Ask TheMetetron about living in or visiting Buenos Aires, Argentina

[HP]

sweet sounds awesome, thanks again

[Chairman Wood]

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Need any and all advice for going to Iguazu later this month. I've got Lonely Planet Argentina so I'll take a look at that and see if I have any questions.

[/ QUOTE ] Read the thread you [censored]! No but seriously I think I might have written a few things earlier in the thread about it. So maybe look there and also just ask me questions (you wanna go out tonight?). Also, if you need some help making arrangements give my friend Pilar an e-mail (if you don't have her email address just ask me). See what she has to offer.

[Chairman Wood]

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Does anyone happen to know a good spot in Bs As to watch the sun rise?

[/ QUOTE ] Any where on the stretch of sidewalk along the water in Costanera is excellent. There is a major avenue that runs sort-of northwest along the water coming from downtown to the airport (for all the out-of-towners I'm talking Newberry not Ezeiza). I'm not positive but I think the street is called Costanera Obligado. There are occasionally sections of park you can duck into and a pier there where they fish a lot.

[Chairman Wood]

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I joined up b/c I saw this thread and enjoy poker

I'm currently studying abroad in Cordoba, Argentina, the 2nd largest city

A couple of questions I didn't see fully answered, one if the natives are friendly towards americans

I would say yes, very. I haven't received any racist comments or ill treatment, or even gotten ripped off by a cab driver. The women are very receptive as long as you realize you will have to make the first move. If you are even half fluent in spanish, you'll do fine, but as previously stated the males here are very aggressive, so women are used to males approaching them, but foreigners definitely have the upper edge

Also, as for other cities with a good city life where everything is within walking distance
I highly recommend Cordoba, even above Buenos Aires. BA can be fairly dangerous for obvious foreigners, you will often have items stolen if you are not very careful in the streets, and getting drunk in clubs can be dangerous in the ride home (ripped off by cabs or worse). BA does have the advantage of being the bigger city with the beach though


Cordoba has a population of about 2million, and I live pretty much in the exact middle of it. Theres dozens of clubs within a 10 minute walk, as well as malls, theatres, cinemas, and hundreds of cafes/restaurants/other attractions. The night life is fantastic, and I haven't run into trouble of any kind with anyone in the month I've been here. Everyone is receptive if you can speak a bit of spanish (I'm about half fluent)

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I haven't seen this thread in a while so I'm just reading some of these posts for the first time. I'd like to add Cordoba is pretty sweet. I also used to date a girl from there. They have an accent where it is almost as if they sing when they talk. It's spectacular.

Another note, just to try to make sure there is no misinformation. Buenos Aires doesn't have anything that most people on this forum would consider a beach. There are some places along the water, especially out of town aways in a suburb like San Isidro, where you can go swimming and enjoy a sunny day and stuff like that but there is nothing with sand and what not that people would expect from a "beach."

[Chairman Wood]

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antastic thread!

I am a 18 year-old boy who will study (on the internet) in Buenos Aires from August to June. I will also take the "Español para extranjeros" course (2+2 hours x 17 weeks), which costs about $250.

Some questions for you Argentina-knowers on the forum:

1) Can you recommend a cheap hotel/hostel with WiFi? I haven't fixed an apartment, so I will chill down some days on a hotel and look for apartments.

2) Can you recommend a (mobile) telephone subscription for me? I won't call much and a cash card would be great.

3) Are there any age limits on the city's night clubs? Where do the young people go out to party? Is there any dress code, or is it enough with a shirt + jeans? What about shoes? Do they care?

4) Are there any low-limit poker games running? Something like 1/2, 2/4 or 3/6 would be great (or 50-100 tourneys). I'm talking about pesos.

5) Is it hard to get tickets to the Boca Juniors matches? I want to stand along with the fans as I love the team and also can the text of many of their songs. Where should I look for tickets like that? How can I see that my ticket is not fake if I buy from a street seller? And how much should I bribe the ticket collector with if my ticket is actually fake?

6) I love football (soccer) and I would like to play nearly every day. How are the fields down there? I've heard that there are lack of fields and that most of the playing grounds are kind of cages with 5v5 players. Can you give me a little information about this?

7) Are there any particular grocer's shops who are cheaper than others?


[/ QUOTE ] Other than number 6 your questions were just answered or were answered previously in the thread. Give me a PM if you are interested in playing on Monday nights around 10PM. We play on a turf type field so you can't play with cleats. Most fields around here are the same. You can play with tennis shoes but if you plan on playing for awhile and staying I'd advise you go to a store and buy shoes made to play on the field here. They will reduce the amount you slip drastically. You are right, most of the football is 5v5 or 6v6 or sometimes 7v7. If you want a full field you usually have to travel outside of the city.

[Ron Burgundy]

Sweet thread.

I think Argentina could be a good place for me to flee to if/when the US govt gets too oppressive.

So I have a few questions, some of which have already been discussed, but that I'd like some more info on or didn't understand.

1. What are the gun ownership laws? How about carrying concealed in public? Would you need some kind of license, or bribe someone? What about knives?

2. What's the general attitude towards gays? Are there gay neighborhoods like in most large US cities? Is gay marriage supported or opposed by most people?

3. If I meet a native dude, and he goes in for a standard cheek-kiss-hello, would he be offended if I politely refused?

4. I get the impression restaurants are super cheap. But I really like to cook, and I hate red meat. Do the grocery stores have a good selection of fresh produce and fish? Are there any farmers market type things? Do most apartments have decent stovetops? Are they gas or electric?

5. So if I understand the tax situation correctly: if a US resident of a state with no state income tax goes to Argentina and does the perpetual tourist visa deal, you don't legally owe any income tax whatsoever, to any country, if you're income is < $80K? Do you still need to send something to the IRS every year, even if you don't owe them anything?

If you're income is $100K, what is the tax rate? Is it treated as if you only had $20K income, or is it treated as if you had $100K income, but only $20K of it is taxable? I hope that made sense.

6. I assume there's a lot of bugs since it's a warm climate. Are there more/less than the southern US? How about weird reptiles or rodents or other gross small things?

7. How popular is tennis? Are there public courts? If so, do you ever see people playing?

8. People have said that landlords prefer USD cash payments for rent. So do most/all businesses accept USD?

9. What's the general political landscape like? Is it more left/right of the US? What are the major political parties? Do people care about politics less/more than here?

10. What's the legal status of abortion?

11. I get the impression from this thread that if you don't like opera or tango you're pretty much [censored] as far as music goes. true/false?

12. How is the quality of the tap water? About how much is bottled water?

[TheMetetron]

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Sweet thread.

I think Argentina could be a good place for me to flee to if/when the US govt gets too oppressive.

So I have a few questions, some of which have already been discussed, but that I'd like some more info on or didn't understand.

1. What are the gun ownership laws? How about carrying concealed in public? Would you need some kind of license, or bribe someone? What about knives?

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It's illegal to have a gun here. I'm not sure bribing would get you out of something that serious, but I guess it all depends on how much money you have as even the president here has links to tons of corruption. Knives I don't know, but obviously not illegal to own. Might be illegal to carry concealed. Not sure.

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2. What's the general attitude towards gays? Are there gay neighborhoods like in most large US cities? Is gay marriage supported or opposed by most people?

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Buenos Aires has a ridiculously large gay population. Tons of gay bars & nightclubs, as well as social clubs and other activities. Most people here are pretty accepting of it, moreso than in the USA I'd say. I'm not sure of the status of marriage here for gays.

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3. If I meet a native dude, and he goes in for a standard cheek-kiss-hello, would he be offended if I politely refused?

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Depends on the person and the situation. If there are mostly Argentines around it'd be pretty rude. If you are at a party with 90% foreigners it may not be a problem. FWIW my rule is to pretty much always do it with Argentines (both males and females) and with foreign women. If a foreign man tries it, I let it slide, but it seems pretty weird to me.

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4. I get the impression restaurants are super cheap. But I really like to cook, and I hate red meat. Do the grocery stores have a good selection of fresh produce and fish? Are there any farmers market type things? Do most apartments have decent stovetops? Are they gas or electric?

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There are a ton of really good restaurants here that serve incredible fish and chicken dishes. Sushi is very big here. I don't eat beef or pork anymore and that hasn't really stopped my enjoyment of the awesome dining that can be had here. Still, if you want to cook it is definitely possible though I can't give you specifics as that is not an area I am even remotely familiar with. Most stovetops are gas, though I have an electric. Most kitchens are adequate I'd imagine. You can get good, fresh produce very easily from the fruit stands everywhere. I'd imagine most carnecerias also have a selection of fish available.

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5. So if I understand the tax situation correctly: if a US resident of a state with no state income tax goes to Argentina and does the perpetual tourist visa deal, you don't legally owe any income tax whatsoever, to any country, if you're income is < $80K? Do you still need to send something to the IRS every year, even if you don't owe them anything?

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You are exempted from your first ~$80k in income tax on earned income. This requires you to file schedule C. You will, however, owe self-employment tax as that is not exempted no matter where you live. If you try to file recreationally, your income is no longer earned and you don't get the credit and now owe income tax. It isn't the world's greatest tax break but it is the best one you can get as an American.

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If you're income is $100K, what is the tax rate? Is it treated as if you only had $20K income, or is it treated as if you had $100K income, but only $20K of it is taxable? I hope that made sense.

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It did. It used to be the former; it changed 2 years ago into being the later. Sort of sucks.

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6. I assume there's a lot of bugs since it's a warm climate. Are there more/less than the southern US? How about weird reptiles or rodents or other gross small things?

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There aren't really very many bugs here at all. The only thing is mosquitoes in the summer nights are fairly common. I'd recommend a mosquito net for your bed which is something I wish I had done.

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7. How popular is tennis? Are there public courts? If so, do you ever see people playing?

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Haven't tried to play here personally but I know courts do exist. Hopefully someone can help more.

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8. People have said that landlords prefer USD cash payments for rent. So do most/all businesses accept USD?

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Most used to prior to 2001, but no longer do. Some larger stores might, but I really wouldn't count on it. Expect to have to pay pesos for everything except rent.

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9. What's the general political landscape like? Is it more left/right of the US? What are the major political parties? Do people care about politics less/more than here?

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I'm not big into Argentine politics except on a national and jefe de la ciudad level so I don't feel qualified to answer this. People here are required by law to vote, though I'm not sure if that translates into people caring more or not.

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10. What's the legal status of abortion?

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Believe it's legal. Can't say for sure though.

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11. I get the impression from this thread that if you don't like opera or tango you're pretty much [censored] as far as music goes. true/false?

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Entirely false.

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12. How is the quality of the tap water? About how much is bottled water?

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Depends on your building. It is drinkable everywhere but some buildings don't give out very tasty water. You can buy 1.5 liters at the store for about 60 cents.

[RiverPlay]

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3. If I meet a native dude, and he goes in for a standard cheek-kiss-hello, would he be offended if I politely refused?

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Depends on the person and the situation. If there are mostly Argentines around it'd be pretty rude. If you are at a party with 90% foreigners it may not be a problem. FWIW my rule is to pretty much always do it with Argentines (both males and females) and with foreign women. If a foreign man tries it, I let it slide, but it seems pretty weird to me.

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You just won't be recalled as a super friendly guy. There are lots of argentine males that chose just to shake hands, specially if they are not very young. I think most of the people would understand given you are a foreigner.


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7. How popular is tennis? Are there public courts? If so, do you ever see people playing?

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Haven't tried to play here personally but I know courts do exist. Hopefully someone can help more.

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Tennis is pretty big, lots of courts with lots of players.



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9. What's the general political landscape like? Is it more left/right of the US? What are the major political parties? Do people care about politics less/more than here?

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I'm not big into Argentine politics except on a national and jefe de la ciudad level so I don't feel qualified to answer this. People here are required by law to vote, though I'm not sure if that translates into people caring more or not.

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People cares about it, as long as they are educated (and smart) enough to do it. To vote is mandatory but you will find some people living in the most expensive areas (as well as in any other areas) that wouldn't know they have to vote next week. College students may know very little about recent political history... the facts about 30.000 people being killed because of political reasons 30 years ago remains very little known for lots of them. There are two major parties: Partido Justicialista (Peron Followers) and the Union Civica Radical which made a such poor government from 1999 to 2001 that almost kills the party.


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10. What's the legal status of abortion?

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Believe it's legal. Can't say for sure though.

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Not legal.

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11. I get the impression from this thread that if you don't like opera or tango you're pretty much [censored] as far as music goes. true/false?

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Entirely false.

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TheMetetron is right

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12. How is the quality of the tap water? About how much is bottled water?

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Depends on your building. It is drinkable everywhere but some buildings don't give out very tasty water. You can buy 1.5 liters at the store for about 60 cents.

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Yeah it's drinkable so you can have a sip if you are thirsty no matter where you come from. But it has SO MANY bleach in it just sucks, it smells like bleach and tastes the same.

[RiverPlay]

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Does anyone happen to know a good spot in Bs As to watch the sun rise?

[/ QUOTE ] Any where on the stretch of sidewalk along the water in Costanera is excellent. There is a major avenue that runs sort-of northwest along the water coming from downtown to the airport (for all the out-of-towners I'm talking Newberry not Ezeiza). I'm not positive but I think the street is called Costanera Obligado. There are occasionally sections of park you can duck into and a pier there where they fish a lot.

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Rafael Obligado is the name of the street everyone knows as costanera norte, most of the people doesn't even know it has another name. There's also a "costanera sur" (closer to puerto madero) where people goes to eat vacio asado and choripanes and to visit "reserva ecologica costanera sur" which is kind of like a national park.
http://www.buenosaires.gov.ar/areas/.../?menu_id=2486

[Chairman Wood]

Just answering questions that weren't answered or adding to some. [ QUOTE ]
1. What are the gun ownership laws? How about carrying concealed in public? Would you need some kind of license, or bribe someone? What about knives?

[/ QUOTE ] My sources for answering this question are various conversations I've had with Argentine friends who are also lawyers. I may not remember it all, but you can own a gun but it is quite a process to get one. You need some kind of legal residency in the country which as discussed can be tough to get. After that you need to pass a psychological test, a shooting test, a background test and of course give finger prints. With all of that you can get a license. Then you can buy a gun but there is about a 2 week waiting period or so. The gun will be registered to you. This is not from a lawyer but I remember a different friend who I would judge as being informed telling me that carrying a concealed weapon is a major no-no. I don't know about knives.

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2. What's the general attitude towards gays? Are there gay neighborhoods like in most large US cities? Is gay marriage supported or opposed by most people?

[/ QUOTE ] Buenos Aires is relatively a very forward thinking city considering homosexuals. Civil Unions are legal. Marriages no. I personally believe most people carry the sentiment of tolerance. I don't hear much very much gay-bashing. Just sort of people screwing around calling their friends gay. Nothing really deeply rooted in hate. I don't know necessarily about neighborhoods being "gay." I believe certain sections of Palermo as well as Once are known for having a higher % population of gays. I don't know if that answers your question.



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4. I get the impression restaurants are super cheap. But I really like to cook, and I hate red meat. Do the grocery stores have a good selection of fresh produce and fish? Are there any farmers market type things? Do most apartments have decent stovetops? Are they gas or electric?

[/ QUOTE ] There are some large supermarkets that have a fairly wide selection (although I've had problems finding a turkey but at the same time they had duck, pheasant and a whole bunch of others that I would consider rarer birds). I'd imagine most apartments have stovetops. If not, pick another. They are usually gas. Most apartments I go to the stoves are considerably older and the heat settings might be something you find difficult to use. Ovens are another thing. I've yet to see an oven with a temperature setting down here, but then again I don't go around inspecting people's kitchen appliances. Just sort of varying degrees of hot.

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6. I assume there's a lot of bugs since it's a warm climate. Are there more/less than the southern US? How about weird reptiles or rodents or other gross small things?

[/ QUOTE ] Where I'm from mosquitoes get really bad in the summer. Here, at least last year, they didn't really have a season. I remember once, the news and everyone was complaining about mosquitoes and the winter just started. I've yet to figure it out. It seems to come at different times. If you keep things clean, your windows closed and maybe buy some products at a supermarket you should be fine. I've never lived in the southern US so I don't know how to answer your question. I've never had problems with rodents or reptiles in my building.

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7. How popular is tennis? Are there public courts? If so, do you ever see people playing?

[/ QUOTE ] Just wanted to add that the courts are nearly all clay here.

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8. People have said that landlords prefer USD cash payments for rent. So do most/all businesses accept USD?

[/ QUOTE ] There are very few. USD are used selectively and normally for only bigger transactions such as houses and cars. Plane tickets are usually listed in USD.

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9. What's the general political landscape like? Is it more left/right of the US? What are the major political parties? Do people care about politics less/more than here?


[/ QUOTE ] Its humorous. But then again it is everywhere. This is something that I just advise you to do a little research on as although I follow it, I don't feel qualified to give an solid answer. But by definitions you would be accustomed to from the American educational system Argentina would be considered more to the left. Of course there are a billion exceptions especially because the Catholic Church can still peak its head into matters and just other things but I would define it as such. I also think people are more active politically then in the US. Beyond having obligatory voting, I believe people are more likely to get involved in demonstrations, protests and overall not be as apathetic. Some of those are known to turn violent.