What Neighborhood Should I Move To?

[dima]

Hi All!

I'm moving to Buenos Aires for this winter for work and play - so excited!!! I visited for a week in 2007 and fell in love, so can't wait to come back.

I'd like to rent an apartment for ~2 months, and trying to decide what neighborhood to move into.

I'm a guy form L.A., 27. The one absolute requirement is reliable high speed Internet (for work). Other than that, I'd like to be somewhere young (not upscale/stuffy), lots of places to walk around - parks, flea markets, art markets, coffee shops, little restaurants, etc. Somewhere where it's easy to meet folks and make new friends (ex-pats or locals). I'm envisioning being able to walk out with a laptop and work and then meet up with friends to do something. Being close to other interesting areas in the city, particularly by public transit, is a plus too, but not a requirement.

Would love to hear your ideas/suggestions!

Also, anyone know how to find a cheap apartment to rent (i.e. at local prices, not tourist prices)?

Thanks so much!
Dima

 

[elhombresinnombre]

You should find much of what you want to know if you search this site for threads including ElvisOnTheRun. HTH. HAND

 

[steveinbsas]

I'd like to rent an apartment for ~2 months, and trying to decide what neighborhood to move into.

Also, anyone know how to find a cheap apartment to rent (i.e. at local prices, not tourist prices)?

The locals simply don't rent short term (tourist) apartments. Renting from a US owner on Craigslist worked for me.

Long term rentals (two years/unfurnished) usually require residency and a guarantee from a third party who owns property.

I suggest you stay close to linea D of the subte in Palermo for your first two months. The Bulnes station was my target area when I first arrived in 2006 and I did not regret it. I rented an apartment on Guise at Charcas for two months and renewed twice for a total of six months. The owner did give me a discount when I renewed.

Boulevard Charcas between Guise and Bulnes is one of the few blocks in the city with sidewalk cafes that do not have traffic running directly in front of them, and since the green areas in the boulevard have become a no dog zone the smell is much better.

 

[PhilipDT]

Puerto Madero.

I'm sitting outside of a coffee shop right now working on my laptop. Parks and restaurants everywhere, close to downtown, clean, safe, pretty. I don't live here but if I was doing it again and could swing it, I'd definitely be here.

Also best part, it's sufficiently far enough away from the hellhole that is most of palermo. Worst part is the mosquitos (in the summer) but then again, they're everywhere.

 

[TomAtAlki]

Just shows that it takes all kinds. I like Puerto madero but you couldn't pay me to live there. I love my place in Palermo.

 

[mini]

Just shows that it takes all kinds. I like Puerto madero but you couldn't pay me to live there. I love my place in Palermo.

I totally agree with you.

I stayed in PM for 3 months and wouldn't stay there again.

 

[Napoleon]

Puerto Madero.

I'm sitting outside of a coffee shop right now working on my laptop. Parks and restaurants everywhere, close to downtown, clean, safe, pretty. I don't live here but if I was doing it again and could swing it, I'd definitely be here.

Also best part, it's sufficiently far enough away from the hellhole that is most of palermo. Worst part is the mosquitos (in the summer) but then again, they're everywhere.

You absolutely DO NOT WANT TO LIVE IN PUERTO MADERO.

PhilipDT is either joking or delusional.

If you really want to live in Puerto Madero, then you might as well go to Miami and live on/in South Beach, but NEVER GO TO THE BEACH. (Except that there's probably more English spoken in Puerto Madero than South Beach.)

You want to live in Palermo. You just do. Don't act like you don't. You do. Other places you would consider would be Villa Crespo, Belgrano, maybe Colegiales, & San Telmo... but only if you really like large mounds of trash piled up on your neighborhood street corners every night.

Step 1: Tell us where you live in LA.

Step 2: Tell us where you WISH you lived in LA.

Step 3: Read Napoleon telling you that you want to live in Palermo.

Craigslist or a relatively expensive short-term rental place is your best bet.

 

[MizzMarr]

it's true, based on your description of yourself you will most likely want to live in one of the sub-barrios of Palermo. I also would never, ever want to live in Puerto Madero. The only time I even go through PM are to go to la Costanera (the park), but I avoid it whenever possible--but whether you'd like it or not depends a lot on your style and what you're looking for. Hip is not it. An alternate barrio (my preferred barrio to live) is Almagro because it is fun, close to everything, young with lots going on (live music, bars, plays), but it's also a "real" barrio populated with mostly locals barrio unlike Palermo where the vast majority are foreigners. Villa Crespo and even Chacaritas are good bets and close to pretty much everything, just a little more off the tourist trajectory than Palermo. Another lively area you might like is San Telmo--there are parts that are quite charming, lots of bars and restaurants and music, but as Napoleon said, it's also quite dirty. Good luck!

 

[PhilipDT]

there's probably more English spoken in Puerto Madero than South Beach.

Yet no more than is spoken in the areas around the 'D' line. At least here there are no pretenses about it.

 

[gatoandaluz]

I've got the same question. Looking at arriving just after New Year (hoping for PdE for that), spending a couple of months in BsAs. I'll need to be near the US embassy for work, so it'll probably be Palermo. I'm 34, male, comfortably Spanish-speaking, and kind of artsy-fartsy. I really liked San Telmo the last time I was there, but it's probably too far from Palermo.