Right, if you want to see a shantytown in BA, get on the Mitre line at Retiro for an up close look.

I can see why there are two sides to this "poverty in BA" thing. I spent a few days in San Francisco this summer and I would say there's more obvious poverty in BA. But I can also see why one poster said folks in BA seem more prosperous than in NYC.

As far as "walking the streets" to see poverty, it's not likely to happen for a typical tourist. I walked miles in BA the past couple weekends and didn't see ANYTHING that resembled real poverty (admittedly, I didn't make it to some of the less desirable outlying neighborhoods). BA is simply not a Third World city.

Who said it was? :confused:

Thank you.

Folks... as a native of Buenos Aires, perhaps I can give you my 2 cents on this issue.

a) it is 100% true that Buenos Aires is not indicative of what the rest of the country is like. This city was once one of the richest cities in the world, and while a few of the cities in the interior of Argentina also show remains from a wealthy past, nowhere in South America will you see this like in Buenos Aires.

b) What worked in NYC in the 70s could work in Buenos Aires, but it will not work in EZE of 2008 because of the current Federal Government, which is a leftist-populist regime that has a very particular agenda, and they are especially interested in blocking any measures that the Mayor of Buenos Aires has to improve the city and its operations.

c) Buenos Aires will continue to improve itself (slowly and with lots of pains & headaches) as we move towards the bi-centennial, but dont expect anything magic in the current economic/political environment.

As a foreigner, I actually find BA to be culturally similar to the rest of the country. Obviously better architecture and "more sophisticated," of course. BA is more like Argentina than, say, London is like England.

It also has a somewhat melancholy feel of a civilization in decline. While cities like London and Vienna were obviously once "more important" than they are now, they don't feel like they their best days are behind them -- their citizens enjoy a better lifestyle than their ancestors did. In BA, you actually get the feeling that the best days ARE in the past, and you are not terribly optimistic about the future. Argentina does not feel like a rising civilization.
I hope I am wrong.

And then? What do you do with the beggars? If you have problems with beggars, you probably have to stay at home. Like HIDDY posted: "..you have them in B..., Birmingham and BA" Actually, I rather have them in BA than in Birmingham:D
I know, beggars can be pesky ... I have been in a fishermen village in Madeira, some young boys attacked Mrs. USAFAN and me that our hands had bruises and blood drops... this village is known for this.
Here is my side of the coin:
-at night we went back to the hotel, near Florida we saw two very young people sitting on the street on a door sill with a little baby ... we gave them a little food and some pesos, that's all we could do.
-at the subte in Palermo we purchased tickets ... two kids (a boy and a girl) standing right next to the counter. The agent gave us a signal that we may give the change (a couple of coins) to them, and we did.

Beggars in BA's subte is not an enlightening theme .. Gaucho100K's "Kirchner against the mayor of BA" and the future if BA & Argentina is! Sorry iahphx, but that's how I feel.

I guess this will be my last comment on this thread, but I think those who believe it is "compassionate" to give money to beggars are misguided in their generosity. As a country, the USA tried this in the 60s ("the Great Society") and it was disasterous. The old maxim that it's better to teach someone to fish than give them a fish is very, very true. Giving money to beggars encourages more begging. Overall, it does more harm than good to its recipients. I've seen it with my own eyes in decades of city living.

The worst part is ...

... asking for directions in BA but being mistaken for a beggar. I swear I looked good that day. :confused:

I mostly stuck to Palermo, Recoleta and the central area downtown, and I was only there 10 days, but I was struck by how much less visible poverty was in the parts of BA that I saw than it is in San Francisco. I get panhandled probably 10 times a day just when walking between work and the bus stop. I was astonished to be largely left alone in BA and to see very few beggars. It made me wonder what measures the city takes to cut down on panhandling. I know that doesn't mean there's no poverty (I did see the shantytowns along the Mitre line) but was still surprised at how good they are about hiding it from tourists -- practically no effort is made here. I'm not saying it's a good thing that they sweep it under the rug, but it was something I noticed.

Save money in Buenos Aires
 

I have an idea: wear a coin dispenser like those used by the "diarieros" (newstand attendants) and give 50 cts. to each beggar. You will still beat taxi prices.
Don't forget to carry a loaded Luger Parbellum just in case a mugger tries ro rob your watch!

You obviously didn't walk by the BMW dealership on Paseo Colon in the evening. This is not a "less desirable outlying neighborhood." Further down, by the Holiday Inn Express, you will see similar at night. This is basically right across from Puerto Madero.

While I agree that this isn't a third world city, I'm not sure how to classify it. Yesterday, a salesman said to me when discussing I don't recall exactly what, "Bienvenido a tercer mundo" (welcome to the 3d world) - this was from a local.

I live quite close to San Francisco, and while the begging and panhandling is much more aggressive and seemingly widespread there (and very annoying), the "quality" of the poverty is completely different.

I'd take BA over a number of U.S. cities, especially Detroit - which is definitely a third-world city IMO.

Of course, once all the panhandlers are in jail, and the government has to raise taxes to fund new prison construction, I'm sure that you and others will be complaining about high taxes and excessive government spending. :rolleyes:

Personally, although I am troubled to see all of the poverty that still exists in society (and the lack of effort to alleviate the problems of the poor), I am not offended by panhandlers, as long as they are polite and not overly intrusive. If I have some change and they ask nicely, I will usually give them my spare change; if I don't have any change, I won't. My choice whether or not to give. Certainly less intrusive than telemarketing calls from certain charities.

I am most offended by the fat cat CEOs who fly down to Washington DC on their private jets to "beg" for a handout from the US taxpayer. Now that is truly offensive. :mad:

You are absolutely right! as an Argentine expatriate, I visit BA from time to time. I stay at a 5 star hotel in the Recoleta ghetto and use limos, which isolate me from the surrounding poverty. When I walk, take a cab, talk with friends or venture into any neigborhood outside the "ghetto" I can see and feel the misery, poverty and despair. One important issue for any visitor is safety. I have been lucky so far, but all my local friends have been mugged in the street at least once. I also heard horror stories from friend tourists.

VISIT ARGENTINA...but, be prudent.

ALL of your friends? That's an unlucky bunch of people. In my almost 5 years of living here I have never been mugged and in my extensive circle of friends and work colleagues I only know a couple of people who have. It was a similar situation when I lived in London - everyone knows someone who's been mugged. I'm not saying that you don't have to be careful and take sensible precautions but that applies to most of the world's major cities. I don't want people to read your post and think they'll be lucky to survive a vacation here without being mugged. Fear of crime is often much greater than the actual risk of being a victim of crime.

VISIT ...... (insert name of ANY big city)...but be prudent