So, I've gone through the VERY long lists of forum-posted apartments and apartment companies, off and on, over the last year and have narrowed it down to 7, possibly 8 apartments.

My top apartment pick, along with another pick high up on the list happens to be on the same street and in the same block: Rodriquez Pena St. between Vicente Lopez St. and Guido St. in Recoleta. So, that's 2 different apartment buildings on that street and block.

Does anyone know this neighborhood and if so if there are any large supermarkets in the area? I ask because I have some special food needs. Plus, I haven't eaten meat/poultry since the mid 70s.

I was fine in Brazil (Salvador/Bahia) since I eat fish. So I REALLY need a place where I can buy decent fish, and prepare it at the apartment. I'll probably be cooking a lot because I like my own cooking. Plus I also have three very severe food allergies. So, I don't want to have to always try to figure out , at restaurants, if one of those three items is in the food I've ordered.

Since I'll probably be there in the cold of BA winter, I'm really hoping not to have to go too far to a market/supermarket and carry heavy bags of groceries to and from the apartment.

By the way, my other Recoleta apartment picks are on the following streets:

1) Calloa Ave (between Posadas Street and Libertador

2)Posadas Street (between Calloa Ave and Ayacucho St.

3)Rodriquez Pena Street (between Alvear Ave and Posadas Street

4)Calloa Ave (between Libertador Ave and Posadas Street

5) Montevideo Street ( between Alvear Ave and Quintana Ave)

6) Juncal Street (between Montevideo and Rodriquez Pena This location, I believe is further out of central Recoleta, from the other locations listed above.

So, that's my list. One never knows which apartments will be available which is why I like to select around 8 apartments when I rent around the world. I've always gotten one of my 8 picks. Thanks in advance. Happy Travels!

You have chosen your locations perfectly, they are all very close to one another and the area is great. You won't go wrong with any of those in terms of location.
There is a big market on Vicente Lopez and Rodriguez Pena, which has several small shops and a large Carrefour supermarket. And there's a Disco Supermarket on Quintana & Callao.

Thanks a million for the info. The convenient location to a supermarket, in realationship to my rental apartment, is always more important to me than the apartment itself. I plan around supermarket locations. Smiles. Happy Travels!

I forgot to ask about banks or money exchanges in the area or anywhere else in the city, in general.

Is it best to go to a money exchange place or a bank when exchanging money in BA? And is it best to exchange cash dollars or use traveler's checks?

I really don't want to use an ATM card if I don't have to. I have never used my American bank- issued ATM card overseas and I'm away on overseas vacations 1-3 times a year. I know that machines can eat the cards or sometimes the machines just don't work. It's happened to folks I know.

So, I'm used to traveling with cash and traveler's checks as back in the day, when I first started traveling overseas, early 70s, ATM cards didn't even exist and we all got by fine without them.

Plus, my regular bank charges $5.00 per overseas ATM transaction and my credit union has some countries blacklisted. This happened to me in Bangkok, last year, when I went to pay my rent with my Visa credit union issued check card and it was declined.

I had even gone into the credit union, in person, before leaving and told them I'd be in Bangkok and wanted to use their card to pay the rent when I found out that they don't charge a conversion fee, but my bank does.

So, I was told that it wouldn't be a problem and that it had been noted in the computer. So, off to Bangkok I flew.

When I went to use the card,to pay the rent, it wouldn't go through. Good I had the AmExp card, lots of cash, and traveler's checks( which are absolutely no problem in Bangkok) or I could have ended up sleeping in the park across the street from my building.

When I got home, I asked why it wouldn't go through and was told that Thailand was on the blacklist, so to speak, for card fraud and that their credit union issued card couldn't be used there. I then asked why I had been told it wouldn't be a problem. Well, then it was admitted that the person who had okayed it, didn't realize that Bangkok was in Thailand. Yes, you heard it right.

I had transferred, from my regular bank to my credit union, thousands of dollars to use in Bangkok and couldn't get one penny out of it while there. Happy Travels

I just did a search and some of my money questions have been answered. The posts are recent as in 2008.

I'll need to spend more time searching and try to figure out how to cut and paste the info together so, that it's all on one or two pages then I can travel easily with it. I just got my own computer, MAC, month before last, and haven't figured a lot out yet. Smiles. Happy Travels!

When you get here, sell your dollar bills at the Banco de la Nación (on your right, as you exit customs) and try to get them to give you as much small change as possible (20s, 10s, 5s, 2s). Whatever you do, do not change at a conveniently located booth called "Global Exchange". They are crooks.

Later, you will find many places to change in town, particularly along San Martín street. Check the prevailing rate at http://www.dolarhoy.com/indexx.php

Have a great time in our country.

JIC it isn't clear, I mean the Banco de la Nación's branch at the international airport.

Thanks for the info. Thats what I'll do. Oh, and I've read a lot about not taking roaming taxis. However, at the airport, is there a transportation booth, inside the airport somewhere, that will call for me transportation to get to the apartment rental in Recoleta? And about how far is it, in time, from the airport to Recoleta on a Saturday morning? Are the driver's to be tipped? I'm in a LOT of countries and on a LOT of different continents and the rules are all different.

I plan to take my unlocked cell phone, that I bought and use regularly while in Bangkok, but it will have no SIMM card in it upon arrival. Is it expensive to buy a SIMM card and calling card in BA? And what kind of places sell them? I really will need to keep in touch with elderly parents back home.

The cell phone system, in Bangkok, is VERY easy and cheap. A Simm card costs about $2.25 if that and a calling card around $9.00 and I can call the States and talk 45 minutes or longer depending on the time of day/night.

Also, in Bangkok, the instructions are in Thai and English , but I don't know if they would be in Spanish and English in Argentina. My Spanish isn't that great . Happy Travels!

There are several booths at the international airport. I favor Manuel Tienda León

http://www.tiendaleon.com.ar/home/home.asp

where you can reserve online and pay with your credit card, but the only thing you must NOT do is take a car you cannot prepay.

There should not be much traffic into town on a Saturday morning, so you should be at your apartment in three quarters of an hour, max.

Tip only for good service, not like in the US, where tipping cabbies is almost mandatory.

Thanks a million for the info and I shall definitely book my transportation with that car service. And it's good all of this info is on one page, so that I can print it and file it in my BA file box.

The helpfullness of this forum is very much like the helpfulness we have on the Asia forum. If you ever need help in planning a trip to Asia, feel free to post your questions and lots of folks will jump in. Smiles. Happy Travels!

Mind you, Tienda León is a little more expensive.

That's ok as long as they get me to the apartment in one piece. Smiles.

I'll probably also hire a car service for a few days while I'm there. I've collected some info from my car service thread. Since it's so inexpensive to rent an apartment there, for a week, about $1100. for 85 square meters or more, then it'll hopefully leave me with extra money to hire a car service. Plus, I'll be cooking a lot at the apartment which will also save a bundle.

The apartment, that I rented in Paris, this past spring, in the 6th district, was around $1200. for a week and was 40 square meters and with no terrace. My, hotel room of many years was probably 25 square meters and also in the 6th, and cost a little over $1200. a week two years ago... which is a good price compared to the very high prices other agencies are charging for the same area.

And my Bangkok serviced apartment is an 80 square meter studio, with big terrace, on a high floor (more than 30 stories up) and with a gorgeous unobstructed city view, at around $1400 a week only because they've frozen my rent for me because I asked them to. I'm there for 3 weeks. The regular rate is much higher. But, then again that's a 5-star building with everything from 7-day maid service, to a big pool, spa, Clarins center, state of the art gym, and a restaurant and bar on the premises along with a lot of other really great amenities and conveniences. Happy Travels!

So, the prices in BA are sounding really great and especially in comparison to Paris prices if one stays in an upscale neighborhood which would be priced higher just as Ricoleta would also be priced higher.

Well, now let me get back over to United again and try to purchase those 9,000 frequent flyer miles and pray to get a ticket to BA. Happy Travels!

boomarking