Could anyone tell me about this place, property rental seems to be cheaper in this area than anywhere else around Santo Domingo.
Also I am having trouble negotiating with these people. Some I have shown interested in have been empty for over a year (and more)and I still can't get them to budge, on rent or contract agreements.
My first thought is that they do not know how to negotiate and are unable to see how they are losing money all the time they are empty. I expected to beable to negotiate around the 10-15% mark at least but I am not getting much movement. Is this just how it is or do they not do negotiation in Santo Domingo, I'm stumped?
The ZO (or Long Island, as noted by Dominican New Yorkers) is an exponentially less expensive living choice than the DN. That said, just like any high-yielding investment vehicle, the ZO comes with increased risk in terms of personal safety.
Better areas of the ZO that possess residential buildings with various safety components include: Alma Rosa, Alma Rosa II, San Isidro (parts of), Lucerna, Italia, Brisa del Este, to name a few. Poorer, less-safe neighborhoods include Invivienda, Villa Carmen, Villa Duarte, Huachupita, Cristo Rey, Capotillo to name a few (for the most part should be avoided at all costs).
Furthermore, in the ZO, you can also find better prices in the colmados and some grocery chains like Ole and Bravo. The ZO has a some nice features like the modernized Mega Centro and various larger chains like Plaza Lama, LaSirena and Jumbo.
In ZO, the roads and traffic are generally very bad, although there are parts where road construction is ongoing and many areas have improved conditions over the past 4 years.
There are not many dining choices, but the ZO has its supply of Pizza Hut, KFC, Dominos, Helodos Bon, and millions of fried chicken joints boasting fried rices composed of 3-5-day old rice. There are a variety of sports bars in the San Isidro and Av. Espana areas where you can catch Baseball, American and European Football, etc. As well as thousands of colmadons where sports, beer and bachata abound (oh and tough guys escorted by scantily clad, high-school drop out women seeking a Gucci bag or shoes).
If you are NOT fluent in Spanish, the ZO is no place for you although average rents between 7500-15,000/month for 3 bedroom, 2 bath are very attractive. If your significant other is Dominican, then this may be an option for you. If you are 2 foreigners, then ZO is a tough life. The Kansas City Shuffle is the #1 game in town and carry a pistol after dark in most neighborhoods. USE CAUTION, ZONA ORIENTAL FOR ADVANCED PLAYERS ONLY.