If you're staying in Santo Domingo you might want to consider going west instead, to Playa Palenque. It's about 50 minutes away. You'll pass Playa Najayo first, which is rocky but pretty, but noisy and very Dominican. Playa Palenque is maybe 10 more minutes down the road, go to the end [which they call Cocolandia] and you will be very happy. There you'll find families, both Dominican and European, and a stray American sometimes. Good food on the beach too, and they will not charge you for using their tables.
We get our food from either Elidania or Dona Mary.