Punta del Este

[Rad]

I share your thoughts on Punta Del Este Rad completely overpriced, overhyped and unnatural. There are thousands of more beautiful places in Argentina that are completely pristine and without the false hype of Punta Del Este

I was walking down Avenida Alvear yesterday. I saw more upscale stores on just two blocks than in whole PDE. And no feral dogs on the streets.

 

[gouchobob]

It's true there are more beautiful areas in Argentina than Punta, but people go there for the beaches not the scenery. Also its a lot closer to B.A. than the scenic areas in Argentina. The beaches around Punta are certainly better than the ones I've seen in Argentina. Another plus there is if you drive around the various neighborhoods you can actually see the homes and there aren't iron bars on the windows(tells me there is a lot less crime there). If these developments were here they would be surrounded with a fence and armed guards to keep people out. The government there is a lot better than here today and the country is more stable than Argentina. Of course these are really only considerations if you are trying to decide living there or here. For me these are important factors and one reason I like it there although it is pricey.

 

[Futboljunkie]

Quite a few wealthy Argentines keep there family in Punta and go there for the weekends. If you do it right you will save a lot in taxes as well

 

[perry]

It's true there are more beautiful areas in Argentina than Punta, but people go there for the beaches not the scenery. Also its a lot closer to B.A. than the scenic areas in Argentina. The beaches around Punta are certainly better than the ones I've seen in Argentina. Another plus there is if you drive around the various neighborhoods you can actually see the homes and there aren't iron bars on the windows(tells me there is a lot less crime there). If these developments were here they would be surrounded with a fence and armed guards to keep people out. The government there is a lot better than here today and the country is more stable than Argentina. Of course these are really only considerations if you are trying to decide living there or here. For me these are important factors and one reason I like it there although it is pricey.

You are willing to pay seven times the price to live there just because its not Argentina? There are many safe towns on the coast of Argentina that offer better lifestyle at one seventh of the price of Punta Del Este. Uruguay is being promoted as some incredible safe place when it is not true at all .

Montevideo is more dangerous than Buenos Aires just take a Taxi there or walk around the central squares or in the old city you will see that is much more dangerous with agressive beggars and gangs of youth who rob people freely. I Know from my own experiences as well as friends experiences that this is a common perception.

 

[Rad]

I found Montevideo fairly safe and I stayed in Barrio Sur which is supposed to be a sketchy area. However as a whole, Montevideo is a bit too dirty and polluted for my taste. It reminds me of Eastern European cities in the late 80's, just before communism collapsed.

Uruguay has some good attributes. The food tastes better than in Argentina (or maybe I was just lucky), they have beaches and were politically more stable than Argentina, money flows easily in and out... Now, however, the people of Uruguay have decided that they want their country to be led by a communist who was a member of an organization that commited kidnappings and murders in the past. I have seen "Pepe" murals everywhere. There was also propaganda for "juventud socialista", "justicia social" and other crap. That is quite disturbing. I guess the people of Uruguay feel too wealthy and would like to try out a system that has failed miserably everywhere in the World. Uruguay also started to tax income in recent years and has some taxes that are unprecedented in other parts of the World. Anyone investing significant money in property there must be braindamaged.

 

[SaraSara]

IHMO, Uruguay is still safer than Argentina, but catching up fast. Some stores in Montevideo now have iron bars and buzz clients in.

As for Punta del Este, its promoters ignore a large slum, Ciudad Kennedy, not two blocks from the posh golf club greens. It is hidden in the woods - I stumbled upon it when I took a wrong turn and found something as ugly as any BA slum.

It is hard to see what's so special about Punta del Este - it looks more cheesy every year, and yet the high rises keep going up. People seem willing to pay exorbitant prices for apartments in a place that is crowded two months of the year, and half deserted the other ten.

From what I hear from Uruguay expats, personal safety is not the only attraction: banking secrecy and stable economic policies are even more important. Plus, the government is interested in attracting foreigners: with just a tourist visa anyone can open a bank account, buy a home, get a cell phone, and register a car.

If Argentina made it that easy, perhaps more expats would choose Mendoza or Salta over Montevideo and Punta del Este.

 

[Rad]

Uruguay was put on the OECD financial grey list, so the banking secrecy is probably a thing of the past. There is still the possibility to own a company anonymously in Uruguay, though.

 

[SaraSara]

Banking secrecy may be a thing of the past, but banking safety is important as well.

After the 2001 crisis Argentine banks returned dollar deposits in their new peso equivalents and people lost 2/3 of their savings. Uruguay's State-owned bank, the BROU, froze dollar deposits for two years, paying 6% interest. It unfroze them ahead of time, but people were so pleased with the returns that they did not want their money back.

 

[gouchobob]

You are willing to pay seven times the price to live there just because its not Argentina? There are many safe towns on the coast of Argentina that offer better lifestyle at one seventh of the price of Punta Del Este. Uruguay is being promoted as some incredible safe place when it is not true at all .

Montevideo is more dangerous than Buenos Aires just take a Taxi there or walk around the central squares or in the old city you will see that is much more dangerous with agressive beggars and gangs of youth who rob people freely. I Know from my own experiences as well as friends experiences that this is a common perception.

Well we weren't discussing Montevideo but PDE. I doubt your crime comparison is correct, post some stats, my impression after several visits is that crime is significantly less. Your statement that is 7 times more expensive is also incorrect. Last time I checked wasn't looking at apartments but houses, prices in the area were about the same as Argentina. The beaches there are definitely better in Uruguay. And yes a decent government and stability is something most people would be willing to pay extra for.

 

[Futboljunkie]

I found Montevideo fairly safe and I stayed in Barrio Sur which is supposed to be a sketchy area. However as a whole, Montevideo is a bit too dirty and polluted for my taste. It reminds me of Eastern European cities in the late 80's, just before communism collapsed.

Uruguay has some good attributes. The food tastes better than in Argentina (or maybe I was just lucky), they have beaches and were politically more stable than Argentina, money flows easily in and out... Now, however, the people of Uruguay have decided that they want their country to be led by a communist who was a member of an organization that commited kidnappings and murders in the past. I have seen "Pepe" murals everywhere. There was also propaganda for "juventud socialista", "justicia social" and other crap. That is quite disturbing. I guess the people of Uruguay feel too wealthy and would like to try out a system that has failed miserably everywhere in the World. Uruguay also started to tax income in recent years and has some taxes that are unprecedented in other parts of the World. Anyone investing significant money in property there must be braindamaged.

No question asked is the main pro for Uruguay and no income tax on foreign assets