IL Postcard

Uruguay: Capital Living for $69,000

Date: 06/15/2008 Author: Steenie Harvey

Monday, June 16, 2008
Montevideo, Uruguay

Read more about Uruguay in International Living Postcards—your daily escape

For the next couple of days, I’m staying in a friend’s rental apartment in the Centro district of Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital. A similar two-bedroom property in the building recently sold at auction for $63,000. Incredible, considering the downtown location above a smart gallery.

The building has an elevator and courteous daytime concierge. Plus, my balcony has a grandstand lookout over Plaza Entrevero’s fountain and gardens. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s now fall. Misty mornings and falling leaves…but roses remain in bloom.

Passing school children wear uniforms styled on the white smocks worn by 19th-century French artists—complete with floppy black cravats. Apart from a blanket-clad guy seeking a few pesos to oversee parked cars, most people dress smartly. Like in any Spanish city, this is suit and tie territory.

Outside seats at the Plaza’s cafe are always busy. Under canary-yellow umbrellas, people turn their faces to the warm daytime sunshine, read newspapers, and gossip over 25-pesos ($1.30) espressos.

It’s fun watching the amateur dancers who come to tango and waltz on the square in the late afternoon. The rhythm is kept going by a music outlet, but Plaza Entrevero attracts live singers, too. On Saturday afternoon, a brass band performed.

Montevideo has a distinct European feel. Even so, it’s not quite the Europe I’m used to. For one thing, garbage collectors still use horse-drawn carts. The flute-playing man is a knife grinder—flutes have long been the mark of their trade. Almost every other person carries a thermos flask—a gourd-like cup and a metal straw. Business people…cops…delivery boys. Obviously, Brits aren’t the world’s biggest tea addicts—we certainly don’t tote flasks around. Here the tea is yerba mate—a sludgy green concoction that you probably need to be Uruguayan-born to appreciate.

Plaza Entrevero forms part of Avenida 18 de Julio, Montevideo’s main artery. The avenue reminds me of a miniature version of Madrid’s Gran Via: imposing domed buildings…cinemas…posh shops and galleries…supermarkets…restaurants…newspaper kiosks. Behind my apartment is Calle San Jose—very neighborhoody with shops of the butcher, baker, and candlestick-maker variety.

Centro is appealing if you enjoy the bustle of urban living. La Rambla, the miles of Atlantic promenade leading to the suburbs and city beaches, is only a 20-minute walk away. Locals come here to walk, jog, and spend the afternoons lounging, reading, or dangling fishing rods from walled niches. It’s also an easy stroll to the historic district.

It’s tricky finding English-speaking real estate agents in Centro, but I’ve located one. Near where I’m staying (a 10-minute walk away), an 807-square-foot-apartment in good condition cornering 18 de Julio is $69,000.

My real estate contact here has a couple of cheaper apartments for $48,000 and $55,000 in need of refurbishment. He says Centro apartments change hands quickly. Judging by the few Centro listings in La Nacion newspaper, he could be right. I’ll share full contact and listings information with International Living subscribers.

Finally, steak lovers take note: Locos de Azar is a great local Parrilla restaurant (San Jose 1067). Along with three bottles of top-notch red Tannat wine, the bill for four was $143. For two courses, with a jug of wine, I figure it would cost around $17 per person.

Steenie Harvey
Roving Europe Editor (on loan to Uruguay), International Living

Editor’s note: For the next three days, there’s a way you can get our Ultimate Uruguay Package free. It includes:

• A special report from our resident Uruguay guru, Lee Harrison, called “From Colonial Charm to Coastal Hotspots: 10 Towns in Uruguay Where Your Dollar Goes a Long Way.” In this 50-page report, Lee will share with you some of the most fascinating corners of this diverse country…10 places where the living is easy...and property bargains abound
• A recording of Lee Harrison’s standing-room-only presentation at IL’s Ultimate Event last month. In this valuable talk, Lee tells you everything you need to make the move to Uruguay in the next six months. You’ll learn about where to find the best-value health care, why it’s so easy for Americans to “fit in,” why you won’t find gringo mark-ups in pricing, where to discover the best rental yields, which towns hide the most charming and least expensive old colonials, and more
• A bonus recording of Lee discussing with a small group of readers the Uruguayan market hotspots of Punta del Este, Colonia, and Montevideo. This recording also includes a question-and-answer session with the readers.

The Ultimate Uruguay Package isn’t available anywhere at any price…but here’s how to get it free…for the next three days only.

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