Palermo vs Recoleta

[JHK2131]

I'm sorry, I'm sure its been discussed in this forum before, but I tried searching for it and basically got every thread with the words recoleta and Palermo..

I was deadset on getting an apartment in Palermo, was told that is where mostly expats live, I heard of some people preferring Recoleta but didn't research it much. Basically everyone recommended Palermo to me.

I found an apartment I really like but its in Recoleta. From a quick search I've gathered Palermo has seedy spots while Recoleta doesnt. Recoleta has nicer cafes/restaurants while Palermo is 'trendier'. I'm from NYC, in my mid 20s and love downtown (Village), would this be a right fit for me or should I go with Palermo? Would Recoleta be essentially like uptown NYC while Palermo is more like downtown?

Thanks

 

[jb5]

Recoleta= Upper E Side. Some Park Ave. And some York Ave.

Palermo has so many feels.

It seems to me if you're a typical NYC mid 20s who likes cafes, trendy restaurants and clubs often, Palermo Hollywood is your place. I'd also look at Las Canitas, it seems to skew slightly older and upscale, definitely less grunge.

 

[bebero]

In my opinion Recoleta doesn't have nicest restaurants, the foodie scene is in Palermo. But to make it short, yes, Recoleta is the upper east and Palermo is downtown.
But it is soo easy to get from Recoleta to Palermo (and so close) that it doesn't make an actual difference.

 

[nikad]

yes, if that is what u r lookin for go with Palermo

 

[va2ba]

I've never been to NYC, so I cannot compare any of it to Recoleta.

But in my experience, Recoleta is less safe than Palermo. I have been robbed in Recoleta, and my wife was stalked for 5 blocks and almost robbed in Recoleta a month later. The ambassador from New Zealand was riding his bike in Recoleta and had it stolen from him.

Palermo does have some areas that are better to avoid, but in my experience, I have found it to be safer. Recoleta is also very close to one of the biggest slums in the city.

Most international tourist also stay in Recoleta, making it a haven for pickpockets. Recoleta at night is usually very empty and very seedy in spots.

Recoleta is crowded with very narrow streets and I find the air quality to be awful. There is a lot of traffic since it is close to the downtown area.

Palermo, while it has more people, is more spread out and much more open. There are a lot of parks, the air quality is better and there is generally less traffic. Transportation can also be easier from Palermo depending on where you stay.

There are a few areas in Palermo that can be seedy, especially at night. The worst area is the train the runs between Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood.

If you are looking for the best of both worlds, I would suggest looking in the Palermo Alto area, which seems to combine the best of both neighborhoods.

 

[garygrunson]

Recoleta has much more than Palermo and less ex-pats. Certain parts of Palermo could be part of Manhattan, and not is a good way.

 

[elhombresinnombre]

If you are a holidaymaker just staying for a week or two, it doesn't really matter. If you are staying longer term then getting locked into the wrong agreement for the wrong apartment in the wrong location is going to be dreadful. Why make a long-distance agreement to rent an apartment you haven't seen from people you don't know in an area you've never been to when you could do like so many others before you and rent a hotel room for your first couple of days and do it all face to face and see what you are getting?

 

[El Duderino]

Keep in mind that Palermo is huge, I think the biggest neighborhood in Capital Federal. I lived near Plaza Guemes and loved the area. It was safe and had none of the trendy stuff found a few blocks over in Soho. It felt like a neighborhood rather than a mall.

 

[surfing]

I'm from the Upper East Side and now I live in Recoleta. I agree with the comparisons. I don't really care for Palermo but everyone is different.

 

[Napoleon]

OP: How long are you going to be here?

Long term, Recoleta is fine, but not what you want.

Short term, find a place in Palermo Soho or Palermo Hollywood. Period. (Even the first few blocks of Villa Crespo, a.k.a. "Palermo Queens" in the real estate section, is probably not what you want.)