Balanced on the Edge Between Chic and Shabby

One of the many sidewalk cafés of Ciudad Vieja.

International Living Postcards-- your daily escape

Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006
Montevideo, Uruguay

“ Dos cappuccinos, por favor,” I said to the grizzled man behind the bar, as I laid claim to a well-worn, wooden table for two next to the window. But before he went to work, the owner of the 8 Letras Café in Montevideo’s Ciudad Vieja (old city) felt compelled to point a stubby finger across the bar at me and tell me in Italian-accented Spanish, “…it’s strong espresso, hot milk, and foam… that’s cappuccino here.” No heavy whipped cream or chocolate sprinkles from this guy. “Make them doubles,” I told him as we took our seats to watch the early morning crowd go by.

Fausto took up station at his ancient, gleaming brass espresso machine and started to operate the hand pump to make the thick coffee. At the next table, a group of men who looked like they belonged on the movie set for Cannery Row chided him for missing his turn at dominoes and for failing to pour the next round of whiskeys. I figured they’d all be asleep by noon.

After putting the steaming brews in front of us, the amiable Fausto lumbered outside to arrange the now-obligatory cute little café tables and stripped umbrellas in front of his bar.

There was a time when this was a small neighborhood bar in a rundown neighborhood. But now the most recent phase of the famous pedestrian walkway project, Peatonal Sarandí, has plunged deep into the heart of the old city, bringing with it higher-end shops, boutiques, and cafés. A year ago when this phase opened, the brand-new tiles of the walkway were bordered by abandoned buildings and worn looking neighborhood stores, but now the predictable development is starting to take place, and the rents and property prices are increasing.

The 8 Letras Café sits at the very end of the latest phase of Sarandí--where it reverts back to small, one-way city street--and in many ways, symbolizes the current state of Ciudad Vieja itself: On the border between a run down city and a fashionable, trendy downtown venue, but not quite sure which side to come down on. Parts of Ciudad Vieja boast 5-star restaurants and fine hotels…parts are bohemian-trendy and obviously on the upswing…and parts are in a state of total deterioration.

Another example that typifies Old Town Montevideo is Plaza Zabala, the original central square from when Montevideo was founded. It’s lush with mature sycamores, magnolias, and pines, which are alive with birdsong most of the day as the neighborhood residents sit peacefully in the sun; it’s my favorite park in the city. On one side, it has beautifully elegant white buildings overlooking the park. But on another side there’s an old wreck of a building recently bought by a group of Canadians for the purpose of remodeling. Yet another side has a building abandoned and in total disrepair. Just a block from the 8 Letras Café, this park also finds itself on the edge.

I viewed a refurbished apartment in one of the elegant buildings on Plaza Zabala. Its tall windows open onto the park, and its 14-foot ceilings provide a roomy feel, even though it’s only a two-bedroom, one-bath apartment. The asking price is $60,000.

Another historic building being remodeled just at the end of Peatonal Sarandí has one- and two-bedroom lofts and condos. Everything is brand new, and the prices start at $43,000. Contact Inmobiliaria Ciudad Vieja, tel. + (598) 2 916 3230, for more details on either of these properties.

We also toured a large 2,400-square-foot, four-bedroom apartment in the Centro district, overlooking Plaza Fabini, Centro’s nicest park. It’s just a few blocks from the gates of the Old Town. The asking price is $90,000. It needs some cosmetic work, but it’s the best buy I’ve seen in Montevideo for a while. Tel. + (598) 2 710 4700 for more information. Also on this plaza is a small, 775-square-foot, three-bedroom apartment for $49,000.

I enjoy Montevideo every time I visit, and never tire of the world-class fine dining, weekend flea markets, and quiet parks. Teatro Solis provides a venue for some of the world’s best orchestras and theater, while street musicians play long into the night.

But don’t come to Montevideo for the upscale restaurants and entertainment. Frankly, there aren’t enough of these to keep you busy for very long. Come instead for the old neighborhoods and the local markets set up in the street…come for the 8 Letras Café and grizzled but amiable Fausto. These are what the heart of Ciudad Vieja is really about.

Lee Harrison
Roving Latin America Editor, International Living

P.S. Where is the next big thing in Montevideo? I’ve been told by a number of local residents that a plan has been approved to turn Calle Pérez Castillano into a pedestrian walkway like Peatonal Sarandí. This street is already home to a few art galleries, bookshops, and cafés, and would connect Sarandí to the famous waterfront market down at the port. You heard it here first.