Oh, just a few more tips. While folks told me I could shop in places like the Galleries Pacifico, I found these high priced shopping centers to be, well, high priced. No bargains compared to prices in the States. I had more fun shopping at the weekend outdoor market in Recolleta and in the "wholesale" stores near the Pasteur subway stop. Obviously, not the highest quality merchandise (comparable to Target, I suppose), but good prices that made sense if you're not looking for designer stuff.

BA museums are probably underrated and I particularly liked the new MALBA modern arts building. If you're seen the movie or play, you'll be entertained by the Evita Peron museum as well.

And when you're downtown, play tourist and have a coffee at Cafe Tortoni. It's a little like being in Vienna -- for a fraction of the price.

No need to be embarrassed... by all means, the Supermarkets are a great place to buy wines, especially those marketed by some wineries that do most of their business in the entry level segments. Finca el Portillo is the second line of wines made by the House of Salentein, they make some excellent value for $$$ stuff. In terms of your enjoyment of wines... if you are the "normal" US drinker of wines that I know, then you may find these wines a little light and perhaps too easy to drink. I say this because usually, wine drinkers from the States tend to like bigger reds, with oak taking a center stage in their wines. Just keep this in mind when you taste them... on the other hand, if you like more approachable wines that are fruitier rather than oaky.... then I think you will be very pleased.

Do try them out when you have a chance, and please, post your tasting notes here.... :D

Cheers,
Gaucho

Yeah, that's probably me. I do like those hearty cabernets. I did find some of the Argentine wine I drunk in restaurants to be lighter than I expected. But nothing was really disappointing (well, OK, I did get a bad cheap wine at the tango show).

I loved Argentine wines for this very reason. I found some of the cheaper Malbecs to be a bit too much like a heavy Zinfandel, but for the most part I found them to be well balanced. My favorite wines tend to be Oregon and Northern California Pinot Noirs - which are much lighter than most Argentine wines. Still, the focus on the fruit rather than the oak was a welcome change from the typical Northern California oak bomb. I still can't beleive the quality you get in Argentina for about US$10.

Hotel Nogaro?
 

This hotel is on my short list of considerations for our 3 night stay in February. Hotel Nogaro -- http://www.hotelnogaro.com/home_ingles.html How is this location? I just want to make sure it isn't too 'far out' from the center of things.

Another on my short list (but may be sold out) was the Broadway Suites -- http://www.broadway-suites.com.ar/ It seems a great location -- is it?

Thanks :)

...Lady...:

I don't like any of this locations .. not for my hotel. Those are location where you have to go site-seeing .. and the people/thieves with the "bird-trick" are waiting for you right there...
When I go again, I would definitely stay (again) in Recoleta. Nice, upscale area with street cafés like in Paris .. you can walk to many places, or take a taxi for less than 5ARS.
I asked Gaucho.. once where his home in BA is, he never answered, so I guess ... he is not living in Recoleta or any other place in Bario Norte :rolleyes:

I agree with USAFan, stay in Recoleta. Loi Suites Recoleta offers awesome rooms in a lovely hotel within 1 block of 20 good restaurants, the cemetary from which the neighborhood gets its name, and the famous church with the cloisters from which the cemetary got its name. http://www.loisuites.com.ar/

I'm a third vote for Recoleta. Etoile is a decent choice if you don't mind 70's/80's decor. The price is great for the location.

I stayed first in Recoleta and then in Retiro (by Plaza San Martin) when I returned from El Calafate. Both neighborhoods are nice, but Recoleta had better dining options and felt "safer" (in Retiro you'd run into dozens of folks sifting through the garbage bags on an evening stroll). No subway in Recoleta (I've heard they're building one, someday), but with taxi fares only running 4 to 6 pesos, you don't really need a subway.

So, at least given the current situation, I'd recommend Recoleta to all vacationers.

My apologies to USAFAN for not answering the above question in a timely fashion.

I live in Belgrano, which is a 10-15 drive from the areas of Barrio Norte and Recoleta.

Recoleta is a good place for first time visitors to stay, I would also throw in the Puerto Madero area as a good option. Other locations like the Obelisco area are also possibilities, it all depends on how upscale and what budget you are managing.

Thank you to all the posters for all the info. Great tips I'll be putting to use next week...

... and to Gaucho100K: Muchisimas gracias por empezar este "thread" y compartir tu perspectiva local. Sos de lo mejor.

Thanks Gaucho.., I guess I passed Belgrano when I went by train to the river delta .. nice houses.

I met two other tourists at this old coffeehouse. Both told me, that they have been attacked with this "bird trick", one near Obelisco, the other near the (pink) palace.

I did review the LoiSuites Recoleta. It looks lovely and I'm sure we'd be very happy there. However, it does seem sold out for our dates, and I would like to find something a little less expensive. No more than $85 (including tax), as it is 3 rooms/3 nights.

A friend's friend just stayed at the Broadway Suites last week and recommended it, but it is also sold out on our dates.

Any other good suggestions in the Recoleta area?

Thank U :)

If it's your first time in BA then it's fine to stay in Recoleta and Puerto Madero (both are overpriced but lots of cool places).

But if you're a frequent visitor, it's way better to stay somewhere else. Palermo, Microcentro, etc..

iahphx, Recoleta is safer than most neighborhoods but it doesn't have better dining options.

ALadyNCal, did you try the travel agency Argentinago ?

I went to argentinago.com Had problems getting their English version to work. I figuered I would do some more hotel research and then contact them for quotes/availability.

This is our first time to BA. It is my husband, myself, and 3 parents (70ish). Next time when it's just the two of us, we can branch out, but playing it fairly safe for this trip since it's the 5 of us.

Thanks.