IS BUENOS AIRES DANGEROUS? KIDNAPPINGS & MUGGINGS: UPDATE

We all have our own unique experience with Buenos Aires derived from our personal history and how we choose to perceive life here, so opinions do vary regarding safety and security in the city. 

As a matter of background, I have travelled the USA extensively in my capacity as a project manager working in "new store development" and "corporate acquisitions" for a Fortune 500 Company for nearly 10 years.  I have never counted, but am sure I have worked in 40 different states and in just about every major metropolitan area in the USA and I have visited every state but Alaska.  I also lived in Europe for nearly 4 years and experienced a variety of metro areas there as well and have traveled throughout Mexico and Canada.

In my experience, I have found Buenos Aires to be the safest city I have ever spent much time in.  (I would like to stress the fact that this is only my opinion based on my own personal experience in living here for over 4 years.  Your experience and that of others obviously could differ based on circumstance and perception.)  Statistically, Buenos Aires is safer than cities thought to be very safe in the USA to include Denver and San Diego. 

Buenos Aires is, by most ranking organizations, the 10th largest metropolitan area globally - making it larger than Los Angeles.  Obviously there is crime here and one needs to be cautious, but I do not feel I need to take any additional precautions here over those I would use in any major city anywhere else in the world.

With this in mind, I strongly disagree with the notion that people have a false sense of security here.  People I know are very aware of the dangers inherent in a city this large and speaking for myself, I have always had a healthy respect for the dangers inherent in certain parts of town and at certain times of the night.  I also respectfully have to disagree with the notion that "the city is far from United States safe".  I have lived here over 4 years now and with a little common sense, I have found Buenos Aires to be much safer than most cities in the USA and it is the safest place I have ever lived in the world, big city or small town.

Yes, there is crime here and it is indeed on the rise but in my opinion no more so than anywhere else in the world.  We are living in tough times.  I remember on Bob Dylan's first album he had a song where he spoke of the crime in NYC.  The song is Talkin' New York and here is a great line:

A lot of people don’t have much food on their table
But they got a lot of forks ’n’ knives
And they gotta cut somethin’

The point is there is crime in every large city in the world and one should always take care when visiting or living here.

As an aside, I went back to your blog and read another article of yours on Buenos Aires, the one entitled:  Is Argentina Dangerous? The Best Buenos Aires Barrios.  I thought while I was already addressing your other article, I would include a few thoughts about this one at the same time.

You started out talking about perceptions regarding Latin America in general and you mention "the 'eccentric' new president of Venezuela is always in the news, and the new president of Bolivia has also caused quite a stir".

First of all, Hugo Chavez has been in power as president of Venezuela since 1999, so I am not sure what you are talking about in conjunction with the "new" president unless you consider being in office nearly 12 years as being new. Eva Morales has been president of Bolivia since 2006 and I hardly consider him to be new either.   

Secondly, sure the president of Bolivia has caused quite a stir, but mainly due to factors unrelated to crime and the perception of safety, factors such as: being the first elected president of Bolivia, being indigenous (I believe the first indigenous president elected in Latin America), his push to redistribute wealth in Bolivia with its gas resources and through land reforms.  He is also the titular leader of a movement in Bolivia resisting attempts by the USA to eradicate coca in central Boliva making him the target of a lot of conjecture, and in my opinion media driven propoganda.  His position on the matter has been that there is a vast difference between coca and cocaine.  Speaking to the BBC on the matter he noted:  "I am not a drug trafficker. I am a coca grower. I cultivate coca leaf, which is a natural product. I do not refine (it into) cocaine, and neither cocaine nor drugs have ever been part of the Andean culture."  The General Assembly of the United Nations holds him high regards naming him "World Hero of Mother Earth" in late 2009.  With all that in mind, I fail to see any relevant "stir" that is related to crime or safety in Latin America.

As to your commentary on individual barrios, I have a few comments as well.

In my opinion Recoleta is not the trendiest barrio in town, rather I think Palermo Viejo holds that crown. I also disagree that it is "[n]ot the best of locations in terms of Argentina tourist attractions".  Recoleta is considered a very significant tourist area with strong historic and cultural influences and parks.  Recoleta is home to the famous Recoleta Cemetery, the Church of Nuestra Señora del Pilar built in 1732, National Fine Arts Museum or Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, the National Library of Argentina, the Recoleta Cultural Center, the Monastery of the Recollect Fathers, the Palais de Glace a multimedia exhibition center, Carlos Thays Park, Centro Municipal de Exposiciones.  There are several tango cabarets there to include the noted Pabellón de las Rosas, on Libertador.  The barrio is known for its sculptures, French architecture and lovely green spaces. 

I have to respectfully disagree that Palermo is far from activity and it is simply incorrect to note it is "the farthest of all the Buenos Aires barrios".  Going towards the north, once you depart Palermo there is Belgrano and then Nunez before one departs Capital Federal and if you are talking the metropolitan area, it take over half an hour by train to reach the outskirts of town from the Palermo station.

While I agree that San Telmo is one of the older parts of the city, it is not necessarily true that one will find "true Buenos Aires" there.  For one thing, with nearly 14 million persons and having been established in 1536, Buenos Aires is an incredibly complex city and I do not believe one can define any one characteristic or location as being "true Buenos Aires".  If you are talking about an older and more run down part of town; if you are talking about dimly lit narrow roads and high crime; if you are talking about touristic locations like Plaza Dorrego and lots of tourist driven tango cabarets - then "Yes" San Telmo is the real deal.  However, I would not be so quick to sell Buenos Aires so short by saying San Telmo is the "real" BsAs.

I have to disagree with you regarding Puerto Madero as lots of people in fact stay there with an annual occupancy rate of over 80%. 

Last but not least Microcentro is not the center of the city, rather Caballito is the geographic center of town.  However, Microcentro is the business district (the term "centro" in this regard refers to business center and not location).

I appreciate that you took the time to blog your journey around the globe and I wish you the best.  However, our purpose in writing and sharing on this forum is hopefully to give people both meaningful and accurate information and I hope I have helped clear up any confusion.

I agree, Palermo Soho/Viejo is Trendy, Recoleta is touristy but  also quite nice .. with beautiful buildings, parks and museums.
I walk from my home in Recoleta to Palermo all the time .. not Soho but the Botanico area. Palermo is huge!
Each neighborhood has its good and bad points. San Telmo , to me, has been ruined by the Tourist Extravaganza that the Sunday market has become. I like Monseratt and I love Belgrano.. all an easy taxi ride away from Recoleta.
At the risk of jinxing myself ... we have lived here 4 years in April and have not been victims of any crime. Unless you count the lousy plumbers we had when we renovated
We are from NYC, lived in a few states and traveled to a few countries, I am comfortable here. ( I have friends in a very good neighborhood in London who have been robbed more than once ) .. I am not sure there is any such thing left as a truly safe city.

I too have lived in many cities regarded as dangerous by the media and even people living there (Johannesburg, New York).  But the only time I have experienced any crime was when we got mugged in Stockholm, Sweden - on the train in broad dayligth.  :-)  nothing serious.

Living in any city could make one feel insecure, which is, in my esoteric opinion, the moment you become a kind of target. Constantly living in fear creates fear and invites others to pray on you.

Just stay aware of your surroundings without fearing it. use common sense and enjoy the city!

Totally agree Juantjie!

It can happen to anyone but I've noticed that those I know who are particularly fearful are more often victims of random crime.

I lay a few thoughts out on it here: bit.ly/h9uitb

p.s. Sorry to hear, but it's kind of funny that you have lived in places like Johannesburg and have only been robbed in Stockholm! Goes to show~!

I would also encourage everyone to check out this article too on common swindles:

http://wander-argentina.com/some-popular-swindles/