Armenia 1784, (between El Salvador and Costa Rica), Palermo Soho / Viejo

[May 2007 edit - this review refers to the bar as Terreo throughout, but the name has since been changed to the Soho Vain Bar, I guess given its prime location in Palermo Soho]

Terreo is the most unique bar I have visited so far in Buenos Aires, because, well, it is more like a big (chilled) house party than a real bar. It is located in ‘trendy’ Palermo Viejo, right next to the ingeniously named Plaza Palermo Viejo, a few blocks from Palermo Soho and the more famous Plaza Serrano.

The barrio of Palermo has a reputation of being willfully ‘different’, and in that area, Terreo certainly doesn’t disappoint. First off, it is a little difficult to find if you are looking for it by name. It has no Terreo sign, and is just a door with a today’s special’s blackboard outside. So look out for the Armenia 1784 street number (above right) on a yellow background to help you find it. Also, it is next door to a store called ‘Viva La Pepa’, which does have a sign, much to the amusement of my Argentine friends (ask an Argentine what ‘Viva La Pepa’ means).

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Uruguay 1175 (between Santa Fe & Arenales), Recoleta

Ok, so this place doesn’t exactly scream ‘Buenos Aires‘. In fact, it screams ‘American Expat Bar’. So maybe it isn’t a good choice for my first Buenos Aires bars review! But then, BA is becoming more and more full of American expats, attracted down here by the nice exchange rate and the porteno lifestyle, so maybe it is indeed somewhat symbolic of today’s Buenos Aires.

To cut a long story short, there is really only one major attraction with this bar, which can be easily represented in pictorial form…

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In general, the climate in Buenos Aires is mild all year round, with no major extremes of temperature or conditions. However, some people may find the summer months (Dec-Feb; highs of 30C/87F, lows of 17C/63F) too hot and humid, or the winter months (Jun-Aug; highs of 17C/63F, lows of 7C/45F) too cold, depending on personal taste.

Few will argue that spring (Sep-Nov, highs of 25C/78F, lows of 10C/50F) is the best time to visit, closely followed by autumn/fall (Mar-May, highs of 26C/80F, lows of 10C/50F).

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Renting: A Difficult Game

Renting an apartment long-term in a difficult game for a foreigner (extranjero) in Buenos Aires. Firstly, the reasonable prices are usually not easily available for extranjeros (which is why the expensive furnished apartments do such a good trade here) because strictly you need what is called a “garantia” to be able to rent. This would be a person that owns property in Argentina that can sign for you as a guarantee on the contract, to safeguard against you running away or trashing the apartment or something! Also, you are almost always expected to sign an agreement for 2 years, although people tell me that even if you do sign it is not always strictly enforced if you want to move on early.

HOWEVER, a garantia is not always required. You can often speak to the owner (dueno) and try to reach an agreement, which may involve you paying a large deposit, or paying a lot of the rent up front (maybe 6 months to a year) or even paying a little over the asked rent rate. A lot of owners will not want to do this, but it is worth asking…

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There is no simple answer to this question. It all depends on what type of person you are, and what you want to get out of your time in Buenos Aires. The following descriptions of the main areas to stay in Buenos Aires, Argentina should help you choose. Leave me a comment if you have any questions about a particular Barrio, Hotel or Hostel.

‘Microcentro’ (City Center)

This area is OBVIOUSLY central! For many people this is ideal, and it will put you close to major tourist attractions such as the Obelisk, Plaza de Mayo, the Pink House, the Cathedral, Avenida de Mayo, Congress, Florida Shopping Street, Teatro Colon, Plaza San Martin and a whole lot more. However, in other ways it is not so perfect, because this area is also the most busy with dangerous traffic, polluted, noisy, and lacking in space. You have to weigh up these pros and cons to make your decision. But you do stay in the Microcentro, it is very easy to get around on the ’subte’ (subway) system, which serves this area well, as opposed to most other parts of Buenos Aires.

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