Santiago news

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
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Here are tidbits of santiago current daily affairs for some of you folks who might be interested in.
The most famous dom york chopo hang out "ambis disco" is shut down, effected by the new liquor curfew / disco closedowns at 12 weekdays and 2am weekends. These types of discos always made their money after 12am so the new law has killed them.
Molinos disco (in front of ahibar) has been shut down a few months ago. Shakabana has been closed for a few months already. The new restaurant / disco called "ice club" which is located on the same street as Ahibar hasn't had a single customer since it opened up a few months ago. I am surprised to see they are still open or at least they have their lights turned on every night. What a waste of money.
I predict BUI pub to go out of business soon.
The happening places in santiago are Tribecca bar, Francifol cafe, Zoom and maybe another one or 2. They are all being hurt from the new liquor ordenance. I would like to know how baja club is doing because it was always known for after hour clubbing.

The street vendors are being hassled by the city to stay clear of the main streets in santiago downtown. The guys who sell fruits and quipe etc are being told to get lost. These guys have been selling their stuff for years around the corner from my office street now they are forced to play hide and seek game with the police. They put on their carrito on the street and keep a watchfull eye out for police, if they come, they run. The quipe guy is threatened by the city that he will lose his cart if he is seen on calle 30 de marzo. These guys are forced to deal business in small side streets where the business has come down more then 50%. These guys are hurting bad. I think its a day time thing because at night I see venders selling everything everywhere in santiago.

Watch out for 2 black guys (in 40's), claiming to be from france and looking to buy a hotel in DR. These 2 guys are real charmers, they can hold an intellectual conversation on just about any subject you can think of and they will become a very good friend of yours if they see you are well dressed and speak english, especially if you are a foreigner. They will wine and dine you but they will always insist on playing the bill with a 100 dollar bill, without even looking at the restaurant bill.
Just stay away from these guys, they are scammers and soon you will lose your money if you deal with them in any business deal. One is called Tony and the other calls himself Alex. I would imagine, both names are fake. I think they have fled santiago and maybe in santo domingo by now.

Bembe bar has male & female dancers on saturday. The women go crazy on the male dancer which then enables them to be picked up by any average looking guy in the disco. The best pick up place if you are looking for quick / easy lay. Bembe is located on av. texas, next to Plaza texas.

Ahibar is still the king of entertainment in santiago. The best dating game bar, where guys and gals meet. Don't forget, If a girl picks you up in a bar, most likely she is a hooker. These hookers are not like your Sosua hookers, you have to talk to them and charm them to certain extent. They can't deal openly in ahibar, if they would, they will get thrown out. So stick with the regular girls there who seem honorable.

The streets in major neighborhoods and barrios are constantly petrolled by army and police in their new SUVs. I feel a whole lot safer now than ever knowing they are there petrolling my street. If a tigre passes by in a motorcycle, they stop him and questions him. This is great.

Las colinas mall is open but still unfinished, half of the mall is under construction. I hear the movie theater is very modern inside.

More will be added later.
AZB
 

M.A.R.

Silver
Feb 18, 2006
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Businesses must think of strategies to bring people in early.
I am sure even the cabañas are or will be suffering, there peak times must have been late night on weekends, all the clubbing people. and like you said those vendors did most of their business at night when everyone was out there drinking. But everyone must work together to make this dream of a better DR possible.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
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How is Cafe Decano, in the same plaza as Hotel Platino, doing? Nice place, but they also had a late crowd. Good food and coffee drinks.
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
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How is Cafe Decano, in the same plaza as Hotel Platino, doing? Nice place, but they also had a late crowd. Good food and coffee drinks.

I was there last night, and the place had a nice crowd. They seem to have their clients all set. I bet even they are suffering because of the early closing.
Marchena is doing good business but don't forget folks, after 12am on weekdays, there is hardly any soul on the streets. I bet they are also suffering becasue many of their clients came to eat late hours after discos and bar closing.

I just went down stairs and couldn't find the quipe / empanada guy or his cart. I hope his cart is not taken away. He was really worried about his business becasue this is his only source of income he has. They can't deviate far from their fixed location because the storage facility has to be near by in order to get more food and merchandise when it finishes ex: more quipe and empanadas from the fridge when it goes low in quantity. Its not easy to find storage spaces in downtown santiago so one has to have his cart nearby in order to go back and forth in to his storage place to get stuff. If he changes his location, he will, lose clients and besides, the other location is probably the turf of another vender. there maybe a conflict in interest.
AZB
 

Werner

New member
Feb 19, 2004
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I was at Maroma last friday. The place was packed.
They booked Roger Sanchez, one of the worlds best djs who by origin is Dominican.
They only do special events however for the time being. Just keep your eyes open for the next party. The music style is electronica.
 

Ricardo900

Silver
Jul 12, 2004
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Ahi bar always have a good crowd, even on Sundays(my favorite) and I noticed the bar across the street, Quixote(sp?) shut down. Bembe was nice on Friday night, one of the DJ personalities was the MC, forgot his name but he does a Salsa format on two stations. Rancho Merengue was packed on Saturday for the Anthony Santos concert, great show. There are a few colmados in the barrios that sell beer and liquor after hours, but I'm not telling.
 

joseinoa

New member
Jan 20, 2005
184
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hey AZB there was a guy selling quipes and patelitos in a cart across the street from the ayuntamiento that to me are the best in santiago, do you know if he is still there he is usually there after 6 all the way to 2 or 3 in the morning, if he is still there try his pizza and lasagna patelitos i guarantee you will not regret it , by the way he has very good prices.
 

Robert

Stay Frosty!
Jan 2, 1999
20,574
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dr1.com
Good stuff AZB!

I was in Santiago last week and was surprised at the amount of AMET cops, every corner had someone.
 

Larry

Gold
Mar 22, 2002
3,513
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Good stuff AZB!

I was in Santiago last week and was surprised at the amount of AMET cops, every corner had someone.


I think AZB should post in a thread weekly or possibly monthly (monthly is probably better) titled "santiago news inside scoop". Maybe someone else could do a similar one for Santo Domingo and someone for the Sosua/Puerto Plata area. This way people could read the inside scoop on a particular area in a condensed form coming from someone close to the action.

AZB's post was great.

Larry
 

sweetdbt

Bronze
Sep 17, 2004
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Businesses must think of strategies to bring people in early.
I am sure even the caba?as are or will be suffering, there peak times must have been late night on weekends, all the clubbing people. and like you said those vendors did most of their business at night when everyone was out there drinking. But everyone must work together to make this dream of a better DR possible.

I can't imagine that Dominicans are going to give up having fun and drinking. After an adjustment period, I thing slowly but surely people will start their evenings earlier. It's really up to the customers more than the businesses. A lot of these places were "open" early all along, but there were no customers, so they didn't bring in most of the staff til later.

The one thing Dominicans are less likely to give up than partying is sex, so I think cananas will be fine. I'm curious to know if they've shut down the dumb waiter alcoholic beverage service at the cabanas at 12:00 too.
 

ZEUS

Bronze
Feb 14, 2003
577
26
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It takes a chopo to know one... keep'em coming.. great stuff.. I may fly down for turkey day.. google ..glooge.. checked delta for the week of nov.
18th thru nov. 26th: $366.00 r/t. Not bad..

Abul,
zeus (primus chopus).
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
12,290
519
113
hey AZB there was a guy selling quipes and patelitos in a cart across the street from the ayuntamiento that to me are the best in santiago, do you know if he is still there he is usually there after 6 all the way to 2 or 3 in the morning, if he is still there try his pizza and lasagna patelitos i guarantee you will not regret it , by the way he has very good prices.

You maybe talking about Lalin empanadas. This company sells quipe and empanadas to venders and then the venders sell them to us but they must use Lalin's name on the cart. These are very good quipes and empanadas.
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
18,948
514
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1) The owner of Francifol told me the other day (last Tuesday) that sales are up 5%, and they are just fine.
2) Pasiones is going bankrupt quite fast.
3) The best quipes and empanadas are Aida's Delicias, sold at just two locations:
a- Ave 27 de Febrero near the corner of Eric Eckman, next to the old Don Luis restaurant.
b- Ave. Metropolitana, across the street from Sugeiry Farmacia.

HB
 

juancarlos

Bronze
Sep 28, 2003
676
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I am glad to read the security situation is improving. That's what was needed so that people feel safer, in the long run, it'll be good for business.
 
Jan 5, 2006
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I am glad to read the security situation is improving. That's what was needed so that people feel safer, in the long run, it'll be good for business.
The precense on the streets of a trustworthy security force was what was needed and is good for the overall confidence of the population. Closing legitimate businesses at midnight will not be good for the economy in general, in the long run or any other run whatsoever!
 

AZB

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
12,290
519
113
I have driven in quite a few neighborhoods today and I was glad to see a white police SUV everywhere. Once I came home late at night, the police suv stopped and waited for me to open up my gate and get inside my house. Then a motorcycle guy came buzzing by and he was stopped, questioned and let go. It sure is a relief to see so many police cars patrolling the streets of santiago.

I bet the crime rate is down because the tigres are not allowed to roam around freely. the presence of the huge police SUV is very intimidating to them. These guys are equipped with M-16 automatic rifles.