On What to Expect in Buenos Aires

View from Asia de Cuba, my Favorite club right on the riverIn the past four months I have experienced both some of the best moments in my life as well as some of the worst. This statement essentially defines my study abroad experience as well as summarizes the opinions of others I have talked to, in Buenos Aires and other abroad sites. I would say that Buenos Aires is one of the best places to be but definitely doesn't have the best program. Buenos Aires is cheap, its fun, its in close proximity to amazing places and is has some of the most beautiful architecture and women in the world. Below I will provide a list of statements providing advice about life and times in BA.

1. Eat steak and eat a lot it. If you don't eat meat you will be finding yourself struggling to find alternative eats.
2. That said try to eat on the cheap side, find a couple good places and stick with them.
3. Use the money that you save on going out to travel outside of BA
4. Go to Mendoza and do the bike wine tour.
5. Go see the waterfalls in Iguazu
6. Go to El Calafate and do a tour of the glaciers
7. During spring break try and check out another country. My favorite had to be Bolivia- its cheap and has some of the best natural wonders in the universe. 4 day jeep tour of the salt flats= $70, nuf said
8. take a day trip to "el tigre", beautiful escape from the hustle and bustle of the city
9. If your going in spring take a boat down to Punta del Este in Uruguay. Pricy but beautiful
10. Best Clubs in Buenos Aires= Crobar, Asia de Cuba, Liquid, Pacha, Shampoo
11. If your into clubbing, this is the greatest place to do it. Clubs are way cheaper than NYC and stay open throughout the night.
12. Best Restaurants= Don Julio, La Cabrera, Osaka, Itamae, Mirasol
13. Don Julio is a great traditional Parilla with an amazing wine list and my absoulte favorite place to spend an evening. La Cabrera may be touristy but its steaks are some of the best on the planet. Try the Chorizo Mariposa= butterfly sausage. Osaka is a spin off of sushi with a peruvian twist. Its a little on the pricy side but its worth a visit at least once while your in Buenos Aires. Itamae its traditional sushi and if your sick of empanadas and steak, it is a great alternative
14. If you don't feel like going out to a restaurant, try making some of your own food or hitting up the cheap spots. La Poloma is right around the corner from the NYU site and serves up 6 peso choripan. Choripan is a sausage sandwich, which is high in fat but also high in the pleasure factor. One of my favorite lunch specials while I spend my time wasting away in school is fresh bread and avocado sandwiches. For 4 pesos or $1 you can get two bread rolls and an avocado, add some salt and serve up for the perfect little delicacy.
15. Best places to waste the night away drinking= el Alamo, Plaza Serrano, Milon, Levitar, Godoy
16. Though El Alamo might be an ex pat bar its the perfect place to meet argentine men and women. I've met and befriended countless Argentines there as well as watched plenty of sports games on sunday afternoons. Plaza Serrano is a great little spot in the Palermo neighborhood, full of bars and restaurants that stay open till the wee hours of the afternoon. Milon as I mentioned in another post is a fantastic Mansion converted into a bar that makes for a good location to take someone on a date. Levitar is a place hidden from the rest of the world that stays open until 2PM, not that I've been there that late, or one could say that early. Dj's of all sorts spin beats here and drinks are cheap and delicious. Godoy is close to Levitar and also situated in the Palermo neighborhood. It's got a great out door patio when the weather is right.
17. My Favorite parks= Parque 3 de Febrero, Parque Las Heras
18. Favorite Musuem= the MALBA, essentially the MOMA of BA
19. If you could live in one neighborhood I would say live on the border between Palermo and Recoleta. One huge problem with this program is that NYU makes it mandatory for you to live in a NYU housing site. I got out of it with a little bit of trickery and got my own apartment. NYU rips students off and sometimes sticks them in crazy home stays with Jesus worshipping freaks. Renting your own apartment is much cheaper and will give you more freedom to have people over for drinks or whatever.
20. Don't expect much from school here, classes are on the weak side. That said, some of the spanish Professors are really amazing including Pia Bouzas.
21. My last piece of advice has to be make the experience as memorable as possible. Don't stop yourself from meeting new people, seeing new places and living a tad bit on the wild side. Though things may get rough and though BA can be an inefficient place to live, there is nothing quite as amazing as living in another country thousands of miles away from home.