alex, when are you usually in your store? i'd like to stop by and buy some cuban cigars from you and some malbec and thank you for all the help. are you a short cab ride from ricoleta, right?

His store is close to the US Embassy ... http://www.terroir.com.ar/

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jkb76-- pm sent

Sims are available for Movistar at the locotoria on the west side of Las Heras between Junin and Ayacucho.

Apartments
 

Any Suggestions for apartments in BA for the artist and nightclubs areas?

Get in touch with these folks.... they will be able to help you:

http://www.buenosaireshabitat.com/

I second that.
I rented 3 times from them in the last 2 years and every time the apt looks exactly like the pictures on the website, the reservation is easy and reliable, the check-in is quick and the check out with no problems. I have broken some glasses and never had a problem. The sheets are always impeccable and the towels always clean and freshly laundered. The internet connection is very reliable, the a/c always works well and the kitchen is impeccably clean.
Having rented many houses/apts around the globe, this company is superb. (I have no economic interest in the company, just a very happy customer).
Keep in mind that you get what you pay for. If you take the least expensive apt it will be small and no view. If you want something larger and/or with some view then pay more. I also found that regardless, all three apts I rented where is a superb area of Recoleta.
They require a transfer into their US account for the deposit but I found that if I go directly to a branch of their bank and make the deposit into their account I save the $40 my bank charges for a bank to bank transfer.

Anyone stay at Abasto Plaza hotel?
 

Has anyone stayed at the Abasto Plaza Hotel in Buenos Aires? My partner recommended the Abasto based on his 1 day stay there during a business trip. I've searched the forum but can find no references or reviews. I've read else where online that the neighborhood isn't the best. The hotel looks nice online. It bills itself as a 5 star hotel, but I can't confirm that.

It is not a 5 star hotel by any stretch of the imagination. The only reason to recommend staying way out there is if you plan on doing mega shopping at the Abasto Shopping Center. Otherwise there is not much to recommend that area for tourist. The most recent reviews on Trip Advisor are less than good,
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev..._District.html

At the price they are quoting you can do much better in the Recoleta or Palermo SoHo. Check the BoBo Hotel, Home Hotel, The Bel Air, and Loi Suites Recoleta might be better choices.

suerte
SAM

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Sam has it down right... avoid this place!

What's the status on Teatro Colon? Last time I was in BsAs the place was under renovation (March 2007). Is this still the case?

Yes, maybe another year plus before completion. Just hope they get it right this time,
sam

They are trying to make it to at least a "soft" reopening before the bi-centennial in 2010... alas, the jury is still out on whether they will be able to make it or not.

What is the current status of the BA power grid? What are the typical sustained temperatures that cause it to blow, and is dear Cristina doing anything about it? (Maybe paying people to come protest?) Also, are there certain neighborhoods that have a tendency to lose power? (I'm not trying to scare anyone away - I've been there many times without even the slightest brown-out, but the latest heatwave did a number on the city.)

The situation of the power grid is acceptable.... not stellar, but it has been known to be worse that it is now. If EZE gets 3 days of temperatures above 34C, expect to experience some blow-outs.

Dont want to scare you... but San Telmo is not one of the best places in town to be in terms of the power issue, it is known to have more that its fair share of outages.

However... one catch to all this. Even if you are in a 'bad power' part of town, your ultimate luck will depend on the details of where you are exactly. What do I mean by this...? If you happen to be near to -say- a Hospital, or a mid-tension hub transformer, chances are you will be spared of the worse trouble, as outages will be taken care of more quickly. I dont know exactly where you pad is located... but I guess that this summer you will be finding out very soon what your power situation is.