Being single is never simple. Whether its grocery shopping (“Oh look, you get a small box of cereal for $3.99 or a family size version for $ 4.15”) or traveling, being single is best described as a “challenge.

Being single in a city that is not your home base is fraught with obstacles and challenges; without any friends, colleagues or even family to socialize with, along with the added bonus of a language that one might not be particularly fluent in, doesn’t help matters.

Buenos Aires, complete with it’s array of museums, clubs and parks, is that rare place on earth that welcomes strangers; the citizens of Buenos Aires won’t necessarily greet you with open arms—well, actually they will, and they will most likely will kiss you on the cheek, but that’s because that’s how everyone greets each other in Argentina--but once you begin to grasp the city’s rituals and customs you will be treated like a long lost friend.

Given it’s endless parks, divine weather (even in the winter the temperature remains comfortably above zero) and the national obsession with one’s body, this is a city where joggers rule. Thousands of fit Argentineans, young and old, can be seen running through the cities multitude of beautifully manicured parks.

Running in Buenos Aires is a sight to behold: lean, bronzed, sculpted bodies, moving in unison around a park’s track, while people on roller-blades rush by (you remember that phenomenon from the late 90s? In Buenos Aires roller-blades were no mere fad!). Tennis courts are filled with ladies attired in white shorts and Lacost blouses and gyms are found every few blocks—though in this weather why someone would want to be indoor is a mystery.

The Argentinean’s love of canines is a wonder to behold. It seems everyone in Buenos Aires has a dog. Walking one’s pet seems to be one of the basic necessities of life—like washing one’s face or savoring a glass of wine. Dog walkers are seen on every street corner, whether the neighborhood is wealthy or desolate is irrelevant. Simply stopping to pet a dog will result in an instant bond, and most inevitably to an invitation for coffee at a café a few feet away (in Buenos Aires, there is always a café nearby that makes “the best café con leche ever!”).  

Argentina is that rare place on earth where smoking is still not a taboo; everyone smokes there, even the children; bars and restaurants come with smoking rooms, and if there ever was a better ice breaker than “Do you have a light?” or “Can you spare a cigarette?” I have yet to become familiar with it. With the cost of a pack of smokes totally around the dollar-fifty mark it’s possibly one of the most effective and simplest ways to meet people even if you don’t’ smoke.

In terms of nightlife, Buenos Aires could put New York to shame; there are seemingly endless bars, clubs and venues in this sprawling city, that cater to every niche of the population; from traditional tango bars, to vast modern techno clubs; the city is a playground for adults. Going to a bar alone pretty much guarantees you will be engaged in a conversation with someone within the first few minutes—and for the record I am talking about “conversation” not a pick up (though if that is what you are after, you can easily accomplish that too).  A simple “hello” to the person sitting at the nearest stool next to you can be your gateway to an evening of discourse that can lead to an evening of drinking, dining, more drinking, dancing, and yet again, more drinking.

As an aside though, I should note, that gender does play a role in how one is treated; I for example, as a male would easily go into a bar or club without anything “strange” happening; female friends of mine though had different experiences. A friend actually had her pony tail pulled by a man in a bar as a way to stop her and have a “talk” (needless to say she was not impressed), and frequently had her ass fondled when she was in a club—mind you that happened to me too, but alas, you learn to deal with these things.

Virtually every night of the week you can meet people in Buenos Aires to share cocktails and party as if they were your best friends from Junior High; you will hear stories about their ex-boyfriends who cheated on them, or how Borges is over-rated (yes, that was an actual discussion I had with a woman I met one night), but when it’s time to go home the ritual, though the ritual of exchanging numbers and email information occurs, don’t be surprised to never see or hear from them again. Porteros are very lax when it comes to meeting up or making plans, they prefer to just let things “be”, which can be frustrating, and mind-boggling to a visitor. All this means however is that you can make new friends the next day.

So lets recap: when visiting Buenos Aires make sure you bring your running shoes so meet hot singles; bring allergy medicine so you can pet dogs; start smoking so you can inhale without chocking; and oh yes, bring protection, because when it comes to sex there will be a multitude of options.

By Nicholas Kazamia
Photo by Shanie Matthews