Put me firmly in the BORING column--Santiago is a sure cure for insomnia. And the food is the worst in the world. Unless you absolutely love mayo. The staple of the entire country appears to be the "ham and cheese" sandwich. Recipe? Take a round, dry roll, split it in two halves, then insert a sliver of ham, and an equally miniscule sliver of cheese. Add gobs of mayo and serve. Everywhere. All the time. The people are the rudest I've ever encountered. (Yes, I know, my tone's not exactly diplomatic right now, but I've had it with these people.) If you don't speak their exact (please read: "sloppy") Spanish, they'll cock thier head and give you their best "what are you trying to say, you moron" look. The beaches are awful. ("Resort" city of Vina Del Mar--use the term "resort" loosely.) And with the exception of produce and meat (and afore mentioned boring, dry breads) EVERYTHING is horribly expensive. 2-3 times the price of similar items in the U.S. I cannot wait to get out of this dreadful city. Only 10 more months. WooHoo!

Boring!!

I have found Santiago to be the safest of the major South American cities. It is a clean, modern city. The food is absolutely awful. The women aren't as stunning as cities like Caracas, Bogota, Buenos Aires, or Sao Paulo. The best time to go is April or November. The scenery is amazing--the Andes surround the city. The night life is substandard compared to other South American cities. Like all other Latin American cities you will find your share of duplicitous citizens wishing to "help" you; taxi drivers may not bring you to the correct hotel. They may never have heard of the International Aiport. Threaten to get a new taxi and they will suddenly understand you better. They are just trying to scam a few more pesos on the meter. I have found that in all my travels that the Spanish spoken in Santiago is the most difficult to understand. They have a very strong accent and manner of speech which makes it seem as if they aren't enunciating. They don't speak like my Spanish teacher taught me. I have been told there are good restaurants here, but I have yet to find one. Perhaps wanting food that tastes good is just too much to expect.

Not the greatest city as a tourist, but a great place to live....large middle class, good infrastructure, near beaches, near mountains, near wine country, nice people, low crime (relativly speaking), plenty of parks and public plazas (especially nice if you have young kids, etc...

it's ok, though quite boring. I'll think twice before going back.

I was born in Idaho and i've been working in Miami for almost ten years. I've had to travel to several cities in Latinamerica, and Santiago is positively one of the bests. I think i'd enjoy to living there for a while. Great weather, cheap, safe, clean, gentle people, excellent commerce and services, etc. People and urban landscape are so different from Mexico City or Caracas (Venezuela), actually Santiago is much nicer.

La mejor capital donde vivir, comer y amar !!!

I've been living here for 4 years. When you first arrive, you are amazed by how developed the city is and by the advancement the business sector, schools, hospitals, etc. Santiago is very well developed - even more so than the US in one or two sectors. After a while, however, you realize that a large number of people are clinically depressed and taking medication. You also realize that for some reason, which I still do not fully understand (maybe the pollution, maybe the traffic, maybe the classism/racism, etc.), everyone is constantly stressed - including myself and this is new for me. Chile is a great country for eco-tourism, for studying Spanish, and for business, but living here has "hidden" negatives that make it somewhat unappealing for the long-term.

Santiago has more open-minded & passionated people than any other city in the world! My girlfriend lives there! :o) Santiago is also one of the largest cities in the world!

Who's been to Santiago twice in one year? I've never even been to Jersey!!!

A relatively, modern industrial city. Not a bad place, if you think that Pittsburgh is OK.

Santiago is cool. Lots to do, many great daytrips in and around the city -- wine country, skiing in the Andes. Southern Chile is delightful, too.