What would you miss most if you left Argentina?

[UK Man]

I’ve left but I will keep coming back fir many of the same reasons above. About to return to the US, again, this weekend.

Trunpsters, here I come!

If the hassles of making a clean break from here and moving permanently back to Europe are too great I suspect we'll end up doing something similar in our dotage. Which might not be a bad idea.

 

[julian63]

Background info: I have lived in New York City, San Francisco, Sydney, and Rio for long periods of time. I have traveled pretty extensively in Europe spending months in Barcelona and Madrid. I now have an apt in Miami where I recently spent a couple of months and intend to spend a lot more. I have had an apt in the Recoleta for 10 years and have spent 3 or 4 months each year in Bs As since then.

You ask what I would miss most if I were to leave Argentina (in actuality Bs As). I'd say that would have to be my Portena wife ... assuming she wanted to stay here to be with her family members. However, if I could convince her to come with me there would be nothing that I would miss were I to leave permanently.

Now that the cost of living has approached international standards, there is nothing particularly special about Bs As. Whatever positive qualities it enjoys, e.g., a literate populace, good medical services, fine restaurants and entertainment venues, are more than offset by the frequent power outages, the dangerously aggressive drivers (and pedestrians), the hazardous broken sidewalks, the strikes and manifestations, the corruption laden politics, and the annoyingly egotistical character manifested almost universally by those indigenous to the city/province.

What made Bs As desirable as an expat location was, pure and simple, its super low cost of living - if you had a USD income source. The only reason I continue to spend large blocks of time here is ...the wife and her family.

 

[Ries]

Since I yo-yo up and down every year, I miss Buenos Aires every year.
The things I miss-

My friends- I have so many smart creative friends in Argentina, ranging from 20 something to 80 something. I enjoy talking, eating, and thinking with them all the time and miss it when I am not there. Artists, musicians, journalists, industrial designers, fashion designers, architects, chefs, poets, filmmakers, curators, professors, dancers, blacksmiths, political activists- I have friends from all kinds of fields who work hard, contribute to society, and are a lot of fun to be with.

The city itself- I love the architecture, the boulevards, the bookstores, the galerias, the stroll down Avenida de Mayo, or Santa Fe, browsing in Once, the museums, the parks, and just wandering in general.

The music- when I am in Buenos Aires, I go see live music as often as 3 times a week. Half the time, its free, and, even when I pay, its seldom as much as 200 pesos. The cheapest shows in the USA are double that, big names can often be ten times that. Music in Buenos Aires is wide ranging in style and type, accessible, and everybody is friendly. I have become friends with promoters and musicians, just by showing up again and again. I get treated like a friend, which simply does not happen at venues in the USA, where everything is about money.

The food- I know, most people disagree with me about this. But I miss fugazzeta, mate, fernet, empanadas, and choris. I miss having 5 different choices to walk and get fresh pasta daily. I miss the meat, of course, but also the more creative non-meat places that are popping up all over. I cook a fair amount in Buenos Aires, but I also eat great food from restaurants and bakeries and bars pretty often, and much cheaper than it costs me where I live in the Pacific Northwest.

The stuff- due to geographic and political/economic isolation, Argentina has more crazy old things, of all types, than most places. Tuppeware, Target, H&M and Walmart have not covered the land in cheap chinese plastic. I see, everyday, stone, metal, wood, leather, fabric, ceramics and glass, most handmade, ranging from last week to a century old. I see antiques all the time, mid century modern furniture, vintage clothing, old cars, and all kinds of interesting historical objects that are rare and expensive in the USA. Doesnt mean I buy em all- in fact, I only collect a few things, like, say, Pinguinos- but I enjoy living in a place where things are kept, and repaired, rather than constantly tossed for the latest piece of crap that will be obsolete next year. I eat off of 50 year old plates, drink from glasses from the 50s, sit on chairs that are older than I am, and once in a while get to ride in a BMW Isetta.

 

[chris]

When I am away I miss the excellent medical care my Argentine insurance provides me. (I despise US medicine). I miss the cafes and restaurants. I miss certain people.

 

[MatameBA]

One thing I miss about Argentina every time I go back to the US... is being able to speak with fewer filters.

In the US, people are constantly analyzing every phrase, looking for some reason to be offended. Argentines, on the other hand, are very UNpolitically-correct.

They're not shy about discussing sex, politics, relationships, drugs, cultural differences, and the dirty realities of everyday life... even with people they've just met. And they tend to discuss these topics in blunt, sometimes even crass terminology.

Frankly, I like it, even if I don't agree with the opinion being spouted. It feels like I'm talking to a real person, and not an overly sensitive automaton.

 

[julian63]

I do not believe "crass" is a desirable or likeable quality. To the extent your observation about the nature of the Porteno personality is accurate, it contributes to my perception of the too often displayed local character trait of annoyingly egoistical.
To the extent that being politically incorrect (in other words, not afraid to voice contrary views) is a good thing, and I believe it is, one need not be crass to do so.

 

[citygirl]

Having been gone almost 2 years!!, I miss my family. I miss long asados (I'm back in the land of people arriving at 6:30 and never staying past 8:30). I miss the skies. I miss helado, (although I found a Freddo in Charleston - and yes, it was the real Argentine Freddo!).

 

[demokritos]

I'd miss being greeted on the street by the neighbors
I'd miss being greeted by name at stores
I'd miss the blue sky and lovely warm days
I'd miss walking this beautiful city
I'd miss all the incredible free concerts the city offers in dozens of venues all year long
I'd miss walking at the ecological reserve and Palermo park
I'd miss tango dancing with lifelong milongueros
I'd miss the magnificent architecture of the city
I'd miss connecting with friendly portenos in daily life
I'd miss all the hug and kisses I receive and give to friends and acquaintances in this grand city

I will never leave Argentina.

I love your posts and your passion for this city. This forum is often used as an outlet for people to express their frustration with living in Argentina as an expat, which I completely understand, but your posts serve as a constant reminder of all the reasons to come in the first place, and reasons to continue living in Buenos Aires. Your free concerts thread is one of the best things on the forum!