gym in the colonial zone

carribbeanprincess said:

Hello everyone,

does anyone know if there is a gym in the colonial zone?

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Go up Santome to the corner in front of Mella, back of the old plaza an on the 5th floor. Its the old culture plaza on Mella. just before you get to the mercado, but some parking in the back,

Gimnasio Nueva Creaci?n. It's on Arzobispo Noel almost corner Jose Reyes.

Nueva Creation Gym

Nueva Creation is not as good as Gold's gym in that it does'nt have newer type machines. They do have many machines for all body parts but they are of an older type from the 80's it seems to me. There are many free weights and dumbells, Stationary bikes,treadmills , ab's area and spinning. You can get a good workout there. The prices are good. I am not sure exactly what they are monthly or yearly but I do recall seeing the price list and I was impresssed with the affordability. I paid the day rate which was 125 RD.

As previously mentioned, you cannot compare Nueva Creaci?n with Gold's Gym. It is a fraction of the size of Gold's Gym with a fraction of the amount of machines and free weights. I went o Nueva Creaci?n for two years and now I've been in Gold's for two years. At Nueva Creaci?n you'll get the workout you need as they have the necessities.

I used to pay RD$500 a month. I'm not sure if that price has gone up.

RD$2,200 monthly I believe is the base rate.

Nueva Creaci?n has some updated eliptical machines, well I thought they were pretty nice compared to some other gyms I've been too! : ) Also I believe I paid $1000RD inscription and then pay $600 RD monthly.. BTW the view of the ocean and colonial zone from there is unbelievable IMO. Good Luck!

carribbeanprincess said:

Guys,

Thanks for all the helpful information. Besides everything, how is the Piantini area compared to the colonial zone?

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I've spent two years in the Colonial Zone and two years in Piantini and these are my opinions.

The Colonial Zone isn't what it was several years back before the alcohol limitation law. Many bars have closed since then and the party isn't as fun as before. Be ready for power outages in the Colonial Zone, dark streets, garbage and less services to choose from. Many people visiting Santo Domingo think the Colonial Zone is the center of the city but it is not. Major supermarkets, movie theaters, malls, restaurants, bars and shops are located in the Pol?gano Central which include neighborhoods like Piantini, Evaristo Morales, Naco, etc.

On the other hand, the Colonial Zone does have its charm with small plazas and parks, local restaurants, bars, colmados and historic sites.

Piantini is the center of Santo Domingo in my opinion. There are tons of options for dining, partying and services. The area is much more upscale than the Colonial Zone with better electricity service and garbage collection. In any case, be ready for big traffic jams as the capital's two main avenue's, Lincoln and Churchill, flank the sector.

Overall, I've enjoyed living in Piantini more but I do miss some of the bohemian atmosphere of the Colonial Zone.

Not at all the standard of Gold's Gym but so cheap it should be mentioned in this thread: YMCA on the north side of the Parque Independencia, Av. Bolivar and Calle 16 de Agosto have a run down gym which has everything you need (except aircon) and is 300 pesos a month or 30 per session.