Job Discussion Forums

[nattlenut]

I am just extremely excited right now!!!!! Two days ago, I confirmed my placement in the EBC International course in October (yes, I am planning ahead). I had done my research and also read the comments on here, so thank you!

Now, in my typical fashion, once I am excited about something all I want to do is think about it and plan for it, even though it is silly to do so in April. But I have something I would like to ask some of you who know BS fairly well. This is sort of a little assignment, heehee.

Okay, two things I am wondering...

1. If you had to rank all of the neighborhoods in BA (you know, the typical ones where people live, which you all have been discussing) in order of safety, what order would they go in? (from safest to most dangerous, or other way around, whatever)

2. Also, if you had to rank them in order of price of living (apartment rent, basically), how would they go?

If you're up to the challenge, please help me out and write up a little list or two!!

AND if any of you will be down there in October and later, let me know!!!

thank you,
Natalie

[guillebaires]

Hi Natalie,

I'm a local and I would say that there is no particulary unsafe neighborhood in town... Perhaps some of them are not nice to walk in during the dark hours... but if you use your common sense, you will be fine.

Said that, If I were you I wouldn't base my research just on how cheap or expensive neighborhoods are... I will try to 'see' what does each place has to offer you... e.g. you will pay the same amount of money for an apartment in some areas of Caballito than in Belgrano, but in Belgrano you have parks, lakes, golf courses, the riverside, night-life and malls and It's just 20 minutes from Plaza de Mayo by subway...

So, money is not always a good way to measure the real value of living somewhere...

If you need any info about BA, just write me back or check my website (www.guillebaires.com.ar), I'm not a travel agent, I sell nothing!!! Don't worry! )

Suerte!

Guille

[nattlenut]

Thanks, Guille, for your candid thoughts---and I probably will bug you again for more. I hope I did not portray that I am only interested in safety and price. I am definitely most interested in the spirit and character of a neighborhood but, safety and price are very important things to me as well, for a number of reasons. I asked those two questions so I could get a better idea of those concerns and use them to make a more informed selection when it's time to choose a place to live.

thanks again... Anybody else want to chime in? It would be helpful for me to have a sort of concrete thing like a list.....

thanks!

[amy1982]

nattlenut-

i am not SOO familiar w/ bsas - i was there for 6 mos in 2003. but i would say that the best way to decide on a neighborhood is to spend some time in them before you get an apt. stay at a hostel for a couple weeks or even a month. (it's hard to set up reasonably priced housing before you get there anyway.) visit the barrios at different times of day and perhaps with someone that knows them. eat at a restaurant, walk around, observe people, etc. get a feel for it. and definitely get an idea of what it has to offer (close to transportation, parks, restaurants, etc.)

i loved la boca. i have so many good memories from that barrio, and the whole time the porte�os were telling my friend and i that it was too dangerous, they would steal our money, clothes, make us take drugs, and all kinds of other scary things. we learned to ignore those kinds of opinions and have so many good memories of our adventures in boca. that said, i probably wouldn't choose to live there if i were on my own. but at any rate, i think you get my point: don't go on other people's opinions alone - you may miss out on your favorite neighborhood nothing can subsitute for actually visiting.

and for other personal faves (places where i would live if/when i find an affordable place): barrio norte, recoleta, palermo, belgrano, or the microcentro (to name a few). it really does depend on what your personal style/comfort is. from looking at clarin.com > clasificados > inmuebles, it looks like there is affordable housing in any barrio...

[matttheboy]

I'd agree with guille and amy-firstly the places that you'd want to live in are all reasonably safe as long as you take all the precautions that you would take in any major city anywhere in the world. La Boca is definitely not a place to live, just to visit though...

If you want to be somewhere with good transport links and that's close reasonably close to everything then the centre, micocentro and congreso are you best bets as they're the closest to the Diagonal Norte Subte where the 4 main liines cross.

Costs are similar for most areas but barrio norte, recoleta and parts of palermo are more expensive (read: overpriced). Personally, i'm in Congreso, at the bottom of the 2 plazas and love it here, quiet after 7, very safe due to the police patrolling Congreso and Av de Mayo, very close to transport links etc. Wouldn't want to be anywhere else actually.

This site is quite good for getting your bearings:
http://www.barriada.com.ar/

The problem is that it's divided into the official barrios of the city-most of the places you'll hear people talking about don't actually exist, eg Palermo Viejo (mostly part of Colegiales), Congreso (mostly in Monserrat) etc but it gives info on each area which is useful.

Matt

[ksonnen]

How much would one expect to pay for a 1 bedroom apartment in a decent part of town, preferably with a few parks and close to transportation? Also, do most apartments allow dogs?