Where would you live if you had your time over again?

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
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The thread from tjmurray with his move to Punta Cana from the capital, plus new posters asking always where they should look to live, made me start thinking as to where I would choose to live, knowing what I know now.

It would not be Juan Dolio, where I live now. The beach is really unimportant, when it is there 2 minutes away I only go when I have visitors. What was a bustling tourist resort is now a deserted ghost town. I have discovered I do not need to have expatriate friends nearby, the internet and DR1 serves for that! I have a pool, which I rarely use, only when it is very hot in the summer, so I would not need a pool again.

I appreciate the proximity to the capital, for all those administrative things and excellent medical care, the latter maybe now also available in Santiago, but I would not want to be much more than an hour away from those.

I think I would be happier more inland and in the countryside rather than on the coast, but would like close access to good supermarkets rather than just very basic Dominican produce. I would like to live somewhere which was more a typical Dominican town and not too big so that you could get to know lots of people.

Good electricity is a must - which we do have in Juan Dolio, almost 24/7, goes off many once every 2 or 3 weeks for a couple of hours. I suppose you could always have inversors and generators though. Also would need to be not impossibly far from an airport, to pick up the visitors who arrive.

So the things which I thought would be important, and which maybe were in the short term like the beach, other ex pats, just end up not being important at all.

Any thoughts where my ideal place might be???

Matilda
 
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Aug 21, 2007
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I am quite happy right where I am between Sosua and Cabarete. However, I must admit that a couple of times a week I wish I lived right on the ocean. Or when I drive over the mountain, I wished I lived THERE. Or when I am in the city I relish all the amenities. Or I think life would be easier in a condo rather than a house.

OR, I think it's time to move on to somewhere else completely for a new adventure.

But then I ask myself, isn't the real challenge of life to be happy where I am, no matter WHERE I live? At once, my "I wishes" and "wouldn't it be nices" realign and my contentment returns. For me, life is good right where I am in this moment.

Lindsey
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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We have it all here in Santiago and to top it off people are really nice.

While I like to go home to the States and visit I don't think out of all the places I've been if I've ever been happier.

We have nice restaurants, movie theatres and a few parks and plenty of good supermarkets all over with all the good imported stuff and best of all it's not near as hot and muggy as the coast.

The only bad thing really about Santiago is the driving; mostly the public transportation.
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
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I really don't want to live in a city, however nice Santiago is. I have been there a couple of times, for a funeral and an operation!! I'm a country girl at heart. Have never really heard of Mao - seems a tad far from Santo Domingo though!

Matilda
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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Mao is not such an off the wall suggestion! It's a lovely clean town with some nice Victorian houses and friendly people. If you need good supermarkets and culture Santiago is less than an hour away. It's got a hot, dry climate which cools down nicely at night and lots of good countryside nearby, rivers, waterfalls, etc. There are also some good beaches within driving distance (La Ensenada, Punta Rucia, Puerto Plata etc).
 

SKY

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Apr 11, 2004
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Mao is not such an off the wall suggestion! It's a lovely clean town with some nice Victorian houses and friendly people. If you need good supermarkets and culture Santiago is less than an hour away. It's got a hot, dry climate which cools down nicely at night and lots of good countryside nearby, rivers, waterfalls, etc. There are also some good beaches within driving distance (La Ensenada, Punta Rucia, Puerto Plata etc).

From Mao go up the mountain to Moncion. That is the place, not Mao. You really need to see it to appreciate the place. Cool all the time there.
 
Jan 3, 2003
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Pick any town in La Cordillera Central-cool weather, hillbilly people, pine trees, sleep with a "colcha" at night, no need for A/C, people keep to themselves, little traffic, quiet, windy, friendly-you would never think you were in the DR given the rotten asinine attitude of most Dominicans.

People in these mountains towns are quite different. Hopefully the economics will remain depressed and it won't develop because once any sector improves economically you get drugs, crime, gangs, garbage, filth, trash, nasty people etc.
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
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Why las Terrenas? Have heard it is lovely. Beaches, good food, but full of French (no disrespect meant) and a long way from the capital. Where do you go if you get shot in las Terrenas???

matilda
 
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Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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I really don't want to live in a city, however nice Santiago is. I have been there a couple of times, for a funeral and an operation!! I'm a country girl at heart. Have never really heard of Mao - seems a tad far from Santo Domingo though!

Matilda

The problem will be access to adequate service such as health care and good supermarkets, etc.

I've lived in a small town like Moca without stuff like this and it really is tough to say the least.

Jarabaco would be a good compromise. It is a small town and in 10 minutes you can be out in some of the prettiest country this place has to offer. Not to mention it probably has the best weather on the island as it is much cooler than the coastal areas, especially at night. Also, it is very clean as well.
 

Acira

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Sep 20, 2009
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There is a Tobacco farm for sale in Mao...hmm, could see myself as a tobacco leave seller growing some of the better tobacco leaves for cigars, I have the knowledge...but its a bit too expensive.

A beach house in Mao for sale?? I am confused, Mao is not on the coast is it?

Are DR1 members now getting more interested? :bunny:
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
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The problem will be access to adequate service such as health care and good supermarkets, etc.

I've lived in a small town like Moca without stuff like this and it really is tough to say the least.

Jarabaco would be a good compromise. It is a small town and in 10 minutes you can be out in some of the prettiest country this place has to offer. Not to mention it probably has the best weather on the island as it is much cooler than the coastal areas, especially at night. Also, it is very clean as well.


The problem with Jarabacoa as I see it, and I only visited once for a week, is that it does get invaded at weekends by politicos and others. Our esteemed Senator from San Pedro has his house there, with his wife the Minister for Women, Alejandrina German, and also loads of tourists go there too. I want somewhere with no tourists, no expats and no politicians. Too much to ask?

Mat
 
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cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
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The problem will be access to adequate service such as health care and good supermarkets, etc.

I've lived in a small town like Moca without stuff like this and it really is tough to say the least.

Jarabaco would be a good compromise. It is a small town and in 10 minutes you can be out in some of the prettiest country this place has to offer. Not to mention it probably has the best weather on the island as it is much cooler than the coastal areas, especially at night. Also, it is very clean as well.


The problem with Jarabacoa as I see it, and I only visited once for a week, is that it does get invaded at weekends by politicos and others. Our esteemed Senator from San Pedro has his house there, with his wife the Minister for Women, Alejandrina German, and also loads of tourists go there too. I want somewhere with no tourists, no expats and no politicians. Too much to ask?

Yes, politicos come here, but they make sure the road coming up is well maintained, the garbage is picked up, the rif-raf taken care of, the Country Club gets well-funded, the ayudamiento gets plenty of money, the power stays on better, etc.

Not a bad trade off.
 
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AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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Yes, politicos come here, but they make sure the road coming up is well maintained, the garbage is picked up, the rif-raf taken care of, the Country Club gets well-funded, the ayudamiento gets plenty of money, the power stays on better, etc.

Not a bad trade off.

Good point. My husband often comments "There must be a general living around here" when he sees a place like that.

AE
 
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