Hi,

Uruguay is calm and stable. And from here, Argentina looks really wild and crazy. Uruguay is a lot safer both financially and physically.

The legal process here in Uruguay follows the laws that are in force. In Argentina, laws are a bit irrelevant. It is the opinion of those currently in power that guide which laws will be enforced in Argentina. In Uruguay, if it is written in the law, it will be eventually enforced. i.e. no one can confiscate your land in Uruguay if you made sure you followed all the rules, got all the paperwork done properly, etc. when you bought it ... nor your car, nor your business. Not so in Argentina.

Then there is the violence. People say crime is terrible here in Montevideo. That is because burglary, mugging and robberies are increasing. No one gets stabbed, shot, or beaten here, that all happens across the river in Argentina.

Here is something to consider, if you are traveling for the first time to this part of the world and have narrowed your search down by studying statistics and using the same criteria you would to pick a place to re-locate in the US, you will be surprised to discover that in the rest of the world, dropping in without some connection to a neighborhood is weird. No family here? No employer sent you? Why are you here then?

You may think you want to move right in to a cute little neighborhood and start mingling with the locals, but you will be a target of the burglaries and the neighbors won't look out for you like they do each other because it is so suspicious for someone to be unconnected to people where they live ... to be without a history.

My advice would be to find connections. Find a locale that is full of foreigners.

Mendoza in Argentina is a touristy area and has people from around the world living there.

In Uruguay there is Carrasco, Pocitos, and Punta Carretas. I would also recommend Punta Del Este for off season living. There is quite an interesting mix of expats living there happily.

Good luck.

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Thanks for such an informative response Valentine.
I especially appreciate your recommendations of the cities, all of which were never recommended except for Punta Del Este.
I would like to be close to the beach as possible minus a huge expense for a mortage, or overwhelming crowds but within close proximity to a city with most necessities and convienances.
What is your opinion of Piriapolis or Atlantida? And is there many Expats in those locations? I was looking at a community called Sugarloaf in Piriapolis that is said to be nice and a gated community, ever heard of it? I absolutely would like to meet and stay and stay in touch with some locales when I visit next year.
Your advice and input is valued and greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Chuck

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Hi Chuck,

First of all, you can't really get away from the beach here. The interior of the country is all farmland. Piriapolis is a really cute beach town. It is a tourist town plus lots of locals go there for weekend get aways during the Summer. Atlantida isn't such a popular place with tourists, so it would not be as crowded as Piriapolis. And Sugarloaf is wildly overpriced. You can hire a guard service and have a "portero" in a little "cabana" in front of your house 24/7 for a fraction of what you will be paying to be in a gated community. And where do you think burglars go? I mean, living in a gated community is just advertising that you have something to steal, or that you would be valuable to kidnap.

Atlantida probably meets your criteria of being close to the beach, affordable, and close to city amenities. It is an easy drive or bus ride from Atlantida into Montevideo. There is an eclectic mix of well travelled locals and foreigners in Atlantida. Plus first stop into Montevideo if you are taking the bus is Portones Shopping Mall in the heart of Carrasco, which is a very international section of Montevideo.

I see in your profile that you are in the Marines. There is a Marine presence in Montevideo. I went to the Marine Ball last year. The Marines guard the embassy, all 10 of them! Perhaps you could get in touch with them to get info and guidance. It would be a good connection to have. And here, everything is about who you are connected to.

Your profile mentions your wife. There is an American Woman's Club (AWC) in Montevideo. If she got in touch with them she might begin some correspondences which could help in your move. OOps excuse me, in an effort to truly represent the egalitarianism of US culture, men are now welcome in the club and it is called the American Association of Uruguay. The website is still awcmontevideo.org.

Good luck in your planning. Uruguay is a lovely place!

Elena Valentine

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Elena, once again your response is very informative and very much appreciated. I will make those contacts you've recommended and go from there. As for Atlantida or Piriapolis I think that will just have to be a decision when making our first visit next year. I'm actually relieved to hear that Sugarloaf is not all they advertise to be with their expensive price tag. Are there Expat Communities spread throughout the region or pretty much limited to certain areas?

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Hi,

You'll find expat communities near the beaches. The farther inland you go, the less welcoming of foreigners.

The different coastal neighborhoods have definite personalities. I'd recommend when you come to visit, you do some of the things you would do if you lived here, i.e. go to church, golf, go to the grocery store, the mall, get a guest pass at a club and work out, the sort of things that will give you a flavor of what it would be like to live here.

Before you come you can Google the Solis performing arts center and see if there is a show you'd like to attend, or look up the Montevideo Players who are a British Theatre Group that has performances and Pub Nights.

Those are the things you would do if you lived here, and how can you know if you want to live here unless you get a taste for every day life? The touristy things are fun to do, but won't give you a measure of how much you would enjoy living here.

Uruguay has everything to offer, but you have to be careful where you pick to live. You might want to rent for a few months to figure out what rhythm your life is going to take, before you buy and then find you have some long commutes to places and people you want to see often.

Best wishes,
Elena Valentine

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Hi
I purchased a "pied a terre" last year in one of the places mentioned by another member so I may sound partial.
Sugarloaf is grossly overpriced as 90% of what you see on the net,nice view,don't get me wrong.You can drive from Montevideo to Punta del Este
in 1 1/2 hours,about 150 km,
Piriapolis is about 95 km.
Argentinians go to Uruguay
if they want beaches.
Do the "shopping"yourself
as there are good oportunities
you'll need cash as mortgages are rare,take more than one trip before deciding.
As any resort area, winter
could be lonely.
Bottom line,find Uruguay more relaxed,good food,decent to good infrastructure.Crime like anywhere else,no more no less.Remember renting is always an option if in doubt.
Hope it helps.

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Thanks for your posts!
Has it gotten terribly expensive in the punta area as well?
we want to purchase a home with some farmland and grow avocados or citrus.
how would we get started?
can you recommend a person or company to do our immigration paperwork?
thanks.
g

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Hi
As far as Punta being expensive is a matter of where you stand in the "food chain".My advise is
spend time,couple days,get the feeling.I don't know about avocados but citrus is very viable,Salto in the northwest is
big,other areas as well,get
expert advise(this can be done for free),soil,weather,etc.
Insofar as "getting started or
immigration papers" is not that
difficult but helps being
'connected",slow.
I know a tourist guide (ex US student)if that helps.

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Valentine: You will not regret moving to Uruguay- It is a beautiful country

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I'm an American living in Montevideo, and I have also lived recently (3.5 yrs) in Argentina. I would HIGHLY recommend Uruguay over Argentina on almost any measure. Uruguay is a friendly, relaxed, politically stable, relatively safe and enjoyable place to live. Montevideo is a wonderful coastal city with a small town feel. This means you'll have a wide range of restaurants and cultural activities availabe year round...but it's a place where everyone knows everyone else...which pays extraordinary benefits once you've paid a few dues and gotten to know who is who, who to trust, and who not to.

The coastal areas offer fairly good beaches and there are expat communities but offer much less to do. You will have to have a car anywhere outside of Montevideo, whereas in the city you won't need one. (Frankly...I wouldn't DRIVE in Argentina, much less own a car. I've lived in Mediteranean Europe, Mexico, etc...and Argentina is BY FAR the most dangerous place to drive I have ever seen. Noone stops...EVER. Uruguay by contrast is simply 'sort of bad', comparable to many other places outside the U.S.

The crime and corruption issue in Argentina cannot be overstated. Buenos Aires is a huge city and very vibrant (I lived there for a year.) but street crime is bad and getting worse as the Argentine economy slips into the abyss once again. Uruguay isn't perfect but it's MUCH safer, especially in any of the places where you'll likely choose to live.

Banking, healthcare, retirement living...are slam dunks in favor of Uruguay.

Good luck. Email me if you'd like.

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