Who is still coming over?

[MizzMarr]

Malthus, you should come and just check it out and see what you think. You can get a pretty nice furnished 1 bedroom rental for 800-1000 dollars easily, and a shared furnished flat around $300-500 dollars (sharing makes it easier to learn Spanish, meet people, etc., if you're coming alone).

If you can make a foreign wage your quality of life will be great (minus the regular annoyances), but there are lots of other factors that would go into enjoying life here. beyond income. Nobody can tell you if it's for you or what kind of experience you'll have, just come here and figure it out for yourself! At the very least the sun shines most of the time here, and the weather is generally gorgeous from Fall-Spring.

 

[Barney]

I haven't necessarily witnessed firsthand increase of violence, but it would tend to go hand-in-hand with the increasing gap between the rich and poor that is only exacerbated by inflation. I'm betting that if things continue to deteriorate economically that violence (I'm not talking murder, but petty crimes of desperation, muggings and robberies with knives/guns, etc.) will rise. That said, I have never once reported an attack that happened to me (3x) or know of anybody who does (because what's the use) so I don't think any statistics on the matter will be accurate.

That said, everybody who I know here and most people that I speak with (locals and foreigners alike) with few exceptions has been the target of a violent attack at least once.

What were the 3 kinds of attacks that happend to you?

I am a dude, I know where I am going, I dont wear jewelery and don't get too drunk to know where I am and I must been one of the exeptions because I haven't been a victom of (violent) crime. I have been lucky a couple of times though, but that's also because I know the place.

Personally I don't think it's getting worse.

 

[Barney]

Malthus, you should come and just check it out and see what you think. You can get a pretty nice furnished 1 bedroom rental for 800-1000 dollars easily, and a shared furnished flat around $300-500 dollars (sharing makes it easier to learn Spanish, meet people, etc., if you're coming alone).

If you can make a foreign wage your quality of life will be great (minus the regular annoyances), but there are lots of other factors that would go into enjoying life here. beyond income. Nobody can tell you if it's for you or what kind of experience you'll have, just come here and figure it out for yourself! At the very least the sun shines most of the time here, and the weather is generally gorgeous from Fall-Spring.

Just come in october and stay untill march atleast and you will kill 2 birds with one stone.

I have a friend who is basically in the same situation as you, feel free to send me your email and I will give you some more spefic info/advice

 

[Barney]

Hi

I am paying $1400 a month in London for a bedroom that measures 12 feet by 10.5 feet - I share with 2 other friends, they have a room each (mine is the largest by far) I can hear my neighbour (not my friends, I mean a stranger neighbour!) through my bedroom wall as it is made of particle board (cardboard), I have a train line a stone's throw from my window where trains run every 10 minutes in both directions, and ALL my bills are extra. (Electricity, council tax (a UK thing), water, telephone, broadband, TV License, all extra. (Comes to probably $240 per month)

So total, with extras, $1700 a month for rent and bills.

This is not food, clothes, going out or mobile phone costs...

If I can earn the same as I do here, and live in BA, surely I can get more bang for my buck! (and not have to share with people anymore!)

Thanks

Malthus101

With 3000 dollar you are a King in BA

 

[starlucia]

If I can earn the same as I do here, and live in BA, surely I can get more bang for my buck!

As long as you realize that Buenos Aires is not like London (nor New York nor Paris.) The people and the architecture may look European, but the city is South American to the core. Yes, you're paying less, but you're also giving up a lot of the convenience, comfort, and regulation of first-world living. Now, some expats hate that, some embrace it. But like any city in the world, there's absolutely zero way to predict how you'll feel until you actually live here. Like everyone else said, come for 6 months, and then take it from there.

 

[MizzMarr]

What were the 3 kinds of attacks that happend to you?

I am a dude, I know where I am going, I dont wear jewelery and don't get too drunk to know where I am and I must been one of the exeptions because I haven't been a victom of (violent) crime. I have been lucky a couple of times though, but that's also because I know the place.

Personally I don't think it's getting worse.

Each attacked happened when I was with my 6'+ boyfriend. Once when looking for an internship spot (granted I was a new arrival) in Mataderos and we got rushed by boys with knives (middle of the afternoon, broad daylight). Second time walking home in San Telmo with a backpack and got accosted by a motochorro and a woman who pointed a gun at us and took my stuff (early evening, people on the streets). Third time walking home from a dinner in Almagro where a would-be mugger tried to grab my purse but we fought him off (around midnight on a lighted street).

I'm not going to go into any more detail than this, as I've already written about my experiences in other posts on this board. I will go ahead and say your points come across as condescending--I was not drunk, lost, wearing jewelry or being a general idiot any of the times that these incidents happened to me. I've also almost been robbed by firemen here. Sometimes it's just the luck of the draw and the situation you're in. I've heard plenty of stories and seen the aftermath first hand a number of times (a man chasing someone down the street, a woman crying over her recent mugging, an old woman with a bleeding face, a woman who lived in our building held up by gunpoint from a random person who entered the building with her, a cabby tale of getting smashed over the head with a brick and his car stolen, etc., etc.). Thankfully nothing has happened to me recently, but don't tout your luck too much as it can happen to anyone.

 

[Barney]

I don't have a backpack(nor would I walk around with a backpack) and I don't need a purse so I am guess I am lucky. With a purse your chances are probally bigger to getting robbed. With hindsight I am sure you wouldnt have walked around in Mataderos but have taken a cab from the closest busstop or metro stop and take a cab from there(at the time probally like 6 peso)

Your point that crime is increasing is my opinion baseless, I don't see a increase in crime but compared to 2005 I see a much bigger police presence on the streets. In 2005 there were no police officers at trainstations now they are all the time. I am sorry for you that you got mugged 3 times but that's not the general norm in capital.

And all this coming from a guy who fairly regular visit places like Sarandi, Avalaneda, Lanus, Ramos Mejia, Gen. Pacheco, San Isidro, Martinez etc. And someone who is on the streets after 3 atleast 3 nights a week and ONLY takes bus/trains and subte

 

[MizzMarr]

I don't have a backpack(nor would I walk around with a backpack) and I don't need a purse so I am guess I am lucky. With a purse your chances are probally bigger to getting robbed. With hindsight I am sure you wouldnt have walked around in Mataderos but have taken a cab from the closest busstop or metro stop and take a cab from there(at the time probally like 6 peso)

Your point that crime is increasing is my opinion baseless, I don't see a increase in crime but compared to 2005 I see a much bigger police presence on the streets. In 2005 there were no police officers at trainstations now they are all the time. I am sorry for you that you got mugged 3 times but that's not the general norm in capital.

And all this coming from a guy who fairly regular visit places like Sarandi, Avalaneda, Lanus, Ramos Mejia, Gen. Pacheco, San Isidro, Martinez etc. And someone who is on the streets after 3 atleast 3 nights a week and ONLY takes bus/trains and subte

Miravos. Look, I'm not trying to argue with you, but a police presence on the street doesn't mean a whole lot. My point was mainly that I see the potential for increasing violence with increasing disparities between the rich and poor as the poor get more desperate. I believe it's going to get worse. It's certainly your right to disagree with me. End of story.

 

[Barney]

Miravos. Look, I'm not trying to argue with you, but a police presence on the street doesn't mean a whole lot. My point was mainly that I see the potential for increasing violence with increasing disparities between the rich and poor as the poor get more desperate. I believe it's going to get worse. It's certainly your right to disagree with me. End of story.

And that is based on just a gut feeling and doesn't take in account your time in BA and your personal experience?

Was the police present those 3 times you were mugged?

 

[Barney]

Do you guys and gals think the amount of expats/perm tourists is down?