SAN TELMO PIED-A-TERRE (WI-FI AND HUGE TERRACE)

Overall we would rate our stay as very good to excellent. The listing and photos are accurate, and the apartment was clean and well maintained. The couple of issues that we encountered were quickly addressed by Juan, and the neighbors next door (charming couple). The apartment is in the San Telmo area, and we found accessibility very good for local restaurants and shopping. That said, there are other great restaurants around the city that were recommended by other friends (La Cabrerra in Palermo, and Cafe Tortoni near the Avenida De Mayo Plaza). Within 6-8 blocks walking, there is access to the Subte (subway) and bus routes that can virtually take you anywhere in this sprawling city. We would highly recommend that visitors purchase a small booklet called "Guia-T". It is a pocket-size directory of street locations by address, and bus routes that you can buy at a news stand. Quite simply, you locate where you are on the street map, locate your destination by address (usually on another map page), and then look for bus route numbers that coincide with both locations. Easy to figure out, and we easily traversed the city from La Boca to Ricoletta and Palerma, and all points in-between. Mind you, these are not express buses. The buses and the Subte are jammed at five in the evening! Juans recommendations for local eats was great (La Federal and Gibralters), and the Pasta shop is tops! The street fair on Defensa on Sunday is a must! The apartment was very comfortable...we like to cook so we did so several nights (pasta from the pasta shop). The wine shop up the street from the pasta shop, same side of the street, has reasonably priced wines, and there are plenty of fresh vegetable stands. The rooftop terrance was enjoyable for the evening cocktail, if you enjoy that sort of thing (which we do)! The stairs to the second floor are steep, but certainly manageable with caution - we are both in our very early 60s and had no problem. We would recommend the apartment, and would not hesitate to stay there again. It really puts you in an environment of "locals".

San Telmo is a great place to stay in Buenos Aires. There are lots of shops and restaurants and the streets seem relatively safe, The apartment is in a good location, 4 blocks from the subway station, 2 blocks from a very good fruit and meat market; there are a lot of bakeries, a good pasta store, good convenience stores, grocery stores and restaurants within a few blocks.

The building is a 6 storey block and the apartment is on the top floor. There is a wonderful little birdcage elevator to take you to the top floor. The building is clean.

The apartment has two floors - very large living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom with bath and bidet on the bottom floor and large bedroom, small bedroom and bathroom on the top floor. Access to the terrace is from the top floor. The apartment is well secured.

The apartment is well equipped with everything we needed - bedding, towels, washer, dryer, microwave, small stove, cooking utensils, dishes, glasses, soap, etc. We only had to buy some laundry soap.

The apartment is attractive. The terrace is a great place to have a glass of wine to watch the sunset over the city.

The neighbours were most helpful in welcoming us and giving us some advice.

The only two cautions:
- the stairs to the top floor are narrow and can be slippery - you must be careful not to slip (don't wear socks)
- for anyone with vertigo, there is a short glass floor leading to the terrace - Juan warns about this and suggests putting a mat down.

Juan was true to his word: the description was accurate, the keys arrived on time, he was quick to respond to emails and everything was as stated.

Recommendations for restaurants nearby: Pétanque (lovely French Restaurant), El Federal (a block away - casual and good), El Desnivel (several blocks away - very very casual but good food - try papas (fries) sprinkled with garlic and parsley), La Brigada (great bustling bistro with good food). Excellent take-out empanadas about a block away on Bolivar St. San Telmo fair on Sundays is fun. Check out the great colourful shoes and bags at a shop on Defensa (about a block or two from Plaza Dorrego) - they have fabulous shoes, boots and bags.

A good choice for Buenos Aires.

This property is absolutely beautiful. From the outside, it looks like a very standard old apartment building. Once inside, you find yourself in a luxuriously spacious, beautifully maintained huge penthouse-style apartment. You have your own private terrace on the roof overlooking the city, your own full-service kitchen and two nice restrooms, one master bedroom that easily sleeps two and a cute little 1-person bedroom right next door. The living room and dining room downstairs are also spacious and lovely, and Juan has been kind enough to provide numerous books, CDs and movies, including several of local interest.
If you're like me, you will end up eating and drinking your way through the neighborhood. There are so many great parrillas and pubs within walking distance, one needn't ever venture into another area. But venturing into other neighborhoods is easy with buses and taxis available on every street at all hours, and you are only a few blocks from the Subte if you want to take a train. La Boca is a short distance away, maybe a 30-minute walk or a short bus ride. In fact, there is a bus (number 29) that travels all the way from La Boca to Palermo and goes right past the apartment.
I could not be more pleased with this apartment and its proximity to everything. This is far better than staying at a hotel which would charge you twice as much and not offer the solitude with all the comforts of home.