We love UY.
After spending 5-6 years and considering 60 countries and much self reflection, we decided (correctly) on UY.
Dirty? Only if compared to a gated community or an OR. we have trash pick up twice a week, beach combed daily during the summer, swept roads -- yes there are areas of dumping - i think left over from an even less populated time but awareness is rising.
we chose an area out of Montevideo - where there is more irritating (pickpocket-type) crime, and perhaps more "dirt" of the type that buildings of a certain age seem to generate. i remember my 1st trip to Florence (age? very young) thinking the outside of the Uffizi was filthy... you know what i mean. Not dirt, collected culture.
UY Expensive? all of our bills are considerably less than where we came from. Except electricity. the wonderful Frente amplio (really i love them) prices this utility higher in wealthier districts than poorer ones - (cool, eh?) so ours is high esp in winter. we love the weather except the winter but our house (purchased about 2 and a half yrs ago) is being weatherized. and our fireplace is lovely. UY is very humid compared to all of CA (i assume LA is LA).
we came from San Francisco - a city rapidly changing into Palo Alto.
Crime? you CAN get yourself mugged if you stroll around Barrio Sur, at dusk, speaking in english and not paying attention, or being caught up in a crowd after a desfile at carnivale (both in Montevideo) but beyond purse snatching - not much goes on around here (close to La Barra). Most homes (including ours) have alarm systems.
People here are wonderful - not terrified of the future like in the USA. They love to laugh - with you & at you -in the nicest way. we've had nothing but sweet relationships with our chosen local and expat friends here. and honesty, openness and a bit of generosity seems to work with people we've hired.
it's best to come with an income or set money as trying to get a job here is REALLY hard, and pay is low ($800 USD a month for a teacher i've heard).
we love the birds (reminiscent of Orange County CA in the 60s), the wind, the official lack of religion - reputable banking, functional government. a complete lack of Trumps.
sociology dump: we are white, straight, hippie professionals, mostly retired, in our 60s.
may you make the best choice for you - cheers.

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Thank you, sylk, for your wonderful response. I'm more relaxed now and you guessed right, I am from Los Angeles :-)

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Hi Bradley,
What criteria are you using to choose Uruguay? Is it just the internet or have you been to Uruguay? Depending on the neighborhood in which one lives, dirty and crime ridden applies equally to California as well as Uruguay. Homework needs to be thorough, but it is only the start of the process; this learning curve requires field trips. We made month long investigation trips before making our decision to move here and only then did we decide to move. We chose the months of January and June to get a feel for the extremes of weather. Also January is the high tourist season so these months make a good contrast between expensive,busy and affordable/relaxed. Do you and/or your spouse speak Spanish? If not, are you willing to learn? (preferably before moving!) There is exceedingly little English spoken down here and nothing written is "bilingual" as one finds in Ca. You will have a VERY hard time without being able to communicate in Spanish.
Are you willing to live differently than you do in the States? Not worse or less, but differently. Things are done differently here and as long as one can adjust, one can live a happy, quality life here. Some of the differences are annoying, some are pleasant or simply amusing. We believe our life here will be as good and more satisfying than the life we left in Santa Barbara, Ca., which was exceedingly expensive!
Being gay, you are likely versed in adapting to living in a "foreign" society to some extent already. It is that ability and willingness to adapt that will make the experience both a success and a pleasure. No matter where you live, some people will judge you for being queer, but at least coastal Uruguay does not seem to be any worse than coastal California. On the Total Uruguay Forum, a gay man, Patrick, living in what he describes as a rural Uruguayan bible belt, Colonia Valdense, says that his experience has been "live and let live"; their attitude is that it is none of their business and he is treated well there.
Employment is a huge hurdle here as it is the most expensive country in Latin America in which to live. It is also one of the nicest, temperate climate places to live, but you will likely need to bring your employment with you or be otherwise financially set. Wages are low, the job market is exceedingly tight and people rarely switch jobs once they get one. It has taken me two years to figure out the employment to bring with me, and that is not yet proven as we have only just moved.
As anywhere showing humility and respect go a LONG way!
So far we are not disappointed. A bit challenged at times, but it is an exciting adventure for us.
Take your time with this decision, do not rush it; continue homework and do field trips if you have not yet done so. This process took us three years, bur here we are. Good luck!

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Hi Bradley,

Don't mistake realistic for negative. In my experience on this board, the expats who post are trying to be helpful by being realistic and if in some ways that comes across as negative maybe that is because Uruguay is not all things to all people. For some people it will not be the right decision, for many it will. But I think this board does a great service to try to point out to those for whom it may not work to consider somewhere else. Generally speaking, Uruguay is not a great place for those in the prime of their ambitious earning years as good paying jobs here are not plentiful. It is also not good for those who wish to naively live in the same culture that they just left and then are surprised to find out Uruguay has its own unique culture.

Uruguay is a place for those who have done their homework and feel at home with Uruguayan values. It works well for those who have no further wish to compete in the rat race and for whom to learn a new culture fulfills a need. It works well for those who like agricultural life. There are many different scenarios where Uruguay can work for an expat but it has to be approached intelligently - it can be a very expensive and lonely experience otherwise so I take my hat off to the participants on this forum who point this out.

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... could not agree more with you 'focus' .... !!

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Thank you, Vortice. Have not been to Uruguay. Early stages of looking. Still looking around . However, based on my earliest research, Uruguay shot straight to the top and other countries have not come even close, SO FAR .

We don't speak Spanish, but already in the works. Being in LA, it's good to know regardless of whether we move or not.

I am always open to change and adapt very quickly, which is why I have no qualms moving to a new environment.

You've given excellent things to consider, My concerns regarding the cleanliness, crime, etc, came from reading these forums, which is why I was taken aback, Based on what I read, I imagined some people living there who are unhappy and left me wondering why they didn't move if it was so bad.

Thank you again,

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You're probably right, focus. I think it's great that people want to insure others don't jump in and find it doesn't work for them. That being said, maybe it's laid on too thick. I was left wondering why so many people continued to live in Uruguay when they were so unhappy,

I found Sylk's response gave a good balance of the pros and cons and didn't make me feel like I was being scared away.

You've given excellent food for thought as well.

Thank you

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In case you hadn't seen it yet, there's another post Before & After that is worth looking at that relates to this.

As to "why they didn't move", some are economic refugees from the US or other places that may not find it easy to move again. The US financial repression continues to impoverish anyone with even a bit of money saved so they may trying to restart. A problem with Uruguay is a greater inflation rate and so coming here may not fix that without special attention to that.

When I first came here I did not like the city's grime and grafitti. I still don't but have gotten to like MVD more but would prefer not to live there. Coastal or campo is more for me.

Yes, the people are often very nice and helpful but learning Spanish is a priority and if one cannot start now and make progress with that, may not really be committed to the move to here (or another Spanish-speaking country).

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My husband & I are looking to move to Montevideo for similar reason you mentioned. We have been to Uruguay a few times and loved it.

Montevideo is a city of over 1 million, so there will be some areas that are not as clean, but no more that I have seen in the US or the EU.

Doyle

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Good point, gbowwii, regarding some people being unable to move due to economic reasons. It should have been obvious, but I hadn't thought of that.

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Several years ago I spent a couple of months in Uruguay. Admittedly, not long enough to get a clear picture, esp. without a car, but long enough for me not to want to return. Lots of European influences, like Argentina, but to me it seemed more like Eastern Europe. People in Montivideo have told me they look down on those from Buenos Aires, considering them too passionate, and saw sone negative attitudes towards gays from B.A. Argentina seems much more wide open, diverse, culturally satisfying. I am no authority on either country, though I heard a lot of stories from a relative who lived in Argentina and Chile in the 1930s, but if I had to pick one to return to and perhaps stay I know traveling around Argentina would be amazing.

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I looked into Argentina, but employers can legally fire someone for being gay, and stores can refuse service. That's just like the USA. Uruguay gives gays equal freedoms. Many European nations do too, but are too expensive. Plus it's hard to migrate if you're not part of the EU.
Still looking at all options, though.

Laws don't necessarily change peoples attitudes, so I would give Uruguay a 6 - 12 month try. I believe it will be the place for us. I hope being there doesn't prove me wrong. Thank you for your input Peter.

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Bradley, this may be of interest to you. It appeared in today's edition of El Pais.

http://www.tvshow.com.uy/pantalla-caliente/fotos-boda-sergio-puglia-horacio.html

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please email to me privately. I lived in Montevideo for 6 years and 6 days. bellcurvz@yahoo.com. there is a lot to consider and I will tell you the truth. I come from LA (california) . Bella

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