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Browse the full Discover Buenos Aires archive: expat life, practical city notes, travel details, neighborhood discoveries, and older dispatches from living in Argentina.
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395 posts in the full Discover Buenos Aires archive.
I had previously written about joining a gym in Buenos Aires, but now that I’m in a new neighborhood (and that post is almost two years old), I thought it was a good time to update it. This time around, I checked out three different gyms in my area. Two of them, Megatlon and Sport … Read more
I’m happy to announce that I have broken out of “the bubble.” Yep, as of last week, I am officially no longer a resident of Palermo Soho (also known as “The Bubble” for its large concentration of expats). I am now a resident of the lovely neighborhood of Belgrano. And, as you can see from … Read more
Groupon, the popular US-based group buying site, has just launched in Buenos Aires. Groupon is one of the hottest new startups in recent years and offers specials and discounts based on a certain number of people collectively buying the “deal of the day.” Here’s how it works: each day Groupon offers one special local promotion. … Read more
After recently arriving back to Buenos Aires from a trip to the States, I was immediately struck (again) by just how much slower the Internet connections are in Argentina. My connection in the States is cheaper and blows away the speeds that I can get here. This lack of speed has been especially apparent when … Read more
Argentina winning its group in the World Cup and advancing to the Round of 16 has been the biggest local news this week. And of course Landon Donovan’s amazing goal for the USA which put them into the final sixteen as well, but hey, this is a Buenos Aires blog. (Still, this game was amazing!) … Read more
I’ve recently had an entirely new experience in Buenos Aires – the pleasure of having a car and driving around the city. When I was first here, I was limited to the subway and taxis as my only means of getting around. (Yes, I never figured out the bus routes.) Somehow, I have now become … Read more
As one may expect, there was a lot of World Cup related news this week. However, there was also a lot of other interesting Buenos Aires news, so I have quite a list today. And remember, you can follow Buenos Aires Life on Twitter to get instant access to BA-related news and happenings. Argentina nabs … Read more
Argentina meets South Korea in their second World Cup match tomorrow…at 8:30am local time in Buenos Aires. Now, if you know anything about Argentines, they are not early risers. You will see more people on the streets at 4am on a Sunday morning than at 10am. However, soccer matches are a completely different story. This … Read more
I’m happy to report that the Buenos Aires Registro del AutoMotor (the Argentine version of the DMV) is pretty much the same as its American counterpart – slow and inefficient. On the positive side, the Argentine DMV in Olivos had shorter lines than the NYC one. On the negative side, nothing is computerized and we … Read more
UPDATE 2: As of March 24, 2016, the reciprocity fee is no longer required for US passport holders. Canadians and Australians still must pay. UPDATE : The Argentina entrance fee must be paid in advance as of December 28, 2012 for arrivals at Ezeiza and as of October 31, 2012 for arrivals at Aeroparque. —- As of April … Read more
I’ve decided to bring back the Buenos Aires News postings that I had previously been doing. I know it’s been awhile since Edition 8, but look for them to come more regularly now. If you want up-to-the-minute Buenos Aires updates, follow the Buenos Aires Life Twitter account. Can Argentina’s Diego Maradona work his magic? [Miami Herald] … Read more
I had previously posted instructions about how to add credit to your Movistar pre-paid mobile phone via credit card, but I thought now would be a good time to talk about how to save some money on using your pre-paid cell phone plan. While I am covering Movistar in particular, these tips also apply to … Read more
UPDATE (5.4.12): I should have updated this post earlier, but iPhones are no longer available in Argentina from the mobile carriers due to import restrictions put on them by the Argentine government. You can buy them from Mercadolibre and other sites, but they are 2-3 times the price that they would be in the States. … Read more
If you’re like me (from the States), the World Cup is probably something you know about and might watch should you be channel surfing. However, if you’re Argentine, then the World Cup is something you’ve been waiting the last four years for. In fact, soccer is pretty much a religion here. (Seriously, there’s an actual church … Read more
I’m not quite sure where this video came from, but it seems to have been making the rounds on a number of video sharing sites. It shows a pretty brazen daytime car theft on the streets of Buenos Aires. Looks like a pretty good technique though I have no idea why they are stealing that … Read more
Almost everyone knows about Buenos Aires’ Chinatown (check out Palitos for some of the best Chinese food in Buenos Aires), but do you know that Buenos Aires also has a Koreatown? Smaller than its Chinatown counterpart, Koreatown is further off the beaten path and less well known. From Wikipedia: Buenos Aires’s ‘Barrio Coreano’ is in … Read more
According to a verbal decree issued on May 6, 2010 by Argentina’s interior secretary, Guillermo Moreno, today was to be the day that Argentina banned the import of foreign food products that had a domestic equivalent. This was another ill-thought-out plan by the government without any written guidelines regulating what would or would not be … Read more
When I came back to Buenos Aires for this most recent trip, I was determined that I was bringing a Herman Miller Aeron chair with me. Good office chairs are almost impossible to find in Buenos Aires or are ridiculously expensive, and I was pretty sure it would be nearly impossible to find this particular … Read more
Skype 2.0 for the iPhone was just released and it now includes the ability to make calls over 3G networks. Previously, you could only make calls over WiFi. I immediately put it to the test on my jail-broken and unlocked iPhone 3G using Movistar’s pre-paid 3G network. Guess what? It works great and the call clarity was … Read more
Hi, I’m Dave. I’m an expat. I live in Buenos Aires. Yes, I know that if you’ve been reading this site for any time now, you probably know a bit about me. But, to put it mildly, a lot can change in almost two years (and boy, has it ever). I’ve gone from being a … Read more
While the east coast of the United States is having record snowfall, Buenos Aires has broken the record for February rainfall and come close to an all-time monthly record. All this rainfall has brought some horrible flooding in the capital as well with many homes and shops flooding. The video below shows a great shot … Read more
UPDATE: This has been one of the most popular posts on our site so we decided to update it with the most current information. And remember, if you’re traveling to Argentina you can get 50% more on your money by using Xoom to transfer money to the country and taking advantage of the “dolar blue” … Read more
UPDATE 2: As of March 24, 2016, the reciprocity fee is no longer required for US passport holders. Argentina Entry Fee UPDATE: The Argentina entrance fee must now be paid in advance for all entries into Argentina – air, land, sea and cruise ship passengers. We have instructions on how to pay the Argentina reciprocity fee … Read more
In the third post of our “Buenos Aires Contacts,” I wanted to highlight my personal trainer, Matias Vertone. While Matias does not speak much English, it has been a fun experience as my personal training sessions turn out to be both a workout and a Spanish lesson in one. Matias works out of the Always … Read more