Known as the Paris of South America, there are few cities more breathtaking and beautiful, then that of Argentina’s famous capital, Buenos Aires. For any prospective expat looking to relocate in the Western Hemisphere, few could go wrong with a move to arguably the most gorgeous city in the America’s – a place where romance and revelry is always in the air, where deep and colorful conversations over a hearty glass of local wine are as common as the sight of professional tango dancers, prancing their way late into the magical Argentine night.
But just as not everything that glitters is gold, so too there are both good and bad neighborhoods to consider when thinking of moving to not only Buenos Aires, but any city for that matter. Luckily, having recently spent significant time both living (and falling in love with a special someone!) in this charming city, I’m here to offer my humble advice on what might just make your job moving to Argentina’s legendary capital city a little bit easier, and maybe even help you to inspire a little bit of romance in the air yourself!
So what exactly are the best neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, and which ones should you avoid? Below are my top 10 picks – so vamanos, lets check them out together! Dale!
Best: Palermo
They say bigger isn’t always better, but in the case of Buenos Aires’ largest neighborhood, size really does matter – and gives you a plethora of great choices to consider as a result! As perhaps the most famous of the best neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, Palermo can actually be broken into smaller subsections (Hollywood & Soho), both of which can offer a whole lot to most expats thinking of moving to Argentina’s capital.
If you are looking for a chilled out, bohemian vibe, with lots of unique cafes, small boutique stores, and great local parks, Palermo Hollywood might be right up your alley, while if you want a little bit more hustle and bustle to go along with your daily cup of yerba mate, and want lots of fantastic restaurants, shopping, and nightlife, then Palermo Soho might more your flavor.
Either option would be a fantastic place to consider – and most expats in Buenos Aires would agree, with the vast majority choosing to call either of the Palermo districts their brand new home.
Best: Puerto Madero
Perhaps my favorite district in the city however, as well as easily one of the best neighborhoods in Buenos Aires to consider for any savvy minded expat or digital nomad, would have to be that of Puerto Madero, hanging right along the eastern most coast of the capital. Built along the banks of the mighty Rio de la Plata river, this old port district has recently become massively revitalized, and now stands as Buenos Aires’ most safe and modern district.
Sandwiched between the main cosmopolitan downtown area and the misty, ecological nature reserve, Puerto Madero has managed to build for itself a chic and shimmering identity, reflecting likewise the shine of the sun off the gentle waters along the port, allowing for prime viewing of hyper modern yachts, old-time sailing vessels, and everything in-between, while seated along the river in one of the many delicious restaurants and cafes.
If you are looking to enjoy life to the fullest, and spend as much time (and money!) as you can by the water, then moving to Puerto Madero, one of the best neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, is absolutely something to consider.
Best: Recoleta
Although best known for its famous cemetery, where culturally significant poets and politicians of all kinds, as well as the infamous Eva ‘Evita’ Peron herself, all call their final resting place, there is actually still quite a lot left to offer those still walking among the living, in one of the best neighborhoods in Buenos Aires to relocate to – Recoleta. After all, local porteno’s often consider this neighborhood to be the most exclusive in the entire capital, and there is certainly a high-class vibe about the place which emanates throughout its entirety.
It’s no surprise that this district has some of the best architectural delights that Buenos Aires has to offer, as well as playing host to many nation’s embassies, and some of the best art museums not only in the city, but quite simply the world, such as the pink colored Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes for one.
Coupled with lovely, peaceful parks, and a slower way of life, as well as some of the best restaurants in the city, Recoleta certainly has a regal vibe about it, and if one was looking at trying to really live and breath within the old Paris of South America comparisons, then Recoleta would have to certainly be at the top of your list as not only one of the best neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, but also for it’s status as the posh, sophisticated heart, of this Latin culture capital.
Best: Villa Crespo
However, for those not looking to rub elbows with the upper crust, and desire a more down-to-earth, local vibe when looking at the best neighborhoods in Buenos Aires to move to, then there a few better options to consider than that of Villa Crespo.
Located just south-west of the Palermo districts, Villa Crespo is both close enough to Hollywood and Soho so as to enjoy all they have to offer, but also remain just far away enough to maintain its own, unique flair.
Villa Crespo is where the locals go for great, affordable eats, fantastic, hidden parks, and a quiet get away from the chaos that can be found in other, more excitable parts of this mega city, and if one is really looking to get a true, authentic taste of Argentine culture, than Villa Crespo is an absolute must for any looking for the best neighborhoods in Buenos Aires to consider as a new home.
Best: San Isidro
Meanwhile, for expats planning on having both personal transportation, and a desire to live a bit more secluded from the core of the city, and all the never ending (or sleeping) excitement of the city, then perhaps one of the best neighborhoods in Buenos Aires to consider would actually be a suburb right outside the capital – San Isidro.
Offering many of the charms of Buenos Aires, but with far less chaos, San Isidro is fantastic for families looking for a more peaceful setting, as well as great schools and modern facilities, when settling in Argentina’s capital.
If you don’t mind sacrificing some of the more entertaining vibes that BA has to offer, and are simply looking for a more relaxed, safe way of life, than San Isidro would definitely prove to be a great option atop your list of best neighborhoods in Buenos Aires.
Worst: La Boca
Unfortunately, not every district in this Latin American city can be considered a great place to live, even if they may be a deeply fascinating, and entertaining place to visit, as well as explore. Of course I am talking about the colorful, historical, and (in)famous district of La Boca – home to some of the most unique architectural delights the city has to offer, as well as home to the world-famous La Bombanera stadium of Boca Juniors fame, but one of the best neighborhoods in Buenos Aires to live in, it certainly is not.
Despite the high level of tourism within its streets, once the sun starts to set, La Boca can become downright dangerous, as there are untold countless of stories of robberies and assaults that certainly paint a shade of dark red over the many colors of this polarizing district.
As such, due to its unusually high crime rate, La Boca remains only a destination to visit during daylight hours, and certainly would not be a place to consider among the best neighborhoods in Buenos Aires to move to.
Worst: San Telmo
Sadly, the higher crime rates also affects another one of Buenos Aires’ most talked about districts – the romantic neighborhood of San Telmo, the birthplace of tango itself.
But sadly, once the Argentine sun goes down, prospective expats and digital nomads would far more likely find themselves dancing with danger then with a sexy stranger, as just like in La Boca, San Telmo suffers from a high level of muggings and opportunists, looking to prey on wealthy foreigners and locals alike.
Despite having plenty of great cafes, restaurants, markets, and milongas galore, San Telmo cannot be considered one of the best neighborhoods of Buenos Aires to move to at this time – although as with La Boca, remain relatively safe to visit and enjoy during all hours of day-time, so that you too can enjoy the romance of the tango, without having to tip-toe nightly away from the less desirable occurrences that continue to plague this famous district come nightfall.
Worst: Monserrat
Although not necessarily suffering from the same issues of crime that both La Boca and San Telmo suffer from, the central downtown district of Monserrat definitely can definitely be a little bit more rough at night, despite its many charms. Home to famous sights such as the Obelisco de Buenos Aires or the Casa Rosada, from where the President of Argentina works (and Evita used to reside), this district is actually my favorite in the city, architecturally speaking, combining both the vibes of New York City, Paris, and even Budapest, into one, gorgeous conglomeration.
However, despite the romantic draw of this district, it cannot be considered one of the best neighborhoods in Buenos Aires to live, due in part to the non-stop chaos of traffic and people alike, the high proliferation of both noise and potential scams, as well as the build up of trash, grit, and grime on the sidewalks and streets.
Although it remains relatively safe on the whole, Monserrat lacks the charms of some of the other, better neighborhood’s in BA, and thus should only be enjoyed as a well esteemed guest, but not as a potential future home.
Worst: Balvanera
Like Monserrat, Balvanera also suffers from a general state of neglect, and despite the neighborhood paying host to good malls and food choices, as well as being well connected to the rest of the city by public transport, this district’s negatives unfortunately seem to out-way the positives when considering the best neighborhoods to live in Buenos Aires.
Although paying host to a lot of what makes BA great, such as the local flavor of restaurants, stores, as well as museums such as that of the Museo Casa Carlos Gardel, celebrating one of the legends of tango in his own right, Balvanera suffers from the crowds and chaos of Monserrat, and some of the nightly dangers of San Telmo, and thus should be avoided as a destination to move to, when considering the best neighborhoods in Buenos Aires to make your next home.
Worst: Outer Buenos Aires Suburbs (in general)
Although not as specific as the other four options to avoid when looking at the best neighborhoods in Buenos Aires to move to, a general rule to follow would be to essentially avoid anything not too centrally located in Argentina’s capital city, as the further out you go, the more crime, poverty, and societal ills that sadly still plague the nation become only more difficult to ignore.
If one really wants to live in the suburbs of BA, but not within the city itself proper, then the only real, reliable, safe option would be San Isidro in the north-west. Otherwise, it simply becomes too dangerous a prospect to consider, and one would most likely be better suited to moving to a different city in Argentina altogether, such as Cordoba, Mendoza, or Bariloche – I’ve actually written more about the pros and cons of moving to Argentina as a whole, in an article here!
Destination: Argentina, Home to The Most Elegant City in the Americas
Despite the many issues that modern day Argentina faces on many levels, ranging from societal, political, and socio-economic, to everything in between, one thing that cannot be overstated is that the majestic beauty of Buenos Aires continues to shine a beacon on all of the great things that still make this massive, complicated, and ultimately eternally endearing South American nation, one of the most interesting places for an expat or digital nomad to consider as a new home.
I hope that my recommendations of the best neighborhoods in Buenos Aires can help make your decision a little bit clearer as to where you might wish to base yourself, in one of the most romantic cities on the planet – and a place where you too, might just find love in the rustic city streets of the most beautiful city in the Western Hemisphere.
Meanwhile, if you are considering other cities and countries to call your home in the Latin American region, why not check out my article detailing my top destinations in the region to make your next home? I’m sure you’ll be glad you did!