just couldn't take it anymore.

 

[JenJen]

Marive and Tex, thank you so so much. This is exactly what I was hoping for - more detailed accounts of everyday life there. Most of my family live in Flores and Boedo, none in Caballito, but they all love the neighborhood. But since they don't live there I thought it better to ask you guys

When we come down we are going to rent a furnished apartment for a few months so we can get to know different neighborhoods and see where we want to stay. We will still be renting after that, but long term. We want to live in the city for a few years before we buy. And right now we just can't handle the suburban areas - we need the city life now (although with parks for our little one). Palermo and Recoleta I think are too expensive and quite touristy (again, it's been a few years and I might be wrong), and Caballito felt more like a real barrio but still with stuff to do (I liked staying in Boedo as well but there's nothing to do there except visit Caballito). Now with all the torres they've been building it might be completely different though... But so far it's the only one I've found that - on paper - fits the descirption of what we want...