Where to live in Buenos Aires?

Deciding where to live can be a tough decision. Every neighborhood has a different personality and your experience will differ greatly based on where you are.

Here are some of the neighborhoods in Buenos Aires

Recoleta:
This area close to the Recoleta cemetery is very popular among the Argentine upper class. Here you will find the high end hotels and restaurants such as The Alvear Palace, The Park Hyatt.
Similar neighborhoods in other cities: Upper East side in NYC, 16th in Paris.

Palermo:
Palermo is the largest neighborhood in Buenos Aires. Real Estate agents have divided the area in 3 main areas.
Palermo Parks is the area near the Parks , closer to libertador. This is very upper class neighborhoods, and celebrities and politicians tend to live in this area. People are attracted to the green areas and the large houses in the area.
Similar neighborhoods in other cities: Golden Gate park

Palermo Alto is the area close to the Alto Palermo Shopping center. This is a busier part of town but it is very close to the subway stations. Good practical area.

Palermo Viejo is the new up and coming part of Buenos Aires. There are many restaurants and boutique stores. The buildings here are very low and the streets are lined by many trees.
Similar neighborhoods in other cities: This part of town is often compared to Soho, Greenwich village, the Marais, Upper Haight.

San Telmo
San Telmo is controversial. Guide books rave about the area but I have found people to either love it or to be very disappointed. The best part is plaza dorrego. Every Sunday there is an antique fair and the city closes down the streets. As you walk away from the plaza it gets busier with buses and people. The people who love it enjoy the old mansions that were abandoned in the turn of the century and are now being renovated.
Similar neighborhoods in other cities: montmartre

Belgrano
Belgrano is a favorite for locals with families although some parts such as Las Canitas is popular among the young professionals. This neighborhood is mostly residential with either large houses or huge apartment building with swimming pools and even tennis courts. Most private schools such as Belgrano Day School or the Washington school are here.

Puerto Madero

The new area of Buenos Aires on the water. The docks of the city were renovated by the city in the 1990s. The top businesses and banks have their head quarters here. Very new with very sophisticated buildings.
Similar neighborhoods in other cities: Hong Kong, Wall street, downtown San Francisco.