If you’re a regular reader of Coast Uruguay, please excuse me. You’ve probably heard this sermon. However, many people have recently discovered this site and are not familiar with our sister publication. Here’s our take on the area we feel offers the best value on the Coast……Piriapolis.
You may not know this, but many Uruguayans and Argentines, cringe at the very mention of Piriapolis; they look down their noses at the town as shabby, low class even. For sure, many of the shops and stores along the Rambla are tacky and in some cases run-down or empty. There is plenty of room for improvement. Granted, real estate prices are substantially less than Puta del Este, but low class? Our feeling when we first came here was this could be a turn-around opportunity. Without question, this is the most beautiful place in the country; the buildings can be fixed. But that’s my personal feeling about the town.
So let’s look at the negative reactions of South Americans. Comments from locals made it clear they didn’t see a turn-around happening anytime soon. I asked one long-time resident how in the Hades can that be with everything that’s going on in our neighborhood. “This is Cerro San Antonio, different story,” he says. I didn’t get it. Pira himself laid out Saint Anthony’s Hill in the original design of the city. This hill is indeed Piriapolis, but as you see, some locals don’t see it that way.
Other natives talked about how much nicer Punta Colorada, Punta Fria, San Francisco, etc are. Well, on the surface this is certainly true. What’s missing is this: At best, these are just wide places in the road a few kilometers from Pira; there’s nothing there but a few houses. People from these “nice areas” shop at the same Devoto I do, buy basic supplies in the city core, go to Maldonado for major purchases, and they go to the same beaches I do. Somehow, we’re from different towns?
What happened? First, my Semantics failed. By always talking about ‘Piriapolis’ I confused people. If I had talked about The Piriapolis Area, the above reactions might have been different.
The other issue is Balkanization of Thinking. For some reason I don’t fully understand, many people in the immediate area consider themselves separate, above and apart from Piriapolis. I could be wrong, but it seems to me these folks have cut up and dissected The Piriapolis Area into these tiny, teeny pieces as if they are standalone parts. The fact is, they have little relevance out of the context of Pira. To me, we’re all talking about the same place.
Another example of Balkanization is the locals in the Piriapolis core. They don’t see us highlanders on the hillsides as part of their Piriapolis either? Confusing, no?
Then there’s the Balkanized Us (Trendy) vs. Them (the not so Trendy.) We don’t see it that way. For instance, like some of our readers, I’m bored with the hip, trendy blustering about Punta del Este.
So, the question remains. Will there be a rebirth, a turn-around, for our fair city? Let’s look at some of the conversations I’ve had with locals. One comment about the possibility was particularly surprising, “There’s not one major development there (Pira.)” Huh? Our hill and the Marina area are sure being developed. San Antonio hill will continue to bloom. It’s beautiful not only for the views, but the diversity of the people: Uruguayans, Argentines, North Americans, Europeans; houses worth a half million dollars and nice flats for $130,000 or so. There’s also a development (Sugar Loaf Spa Ocean Club and Spa) with homes well over $600,000 near Cerro Pan Azucar. From my vantage point, Sugar Loaf is Pira. With these developments IN the city and the immediate area, there is a possibility the shabby retail strip adjacent to the Rambla may be renewed to its former glory. As it is, the core of the town is sandwiched between the Cerro San Antonio/Marina area, the historic Argentino Hotel and a few other historic buildings on the opposite end of town with Cerro Pan Azucar.
So, the turn-around questions are these: Will the distaste some Uruguayans and Argies feel for our town change? How much does this really mater if it’s the January vacation crowd? Or, will the influx of rugged individualistic North Americans, Europeans and South Americans that visit throughout the spring, summer and fall make this a moot issue? Perhaps the Rebirth is already in play? That may be the real question. Come see for yourself.
Stay Tuned!
Steve Bowman
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