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Study Abroad Guide to Buenos Aires

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By | March 9, 2020

A guide summarizing what Buenos Aires is like to live in. Language, where to live, hot spots, crime and more covered!

You’ve arrived in Buenos Aires, guide book in hand and some basic research accomplished. Now what? How about some tips from the locals! Real, unbiased advice from expats that live in Buenos Aires year-round!

Getting started
Societal Norms and faux pas
Things you must do and see
Lunfardo (Slang in Argentina)
Getting around the city (public transport)
Nightlife
Crime and Safety

Getting Started, Arrival

Ezeiza (EZE) airport is located about an hour from the center of Buenos Aires. The city itself is divided by a large highway called General Paz into two general sections, Capital Federal (where you will likely be the whole time) and Provincia. If you were to compare Buenos Aires to New York City, Capital Federal is to Manhattan as Provincia is to Queens, Bronx and Brooklyn.

Map showing border of Capital Federal and Provincia Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is massive. So large that it is unlikely that you will visit the majority of the neighborhoods within Capital Federal. The most traveler friendly areas and neighborhoods are: Palermo, Belgrano, Barrio Norte, Centro, San Telmo, Recoleta, Villa Crespo, Puerto Madero just to name a few. All neighborhoods that line the Linea D subte ( D subway line) are for the most part traveler friendly.

Each of these neighborhoods are known for their distinct onda (vibe), architecture and have various reputations regarding activities, nightlife and shopping. Most of the International students choose to stay in Palermo, or Recoleta.

Buenos Aires runs on a different schedule

Adjusting to Buenos Aires Life

Buenos Aires is one of the greatest cities in the world. Affordable fine wines, expansive lands, beaches, attractive people, a carnivore’s paradise, cutting edge fashion- the list goes on and on.

What the guide books won’t tell you is that Buenos Aires runs on a different clock– speaking generally that is. It is not uncommon to throw a party with a start time of 9 pm and not see one guest arrive until 11:30 pm. Clubs do not open their doors until 12 midnight and the crowd will not be present until 2 or 3 am. Restaurants will not be prepared to serve dinner until 8 pm- Buenos Aires has a very relaxed, take your time attitude when it comes to social events.

The general pace of life in Buenos Aires is much more relaxed. Offices open around 9:00 to 9:30 am and close around 5:30 pm. Lunch can sometimes stretch to be a couple of hours beginning around 1:00 pm.

To add some humor into your adjustment check out the “Good Gringo, Bad Gringo” article series about social faux pas in Buenos Aires.

Greetings always involve a kiss on the right cheek if you are female. Males greeting males will kiss the others’ cheek if they have an established friendship, are family or are simply trying to make the other feel welcome.

Argentinians generally speaking, do not drink as much as Germans, Russians, Americans, Australians, etc. However, they will outlast some of the best in the nightlife game. Getting drunk is not necessarily frowned upon, but it does tend to happen late into the morning at the end of a long night out.

Dating from a European or North American point of view can be very aggressive. Men will approach regularly and aggressively in bars and women can (not always the case) be perceived as stand off-ish and even downright cold. If you were a woman brought up in Buenos Aires and dealing with constant unwanted attention it would likely have the same effect on you! There is little advice we can offer for the gents other than to embrace your foreign factor.

Things To Do

Buenos Aires is packed with , activities, museums, beautiful parks and plazas, restaurants, bars and opportunities to enjoy a great trip abroad.

Your first few weeks should be spent seeing some of the most famous sites and landmarks that Buenos Aires has to offer. To name a few, The Recoleta Cemetery, Obelisco, Casa Rosasa, Plaza de Mayo, the Gran Ateneo Bookstore, Caminito and Puente de la Mujer are all picturesque and historically significant spots.

One of the absolute musts while visiting Buenos Aires is attending a fútbol match. Argentine’s love for futbol is truly unrivaled, and even if the game itself isn’t of interest, the electric atmosphere at the stadium makes for an exciting experience. Most visitors in Buenos Aires have heard of Boca juniors and River Plate, but there are over a dozen professional teams in Buenos Aires alone.

Buenos Aires is also famous for the numerous free cultural events the city puts on every year. If you’re here in November, the Night of the Museums is a can’t miss. For one night every year, hundreds of museums offer free entrance. If you head out early, and plan your route well it’s possible to hit quite a few. The BA Celebra… events are held year-round about twice a month at Plaza de Mayo. Aimed at celebrating the distinct cultures of the many immigrants of Buenos Aires, these events consist of the traditional music, food and artisans of a different country every time.

Breathtaking view from the Argentine side of Iguazú falls

Encompassing beaches, jungle, desert, mountains, towering glaciers, wine country, and more Argentina is a massive country. Since you’ve travelled all the way to Argentina, you should definitely make an effort to see as much as you can. For a day or weekend trip, consider a trip to an estancia for a traditional Argentine experience in the countryside. Or as an alternative, take the hour and a half ferry to charming Colonia, Uruguay.

If you have more time, and are interested in wine, Mendoza is Argentina’s premier wine producing region. For some of the most beautiful landscapes Argentina has to offer, head the the Northwest, or to Iguazú falls in the Northeast. And then of course, Argentina’s most famous region: Patagonia. Some of the most popular destinations include Bariloche, Perrito Moreno Glacier, and Tierra del Fuego. But, keep in mind that Patagonia consists of almost the entire bottom half of the country and is spread over five providences. One could spend months traveling around this region and barely scratch the surface.


Argentinian Spanish and Slang

Even for those who have studied Spanish for years, the Spanish, or rather Castellano, spoken in Argentina tends to be quite challenging right off the bat. Not only is the pace of spoken Spanish in Buenos Aires quite fast, but the slang is deeply ingrained in everyday speak even amongst more formal officials.

Lunfardo, or Argentinean slang, is comprised mainly of tango lyrics, mixtures of Italian and Spanish immigrant influences and modern day pop culture. It can become very playful, for example, reverse lunfardo slang takes regularly used Spanish words and reverses them. Some are so commonly used that you can order items off the menu in what appears to be complete code to an outsider.

People at language exchange table discussing Spanish grammar

Some of the more common slang words you will hear even within a day of walking around Buenos Aires are:

Boludo: Dummy (depending on the relationship of the people this word can be a friendly joke or insult)

Colectivo or bondi: City bus

Che: Hey, man, yo

Galan: A playboy or cool guy that is good with the ladies

Mina: An attractive female, a babe

Pancho: Hot dog

Trucha/o: Fake, pirated or something made of poor quality

In addition to the slang and distinct accent, another of the main differences is the use of vos instead of . The simplest trick to conjugating for vos is to change the r to an s. Many words are conjugated the same in and vos, with the exception of irregulars in tú. Examples:

Querer – Vos queres
Tener – Vos tenes
Jugar – Vos jugas

Luckily there are only a few irregulars.

Ser – Vos sos
Ir- Vos vas
Haber- Vos has

Getting Around and Transportation

The city’s public transportation system is solid with bus routes covering the vast majority of the city, train lines that are very accessible and a subway that covers the most frequented areas. Once upon a time you could pay your fare in coins, but that changed years ago. Now you must have a sube card. These hard plastic cards are accepted on every form of public transportation and can be topped off at recargar station located in subte station and many kioskos in the city.

The bus system can be a bit daunting to new comers or non-Spanish speakers. In addition to paying attention to what buses run near your destinations, Google Maps will become your new best friend. Thanks to a recent update to the app, Google Maps now offers extremely accurate public transportation information. After inputting your starting and ending points, you’ll be given a list of the best subte and bus routes, along with the closest bus’s live location and eta.

Driving…we do not recommend it. With a plethora of taxis, buses, trains and the subway it simply not worth the hassle or the danger. Speaking of which, be careful crossing streets.

Friends enjoying a bike ride along Puerto Madero

Biking can be a fun way to get around the city, but be sure to wear a helmet and pay attention. One Porteño (Buenos Aires resident) and I had an interesting conversation regarding the traffic here:

BsAs: “The U.S. is more dangerous to drive in.”

Me: “Excuse me??”

BsAs: “In the U.S. you expect everyone else to follow the laws of traffic. It is easy and calm. Accidents happen because someone is not doing what they should be doing.”

Me: “Ok, I’ll bite. How is that worse?”

BsAs: “In Buenos Aires you always have to expect the unexpected. You don’t know what anyone is going to do so you always drive defensively. It’s safer that way.”

I have to agree with him. You really need to pay attention here walking, biking or driving- the “Argentina is safer driving” part…not so much.

Buenos Aires Nightlife

Known as being the city that never sleeps of South America, Buenos Aires is famous for its nightlife. Even if you go to a different bar or nightclub every weekend for a year you still won’t have even experienced half what this city has to offer.

Happy Hour

A budget university student’s dream come true. As the craft beer boom has exploded in Buenos Aires over the last decade, happy hour has become almost universally adopted by cervecerías (breweries). The schedules very from place to place bu generally run from about 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Most deals include heavily discounted pints, and occasional food promotions as well.

Bars and Clubs

For a classy night out, check out one of the many rooftop bars for an al fresco cocktail. Or, for a more unique experience, head to one of Buenos Aires’ famous hidden bars.

After the happy hour rush, bars start to get crowded at about 11:00 pm, where many of the locals have a few drinks before heading to the club. As previously mentioned, the clubs won’t get bumpin’ until about 2:00 or 3:00 am. However, many of them will have early bird promotions for people that arrive before a certain time and/or add their names to the list.

Tip: As for hitting on or getting hit on at the club, the culture in Buenos Aires is pretty different from in the US. Check out Dating Scene: Guys and Girls in Argentina to get an idea of what to expect.

The Previa
If paying for drinks first at a bar and then later at a club sounds like an expensive endeavour you’re not wrong. While it’s true that the locals tend to drink less than most foreigners, it still adds up over a long night of partying. Hence the previa. The previa is generally a BYOB pregame hosted at someone’s house. Ojo, it’s very easy to over indulge at the previa, but keep in mind, this is a marathon not a sprint. If you plan on staying out till the early hours of the morning, getting wasted at 11:00 pm will make accomplishing this goal next to impossible.

Craft beer bar Desarmadero bartenders serving up beers

Good areas for general nightlife exploration and bar hopping:

Palermo:
Plaza Armenia in Palermo Viejo
Plaza Serrano in Palermo Soho
Intersection of Niceto Vega y Humbolt, and Intersection of Honduras y Bonpland in Palermo Hollywood

Recoleta:
Recoleta Cemetery area

San Telmo:
On Chile between Defensa and Bolivar

A few safety tips while going out:

  • Don’t walk around late at night alone.
  • Keep track of your belongings (definitely don’t set your purse down on a table at a club while you dance).
  • Don’t stumble around visibly drunk.

This brings us to our next and final topic…

Crime and Safety

Traveler friendly does not mean 100% care free and safe. Buenos Aires is a large metropolis and with big cities come a variety of crimes.  The traveler friendly areas are sometimes targeted by petty thieves, pick pockets and scam artists. The vast majority of crime in Buenos Aires is non-violent.

If you are a victim of a crime please contact your local embassy, the tourism police and/or your local police at phone number 911. Even if they do not recover your stolen items the crime is reported, helps statistics and assists in the deployment of police in crime hot areas.

Tourism Police of Buenos Aires: Corrientes Avenue 436 Tel: 4346-5748 / 0800-9995000

Crimes are highly preventable if you are aware of your surroundings and what the common scams in Buenos Aires are and basic safety measures for Buenos Aires. Similar to being familiar with a magician’s trick before the act- if you know what to expect you won’t be fooled.

Most importantly, have fun exploring Buenos Aires!

Wow! Don't forget to check the 'Activities you might like' right here