Santo Domingo, capital of latin america

Santo Domingo is a Unique city. 509 years of history, the first capital in the new world (America).
We have the first and still the nicer Catedral which is the best expression of gothic and mudejar.
santo has the first monastery, the first hospital, first university, and many, many.....
our colonial city ir richer in history than any city in latin america.
Santo domingo has all you can imagine: rivers, modern bridges, beaches, mountains, etc,
this is a world class city. nice discos, great restaurants, the best casinos in the area,
culture: santo domingo has the #1 National Theather in latin america (one of the best in the world)
Our Columbus light house is the most expensive monument in LA.
The largest and nicer botanico garden in latin america (top 3 in the world)
one of the best Zoo.
We are #1 in baseball (we have more baseball players than latin america and europe together).
We are #1 in volleyball (top 8 in the world)
# 1 in Triathlon
Basketball is one of the best in the area as well as bowling, boxing, table tennis, etc.
Art. Our museams are unique.
is there any designer in latin maerica that you can compare with our Oscar de La Renta? What about jazz musician as Michel Camilo?
or Juan Luis guerra, or julio Sabala (known as the best transformist)
Jose Antonio molina is the #1 symphonic director in Latin A. (he is the director of the 3 tenors concerts)
Santo domingo has the best Latin music festival
The heineken jazz festival is among the best in the area.
Altos the Chavon is considered the most beautiful amphitheater in the world.
Santo domingo has the best telecomunication system in Latin A.
We were the first country with Cable TV, and still we have the best cable in LA.
We have more cel. phones than than any city in LA.
Lets talk about cars.
stop for 10 mins in Abrahan Lincoln ave. you will see more luxuries cars than you can see in 2 years in Mexico city, Madrid or Milano.
We will host The Panan games ans miss universe in 2003.
we have the best convention center.
So, if New york is the capital of the world, why we dont start calling santo domingo the capital of latin America.

Sorry John, but the tittle of "Capital of latin America" is held by the great city of Miami Florida. No were else do you see such a mixture of Latin cultures. It is the #1 visited spot by most Latin Americans and is the main point of entry for South American immagration. Miami International Airport is visited by every major Latin American carrier. Brickel ave. is the Financial center of Latin America and plans are afoot to create a Latin American stock exchange here a la Wall Street. Both the port of Miami and the Miami River are the main points of import/export for Latin America as well.

Miami is the Latin Music capital as well as the base of operations for the 2 biggest Spanish language TV Networks. The "Calle Ocho Festival" is the Biggest and best Latin Music festival(over 100 acts and 1 million spectators).

Most of those luxury cars in Santo Domingo were purchased or stolen in Miami.

Santo Domingo is a great, vibrant city which holds a place in my heart but lets be real. It cannot hold a candle to such cosmopolitan cities such as Buenos Aires, Rio or Santiago Chile.

BTW Where exactly are the mountains and beaches in Santo Domingo?

Actually, Santo Domingo itself has 505 (first occupation) or 502 years of history as the official capital. Santo Domingo has a lot of firsts, but a world class city.....? Come on, you must be smoking what TW uses. Rio de Janiero - Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Caracas, even Mexico City - for all the smog and crime - have more and better than what Santo Domingo can offer. Sorry, John, you might like Santo Domingo but it doesn't rank as highly as you claim.

Re: I din't know Miami was in Latin America Tony.

Well, it is South of the Bubba Dixon/Juan Martinez line that runs through Orlando, Florida *(just joking)*. I guess we can/might call it Latin America, after all Florida was part of Spain's colonies until the 19th century when we (the U.S.A) stole it.

The USA bought it!

The USA purchased Spanish Florida(Which included what is now the Gulf coasts of Alabama and Missippi)from Spain.

Re: I din't know Miami was in Latin America Tony.

Over 50% of the population is of Latin origin. Cuban mayors of Miami-Dade County, Miami, Coral Gables, Hialeah, West Miami, South Miami. Majority of Commissionors are Latin. Spanish signs everywhere. You tell me!

Havana

Actually Santo Domingo was the Official capital of Spain's Colonies for about 20 some years. After that it was Havana for the majority of the time

Re: The USA bought it! (after the fact..)

Yes, they did. After having sent several illegal military expeditions into Florida and more or less taken de facto control of the area by force. The purchase was just appeasement to an act already done. See the link.

Re: Havana

After 1519 A.D. Santo Domingo was little more than a backwater colonial town that was visited several times a year by Spanish traders. The lack of attention by authorities was what prompted such a thriving smuggling operation with British and French suppliers. The whole western and northern island of Hispaniola was evacuated of Spanish inhabitants (I believe in 1606 or 1610 but need to check these dates) to better control them and keep them from trading illegally with foreigners. This allowed the French buccaneers to camp and hunt cattle in Haiti and gain a foothold on the island. Later they took over Haiti and that is how Haiti became a separate (1) 1st colony, and then (2) country. Sorry for the brief history lesson but sometimes the professor in me can't help myself.

Re: I din't know Miami was in Latin America Tony.

I would think that inorder to be mayor of an American city the law would require the person to be an American citizen.Are you certain that all these mayor are Cubans? Tom

Re: I din't know Miami was in Latin America Tony.

The old line applies here....."they are cubans by heart and americans by necessity", you may call them "cuban-americans" if you wish to be politically-correct.

Tony.....there is one little detail you have overlooked in your assessment: Geography.

Re: I din't know Miami was in Latin America Tony.

Miami, beautiful place.Never feel I'm in the US when I'm there. It's a petite Latin enclave, ruled by socalled "Cuban-American" reactionists. Anybody on this board ever read the DEA "yellow sheets" on these folks? Miami, Home to quite a few old graduates of Panama's "Escuela de Las Americas", people that qualify cum laude for the hot seat here at the international war crimes tribunal. Yet, there they are, sipping margaritas with Gloria E.

Re: I din't know Miami was in Latin America Tony.

Some of the mayors were born in the US others are naturalized.

Reactionists???

Ahhh Jeez another limosine liberal taking a shot at the Free Cubans! Don't you guys ever give up? Cuban Americans are the most sucessful immigrant group the US has ever known. And you guys can't stand it.

Sometimes Tony

Sometimes you make sense, other times yoru posts are so ill conceived and misinformed they are below the third grade level

"Cuban Americans are the most sucessful immigrant group the US has ever known."

You can find several Jewish, Japanese, German etc Immigrants that could buy and sell florida, let alone the pitiful wealth of the Cuban Community.

even Italian and Russian groups that don't seem to pay taxes are far more sucessful than any cuban ever thought of becoming, or dreaming.

Wasting away again in Santo Domingo

For those of us who believe that Santo Domingo is the capital of Latin America(or of the universe for that matter) please don't confuse the issue with facts.

As Jimmy Buffet said; "Margaritaville is wherever the hell you want it to be."