Santiago is a beautiful city filled with friendly residents. By South American standards it's quite safe and your Spanish level will not only help you immediately but you'll soon be very fluent.
Now for the down side. Like Denver, Colorado with its striking background of the Rockies, Santiago has the same relationship with the Andes and is in the same geological bowl as is Denver. Smog hangs over the city and even on relatively clear days, it's obvious that "something is in the air". You have a small child and a newborn and I might wonder if the climate could be a problem for you. It's quite possible to live outside the city on the elevated foot hills to the East which eliminates the climatological problem but also makes commutes very long. I'd suggest you do some research if that sort of thing is of serious concern to you. That said, millions of people live there and very happily. There are worlds of things to do and, if you want some variety, Buenos Aires, Montevideo and a newly resurgent Asuncion are easily reached. South America is very much overlooked by North Americans, remains a strong "buy" for foreigners and your housing shouldn't be too much of a problem. For the same amount of money you pay for rent or a mortgage here, you can easily expect to get what you have or better there. Many find Buenos Aires overwhelming and the Brasilian cities just too unsafe for anyone. (In September of this year, Sao Paulo registered 144 homicides.) A few years in Chile would be a source of great pleasure and it's a very metropolitan place having more to do with Europe-as is true of Argentina-than North America.
If it's possible, make a one or two week trip to look it over and form your own opinions. But, in the main, it's a great place to start out working overseas. No customs that will strike you as bizarre, the food is great as is the wine. The climate is the only drawback and you might remember that though on a map it may look it, Santiago is actually inland and has an altitude of about 5,500 feet above sea level.
I would, it's probably safer than many cities in the US or Europe. Chile's steady economic growth has transformed Santiago into one of Latin America's most modern metropolitan areas, with extensive suburban development, dozens of shopping centers, and impressive high-rise architecture. It has a modern transportation infrastructure, including the steadily-growing underground Santiago Metro, a public bus transport system that is being continually modernized, and a free flow toll-based ring road and inner city highway system. Santiago is the financial, cultural and political center of Chile and home of several regional headquarters to many multinational corporations.
Something you might wanna know about the cost of living in Santiago:
http://internationalliving.com/2011/04/s...
Chile is one of the most beautiful countries in Latin America and Santiago (the capital city) is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Chile is also very similar to Argentina and Uruguay in matters of urbanism and landscapes.
Santiago (Chile)
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread...
Other places to go in Chile
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread...
I hope that helps, please let me know If you need to know more about this and other Latin American countries.
:)
Santiago is wonderful. I'd go in a minute. Relax and make the move.
My husband may have an opportunity to take a job near Santiago, Chile for about 4 years. We have a 2.5 year old and a newborn, would you recommend it? Is it safe for young families? What are the pros and cons?
I speak an intermediate level of Spanish and feel I could pick it up quickly. Any advice and opinions are welcome!
