The best place to live in the DR is.........

How to answer that ??
Might be impossible.

Those who enjoy city life will gravitate to the larger centers - Sto Dom and Santiago
But in most cases, that big city life is never too far away.... this is an island after all.

Me?
If I look at it, I seem to be more rural.
In Canada, I need to drive 45 minutes before encountering a building over 3 stories.
Same in RD - maybe further.

In Philadelphia, we live on 65 acres.... very rural, but city life is a stone's throw away.
Somehow I feel that and it makes me edgy.

The answer to the question may be - Whatever suits you

One thing for certain, you have more choices here than many other tropical situations... Island, Caribbean....
IMO

I did live in the campo of Luperon (little house), in my worst time in a Barrio in Puerto Plata (shack) for half a year, later in various houses in Urb. Atlantica, Doral. Later in Bavaro in a house in Pueblo Bavaro and in a Mansion in Higuey.

Now I am living in a Penthouse in Santo Domingo and so far this is what I like best.

This depends on the age of the person and probably his financial resources but for me , I wish to have golf courses, tennis courts, a cinema and warm weather without many rainy days and so I am limites, but wonderfully so , to Casa e Campo, Cap Cana or the Punta Cana resort which includes la Cana and los Corales . All these places are also close to an airport but touristy expensive. I would miss my episcopalian church in Santo Domingo and Zona Colonial .
Of the three , I would then finally blonk for an apartment in Punta Cana Resort facing a course or a beach with a membership at los Corales . I would not live in the north because dv8 has pointed out all the horrid things that are constantly happening there and it rains too much.

Robert: Moved from the Living forum.

Removed. Stay on topic, no non-relevant or chit chat posts.

Thanks.

Originally I was happy in the campo, 30 minutes from the capital and one hour from STI and slightly more to SDQ. I liked the tranquility (relative...you know noise at night can be an issue).

I tried Las Terrenas and felt content either in the lomas or by the beach but it was too far from SDQ and it cost a lot to transfer with no decent airport parking. Good experience but not a place to retire.

I'm in Santo Domingo now and have adjusted well to the place I didn't much like in my earlier years. I'm travelling a lot so being a short taxi ride to SDQ is important.

I'm thinking a lot of where to establish a home as my work load diminishes in a planned way. I rent now, had a modest place in the campo and would want to buy land and built for the future. I'm warming to Monte Plata province but not adverse at looking at the coast/hills nearer Miches now that the new road is nearing completion.....after all Punta Cana has a good airport. I still have an attraction to the South West but need to explore more.

I don't want to be in gated communities and I would rather avoid tourist areas and where too may expats live. And medical care is not something I care to think about. I seek long term tranquility and whilst now in a city have that as my goal.

I guess I should mention North Coast. Have been there several times but not of recent. Not to my liking. Sosua is Sosua enough said and I'm afraid Cabarete has gone downhill. No interest to me...zero.

Robert: Moved from the Living forum.

My wife and I bought a beach front condo about 20 minutes from Bavaro. On the plus side the view is unbelievable and its nice and quiet.
The down side is 3 or 4 owners rent their's out and some of the people they rent to are absolute idiots. Also a new hotel is being built next door so the quiet thing is hit and miss.
In retrospect we would probably look at a house or if we did a condo it would have to have better control on renting.

It really does all depend on what you want in terms of the environment or the amenities. I have lived in a tourist area - Juan Dolio, close to the capital and on the ocean. That had the restaurants, proximity to an airport and SD, good supermarkets and plenty of nightlife (in those days). However crime was high. We then moved to a barrio in a small town in the north west, around 20 minutes from a reasonable supermarket. Very friendly neighbours but no restaurants, only colmados, very dirty, very dusty and very cheap - rent for a 3 bedroomed nice house was RD$7,000 a month. Now we live at around 1500 feet in the north west mountains in the campo and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Much cooler, lower humidity, crime free but no supermarket, no restaurants and no entertainment. I personally would not like to live where there are too many expats but you do have to be able to speak Spanish if you go off the beaten track.

Matilda