Young & well to do. Should I move to BA?

[El Duderino]

You need to get out more. You seem to know only obnoxious Palermitanos and expats. It is fucking Buenos Aires, one of three or five cultural capitals of the world (Paris, NYC, Berlin, and... what else?)

I love BsAs, but top 3 or 5? Crazy talk.

 

[Ashley]

Financially, you'll be more than fine on what you earn.
I'm sure you could find a pretty luxurious apartment for around 1,500 - 2,000 dollars...which will be your biggest expense. High-end eating is also cheaper here (low and mid-end is not really any more)...though expect little variety.
There are plenty of great places to travel nearby-ish for those with money to spend and there's always plenty to do in the city. As far as buying "stuff" is concerned (electronics, clothes, books), you'll be a lot worse off and getting stuff sent to you is nigh-on impossible.
If I earned a 6-fig salary, I'd probably head to Paris or try a lot of different places. Buenos Aires is great for a six-month stint but I'm not sure I'd turn it into a permanent living situation if I were to have the option of a great lifestyle in a variety of places available to me.

 

[jp]

On a six figure salary you can live very, very well.

You've more than enough to rent a fully stocked luxury apartment in the best part of town. Can't think why you'd need to buy any electronics on a 6 months stint, unless you have a penchant for overpriced washing machines.

There's plenty of great restaurants, offering world class dining at a fraction of the prices you'll find in other cities. The city is steeped in culture, art, museums, history - never any reason to get bored. Plus there are great clubs, concert venues, bars...

BA is a great city. A six figure income will insulate you from all the crap that makes it tiring, and give you more than enough to enjoy all the best the city has to offer.

 

[citygirl]

Is that six figure income before or after taxes? BsAs is great but I guess my question is what makes you want to come here? If it's b/c it's cheap - I would be looking at some other places where your dollar would go as far (or farther!) and the weather is better. If you have this idea of sun, fun, nights spent dancing, etc - I'd probably look at Rio or Sampa or one of the cities in Brasil. If it's because you want to have fun in BsAs and travel all over Argentina and see glaciers, pampas, tropical, mountains, etc, etc, come on down

I love Buenos Aires, it's home but no way is it one of the top five cities in the world. I wouldn't even put it necessarily as the top city in South America.

But any place is great for 6 months - you will have fun wherever you go.

 

[Macanudo]

Learn to dance Tango and you will love Buenos Aires. Start studying Spanish with the idea that you will stay forever, because if you get addicted to Tango you probably will. Find a room for rent on Craigslist and if you don't like it move on. http://lamilongadel126.blogspot.com/

 

[marksoc]

If you come for the girls, take into account that they will not be subservient just because you are from the States. This is no South East Asia (I love you people from SEA, but you know that there is a problem with girls and farang there). So you probably will meet a nice lady here, but expect her to be opinionated and a little bit crazy (but not as materialist as in your country of origin).

 

[DontMindMe]

It's a personal decision. You can have a great living on your wage, but people fed up will tell you "don't come" and people who love it will tell you "definitely".

I told him to come, and I'm firmly in the Negative Nancy camp when it comes to life in BA. But he's not talking about life in BA. He's talking about coming for a short time to experience it with a steady job already lined up and lots of $$. I can't think of a better way to spend time here. OP, if you don't come here, go somewhere!!

So you probably will meet a nice lady here, but expect her to be opinionated and a little bit crazy (but not as materialist as in your country of origin).

Really? I know a lot of materialistic people here. They just don't have the funds to buy what they want. Groupon BA is a huge hit because it makes unaffordable things more affordable, and you can make a zillion credit card payments of 10 pesos at a time to make big purchases. People are glued to their Blackberries here, just like everywhere else, once they get them. Did any of you go to dinner on Día del Amigo? I went to Cumaná and all I saw were young faces lit up by glowing screens. And the ones who can travel? I hear a whole lot about shopping, shopping and more shopping in Miami. Actually, I am not sure I've ever met a porteña my age who doesn't love shopping in general. I know they're out there, but man did my female students love to talk about shopping. And not that this will be a problem for the OP, but sure don't see a lot of women dating "down" and getting to know guys from different social classes.

Of course, certain barrios are worse than others when it comes to this stuff. After years of avoiding it, I've ended up in Palermo and while it's pretty and all, I very much miss life and the vibe south of Avenida Corrientes. I think being materialistic is a mentality. Lots of people in BA are materialistic, and lots aren't. It's just not always as visually evident when they are because of limited access to affordable electronics, good quality clothing, etc. Sorry marksoc, this was in no way meant as an attack on you. I'm just always truly baffled when I hear people say that they think porteños are not as materialistic as people in other places.

 

[Matt84]

If you come for the girls, take into account that they will not be subservient just because you are from the States. This is no South East Asia (I love you people from SEA, but you know that there is a problem with girls and farang there). So you probably will meet a nice lady here, but expect her to be opinionated and a little bit crazy (but not as materialist as in your country of origin).

That entire post is very non materialistic of you MarkSoc. Appreciate your spirituality.

@Mimetic I just meant that you shouldn't advertise your personal finances. Anyway, you could have a heck of a time in Patagonia, Punta del Este (good looking people and beaches; safe cool and full of Brazilians who incidentally are not crazy) or Pinamar during the summer (really, avoid B.A. during the summer), and then enjoy this eclectic city for the fall. 6 months with some side trips could be a lot of fun.
You didn't ask about relocating, did you...

 

[JSRinCal]

I agree with everything jb5 said. I fit your description and went to BA for 3 months from end of October last year to a week after New Year when it started getting too hot. All I need is my computer, Skype, my cell phone, and Internet. My business was crippled because of the terrible Internet connections there. I had three different apartments all experiencing different problems with the WiFi, and even the wired connection with updated modem and router was not good. I even did what Carlosgreat suggests and traveled around, which is wonderful advise...Iguacu and Patagonia were incredible...however, even when in 4 and 5 star hotels where I thought Internet would be better, it wasn't. I finally realized they just aren't equipped for speeds that we need to work from, and I traveled with a VOIP phone that needs a steady connection to make it through phone calls. The connection was sporadic as he says everywhere I went.

Besides that, I also agree with LostinBA unfortunately. I have a lot of great things to say about BA, but it's a place where, if I had to do it again, I would go for a short time to party but spend more time traveling to Iguacu, Patagonia, and up to Peru and Maccu Picchu, which I loved as well. For what you want to do, I would go to Prague or somewhere in Europe a little more advanced and not so depressed. However, if you do end up going and need some tips from someone who has done what you're doing, feel free to write me at [email protected].

Buena Suerte!

Oh, PS, if you go when it's hot (November-February), you actually can find rental apartments that have a community pool. The one next to me had one, and I had to watch them swim all the time from my porch, which sucked in that weather. The pool would have been the one relaxing piece of relief from the hot, dirty city.

Also, if I did it again (which I won't), but if I did, I would definitely arrange for a place for just a week or so in Palermo SoHo, Palermo Hollywood, or Recoleta, and then just find a few property management companies, and go look at places so you can get a feel for the area, etc. It's a plus if the property managers are the ones to follow all the way through to give you back your deposit. In situations where they left us to fend with the owner after they got us the place, they always nickled and dimed us for stupid reasons when we checked out.

 

[marksoc]

That entire post is very non materialistic of you MarkSoc. Appreciate your spirituality.

We are not known for being politically correct. If I was coming to BA from the US, I would want somebody to tell me what can I expect in this regard, which is one of the main draws of the city. For young people, it is a good place, like Spain (all of it), Amsterdam or Berlin. For old people, take already that flight to Thailand, please.

(I know that there are materialistic areas on the city, especially Palermo-Belgrano-Recoleta. Shopping is not the same than materialism. The later is the encroachment of a market mentality in every social interaction, the dating system with its ridiculous requirements reaching to crazy heights with online dating, etc. Note that I put dating. Americans go on dates, we simply "go out", it is a different concept, and a different way of relate to each other).