First Time Poster - New to Santo Domingo - Any Suggestions?

Hello All:

Although I've lurked and read many of posts here, this is my first time actually participating. I'm from the U.S. and have started making DR my part-time home. I'm aware of many of the warnings and suggestions that you guys have given to people who are contemplating living here, but I'm curious to see what, if anything, you would suggest to me.

First, I understand the economic realities here (although I wasn't at all prepared for the food prices!) and am one of the people who is fortunate enough to be able to work remotely. Therefore, I don't have to worry about not being able to find a job. I'm living with my Dominican girlfriend in the Centro Ciudad in a decent building with backup water and power.

We moved here from Santo Domingo Este, which I absolutely hated, and seem to be in what I think would be considered a nice neighborhood here. There are many amenities in this part of town that would be familiar to anyone from the States and it seems pretty safe. I'm very street savvy, and already know how to show everyone courtesy and respect.

I do get a little frustrated with how long it can take to get things done or the lack of consistency and organization at some places, but it seems to me that this will all be minimized once I'm all set up. Currently, I'm not driving, but do plan on eventually getting a car. My girl has a car, which is enough for both of us for right now.

I'm still a little unclear about how to go about getting my Cedula and Residency card for the first time. Most of the information I see here is about people wanting to renew. It's unclear to me if I begin this process here in Santo Domingo or back in the states? I haven't overstayed any of my tourist visas since most of my trips have been 3 weeks or less.

So what am I missing? There seems to be a lot of griping about life in this country and I want to make certain that I'm not being naive. If you can work remotely and keep your 1st world income, live in a nice neighborhood, have backup power and good Internet access, what's wrong with this place? So far I'm pretty happy, and despite my lousy Spanish (I'm working on it), I think that I'd still be ok, even without my chica to constantly interpret for me.

What say you?

ju10prd said:

Welcome.

You made the right move relocating from Santo Domingo Este!

Which part of Centro Ciudad are you in? There are indeed some nice areas and you can enjoy city life. Ignore the gripping. Developing countries are exactly that and come with different experiences that you cannot and must not compare to back home. If you expect too much of what you had back home, you are I the wrong place. Go with the flow with caution.

I enjoy Caribbean life and DR and Santo Domingo ticks most of the boxes for me. But do explore the depth and width of this country. If you are serious about the move do it right and become resident........your partner deserves that at least.

Click to expand...

Santo Domingo Este isn't the best place for a Gringo neophyte to live in DR, which I quickly found out. Right now, I'm not too far from Galleria 360, and of course, it's much closer to what I'm accustomed to. As for my expectations, I've learned to constantly lower them. I read something that may have been posted here on dr1, I really don't remember. However, it was written by a British man who had lived here with his family. His advice was to concentrate on the things that you like about the country as opposed to what you don't like. This was excellent advice, and I try to apply it every time I feel a rant coming on.

I'm here because I like these beautiful, happy (mostly) people, despite their ability to frustrate the hell out of me and their inability to see how much better their country could really be. I like their clean-cut conservatism and dignity, which are nonexistent qualities in poor people back in the states. I like that love, friends and family are the most important things here, and that all they need for a good time is enough money for beer. I love the beautiful drives over to the north coast to Cabarete, Sosua and Samana, as well as sitting under the stars sipping a Presidente Black and listening to some great music.

I try to remember these things when the "parking boss" insists on guiding me into a space and "watching" my car while I'm gone, or when those child extortionists in Puerto Plata soap up my windshield despite my most adamant protests (there is nothing you can do short of pulling a pistol to make them stop). Or the continually self-destructing power grid and the mandatory 3 explosions and power outages each day (servicing backup generators must be the best business in this country). Then there is the noise... Man, this is a noisy place; car horns, car alarms, the passolas from the colmado tearing up and down the street, jackhammers and construction equipment, political messages blaring over a PA, roosters, dogs barking, your neighbor doing karaoke until 2 o'clock in the morning.

Did I mention the car horns? Nothing I hate worse than incessant honking, I know, I'm living in the wrong place...


Thanks for the welcome everyone!