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Buenos Aires News: Edition 12

By on July 16, 2010 in News

The biggest news by far in the past week is that Argentina has approved gay marriage, making it the first country in Latin America to do so. The bill was passed by the senate after much debate and opposition by the Catholic church in the country. It is expected to be signed into law shortly.  Gay couples now have the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts, including the right to adopt children. The passing of this bill makes Argentina one of the most liberal countries in the world and is sure to enhance its reputation for being a gay-friendly tourist destination.

Argentina legalizes gay marriage [Los Angeles Times]
Argentina on Thursday became the first nation in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage, turning aside protests from the Roman Catholic Church to give gay couples the same rights as their heterosexual counterparts.

Doctor: Maradona OK and mulling choices [USA Today]
Maradona’s doctor said Monday the Argentina coach was doing well and had not slipped back into using drugs and alcohol since his team was eliminated from the World Cup with a 4-0 loss to Germany in the quarterfinals. (whew!).

Garbage Disposal an Overpowering Problem in Buenos Aires [Latin American Herald Tribune]
Buenos Aires has no idea what to do with its garbage – at least that seems to be the gist of the current controversy about what to do with all the trash in the Argentine capital, whose city dumps could collapse in two years from the increasing amount of waste it churns out.

Argentine ‘dirty war’ general gets life sentence [Associated Press]
Some of the most notorious figures of Argentina’s “dirty war” were convicted Thursday of kidnapping, torturing and murdering 22 people at the beginning of the 1976-1983 military dictatorship when the country cracked down on leftist dissent.

Argentina gay marriage row serves broader government aim [Washington Post]
Argentina’s government is fighting to get a gay marriage bill through Congress to shore up its leftist credentials ahead of a 2011 vote and to steal the limelight from opposition-led proposals.

Argentina Government Increases Minimum Income Tax Threshold By 20% [FOX Business]
Argentina’s government has increased the minimum threshold for paying income tax by 20%, Economy Minister Amado Boudou said Thursday.

How to spot a fake $100 peso bill [La Nacion]
This is a good video on how to spot a fake bill. This can especially be a problem for tourists and new expats.

Lawmaker proposes Maradona monument [AP]
An Argentine legislator has proposed building a monument to honor Diego Maradona, whose future as coach of the national soccer team has been uncertain since it was eliminated in the World Cup quarterfinals by Germany.

Adoption Scandal: Argentina Hounds a High-Profile Mom [Time]
This is the tale of the enmity of three women: the first is perhaps the richest in Argentina; the second is the President of the country; the third, a grandmother in search of the children of desaparecidos,” the 30,000 or so mostly young people who disappeared in the military junta’s death camps from 1976 to 1983. The object of their contention are two adopted children, a brother and a sister, who stand to inherit an immense fortune — or see it shrink if their genes betray a past that might help dramatically diminish their mother’s business empire.

Argentina claims victory on bond deal [Inquirer.net]
More than two-thirds of Argentina’s creditors have accepted a deal with Buenos Aires ending their long-running debt dispute, the Economy Ministry said Monday.

Argentina’s Government Vows To Maintain Stakes In Companies [Fox Business]
Argentina’s government says it has no plans to sell the stakes in local companies that it inherited when it nationalized private-sector pension funds in late 2008, as it would damage the interests of both the state and the companies.

Honda to start making automobiles in Argentina in 2011 [More Tech News]
Honda will start manufacturing automobiles in Argentina in 2011, when the Japanese automaker”s plant opens in Campana, a city on the outskirts of Argentine capital Buenos Aires, company executives said.

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Joining a Gym (Gimnasio) 2010

By on July 15, 2010 in Living

I had previously written about joining a gym in Buenos Aires, but now that I’m in a new neighborhood (and that post is almost two years old), I thought it was a good time to update it.

This time around, I checked out three different gyms in my area. Two of them, Megatlon and Sport Club, are chains that have numerous locations throughout the city. The third, Balance Health Club, only has one location.

Once again, Megatlon Belgrano was by far the nicest, most expensive and pretentious of the three. I still think a lot of people just go there to be seen.  They have the most, newest and highest quality machines and equipment.  They were also the busiest of the gyms I looked at.

Their month-to-month price is a shocking AR $370, which compares to many NYC health clubs.  Prices get a bit cheaper if you sign up for their 6 month package at AR $1830 or their 12 month package at AR $2640.  Personal training sessions are around AR $50 per hour.  If you join Megatlon, you’re also able to use all their other locations provided that are at the same or lower level than the one you joined.  They currently have four levels of clubs: VIP, VIP Plus, Platino and Platino Plus.

The 6 month membership cost at Megatlon represents a 28% increase over their 2008 prices, however the original price I found was for Megatlon Alto Palermo, a Platino Plus club, while the Belgrano club is only a Platino level.  I’m sure that the Alto Palermo price has increased even more.

Sport Club Cabildo was also nice with a wide-range of equipment and classes. Like Megatlon, if you join one location, you can also use their other locations at the same or lower level than yours.  Their month-to-month price in cash is AR $350, however if you choose the auto-debit plan on your credit card, the price goes down to only AR $175 per month. You must complete 8 months at this price though or you’ll be charged an additional month if you cancel.  They do not offer personal trainers, but have gym trainers who can put together a routine for you.

Balance Health Club was pretty basic compared to the other two but did offer a good range of classes.  Their price was AR $100/month if you only wanted to use the machines and AR $140/month for both the machines and classes.

These second-tier clubs often have less and older equipment as well as fewer classes, but usually meet ones basic needs.  Since they did not have any membership commitment, I decided to join for a month and see whether it worked for me. Although I will say, walking into Megatlon definitely makes you want to be there…

Some things to note about all the clubs:

  • They will all charge you a one-time fee for your membership card.  This price was AR $30 at each place.
  • You will need a medical exam shortly after joining.  You can get this from your own doctor or use one of the gym’s doctors who schedule an exam for around AR $40.
  • None of the gyms are open on Sundays. A strange phenomenon compared to the US, but perfectly normal here.
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Breaking Out of the Bubble

By on July 13, 2010 in Living

I’m happy to announce that I have broken out of “the bubble.”

Yep, as of last week, I am officially no longer a resident of Palermo Soho (also known as “The Bubble” for its large concentration of expats). I am now a resident of the lovely neighborhood of Belgrano. And, as you can see from the map of Buenos Aires to the right, while it wasn’t a huge geographical move, it was a big one in terms of neighborhood differences.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Palermo Soho.  It’s a great neighborhood to be in when you first get to Buenos Aires. It offers a ton of things to do – restaurants, bars, clubs, shops and services.  And, if your Spanish is a bit weak, you can pretty easily get by with English.

View of the Buenos Aires skyline from our new apartmentHowever, those things come at a price.  Palermo Soho tends to be one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city.  By making the move to Belgrano, we were able to get an amazing apartment at a price that we never could have gotten in Palermo Soho, plus it is considerably larger and higher (see the photo) than most Palermo Soho options.

The area of Belgrano that I’m in is filled with high-rise apartment buildings in what tends to be an upper middle-class family neighborhood. The main avenue of Cabildo is a few blocks away and features tons of shopping as well as the “D” subway line which makes it easy to get around. I’m also close to Buenos Aires’ Barrio Chino (“Chinatown”) which is an added perk for both speciality grocery shopping and restaurants.

So, in my short time in Belgrano, what are some of the differences I’ve noticed? Well…

  • I now have four ATMs within a 2 block radius. I was so used to walking numerous blocks in Palermo to an ATM, and then having to walk a few blocks more when that one was out of order or simply out of cash.
  • Unfortunately, there is not a Romario Pizza that delivers here. There is a new Almacen de Pizzas which is fair, but not as good as Romario. I’ll have to continue to explore my options. Palermo Soho definitely has a higher density of restaurants.
  • You do not hear English as much here.  When you walk down the street in Palermo Soho and you’ll hear as much English as you do Spanish. That is not the case in Belgrano.
  • I miss knowing my way around.  After a year and a half in Palermo Soho, I pretty much knew all the streets and where everything I needed was.  I’m still pretty confused with the layout here, but I’m sure that will come with time.
  • I have yet to hear drunk people screaming on the streets at 6am as they leave the bars and clubs.  This was a pretty common occurrence in Palermo Soho, but I think Belgrano is missing out on this.

So, those are my first impressions. I’m sure I’ll be posting more as I find my way around and get to know my new barrio.

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Groupon Buenos Aires Launches

By on July 9, 2010 in Living

Groupon, the popular US-based group buying site, has just launched in Buenos Aires.

Groupon is one of the hottest new startups in recent years and offers specials and discounts based on a certain number of people collectively buying the “deal of the day.”

Here’s how it works: each day Groupon offers one special local promotion. If a certain number of people sign up for the offer, then everyone gets the deal. If the minimum number of people is not met, no one gets the deal that day. Groupon makes money by getting a percentage from the retailers. The retailers make out because it brings business and not everyone will redeem the offer they purchased.

Here are some of the recent offers they have had for Buenos Aires since launching on June 24, 2010:

  • Pay $50 and get $100 of food at Kansas restaurant
  • Get a massage for two at Experiencia Nirvana for $100, a 50% discount
  • Two golf classes at the  Costanera Golf Driving Range for $1
  • Pay $50 and get $100 of food at Donde restaurant on Gorritti

It’s a strong business model that has seen them generate significant revenue as well as venture capital in the US.  The interesting thing for the Buenos Aires site will be the reluctance of many Argentines to shop with credit cards online.  There is a very low percentage of e-commerce transactions across Argentina,with people preferring to pay in cash or at RapiPago.  Still, if the offers are compelling enough, they may be able to entice people to buy online.

Sign up for their daily email and take advantage of some of these discounts now. I’m looking forward to seeing what else they will have.

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