Amber Reeves: What's an Expat Anyway?

Amber and her favorite person are moving to Buenos Aires in October from Philadelphia!

Sheesh ...can my fellow expats, immigrants, émigrés, and exiles even remember what that was like?  I confess to having trouble recalling what my emotions were on Halloween 2003 when My Missus and I landed at Ezezia ...steamer trunk to follow.

I seem to remember then at least wondering if Buenos Aires would be the "new Prague" ...not to mention the possibility of something along the lines of bohemian Paris in the 1920s.

Things are, of course, different now ...but I think there is still every reason to encourage Amber and people like her to take the plunge!  What do you think?  Amber has some pretty specific questions that deserve some CONSIDERED answers ...please try to suppress our native whining instincts when replying to her (hee hee!)  Here they are and try to direct your comments directly to her blog:

So my questions are:

Is there an active community of expats in Buenos Aires? And I mean community in the fullest sense of the word; people with similar goals and interests living and working to create a cohesive group.
If the expat community is active, how is it viewed by the locals? Are self-proclaimed expats accepted as contributors to the culture and city, or is the group seen as parasitic?
What have been the positive and negative cultural, economic, and environmental impacts of the influx of expats in Buenos Aires in the last couple of decades?
Do expats live in particular areas of Buenos Aires, or are they integrated into many areas of the city?
What are some tips for a person trying this whole thing out for the first time?

For those of a positive opinion, please try not to idealize our Paris of the Palmeras ...for those of a negative opinion, please try not to be terribly discouraging to a person who will undoubtedly have a wonderful life-experience ...if not a wonderful life!

Have at it, expats!  And please try to direct your replies directly to her blog.

Bienvenidos, Amber and your favorite person!  You can expect a warm welcome.