Recoleta & Palermo convenience/safety?
Replies: 4 - Last Post: Jul 25, 2012 12:39 PM Last Post By: jilibean
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Recoleta & Palermo convenience/safety?
My husband and I (both 31) will be spending three nights in Buenos Aires next month. We are trying to decide between two apartment rentals for our stay: one in Recoleta and one in Palermo. The Recoleta place is at Pacheco de Melo and Uriburu, the Palermo place is at Segul and Sinclair. I have read that Palermo is more fun and there is more to do there, but it's also somewhat less convenient for sightseeing as it is less centrally located. I have also read that some areas of Palermo are less safe than others.My questions are:
1. How do the above addresses in Recoleta and Palermo compare in terms of convenience for sightseeing around the city? Are they both easily accessible by public transit?
2. If we went out late at night in Palermo, how much would a taxi cost back to Recoleta at the end of the night?
3. Is the Palermo place at Segul and Sinclair in a good/safe part of Palermo?
Any help or advice is much appreciated!
1
1 - The two areas are very close together, and very nice. Recoleta is a little closer to the city center, but Palermo, which is not far away either, is much more convenient in terms of public transport (Metro and many more bus lines). Palermo has also a much wider shopping option.2 - I´ve been out of the country since February, and prices have been changing continously, so I can´t give you the latest prices, but it shouldn´t be too expensinve, as soon as the driver doesn´t drive you around the city.
3 - It´s not SEGUL but SEGUI (pron. SEH-GHEE, or sort of). It´s a good place, especially in terms of public transport (a few blocks from Santa Fe Ave., which is one of BA´s main throughfares, and the Palermo metro station -Line D, which drops you off right on downtown and the historic center. Also, you´ll be only a couple of blocks from Palermo Park, which is beautiful.
4 - Keep asking!!!
2
I’ve lived in BA for 3 years; will be back in January 2013 for year. I know BA, and the Recoleta place is at Pacheco de Melo and Uriburu is the best. It’s BA Beverly Hills, excellent shops, restaurants, boutiques, and you’re walking distance to La Recoleta Cemetery; Evita Peron’s mausoleum. Several “must” eat café: Delicious Café Laprida 2015; 6 min walking distance. You’re also 3 blocks from Avenida Pueyrredón; it’s a blend of NY SoHo & Rodeo Drive, and Pueyrredón intersects Ave. Santa Fe, another great street with the best high-end shopping mall, and exclusive stores.It’s very central, and best thing, very safe compared to other parts. In Pueyrredón & Santa Fe there’s a Subte station that travels from downtown to way past Palermo; both addresses are about the same distance from the respective Subte stations.
The fun Palermo is the SoHo area (Honduras & Jorge Louis Borges) the epicenter, from there you will find super nice bars, mostly young fun crowd, a lot of great (Boliches); Argentine for Discos. Amerika is huge and a buzz to visit on Saturdays. Unfortunately you’re Palermo address is 4 Km north, a very residential area, and a block away from an active train-track. After 8:00 the area is a ghost town, lots of shady individuals, and addicts to Paco (Crack) hitting you for monedas (cash), or rob you. I know, after leaving a club, and trying to hail a taxi, to no avail I started walking and felt someone following, not a soul around, much less a police presence.
Taxis rarely travel in residential areas; you usually need to call in advance. Your best bet is Recoleta, very active a night, and taxi cost are from Recoleta to other parts of the city is less expensive than Palermo.
Do not take plain cabs (without radio), radio taxis cost the same, are safer, and there are a lot of radio taxis companies offering this service. In the streets you can take also radio taxis without calling them. Don’t take taxis, or remises offered by people in the Airport. There are not safe.
Again I arrive a 2:00AM from a 9 Hr. flight, super tired, and unaware I was the next sucker in line, A nice taxi man approached me, he seemed to have loaded all my bags into the trunk, one of the bags contained a $ 2,000 Dell Laptop, Digital Nikon SLR, my IPod, and a Sony HD video camera. He would not stop talking, a technique used to distract. Arrived at the hotel, valet service delivered the bags to the room; I dropped dead from sleep. Next morning I notice the bag missing, panicked, went to the front desk and the valet verified all bags delivered; cab drivers can spot were the goods are, and like a magician they make it appear is in the truck, but between the time you going into the cab and he closes trunk, he slips out the bag and places it in closing the trunk. Filed Police Report with name of driver & Cab Co; no investigation until by chance saw the exact video selling on Mercado Libre (EBay). A friend acted interested, wanted to see the camera since it’s not imported to Argentina due to tariff cost.
Sure enough the serial # matched, and since I purchased theft insurance I would be required to submit a Police affidavit testifying they were unable to recover the stolen item, and forced to arrest the cab driver, that piece back, the rest is fenced, and the police receive a commission from sales.
After calling home and explaining to my day what happened, he said. Son, there is sucker born every 4 minutes, I asked your mom if she could wait a couple more, but you were born 4 minutes after the last one!! Learn and adapt to the environment, I did, and had no problems since.
Best of luck,
JR
