Settling In 91WELCOME TO SANTIAGO
If you’ve made the decision to move to Chile, you are in for
a wonderful experience. However, some adjustments will be
necessary with respect to day-to-day living. Because most
expatriates will be living in Santiago, this chapter will focus
on the capital. However, much of the information that follows
holds true for all of Chile.
Santiago is a sprawling metropolis. Roughly one-third of
the country’s population of 16 million lives here. The city
is growing up into the foothills of the Andes Mountains to
the east, as well as to the north, south and west. The more
affluent Santiaguinos began moving closer and closer to
the base of the cordillera (mountain range) in increasing
numbers in the early 1980s. It was during this time that new
neighbourhoods hidden deep in the hills were being rapidly
developed. This area is referred to as uptown and includes
the neighbourhoods of La Dehesa, Lo Barnechea and Santa
María de Manquehue. It is sometimes jokingly referred to
as ‘the United States’ because the houses, stores and layout
resemble those of any neighbourhood in California. Other
affluent neighbourhoods are Las Condes, Los Dominicos, El
Golf, Vitacura and parts of Providencia. The subway, or Metro,
does not yet reach into the majority of the upscale areas, so
living among the wealthy requires a car.
Foreigners also live in the middle-class districts of
Providencia, La Reina, Ñuñoa and parts of the municipality