Santiago vs BA

[El chabon]

Try going out from Sunday to Thursday night in BA and there is not a lot to do unless you really know your way around.

And that's no different in scl. You just need to know the city, make friends and go out as much as you can and try new things

Tuesday night in sugar and Kika zzzzzzzzzz

 

[YanquiGallego]

I'd like to point out that culture in regards to arts-wise Santiago also seems to beat BA hands down. The current government apparently believes heavily in it and not only are the ballet and opera considerably affordable (albeit probably still a stretch for the lower classes) it also offers free concerts with BIG NAME STARS, they just had a totally free of charge concert of top opera singer Placido Domingo, believe it or not. (Actually, I was skeptical myself when I first saw the posters advertising it)

This is an opera singer that in cities like NY and Madrid, I have seen tickets go for hundreds of dollars/euros, yet in Santiago it is free to go see.

 

[El chabon]

To see Daniel Barenboim play with a concert would also cost a lot in Europe or US

What is your point again?

 

[nodux]

Teatro colon is one of the most important opera houses in the world, chile is not even close, Placido Domingo is almost retired, he is a conductor at the met and sings as baritone, because his voice is lower now, he is over, not a big deal right now to see him at a concert. In BA there are many underground plays, rock bands, djs, de la guarda, the guys of fuerza bruta one of the "coolest shows" in manhattan right now are from Argentina, not bad...its probably one of the few things still good here, specially comparing to the rest of latin america, but many people don't care about it, I lived in Miami, and most people didn't care about not having a rich cultural life there. Personally I found Miami pretty boring compared to Buenos Aires in that regard, but that doesn't mean its a bad place to live...Btw Placido Domingo made a concert last year in BA and it was free.

 

[bomber]

I'm wondering why folk feel they need to get all defensive over BA???

 

[MikeMike]

I've spent significant time in both BsAs and Santiago. I'd say Yanqui's write up is reasonable. I would dissent somewhat regarding food, nightlife and the class issue.

IMO Santiago has a good selection of places to go for dinner, but you do have to know the city a bit. A few places I like include the restaurants at Borde Río, the Giratorio (revolving restaurant, fun for the novelty), Astrid & Gaston for some upscale Peruvian, Korean BBQ in Patronato, the malls have a number of ok places, the Mercado Central has a ton of (tourist priced) seafood, there are a number of other seafood restaurants throughout the city that are great, and a bunch of other places to eat. I felt like there was more variety in Santiago than BsAs in terms of foreign food. Also, Chile has its own cuisine somewhat which I also like quite a bit (Pastel de Choclo, Pastel de Jaiba, Machas a la Parmesana, Porotos con Longaniza, etc).

Regarding nightlife, I've had plenty of fun, although primarily on Friday & Saturday nights. Bellavista, Lastaria, Metro Manuel Montt all have fun to be had. Also, feel people are more approachable at these kinds of places than in Argentina.

Regarding the class thing, I dressed like a bum, or up, and went pretty much everywhere and never felt like I was judged. I'll admit, I am aware that the class thing does exist, and I saw it in a few cases affecting people other than myself, but never felt it was a "big problem". If you compare, for example, the class issue in Chile to racism towards people from bordering countries in Argentina, I'd say that its much more notable in Argentina.

That + the way better economy, safety, etc. I'd say Chile is a great place to live, and a reasonable alternative to BsAs.

 

[El chabon]

Can't really imagine that if you are like me, blond, blue eyes, very European look you will be judged a lot, you will never get rejected as well, even if you don't dress well.

 

[lamarque]

I'm wondering why folk feel they need to get all defensive over BA???

Is not about defending, if you put it that way i could say why some folks attack all the time Buenos Aires, is about being realistic there are bad things in Buenos Aires but there are plenty of good things to, and for real Buenos Aires and Santiago are not 2 city’s that you can compare, they are different scale, different people, different diversity, different culturally, different economically, If you want to compare Santiago to a City you should compare it to Rosario or maybe Cordoba go to Mendoza the feeling is similar but with a better environment, i personally prefer in that sense Rosario it feel more like Santiago but with more beautiful girls , but that is all matter of choices. In any case when i were in Santiago (6 month) i didn't like there but that is a very personal appreciation, i didn't see all this Switzerland thing that some people in their late bad fell of Buenos Aires apparently see, and quite honestly it didn't feel so prosperous there neither, maybe for a expat that have a lot of money it doesn’t matter but honestly i don't want to save all my life just to give my future children a descent education or have to send them to Argentina in order to let them get a study, don't like neither that poor people don't have the possibility to have a free health system, and that the air Connection to Europe are not so plentiful (very important to me), in the other hand yes tech products are cheaper, the economy is more stable, the government is not a bunch of faking communist (i Hate the Kretina government, still some day will finish that for sure, there is light at the end of the tunnel jaja), and some others things that would be great to have here in Argentina with that say what i want to tell with this is that people choices and perception are influenced by totally different things and even what a person see in a city is totally different to what other people see (even the most notorious, i have read some people saying that in Buenos Aires you have nothing to do or that cultural life is the same as in Santiago very few say this just to clarify, but that make very clear that people perception is diferent, or that insecurity is worst than in brazil i wouldn't go to a cueva in brazil with 2.000 usd every month to change my money or buy Black euros in brazil and then go back to the street as nothing, people kill for much less there specially in mayor city’s it feel really insecure ''just to clarify i do this since 8 years but now is much more useful and widely spread between expats’’, lol and really i say wtf stop exaggerating, i can understand you are having your hate moment in this love hate relationship that is living in Buenos Aires but try to be more objective) but then when I start thinking I realize that there is nothing as subjective as the personal perception of a city, is not that people defend or people attack a city is simple that people feel different about places, some people like it here and some people would prefer Santiago. Still Santiago should be compared more to Rosario or maybe Cordoba.

I was wanting to do a short answer lol i hate when i finish writing long answers. I know some people will agree with me and some will hate this answer lol but at the end that is what i was waiting people is always subjetive don't matter how objetive they want to be, including my self, is not that people attack or defend a city is just that people simply attack or defend other opinion according to what is their perception of the place

 

[expatinowncountry]

Teatro colon is one of the most important opera houses in the world, chile is not even close, Placido Domingo is almost retired, he is a conductor at the met and sings as baritone, because his voice is lower now, he is over, not a big deal right now to see him at a concert. In BA there are many underground plays, rock bands, djs, de la guarda, the guys of fuerza bruta one of the "coolest shows" in manhattan right now are from Argentina, not bad...its probably one of the few things still good here, specially comparing to the rest of latin america, but many people don't care about it, I lived in Miami, and most people didn't care about not having a rich cultural life there. Personally I found Miami pretty boring compared to Buenos Aires in that regard, but that doesn't mean its a bad place to live...Btw Placido Domingo made a concert last year in BA and it was free.

Have you read "El Chabon"? Ha has been here for SEVEN years and he knows better... fuerza bruta, de la guarda, Konex, El Rojas, underground places for rock, theater, etc all those places and theater groups do not exist. They are part of mythological Buenos Aires a much better place than actual Buenos Aires... a way over rated place

 

[camberiu]

Can't really imagine that if you are like me, blond, blue eyes, very European look you will be judged a lot, you will never get rejected as well, even if you don't dress well.

I am not blonde or white. Hell, I can walk anywhere in Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Chile and even the middle east or India and go completely unnoticed, fully blended in.

I was in Santiago a couple of months ago, dressed very casually and never felt mistreated or judged anywhere.
To me, the class issue in Chile is real, but not more severe than anywhere else in South America, including Brazil or Argentina.