Trouble in San Telmo

[Marche exile]

I'm sorry if I have put this question in the wrong category but it seemed the best place to put it where a wider section of expat community would see it and give a fair answer to my question.
We are moving to BA at the end of April and the relocation people strongly advise not to move to San Telmo as 'its not safe'. I really don't want to live in some shiny new apartment block with a swimming pool on the roof and a gym in the basement. Most of the cool older colonial type accommodation seem to be in San Telmo.
So tell me please!...............How bad can it be?
Thanks for any information you may be able to help me with.
Rosina.

 

[lomo]

There are many good old areas you can enjoy, that is not in San Telmo.
When it's not safe, there is no fun.

 

[tangobob]

The bad news is: You are going to DIE, unfortunately so are we all, and hopefully not for some time.
Relax, the soothsayers will tell you everywhere is dangerous in Buenos Aires. You will soon realise if you stray into a bad area, just use normal common sense and you will fine.

I have been coming here for eight years, often walking home at the very early hours of the morning in the worst of areas. So far, I have been totally unaccosted.

 

[celene]

My husband and I live in San Telmo and we love it. I've walked by myself at night and I don't feel afraid at all.
I know what you mean about wanting to live in an older, architecturally interesting place. When we first arrived here, we lived in Palermo - I like San Telmo MUCH better in so many ways.

 

[mariposa]

i don't live in san telmo but i have several friends who do, in fabulously atmospheric places, and they are very happy there. the main problem is, the whole city is not very safe (any more).

 

[AlexanderB]

I am strongly leaning toward San Telmo as a place of settlement when I come down, and I'm a paranoid guy. I think you've been fed a bunch of BS.

 

[irina]

I lived in San Telmo for a year when I first came here and I felt perfectly safe. I lived on Defensa and there was always a ton of pedestrian traffic and I never felt sketched out. Are there sketchier areas of San Telmo? Yes, but just like anywhere if you are careful and keep your eyes open you should feel fine. I never felt in danger and I am definitely a blue eyed blonde haired foreign target.

 

[Ashley]

San telmo is lovely. I wouldn't say its one of the most dangerous areas at all...It can get a bit dark at night but its like anywhere really, you need to keep your wits about you.
If you want old buildings though, you can also check out Congreso, Almagro...Colegiales has some nice old one-storey buildings/PH's too.

 

[HeyBA]

San Telmo feels almost overly tourist at certain places and times and then one day you'll be strolling along and look up and find yourself the object of possibly unwanted attention because you're in a working class neighborhood. I mean like twenty people are staring out at you out of windows and doorways and you can hear a pin drop in the silent tension. It's street by street in that neighborhood.

A good BA tip in general, if it works for you practically, is to get a tourist apartment for a month or two while you check out which neighborhoods you'd want to live in.

Some people feel safer in the moneyed areas with lots of foreigners, but in those areas you have to deal with people that come their to prey on the residents. Others feel safer blending in more middle class areas. San Telmo is a unique mix in BA of touristy and working class. The neighborhood is good fun to boot.

And as far as insecurity here, BA is not a war zone. It feels quite safe until you or someone you know has an incident and then start talking about it. Then the stories pile up.

 

[allcraz]

More than half of my 5 years in BsAs has been spent in San Telmo. Never had a problem. And never felt less safe than anywhere else in the city.