What's the reality of safety in Buenos Aires?

[VincentKMcMahon]

This is huge in Colombia, no doubt will be more common here as the economy goes down. Also a lot of Yankees have died or been permanently damaged by these drugs. The girl slipping it into your drink probably didn't go to med school and isn't measuring the dose in a scientific beaker. Very easy for her to get the amount wrong in a dark noisy club and then you are in a world of trouble.

 

[Ceviche]

Safety depends a lot on your ascedentes. If you are a brown person - a typical Brazilian looking person, chances of mugging drop quite a lot in BA as most muggers regard you as similar genetics and have an empathtetic view about you. Also if you are tall, big, nice walk - chances are less, as they look for easy targets.

Generally, white American girls or white Argie girls from smaller cities are of Argentina are easy targets.

 

[Happy Camper]

It's important to remember that there are 3 geographical BAs and multiple economic BAs:

Geographically/Politically, there is the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, aka Capital/CABA/what most tourists and foreigners think of when someone says Buenos Aires, think Manhattan/the 5 Boroughs in NYC. Then there's Gran Buenos Aires i.e. San Isidro, Ezeiza, etc., basically the metro Buenos Aires area, similar to say Yonkers/Westchester outside New York. Then there's the rest of the Province of Buenos Aires, which is like New York State, i.e Jamestown and Manhattan are very different despite both being in the State of New York.

Economically it's a similar story, CABA has both Puerto Madero which has a higher HDI than basically every US state, but it also has Villa 31 like 3 miles away, which is a literal slum, so it all depends on where you go. Same can be said for Gran Buenos Aires which has both La Matanza (nominative determinism in action maybe?) and Nordelta, while Provincial Buenos Aires away from the city has both millionaire farmers whose teenaged rugby sons drive their Hiluxes drunk, and land usurpers who build shanty towns out of cinderblocks and tin.

All this being said and my point is that it really depends where you go. If you're planning on living in the City of Buenos Aires, the most likely insecurity you'll encounter is uneven sidewalks and cars that don't obey traffic laws, followed by petty theft. If you move to a "country" (gated community) in Gran Buenos Aires, the biggest threat is Argentine Karens that run the HOA as if it were the Wehrmacht. If you move to rural Buenos Aires Province, your main issue is shitty roads/driving at night, and people killing your cow for steaks.

I've been living in/coming to Argentina for over a decade and provided you don't flash the cash/make yourself a target for crime, odds are you'll be safe. Remember, the City of Buenos Aires, including Villa 31, still has a lower homicide rate than basically every major US city I believe, around 3 per 100K compared to 6 and change in NYC, and I consider NYC very safe.

It's important to remember that there are 3 geographical BAs and multiple economic BAs:

Geographically/Politically, there is the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, aka Capital/CABA/what most tourists and foreigners think of when someone says Buenos Aires, think Manhattan/the 5 Boroughs in NYC. Then there's Gran Buenos Aires i.e. San Isidro, Ezeiza, etc., basically the metro Buenos Aires area, similar to say Yonkers/Westchester outside New York. Then there's the rest of the Province of Buenos Aires, which is like New York State, i.e Jamestown and Manhattan are very different despite both being in the State of New York.

Economically it's a similar story, CABA has both Puerto Madero which has a higher HDI than basically every US state, but it also has Villa 31 like 3 miles away, which is a literal slum, so it all depends on where you go. Same can be said for Gran Buenos Aires which has both La Matanza (nominative determinism in action maybe?) and Nordelta, while Provincial Buenos Aires away from the city has both millionaire farmers whose teenaged rugby sons drive their Hiluxes drunk, and land usurpers who build shanty towns out of cinderblocks and tin.

All this being said and my point is that it really depends where you go. If you're planning on living in the City of Buenos Aires, the most likely insecurity you'll encounter is uneven sidewalks and cars that don't obey traffic laws, followed by petty theft. If you move to a "country" (gated community) in Gran Buenos Aires, the biggest threat is Argentine Karens that run the HOA as if it were the Wehrmacht. If you move to rural Buenos Aires Province, your main issue is shitty roads/driving at night, and people killing your cow for steaks.

I've been living in/coming to Argentina for over a decade and provided you don't flash the cash/make yourself a target for crime, odds are you'll be safe. Remember, the City of Buenos Aires, including Villa 31, still has a lower homicide rate than basically every major US city I believe, around 3 per 100K compared to 6 and change in NYC, and I consider NYC very safe.

It's important to remember that there are 3 geographical BAs and multiple economic BAs:

Geographically/Politically, there is the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, aka Capital/CABA/what most tourists and foreigners think of when someone says Buenos Aires, think Manhattan/the 5 Boroughs in NYC. Then there's Gran Buenos Aires i.e. San Isidro, Ezeiza, etc., basically the metro Buenos Aires area, similar to say Yonkers/Westchester outside New York. Then there's the rest of the Province of Buenos Aires, which is like New York State, i.e Jamestown and Manhattan are very different despite both being in the State of New York.

Economically it's a similar story, CABA has both Puerto Madero which has a higher HDI than basically every US state, but it also has Villa 31 like 3 miles away, which is a literal slum, so it all depends on where you go. Same can be said for Gran Buenos Aires which has both La Matanza (nominative determinism in action maybe?) and Nordelta, while Provincial Buenos Aires away from the city has both millionaire farmers whose teenaged rugby sons drive their Hiluxes drunk, and land usurpers who build shanty towns out of cinderblocks and tin.

All this being said and my point is that it really depends where you go. If you're planning on living in the City of Buenos Aires, the most likely insecurity you'll encounter is uneven sidewalks and cars that don't obey traffic laws, followed by petty theft. If you move to a "country" (gated community) in Gran Buenos Aires, the biggest threat is Argentine Karens that run the HOA as if it were the Wehrmacht. If you move to rural Buenos Aires Province, your main issue is shitty roads/driving at night, and people killing your cow for steaks.

I've been living in/coming to Argentina for over a decade and provided you don't flash the cash/make yourself a target for crime, odds are you'll be safe. Remember, the City of Buenos Aires, including Villa 31, still has a lower homicide rate than basically every major US city I believe, around 3 per 100K compared to 6 and change in NYC, and I consider NYC very safe.

One of the best replies I've seen on the forum.

 

[Rich One]

Safety depends a lot on your ascedentes. If you are a brown person - a typical Brazilian looking person, chances of mugging drop quite a lot in BA as most muggers regard you as similar genetics and have an empathtetic view about you. Also if you are tall, big, nice walk - chances are less, as they look for easy targets.

Generally, white American girls or white Argie girls from smaller cities are of Argentina are easy targets.

Black widows are specialists and have strong accomplices, ready to intervene once the victim is unconscious . The victims more often are older males. They find their preys in singles bars.

 

[Rich One]

Black widows are specialists and have strong accomplices, ready to intervene once the victim is unconscious . The victims more often are older males. They find their preys in singles bars.

In the case of young girls being drugged the purpose is sexual abuse. Black widows objective is theft only...!

 

[Ries]

Pretty much every day in Argentina, a woman is killed by her spouse or partner or ex.
This is a real safety issue.
The actual amount of overweight retired expats who are seduced by beautiful women to steal their kitchen appliances and cheap android phones is tiny.
Buenos Aires is still a very safe city.

 

[Rich One]

Pretty much every day in Argentina, a woman is killed by her spouse or partner or ex.
This is a real safety issue.
The actual amount of overweight retired expats who are seduced by beautiful women to steal their kitchen appliances and cheap android phones is tiny.
Buenos Aires is still a very safe city.

The US Embassy thinks otherwise. Nothing we can do to stop the killing of women by their partners.
But retired expats can become aware and change their habits to live safely

 

[Robert8808]

Buenos Aires is not as dangerous as Colombia or Mexico! Many expats live here and they report feeling very safe here in Caba! That is the central part of Buenos Aires. There are many provinces that are much safer anyway. Argentina is not only Buenos Aires!

I'm looking at not only BA but also the provinces to live in, could you recommend some reasonably safe places outside BA you would consider OK please?

 

[mageesa]

Hunh I forgot about this thread...

I went to buy a used electric kettle from a guy in Caballito this weekend, and I had a devil of a time communicating with him because he had 'lost his phone', so he could only respond when he was at his computer. He said to bring cash. I said, okay let's meet at this busy corner in the middle of the day, and he was delighted.

Turns out he'd been robbed at gunpoint a few days before while meeting a buyer for a piece of furniture from his (deceased) aunt's apartment. They took his money, phone, etc.
(The more my spanish improves, the more stories of robberies I hear... go figure! But there seem to be more police in the touristy areas than a year ago, so maybe newcomers are safer than locals)

 

[Quilombo]

Hunh I forgot about this thread...

I went to buy a used electric kettle from a guy in Caballito this weekend, and I had a devil of a time communicating with him because he had 'lost his phone', so he could only respond when he was at his computer. He said to bring cash. I said, okay let's meet at this busy corner in the middle of the day, and he was delighted.

Turns out he'd been robbed at gunpoint a few days before while meeting a buyer for a piece of furniture from his (deceased) aunt's apartment. They took his money, phone, etc.
(The more my spanish improves, the more stories of robberies I hear... go figure! But there seem to be more police in the touristy areas than a year ago, so maybe newcomers are safer than locals)

The amount of scammers is crazy here, I made it easy to filter them out by saying we'd meet in front of the comisaria near my old apt when selling user goods. Also, always cash only, and avoid dollars if you can as the number of fakes are very high, someone tried paying me with fake ones before I ended up selling my old laptop to another forum member.