Bella Vista in Santo Domingo

WMateo

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Hi, I am new here in this forum. I am originally from Santo Domingo, but have lived all my productive life in the States. My wife and I have decided to move to DR and try it out. We have two toddlers. I am considering living in Bella Vista or surrounding neighborhoods. Can any of you tell me how safe it is and how much you like it or hate it? Thank you in advance for your help.
 

ju10prd

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Probably one of the safest parts of the city to live with plenty of police presence.

Lived close to the Bella Vista Mall for 15 months......just relocated......and always walked to the Mall and the nearby Pola supermarket and sometimes down to Embajador Hotel without any worry.

With the constant building of apartment blocks, the downside is the traffic in the area has got worse but that is the case right across the city as well. If anything that was the only downside and a reason to find a less expensive but quieter zone down by the Malecon west.
 

WRM

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Probably one of the safest parts of the city to live with plenty of police presence.

Lived close to the Bella Vista Mall for 15 months......just relocated......and always walked to the Mall and the nearby Pola supermarket and sometimes down to Embajador Hotel without any worry.

With the constant building of apartment blocks, the downside is the traffic in the area has got worse but that is the case right across the city as well. If anything that was the only downside and a reason to find a less expensive but quieter zone down by the Malecon west.
Thank you! That's good to know that you can walk without worries in the area. We plan to do that a lot.

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Gringo Starr

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Thank you! That's good to know that you can walk without worries in the area. We plan to do that a lot.

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Not good idea to walk anywhere in Santo Domingo. Well, you can walk, but not walk without worries. You need to watch your back always.
 

Expat13

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Jun 7, 2008
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Its a good area, i lived there for 4 years, BUT, i know of a couple just 3 mths ago who were robbed at knife point walking parkside on AV. Anacaona. I believe there have also been 2 murders there in the same situation. They seem to target unsuspecting walkers. Still safe considering! Daytime pretty safe, once sun goes down the odds increase
 

Mauricio

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Nov 18, 2002
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I was just mentioning that about walking today to my wife. While during the day I would walk in most middle class parts of the city without any worry (if it weren't for the heat), one thing I'd do in my hometown in Europe is take a stroll at night or ride back on my bike at 1 am from one side of the city to the other. Can't do that here...:-(.

Bella Vista is fine, one of the best, after Los Cacicazgos.
 

WRM

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Thank you guys for the advise. So I guess we could walk, but being cautions and specially not at night. I am soo looking forward to exercising again at Mirador del Sur and go to the beach or mountains on the weekend.

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wuarhat

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Thank you guys for the advise. So I guess we could walk, but being cautions and specially not at night. I am soo looking forward to exercising again at Mirador del Sur and go to the beach or mountains on the weekend.

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Are you and WMateo one and the same?
 

Alltimegreat

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Has anyone heard of violent crimes at the Bella Vista Mall? The only one I heard about was in front of Burger King in the food court in 2012, which was not an attack on an innocent random person.
 

Gringo Starr

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Has anyone heard of violent crimes at the Bella Vista Mall? The only one I heard about was in front of Burger King in the food court in 2012, which was not an attack on an innocent random person.

somebody was robbed in front of the ATM inside the mall.
 

rafael

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Jan 2, 2002
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Has anyone heard of violent crimes at the Bella Vista Mall? The only one I heard about was in front of Burger King in the food court in 2012, which was not an attack on an innocent random person.


In the mall no. There have been muggings, robbing cel phones etc to people walking up from the mall the betancourt to take a publico home.
Our maid lives in a barrio north of romulo and once we were on balcony and she pointed out a tigre on corner of Bohechio and E *******, saying he was from her barrio and was there to
rob someone. I walk around all hours of the night but am always aware and if I hear a moto, my spidey sense goes up.

I like the neighborhood. In fact we moved in january but stayed in bella vista and are a block away from old place. Having nacional in spitting distance is a huge plus.
The traffic from body shop is a downside. In fact we moved because of the dip****s that stand on their horns at body shop and well as the church next door that blasts music whenever they want.


May make my almost nightly walk to valentinos for some ice cream.
 

WRM

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So could I assume that all the surrounding neighborhoods of Bella Vista, such as Renacimiento, Cacicazgo, Los Helios and Sarasota are all good?

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Gringo Starr

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So could I assume that all the surrounding neighborhoods of Bella Vista, such as Renacimiento, Cacicazgo, Los Helios and Sarasota are all good?

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No. Bella Vista Sur is good, Bella Vista Norte is not good, some barrios there.

Unlike Colombia, Panama and other countries, there are no 100% good areas in SD. You can see nice clean street with new towers, and ugly unfinished construction that will stay unfinished forever and some ugly old houses or even a barrio just a few feet from those luxury towers. Even in Naco and Piantini we have some ugly trash.

And don't forget that even in the luxury building your neighbors can be some imbeciles with loud bachata and other unpleasant things. Rich people doesn't mean normal people in DR.

Go around the area personally, find the street that you like, the place that you like, and if you are lucky maybe that building will have good administration and nice neighbors....
 

rafael

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No. Bella Vista Sur is good, Bella Vista Norte is not good, some barrios there.

Unlike Colombia, Panama and other countries, there are no 100% good areas in SD. You can see nice clean street with new towers, and ugly unfinished construction that will stay unfinished forever and some ugly old houses or even a barrio just a few feet from those luxury towers. Even in Naco and Piantini we have some ugly trash.

And don't forget that even in the luxury building your neighbors can be some imbeciles with loud bachata and other unpleasant things. Rich people doesn't mean normal people in DR.

Go around the area personally, find the street that you like, the place that you like, and if you are lucky maybe that building will have good administration and nice neighbors....

My new building has pretty much zero tolerance for noise. We were not allowed to do moving pn saturday. I still walked over from old place carrying guitars and other delicates on the saturday.

On moving day there was a two hour window where no moving was allowed. Keep elevator free etc.

When they saw all the guitars and drum set they looked worried. Showed them the drums were electronic and make no noise and promised that I play guitar with headphones. No complaints so far.




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WRM

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Wow! Thanks for the advice guys. I am taking notes of all this. You have been extremely helpful.

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Gringo Starr

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My new building has pretty much zero tolerance for noise. We were not allowed to do moving pn saturday. I still walked over from old place carrying guitars and other delicates on the saturday.

On moving day there was a two hour window where no moving was allowed. Keep elevator free etc.

When they saw all the guitars and drum set they looked worried. Showed them the drums were electronic and make no noise and promised that I play guitar with headphones. No complaints so far.




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Can be loud music, can be an idiot closing doors with full force at night, can be a stupid c@nt that needs to walk on heels in her apartment at 7 am and each step is like somebody hammering the floor upstairs... Can be somebody's maid moving the furniture every 10 minutes 24/7 to clean something... this is DR and stupidity has no limits. So you can find the area you love, but there's no peaceful sleep unless you use the earplugs :)
 

rafael

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Can be loud music, can be an idiot closing doors with full force at night, can be a stupid c@nt that needs to walk on heels in her apartment at 7 am and each step is like somebody hammering the floor upstairs... Can be somebody's maid moving the furniture every 10 minutes 24/7 to clean something... this is DR and stupidity has no limits. So you can find the area you love, but there's no peaceful sleep unless you use the earplugs :)

In my apt, in the bedroom with door closed and AC on, I don't hear even if they ring doorbell or knock on my door.

Now during the NBA finals there were peoplw yelling all over the place.


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WRM

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Ouch, I think I would need to soundproof the rooms then. Imagine, I work from home so I can't have music blasting or people yelling too close. Or maybe get a house even if it's small. Now when looking for a place, did you guys use Realtors or went direct through the owner? I have Corotos.com has been the most reliable site thus far.

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Gringo Starr

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Now when looking for a place, did you guys use Realtors or went direct through the owner? I have Corotos.com has been the most reliable site thus far.

Supercasas.com is what you need.


P.S. look for the property, not for specific agent.
 
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