The city offers a variety of domestic spaces from which to choose. In the high-demand neighborhoods, condos and apartments are most readily available. Many middle-class barrios away from the center consist mainly of blocks of two-story townhomes, many with gated parking garages facing the street. Overall, however, the typical residential neighborhood will have houses intermixed with high-rise apartments. Some of the edifices in the city, especially those located nearer to Microcentro, are much older and tend to be rundown. However, their style and architecture are pure ‘porteño’: Argentine with a bit of European splashed in for good measure. Many of them have open areas in the middle, where the natural light is let in (along with rain), and the residents will use the space for parties, drying clothes, or sipping mate on a cool afternoon.
Condos and apartments vary in size and style, but there is a movement towards the modern with all the new construction and remodeling happening in the city. Studios, or ‘monoambientes,’ are very common, and can be found in any neighborhood. You will find with most apartments, unless they are located quite high up in the building, the street noise is not filtered out that well. Try to get an apartment that’s not facing the street; if you prefer the street view, it’s best to find one at least above the fifth floor. Air conditioning is still a relatively new concept in homes in Argentina, but the older houses and buildings are built with natural air flow and ventilation in mind. An open window will cool an entire apartment most of the time, so don’t worry too much if the one you want doesn’t have a window unit (as central air is almost nonexistent in the residential realm).
