 Montevideo has been ranked as the most livable major city in South America for several years in a row by Mercer Human Resource Consulting. In addition to a “cost of living” study to help international businesses know how to appropriately compensate their offshore employees, Mercer publishes an annual study which rates the quality of life in the world’s major cities. Mercer ranks a city’s livability by assessing and evaluating 39 key Quality of Living determinants which include: political stability, crime, law enforcement, banking, personal freedoms, medical care, waste disposal, electricity, water, public transportation, traffic congestion, air pollution, education, restaurants, leisure opportunities, availability of food and goods, housing, maintenance services, climate, and record of natural disasters. According to Mercer’s 2009 report, Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital, has the highest quality of life in South America (followed by Buenos Aires and Santiago, Chile). The first attempt at settlement of the peninsula that is now Montevideo was by the Portuguese who began building a fort in 1723. The Spanish (who struggled with the Portuguese for regional domination) soon drove the Portuguese out and developed a walled citadel and commercial harbor. Montevideo started out as a walled citadel and commercial arbor in the 1720’s. It was founded as a city in 1730 by the Spanish governor of Buenos Aires, Bruno Maurice de Zabala. (Montevideo was established as a city 95 years before Uruguay became a country.) Zabala offered free land, seeds, and animals to attract families from Buenos Aires as well as people from the Canary Islands to settle in the new 8 by 14 block walled city. Today Montevideo is Uruguay’s Capital and largest city with a population of 1.4 million (over 40% of Uruguay’s population). It is also home to the country’s main port, commercial center, and cultural center. The small peninsula where the city began is now a community within the city called Ciudad Vieja (the Old City). The first expansion to the original city was the area that is today known as Centro. The development of Centro began in 1861. Ciudad and Centro are the two oldest communities. Both of these areas have retained their original period architecture, beautiful plazas, fountains, and monuments. These two areas also form Montevideo’s main business district, cultural center, and the area with the most hotels, restaurants, and tourism attractions. Outside of Ciudad Vieja and Centro, the second greatest concentration of hotels, restaurants, and nightlife is in the more modern coastal community of Pocitos. Pocitos is the most densely populated community in Montevideo and the location of the city’s World Trade Center. Along the waterfront is a wide rambla (seaside walk) made of cut red granite. It has many large parks, plazas, tree lined streets, sandy beaches, wide avenues, and public beaches. The city also has pedestrian streets, unique neighborhood shops, restaurants, and cafes. People take their leisure fishing from the rambla, talking with friends in plazas and cafes, and browsing in outdoor markets. For fitness people run along the rambla, visit one of the city’s many fitness gyms, or play soccer with friends. At night there is dining, various nightclubs, tango classes and events, and theater. During the 40 days of Uruguay’s Carnival, there is nightly outdoor entertainment at Parque Rodo’s summer amphitheater. For shopping, the main streets Ciudad Vieja and Centro are lined with stores and specialty shops. There are shopping malls in the more modern communities of Punta Carretas, Pocitos, and Carrasco, as well as the central bus station, Tres Cruses, that doubles as a shopping mall as well as the city’s transportation hub. There are outdoor markets with crafts and antiques on Saturdays in Ciudad Vieja and Parque Rodo. There is also a farmer’s market that sets up in Ciudad Vieja on Tuesdays and Fridays. For the traveler or new resident, Montevideo is an exciting social crossroads. The people of Uruguay are truly worth getting to know, as are many of the people who are attracted to this unique country. One gets a sense of being in a special place, at a special time. The city’s café culture lends itself to meetings that can go on comfortably for hours. It often reminds me of what I read about English speaking expats in Paris in the 1920’s; people from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and points of view coming together and respectfully trading notes and mixing it up. There are two formal English speaking gatherings in Montevideo that can provide you with an introduction to the city’s expatriate community. It is a good way to make connections in the most livable city in South America. |
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Paradise Uruguay Real Estate Network |
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