How do I meet expats in Buenos Aires?

Here are the top ways to meet other expats in Buenos Aires according to 27 Americans living in the city.

1. ONLINE

The majority of the Americans I interviewed claimed that one of the main ways they meet other foreigners or “expats” in BA is online. Here are just a few of the web links they mentioned:

• baexpats.org

• buenosaires.craigslist.org

• meetup.com

• internations.com

• Yahoo groups: BANewcomers, CCClub BA

• Facebook groups: Desperate Ladies of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Mummy Group

2. EXPAT EVENTS

A great way to meet expats in Buenos Aires is by attending “expat” events. This is very much connected with the #1 way to meet expats (online) since the most common way to find out about these events is on the internet. FYI: this option is really better for social butterflies if you’re on your own. Wallflowers: I suggest trying to organize a lunch or coffee with just a few people on the baexpats.org forum. Here are just a few links to expat events in Buenos Aires:

• Second Story: a very popular English “storytelling” event, held monthly. At least 5 of the Americans I interviewed had attended this event.  http://secondstorybuenosaires.com/

• Gringo Stand up: comedy in English! Every Tuesday night. https://www.facebook.com/gringostandup

• BAIN (Buenos Aires International Newcomers) www.baindowntown.com: this website has many events for expats in BA including playgroups, book exchanges, dinners, ladies happy hours, coffee, lunches and more.

• Annual Buenos Aires Chili Cookoff! https://www.facebook.com/BAChiliCookoff

• Drinking Liberally Buenos Aires: the southernmost outpost of this well-known drinking society. Every Monday at 7:30pm. https://www.facebook.com/groups/DrinkingLiberallyBuenosAires/

• Also, staying connected online to different groups, communities and websites allows you to find out about other events including frequent entrepreneur and startup meetings and happy hours (probably the fastest growing expat community in BA!) or American holiday events (such as July 4th, Halloween and Thanksgiving).

3. ACTIVITIES, CLUBS, COURSES

Joining a club or going to classes is a great way to meet other expats in Buenos Aires.

Several of the Americans (mainly men) interviewed had met expat (and even local) friends through different sports clubs or groups in Buenos Aires, including BAFA (Buenos Aires Fútbol Amigos), the “Shankees” baseball team, and even an American football club. Running groups is another way to meet expats and locals alike.

Other Americans met their foreign friends through activities such as language classes and exchanges (conversationexchange.com, Mundo Lingo, Spanglish, LV Conversation Night, to name a few), TEFL programs, theater groups, volunteering, or through a social club like Oasis House.

WHERE YOU LIVE

Several of the Americans I interviewed had at some point during their time in Buenos Aires lived in one of the “international” houses. These residences are well-located large homes that rent bedrooms to foreigners. The rest of the home is a shared living space, and considering these houses are usually filled with young, social foreigners, they’re great places to meet new people. In fact, this is also a good way to meet Argentines from other provinces or Spanish-speakers from other countries, not just English-speaking foreigners, according to the Americans interviewed. Examples of international houses that some of the Americans I interviewed have lived in include Casa Peru and Salta House.

Aside from these international houses, it’s common that expats end up living together in shared apartments through posts for room shares on craigslist.org or baexpats.org (among other websites) or through word of mouth. Many of the Americans interviewed had shared an apartment with another expat at some point during their time in Buenos Aires.

WHERE YOU WORK

Because of the limited job opportunities for English-speakers in Buenos Aires (most work online, usually for technology start ups, or in the English teaching or tourism fields), it’s not uncommon for expats in Buenos Aires to meet each other on the job. Many claimed to work with other foreigners. For example, one American said she worked as a Headhunter for an American company out of an office in Buenos Aires that she shared with several American co-workers. In fact, several of the Americans in Buenos Aires have both an American employer and American co-workers. Others have British and European colleagues or employers.

This was a common theme, and many claimed to have made foreign friends while working at English language institutes, translation companies (Trusted Translations, for example), tech start ups or technology companies, nanny agencies and more.

How do you meet other expats in your global city?