We are thinking to rent an apt for a short stay in BA.. Is the Barrio Norte area ok if the apt just sits on the border of Recoleta and the Barrio...and what is the Barrio...a slum or just another district..? Is that area safe to walk in early evening back from a cafe dinner. Also is VRBO Ok to rent apt from..I guess we deal direct with the owner vs a mgmt company.?

Is the area from Recoleta safe to walk to/from the Obelisk and points further beyond to the shopping center at La Florida ( I think this term maybe wrongly stated)..area SW of city center...

A barrio is a neighborhood. In some geographic areas the term may carry a negative connotation but not in Buenos Aires. In this case, Barrio Norte refers to the neighborhood surrounding Recoleta. It is not a slum...some sections of Barrio Norte and Recoleta are much nicer than other but overall the area is fine.

VRBO....since VRBO runs ads from owners of properties, the answer to your question is that whether it is ok to rent from can only be answered about a specific property and owner. I have rented properties listed on VRBO in Florida, Hawaii, and Buenos Aires...and have always had great experiences...

Florida is a pedestrian street that runs from Plaza San Martin to Plaza de Mayo in the downtown area....The Plaza San Martin end is north of the Obelisk...and it extends south of the Obelisk....The Plaza San Martin end of Florida is closest to Recoleta...Florida itself is very congested and pickpockets hang out along the street...so watch your valuables....

Thank you drdawggy...especially for the tip on the what the Barrio means and about the pickpockets...we are not sure of staying in apt yet since I guess all ask for a security deposit and I am not keen on giving money upfront when I don't have to ( although I can udnerstand why they might ask this). I am more atuned to just go into a nice hotel in Recoleta.
What is the best way to get back and forth from the airport to Recoleta..?

I live in Recoleta. I think it is an excellent area for a tourist to stay in, whether you use an apartment rental or a hotel.

Thanks to drdawggy, we stayed at the Art Suites Hotel in Recoleta when we visited BA and we were very happy with that decision. It is an ApartHotel so you have a large suite, terrace , breakfast and it is located in a residential area , so you can sort of get the feel of living here on your visit.
There are some very nice hotels in this neighborhood, as well as lovely boutique hotels in Palermo.

www.artsuites.com.ar

I dislike Florida street and never recommend it. It is not pretty and the shopping is as good elsewhere and the crowds/pickpockets are awful.

When you are walking out of the airport , there will be REMISS ( private car) stands in front of you.. VIP and WorldCar .. they will take you to your hotel for a flat rate. They are safe and clean and very nice.
I have a special liking for VIP since they were so sweet with helping make our completely frazzled dog comfortable in the back of the car after his 12 hour flight in a crate :- )

Recoleta is a very pretty barrio with wonderful architecture, grand avenues and buildings and wonderful large parks. There are some very large and beautiful museums here. The Belle Artes, the MALBA and the Decorative Artes as well as many smaller ones.. there are 100 museums in this city.

Barrio Norte borders Recoleta and I can never tell where it begins or ends... it doesn't really matter..

Scarlett..mucha gracias for this information..we will stay away from Florida Blvd...pickpockets ..the scourage of traveling...Naples, Italy, Barcelona, Spain same thing. Anymore suggestions on great apts..? And we love museums so we will visit all that you suggest..and for the car from the airport..how much was the fare..?

Hi Scarlett,

Thanks for the posting about ArtSuites and the Barrio.

Any other hotel suggestions?

chnaman, de nada

We have not taken a remiss from the airport in 2 years so I have no idea what the fare is now. Sorry.
I have a couple of apt rental websites that I know by heart, I have friends who have personal dealings with them, I can only just recommend them from reviews ..
Apartments BA
www.apartmentsba.com

Buenos Aires Habitat
www.buenosaireshabitat.com

sorry, my mind just went blank... dr dawggy has an apt that he has mentioned that sounds wonderful.. maybe he will look in and add to this list..

ira, I think I gave you some links to hotels on your thread..
The Loi Suites Recoleta
drdawggy again has the name of a good hotel over by the Hyatt .. I have gone blank..too much fresh air today
Let me make a list and I will come back to you ...
Recoleta Hotels can run pretty high in prices...
The Hyatt, The Four Seasons and the Alvear Palace are all here in this neighborhood and they are expensive and I believe all 5 star hotels.
How high do you want to go for rates? I will get a list together ~

The hotel near the Hyatt:
http://www.caesar-park.com/portal/CP_index.jsp

The apartment I have rented many times

www.shortstayinba.com It is in Palermo, not far from Recoleta...

Hi Scar,
>How high do you want to go for rates? I will get a list together ~<

Very kind of you.

I don't know what I should expect in BA. I saw the ArtSuites at $110 US (turned out to be Winter rates) and thought that that was very good.

We generally look for 2-3* double, w/bkfst in the $130 region. On our upcoming visit to Europe we will stay at the Hotel Gutenberg in Strasbourg (2* $125), in Lyon it will be the Axotel (3* $135). We can go higher for something special.

Hello

Yeh I had the same concern about "Barrio"! But dont worry... Barrio Norte is a very nice area, as are Recoleta, Retiro and Puerto Madero. San Telmo is also very pretty, but if you stray too far it can sometimes be a bit dangerous, so best enjoyed in the day or at night if you know where you're going! Just take the normal precautions as you would in any capital city and you'll have a great time, dont forget you're in Latin America! But... unlike lots of other Latin American countries the metro is safe, taxis are safe, walking around busy streets at night is safe.
Personally I would recommend you look for something in Palermo...

Have a good trip!

I think Barrio Norte and Recoleta are the best districts for a tourist to stay, they are quite close to the main spots of the city, many of them within walking distance.
Near Plaza San Martín you may consider the Argenta Tower, it's 2 blocks away from Santa Fe Av. I'm not very familiar with prices so I can't help you with that.

I'm set to stay at the Claridge in a few weeks. Got a great price, and we like the fact that it's so close to the subway. We understand the warning about pickpockets -- which goes with the turf for tourists in any major city. My question is: do we need to be concerned about violent crime in that area? And, since it's a crowded area, are we safe to walk there at all hours, even after it gets dark (which it will fairly early, since it's winter there). Thanks.

EdEdwards: you should be careful as in any big city. That area is quite safe since it is the business center so it's always full of people, taxis, busses. Even when it gets dark (at around 6-6:30 pm) there is still people walking around because they are usually heading back home (if they don't go for a coffee first lol!)
I don't go around Florida Street too often but when I have to I try not to do it after 8:30 or 9 pm
Have a great time in our city!