After living in Santo Domingo for four years, I decided to make a move to the Cortecito area of B?varo about a month ago on August 1st. I write in a journal and these are some of my thoughts about the move, contrasting the capital and the east coast from MY point of view. Everyone will see things different, but this has been my experience.
The negatives...
-No friends
I’ll break out my violin. Obviously, I left family and friends in the capital and I’m the newbie here so I’m just starting to meet some people around town. In the capital, I was so used to having several different options of things to do almost every night without even looking for them, and now my cell phone is silent. For the time being, the change is kinda nice, but I do miss getting out with friends on a regular basis.
-No transportation. I sold off much of what I owned in the capital which included my car. People will tell you it’s a nightmare to live in B?varo without your own transport but in all honesty, I’m doing ok. I’m fortunate enough to have two supermarkets, pharmacy, gym, restaurants, bars, etc, all in walking distance from my home. At night things can get a bit complicated because the taxis are much more expensive than in the capital. I opt for motos when necessary.
Not having my own transport is only hurting because it's very difficult to get to Macao Beach to surf on public transport: two buses and then a mile and a half walk. I love to surf and the surf school up there is even holding my board for me. So, maybe I’ll get a moped some day soon or try and hop in with someone who drives up there regularly. If you know someone, let me know
-Lack of infrastructure. Like so many parts of this country, the government spends no money on infrastructure. What bugs me, since I walk everywhere, is the lack of street light and sidewalks. The only sidewalks you find in B?varo are right in front of the resorts because they are privately owned and the resort tends to their sidewalks. In the rest of B?varo, you have to either walk through grassy paths on the side of the road or in the street itself. And of course, at night, the street is normally pitch black. I love walking to places on the beach, but I’m not too fond of walking anywhere on the street.
The positives...
-Living expense. I live in an 1,800 sq. ft 2 bedroom, 2 story penthouse, fully furnished, with two balconies, sun deck, huge pool and the beach is a 5 minute walk away. I pay US$300 less than I did for a small two bedroom in Santo Domingo. I also rent out the downstairs room to vacationers. My price to rent for a week is almost for what I pay a month for the apartment. I plan to not only live rent free, but make money; as I already did this month. I’m getting at least 2 requests a day for the room and I just started advertising 3 weeks ago.
B?varo is empty and they keep building more: don’t ask me why. With empty apartments come desperate owners who are willing to negotiate. The only task is getting in touch with the owner and not the management company; you’ll get nowhere with them.
-Opportunities. This is the first place in the Dominican Republic where I’ve seen true tourism. I mean thousands of tourists coming in on buses, out on tours, etc. Walking down the beach, there are countless visitors shelling out cash to take a boat tour, banana boat, party boat, wind surf, canopy ride, having their picture taken, getting married, etc. It’s really impressive and there’s some money moving here. So far, my business is doing very well and I’ve made contacts for commissions on tours, transport and even short term rentals for other apartment owners in the area. I just see so much possibility here.
-Diversity. I love meeting people from different places. People that can bring different ideas, different ideals or trains of thought to the table. When I do meet people in Bavaro, not tourists, they are from all over the world. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was hanging out on the beach with a group of about 7 people. They were from: Chile, Argentina, Canada, Serbia, Sweden, United States and France. I love the diversity, and conversing with new people here has been incredibly interesting.
-Quality of life. My quality of life has improved ten fold in B?varo compared to Santo Domingo. I used to waste hours of my life in traffic jams and just those hundred little errands you seemingly have to run a day in the capital, but never quite get them all done. I left traffic jams and aggressive people three and a half hours out west. I’m fortunate enough to work from home full time and I spend the day working in a bathing suit. My laundry at the end of the week, better yet month, has bee nil
I used to eat and run in the capital. Now, I literally eat on my balcony, and when I’m finished, I sit back for 10 minutes and relax. My ex-girlfriend says I look like an old man in my 20’s doing that but I really enjoy it. I also spend every afternoon at the beach with my dog and watch the sunsets swimming. I’ve traded the treadmill, which I hate, for running miles on the beach. Open space (park, beach, etc) is what I truly missed having in Santo Domingo. Now, I have infinite amounts. This alone has added great purpose to my day to day.
The negatives...
-No friends
I’ll break out my violin. Obviously, I left family and friends in the capital and I’m the newbie here so I’m just starting to meet some people around town. In the capital, I was so used to having several different options of things to do almost every night without even looking for them, and now my cell phone is silent. For the time being, the change is kinda nice, but I do miss getting out with friends on a regular basis.-No transportation. I sold off much of what I owned in the capital which included my car. People will tell you it’s a nightmare to live in B?varo without your own transport but in all honesty, I’m doing ok. I’m fortunate enough to have two supermarkets, pharmacy, gym, restaurants, bars, etc, all in walking distance from my home. At night things can get a bit complicated because the taxis are much more expensive than in the capital. I opt for motos when necessary.
Not having my own transport is only hurting because it's very difficult to get to Macao Beach to surf on public transport: two buses and then a mile and a half walk. I love to surf and the surf school up there is even holding my board for me. So, maybe I’ll get a moped some day soon or try and hop in with someone who drives up there regularly. If you know someone, let me know
-Lack of infrastructure. Like so many parts of this country, the government spends no money on infrastructure. What bugs me, since I walk everywhere, is the lack of street light and sidewalks. The only sidewalks you find in B?varo are right in front of the resorts because they are privately owned and the resort tends to their sidewalks. In the rest of B?varo, you have to either walk through grassy paths on the side of the road or in the street itself. And of course, at night, the street is normally pitch black. I love walking to places on the beach, but I’m not too fond of walking anywhere on the street.
The positives...
-Living expense. I live in an 1,800 sq. ft 2 bedroom, 2 story penthouse, fully furnished, with two balconies, sun deck, huge pool and the beach is a 5 minute walk away. I pay US$300 less than I did for a small two bedroom in Santo Domingo. I also rent out the downstairs room to vacationers. My price to rent for a week is almost for what I pay a month for the apartment. I plan to not only live rent free, but make money; as I already did this month. I’m getting at least 2 requests a day for the room and I just started advertising 3 weeks ago.
B?varo is empty and they keep building more: don’t ask me why. With empty apartments come desperate owners who are willing to negotiate. The only task is getting in touch with the owner and not the management company; you’ll get nowhere with them.
-Opportunities. This is the first place in the Dominican Republic where I’ve seen true tourism. I mean thousands of tourists coming in on buses, out on tours, etc. Walking down the beach, there are countless visitors shelling out cash to take a boat tour, banana boat, party boat, wind surf, canopy ride, having their picture taken, getting married, etc. It’s really impressive and there’s some money moving here. So far, my business is doing very well and I’ve made contacts for commissions on tours, transport and even short term rentals for other apartment owners in the area. I just see so much possibility here.
-Diversity. I love meeting people from different places. People that can bring different ideas, different ideals or trains of thought to the table. When I do meet people in Bavaro, not tourists, they are from all over the world. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was hanging out on the beach with a group of about 7 people. They were from: Chile, Argentina, Canada, Serbia, Sweden, United States and France. I love the diversity, and conversing with new people here has been incredibly interesting.
-Quality of life. My quality of life has improved ten fold in B?varo compared to Santo Domingo. I used to waste hours of my life in traffic jams and just those hundred little errands you seemingly have to run a day in the capital, but never quite get them all done. I left traffic jams and aggressive people three and a half hours out west. I’m fortunate enough to work from home full time and I spend the day working in a bathing suit. My laundry at the end of the week, better yet month, has bee nil
I used to eat and run in the capital. Now, I literally eat on my balcony, and when I’m finished, I sit back for 10 minutes and relax. My ex-girlfriend says I look like an old man in my 20’s doing that but I really enjoy it. I also spend every afternoon at the beach with my dog and watch the sunsets swimming. I’ve traded the treadmill, which I hate, for running miles on the beach. Open space (park, beach, etc) is what I truly missed having in Santo Domingo. Now, I have infinite amounts. This alone has added great purpose to my day to day.
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