La Union, Sosua

eralc777

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Aug 6, 2005
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My boyfriend wants me to look at an apartment for us in La Union, Sosua. I am familiar with most of Sosua but not this area. Can anyone explain where La Union is....or if there is a map somewhere that shows it? I have an idea in mind but I really hope he does not mean where i think it is....it is close to El Batey isnt it? Could anyone tell me anything about the La Union area too?

Thank you.
 

La Profe_1

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Oct 15, 2003
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La Uni?n is the huge apartment complex across from the airport. It is nowhere near El Batey.
 

Rocky

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It's an all (99%) Domninican area, with 3 or 4 storey apartment buidings.
It was tenament housing originally destined for the dwellers in El Tablon, who were to be moved out of there during the Balaguer administration, but some local hanky panky had all the units sold to whomever, and it is now a bustling little community, approx an 8 minute drive from El Batey, just before the POP airport turn off.
 

RenatoSosua

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La Union easily located on this satellite picture:
eca6.jpg
 

Ken

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Apartments are attractive there because prices are relatively low to buy or rent. You would be wise to have a Dominican friend involved in the negotiations so the sellers/renters don't know they are dealing with gringos. If you live there, you would need to take a guagua or publico every time you wanted to go to Sosua. A lot of the area has the look of public housing, but there are many nice homes there, too. As has already been mentioned, a lot of middle class Dominicans live there.
 

Chris_NJ

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Dec 17, 2003
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La Union is where my girlfriend?s family lives and I have stayed there several times. There are apartments (3 or 4 stories I think) in the front towards the main road but towards the back where her family lives there are houses (las casitas is in her address). Like previously mentioned it is a mostly Dominican barrio but she did point out to me a few expats living there.

The demographics look lower middle to middle class with some professionals mixed in some of the nicer houses. Given its proximity to POP airport there many of its employees living there. It wouldn?t be the worse place to live as an expat but is not walking distance the beaches if that is someone?s requirement., but they are easily reached by publicos/guaguas.
 

eralc777

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So, i could have a nice cheap apartment there but be like a 10 or 15 minute drive from work and El Batey....or I could pay more and stay closer to everything???? I dont know what to do!!
Are the apartments furnished? I would be looking at a one bedroom....anyone know what the hot water and electricity situation is like there?
 

Ken

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Our cleaning woman lives there and she says electric service not good. If you bought an apartment there you would want an inverter.
 

Rocky

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Choosing an apartment online is like choosing a wife online.
Not a great idea.
Come and see for yourself.
Spend a day there hanging out.
Ask questions & observe.
Check out the noise levels in the evening.
Try the public transport, to and fro downtown Sosua.
 

eralc777

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Yeah, I am coming to look at the apartment in 2 weeks...just wanted to know about it beforehand. What does an invertor do?
As long as I have a place that is safe and secure, has running water (hopefully warm sometimes) and electricity most of the time then its all good.
 

Rocky

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Yeah, I am coming to look at the apartment in 2 weeks...just wanted to know about it beforehand. What does an invertor do?
As long as I have a place that is safe and secure, has running water (hopefully warm sometimes) and electricity most of the time then its all good.
Sounds like you have a good attitude, and that counts for a lot.
An inverter is an electrical device that supplies AC power to your house during power failures, and recharges the batteries when the power returns.
Generally, inverters are only connected to low consumption devices, and not to AC's, fridges, pumps or hot water tanks.
 

Ken

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eralc777, like Rocky said, attitude counts for a lot and you sound like you have what it takes.

A huge number of Dominicans have lived their entire lives in conditions like you will experience if in La Union. If they can do it, so can you. The only difference is that you will have to learn to live that way while they have known nothing else.

If you have an inverter, you will have the use of your lights, fans, TV and computer, if you have one. There are inverters with enough capacity to run the fridge, but you may not want to spend that much. Without an inverter, you will have a lot of time in candle and oil lamp light.

There are lots of little colmados all over, and I am sure in La Union, where you can buy food products in small quantities. Very common to see Dominicans buying just enough meat, for example, for the next meal. Without reliabe refrigeration, this is what you do. Milk is available in quart boxes that don't require refrigeration until opened, but yiou may prefer powder milk that you cn mix just before using. Maynot be quite the taste you are used to, but it works fine on cereal, in cooking, and for drinking

If you have a refrigerator, as I assume you will, you will learn to open it only when absolutely necessary and get everything you need out at the same time. This will preserve the cold that you get when there is electricity.

You will want to have jerry jugs or other containers that you keep filled with water and use when there is no water. I have a German acquaintance who lives there and he has a tinaco on the roof that fills when there is water and that gives him several hundred gallons when there is not.

You will want to quickly get acquainted with other expats living there and learn from them the techniques of living comfortably in La Union.

My wife and I lived for 16 years on a cruising sailboat, always anchored out and almost never at a dock. We hauled our water, our food, etc. We didn't have electric refrigeration, only block ice. We showed at night in the cockpit using a 2.5 gallon garden sprayer. Amazing how many showers you can get from 2.5 gallons. When the nights were cold, Barbara heated a teakettle of water so that we could have a warm shower. We enjoyed those 16 years and I wouldn't trade that experience for anything.

I share our experience only so that you know lots of people who never expected to be without all the conveniences have not only adjusted to that style of life but even enjoyed it.

Good luck. I hope you will keep us informed about your transition to life in La Union.
 

eralc777

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Thank you so much for your help.
I havent decided on living there yet until i have actually seen it and weighed up the pros and cons of both areas. I would prefer to be closer to work but that would mean paying a lot more money.
I am sure I would be able to get used to the living conditions but I had just set my heart on an apartment with a pool and near to the beach....maybe I should change that ideal so that I live more like a dominican. My boyfriend definately thinks I should do that.
How often do public cars go past there? For example, I would need to take one to work in the morning and I need to be there quite early...are they reliable each day?
 

Rocky

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Thank you so much for your help.
I havent decided on living there yet until i have actually seen it and weighed up the pros and cons of both areas. I would prefer to be closer to work but that would mean paying a lot more money.
I am sure I would be able to get used to the living conditions but I had just set my heart on an apartment with a pool and near to the beach....maybe I should change that ideal so that I live more like a dominican. My boyfriend definately thinks I should do that.
How often do public cars go past there? For example, I would need to take one to work in the morning and I need to be there quite early...are they reliable each day?
Public transport is easy, frequent and cheap.
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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There are lots of cars and guaguas. They are the primary form of transportation for most Dominicans. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your only problem will be if you leave La Union at a peak hour, then you may have to wait for a car/guagua with space for you. At those times, guaguas usually the best bet because they manage to squeeze in anybody that wants transportation.

By the way, what nationality is your boy friend?

I don't know what your budget is, but there is a wide range of apartments in Sosua that would be closer to the beach and probably have a pool. If you tell us what your budget is and for approximately how long you want an apartment, we can make suggestions. Rocky, especially, has a good handle on the apartment market.
 

Lambada

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eralc,
Starting out here living from modest means in a non-luxurious home is actually a good way to go. It has all sorts of spin-off advantages: you will understand better the lifestyle of some of your pupils, you get a sense of achievement as you slowly are able to afford something better, it is easier to get respect from locals when you don't arrive here as a feelthy rich gringa and it is easier to be perceived as 'almost one of us' by the locals. Not to mention that if you & your boyfriend are sharing expenses he will be able to be more of an active sharer if the outgoings aren't too high. I always think the learning curve is quicker if one starts out with relatively limited expenditure. It's how we did it 15 years ago & I wouldn't trade that for anything, even though it was hard at times, because I learned so much including enormous respect for how the locals manage.
 

magdalena21

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Jun 7, 2005
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Hi, I am ChriNJ's girlfriend. As he told you my family live in la union and I growed up there. The electricity is very bad unless that you buy an inverter. The water service is also bad but you can buy a tinaco and for hot water you can buy a water hitter. Last christmas when I was in the DR I was very afraid of taking a shower in my parent's house because the water was too cold. So, I went to a hardware store and I made my dad to buy a water hitter. It cost him like 3000 pesos in dollars 90 I think. What I mean is that in La union you can live in a not so bad neigborhood for a cheap price, close to everywhere. The airport is less then 5 minutes, Puerto Plata I think 20, Sosua beach 10 minutes and el batey 15. Although, the people are very friendly and nice. I can tell you I was living there until I was 18. Well, I hope that I helped you out in your concern. When are you going there? I am leaving next Wednesday to visit my family and friends. Maybe I can help you out I Think That I will be there for two months.









So, i could have a nice cheap apartment there but be like a 10 or 15 minute drive from work and El Batey....or I could pay more and stay closer to everything???? I dont know what to do!!
Are the apartments furnished? I would be looking at a one bedroom....anyone know what the hot water and electricity situation is like there?
 

Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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Our cleaning woman, who lives in La Union, says that the electricity in the lower part, where the apartments are, is better than in the upper part of La Union where she lives. She says this is because there are many people in the upper part who do not pay for electricity.

She said that electricity is usually pretty good at night, but that during the day the upper part may get no electricity, such as yesterday when the power went off at 5 am and didn't come back until 8 pm, but that the lower part may get a few hours during the day.