We’ve written before about the perplexities of San Telmo… and during our time in BA we’ve visited there quite a few times, and we’ve talked to quite a few who’ve lived there… (we’re by no means experts, and as always, we won’t let that stop us from pontificating) but we still have no resolution on our feelings about the place.
Readers have asked about the barrio, and because of our own secret fascination, we feel compelled to continue ruminating about it…
What we can say is that it feels on the verge of gentrification, but it’s certainly not there yet for better or worse. It’s rumored to have the largest expat community in Buenos Aires, but we have no confirmation of that theory. We believe Palmero Viejo may out-edge San Telmo in density if not number of foreigners, but we have no evidence for that estimate either.
Real estate prices, though lower than the more established barrios of Palermo, Recoleta, Puerto Madera etc, do take into account the interest of expat investors. So it ain’t dirt cheap for BA, as it once was, but certainly cheap by world standards…
Now most Argentines we’ve talked to about San Telmo practically despise the place… they wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole… “It’s dangerous.” “It’s a good couple degrees colder than the other barrios.” “It’s dirty and full of poor people.” etc. Now, we’re doubtful of the temperature claim, but, in general it is pretty dirty, the people are poorer than the more upper-crust sides of town, and it does seem more dangerous, (yet we rarely hear of much happening there)…
We’ve gone there a couple times when we’ve looked around and just wanted to get the hell out. It looks really dingy. There are a bunch of sketchy looking dirt-bags hanging around… The ugly buildings that are unfortunately ubiquitous amongst the nicer ones seem to stick out to us. The shops only seem to have a bunch of useless junk. “Ugh. Take me back to Recoleta!”
But, other times we go there (the Sunday market is nice, when not too crowded) and we are really impressed. The architecture of the nice buildings just seems to stick-out to us. All the funky little shops seem so authentic, yet hip. There’s art and bohemian flavor in the air. “This is the real Buenos Aires!” we think.
The Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde phenomenon in San Telmo is pervasive for us. We never know what we’re going to get when we go…
So dear readers we leave it to you. It depends on your taste. We’re not making a move to San Telmo any time soon. But we may well be jealous if you do…
8 comments
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July 17, 2007 at 11:47 pm
Trendy Palermo Viejo
Hi, Will. What can I say? For me San Telmo is a party only on Sundays. As a porteña I wouldn’t move there neither. But it would be great to see more of the old buildings be restored there. I definitely stick to Palermo Viejo
July 18, 2007 at 12:55 am
Jeff
Hello Will, I guess everyone has different tastes. I’m a happy camper in San Telmo, actually preferring the barrio on days other than Sundays. Personally, I have to be dragged to visit Palermo Viejo.
As the only non-porteño in my old building, there obviously are plenty of porteños who choose to live in San Telmo. My neighbors are two folclore musicians, a dancer, a photographer, an artist, a designer, and a guy who owns a chocolate factory. But perhaps there’s a certain type of porteño who’s afraid to live in San Telmo.
Anyway, that’s the great thing about large cities — enough neighborhoods for everyone to find a place they like.
July 18, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Editor
Hey, thanks for the feedback… It’s certainly a matter of taste… I hope I gave San Telmo a fair shake. But, I’m sure I’ll be talking more about it in future posts.
Cheers!
Will
July 19, 2007 at 4:59 am
matteo
Live in San Telmo and you won’t have too many local friends from other Barrios since they will not be visiting you after the sun goes down.
..and by the way, there was a well publicized San Telmo break in a few months back. Some robbers broke into the 2nd floor/1st piso balcony of a home owned by an American. The American proceeded to confront the robbers with his karate skills. The robbers proceeded to kick the crap out of him. Perhaps in the US the robbers would have killed him. In my score book, I’ll give 1 point to San Telmo for having violent criminals that don’t kill….but it’s a break even when I take 1 point from San Telmo for having violent criminals.
July 19, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Editor
Most American males think they know karate. We’ve seen so many action movies where the invicible hero uses some form of karate to decimate small armies single-handedly. Through osmosis we think we’ve learned enough to at least take a couple guys… Unfortunately, sometimes determined criminals have seen those same movies.
July 29, 2007 at 1:01 pm
johnny
Hey Will,
Nice blog you have here. I’m an expat american living in Buenos Aires for nearly two years, with the last five months in San Telmo. I thought I would throw in my two cents. San Telmo is certainly not for everyone. No decent grocery stores about, it can be loud at night, and generally not as “diversified” as some other barrios. That said, the crime issue is mostly negative hype. The publicized apartment invasion noted above is the only publicized break-in I know of since I have been living here. I walk the streets at any hour of day and night and have never felt threatened, much less accosted. I certainly have no compelling interest in being a San Telmo “apologist” or defender, and may very well try out another barrio in a few months. But, for the record, crime here does not seem to be much of an issue, and I would guess that one has as much chance, or more, of being robbed, mugged or otherwise assailed in the multi Palermos, Barrio Norte or Recoleta. Cheers.
January 7, 2008 at 7:31 pm
If the Walls of San Telmo Could Talk…
[...] San Telmo covets its 19th Century conventillos and resto-bars. San Telmo is traditional and decidedly Argentine. The barrio also has some great old-fashioned murals and graffiti that say a lot about its recent [...]
August 18, 2008 at 2:56 am
Catherine Hubbard
Been living in BA for five months.
Went to a cafe today in San Telmo and my girlfriend was robbed of her bag while some douche bag asked her the time. (Long story- followed the guy- didn’t find his accomplice, locals helped detain him till the cops arrived..big scene and shouting and shoving..bit of eye for eye justice- I wanted to kill him!)
Went to the police station this afternoon and there were two English girls who had had their digicams pickpocketed, and a portena pensioner whose wallet had been nicked from her purse. Lots of nasty folk going there especially to target tourists evidently. Ojos abiertos, I say.