Time Out – Buenos Aires

This blog was submitted to us by: Mark Rebindaine, Managing Director of Time Out Buenos Aires.  For more information, check out http://www.timeout.com/buenos-aires/.

Known around the world as the go-to specialist in urban travel and living, with a hip, recognizable voice, something to say, and a firm grasp of what’s on and where, Time Out began in London as a DIY zine in 1968, and has morphed over the years into an international, multimedia publisher. Through its magazines, guide books and online presence, the company prides itself in providing up-to-date, accurate information to keep its readers on the cutting edge of cities worldwide, with an independent spirit that is the cornerstone of its international success.

Here in Buenos Aires, the tried and tested recipe remains the same……………

Since the launch of our first BA city guide in 2000, Time Out Buenos Aires has established itself as a leading source of information, inspiration and entertainment for visiting and residing foreigners through our popular English-language Insiders magazines. We have also produced Time Out’s city guides to São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, as well as numerous regional guides to Argentina, Uruguay and Costa Rica.

It’s been a rollercoaster ride to get to where we are today, and there have been days when the weight of bureaucracy, the procrastination in decision-making and the unpredictability of the local economy have made me think twice. Setting up and running the brand with my partners has been a similarly topsy-turvy and emotional experience on a personal level; but for every bad day, there has been a good one. And luckily, Argentine businesses are addicted to press, and are always interested in media and trends from abroad, so we’ve been able to seize the opportunity and capitalise on our natural assets with some success – with the help of a talented and dedicated team of editorial and commercial staff.

I first came to Argentina in 1996, in pursuit of a change of scenery and a dose of excitement after six years of living in Paris – and I got it, many times over. Throughout my time here, I feel I have lived through the full spectrum of political and economic models. During the ’90s, when the peso was pegged to the dollar and the economy was centred on importation, Argentina was one of the most expensive countries in the world. After the devaluation of its currency in 2002, it became one of the cheapest. I was lucky to be here during Argentina’s most recent ‘golden era’ (2003 – 2008), when the country went through a period of unprecedented economic growth. Of course, it wasn’t to last: the outbreak of swine flu, the international financial crisis and a fight with the local farmers put paid to that. Under Cristina Kirchner’s mandate, Argentina has drifted from the obscure to the preposterous, and once again seems on the brink of hyperinflation and economic chaos. It appears this country has a penchant for political suicide.

But Argentina has never been, and never will be easy. It’s a great spot to settle in for a long sabbatical, for learning Spanish, or to be based in while working over the net. That’s not to say there aren’t local opportunities. The upside of ludicrous amounts of red tape and a fluctuating economy is that it deters most sane entrepreneurs from investing. For the brave (or insane), Argentina as a whole remains a risky but potentially rewarding country in which to invest.

Local mayor Mauricio Macri is determined to modernise and regularise the city. Tighter licensing laws, a centralised police force, and newly built bike lanes are all part of his long-term dream to turn the city into something resembling a European capital. But it always baffles me why more obvious measures like cleaning up the streets and controlling the speed of buses can’t be part of that drive.

Whether Macri or indeed any other politician can succeed in normalising Argentina’s vibrant capital remains to be seen. Either way, this exciting, flawed and ultimately enigmatic city will continue to charm and disappoint in roughly equal measures. As one of our former editors once wrote: ‘‘There may once have been a headline reading ‘Buenos Aires: everything muddling along quite nicely’ but it’s not in the archives’’.