I agree with Blake. If you are only going to be here or a month or two, you might as well be in one of the nicest areas of the city and Recoleta offers all that you are seeking. Of course you will pay more in rent, but thats ultimately your decision, and cost is relative to your budget. In spite of what other have posted on this site, the boundries of the various barrios ARE legally defined. Some agents and owners, however, do misrepresent the location of their rental units in order to attract clients. For example, I know a woman who has two apartments on Uriburu, a couple blocks south of Av Cordoba. Not only are the apartment outside of Recoleta, they are in a pretty seedy block. She will not walk to or from the apartments after dark, always calling for a radio taxi. She advertises them as being in Recoleta. She also states they are "mono-ambiente with loft". Such apartments can be very nice and this usually implies a very high ceiling (up to 20 feet) and lots of light. Her contra-frente apartments, however are very dark (the one window blacked out) , small, and only have a ten foot ceiling. The "loft" is comprised of bare wood construction in the single room, at the six foot level, with a ladder to the four foot high "sleeping area". In reality, it is abysmal. If you rented this apartment on line you would be very, very unhappy. When I asked her about the misrepresentation, she shrugged and said, "Everybody does it."
I also know an expat who recently rented a Palermo (Cervino and Rep. de la India) apartment on Craigslist. It was advertised as "quiet" and on a tree filled boulevard. The part about the trees was truthful, but virtually every night the cartonjeros and then the "night-owls" gathered in the boulevard and could be heard until three or four in the morning. Just as my expat friend would finally be sleeping, the dog walkers would hit the boulevard below his window. Anyone who knows about the "professional" dog walkers (with up to a dozen pups each) can picture the scenario. That many dogs together or in close proximity are never quiet.
Even maps can be misleading. The Pocket Pilot has "Barrio Norte" where Recoleta is located, and the word Recoleta is superimposed over a section of Palermo.
The link below provides an accurate map of the "heart" of Recoleta, which actually extends south to Av Cordoba. I advise you to stay north of Av Santa Fe and between Pueyrredon and Callo. Also, most of the north-south streets (Junin, Larrea, Ayacucho, etc.) are bus routes and the busses here are LOUD. Av Santa Fe and AV La Herras are the two main east west arteries and can also be very noisy, especially if the apartment faces the street and is on a lower floor. If you have any questions about the location of a specific apartment please send me a note. I will be happy to check it out for you.
http://www.conozcarecoleta.com.ar/calles/mapa_recoleta.php If just go to
http://www.conozcarecoleta.com.ar you will find more info about Recoleta.
