Caracas - Post Report Question and Answers
What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
We are in nice apartments, all in the same neighborhood. We are all within walking distance or a five-minute drive to the Embassy. - May 2015
USG housing is all a very short commute. Some of it is easily walkable to work. They're nice, large apartments on a hill with a great view. - Apr 2015
All housing is in apartments not far from the Embassy. Because of crime and the very vertical terrain, walking or biking to work is impossible for almost everyone, but no one has more than a 10-minute drive to work. - Nov 2014
All apartments are near the Embassy. Quality varies -- most have adequate space but may be past their repairable point. I have a nice apartment, in good shape, but "too secure" with thick iron bars on all windows. It takes me ten minutes to drive or 20 minutes to walk to work. - Sep 2013
Everyone lives in high-rise apartments that are either falling apart or fixed with shoddy workmanship that comes back to bite. Some apartments have amenities such as balconies, pools, playgrounds or tennis courts. All will have a 'salon de fiesta' on the ground floor that you can be sure will be used for huge, LOUD, long-lasting parties. People who work at the embassy are placed very close, often within walking distance to work. Traffic is a major problem here, so you should make your commute time as short as possible if you have a choice of where to live. - Aug 2012
All are in apartment buildings. Most embassy housing is located in Valle Arriba or Santa Fe - only a short walk or 5 minute drive to the embassy. - Mar 2012
Embassy people tend to live near the embassy and ECA (escuela campo alegre). It's a pleasant neighborhood. Embassy people must live in apartments--no houses. They vary greatly in quality and amenities. - Mar 2011
All housing is in apartments, most within a 10-20 minute walk of the embassy. Most apartments seem to be poorly constructed with numerous water, electrical or rodent issues. - Jan 2011
Apartments, close to the embassy. Like the city they look nice until you look closely. Plumbing is a major issue in many apartments. - Oct 2010
All apartments. Practically the entire embassy community now lives in Valle Arriba, due to security concerns and issues those that the other side of the freeway have been having with water and security. The embassy is phasing out units in San Roman. Most members of the community have a commute of 5 minutes or less. The embassy does a terrible job of maintenance of the apartments. I've heard of a few families having major issues with mold, with very little action by the embassy. - Sep 2010
All apartments. Most embassy apartments are close (5-10 minutes) to the embassy. There are a few across the highway from the embassy--these can take over an hour to get to from work. Apartments are usually nice and spacious with a good view. Many apartment buildings have pools or at least a playground. Many people have serious issues with landlords and maintenance. - Mar 2010
We all live in one of two areas, Valle Arriba or San Roman. Try to get into Valle Arriba as your commute time will be anywhere from 1-5 minutes. If you live in San Roman the 3 mile drive can take you up to 45 minutes. In San Roman there are regular water shortages, some of them lasting days. We all live in apartments and nobody has a generator, so when the power goes you are screwed. Since they use pumps to bring the water to your apartment, when the power goes you have no water either. You can go days without water here. During Christmas my building went without water for 9 days. - Mar 2010
Most embassy personnel live very close to the Embassy in Valle Arriba. All housing is apartments and most are very nice. Marble floors and dark hardwood are the most common. Some have pools, an event room, etc...Commute times are typically between 10-15 minutes. Some people are so close they can walk. - Feb 2009
Embassy housing is all apartments, relatively spacious, with maids quarters and usually good views. Some buildings have pools, but not all. - Nov 2008
