Is maybe Boca Chica a next kind of South Beach?

aarhus

aarhus

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I have been reading on the forum that Juan Dolio is being promoted as a next South Beach. South Beach is somewhat of a party zone. With Night Clubs, Strip Clubs, lots of restaurants, gay clubs. I mean everything. Could it be that Boca Chica in the long run has more of that potential despite its reputation now. And that Juan Dolio becomes more recidencial like North Miami, Brickel etc.. South beach is full of Botique Hotels and Boca Chica has around 60 small hotels.
 
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Kyle

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i've seen downward spiral of BC over the last 3-4 years. on the surface i don't see why it's not competing with the likes of the North Coast. the only difference i see is the nightlife and less sex tourists. i hear that wasn't the case in earlier years. i like BC and i visit at least once a year...

maybe a longtime resident can explain....
 
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johne

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Jun 28, 2003
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drcaycu said:
I have been reading on the forum that Juan Dolio is being promoted as a next South Beach. South Beach is somewhat of a party zone. With Night Clubs, Strip Clubs, lots of restaurants, gay clubs. I mean everything. Could it be that Boca Chica in the long run has more of that potential despite its reputation now. And that Juan Dolio becomes more recidencial like North Miami, Brickel etc.. South beach is full of Botique Hotels and Boca Chica has around 60 small hotels.
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A good question but very flawed in your assumptions. You start by saying"Juan Dolio is being PROMOTED as the next SB" (my bolding). "Promoted' is the key word and the comparison to SB does not exist IMHO and many others. (read the thread if you have a couple of days of idle time).So, one cannot move forward with the idea of BC is next without a positive conclusion to Juan Dolio.

In addition, I don't think BC has the availabilty of beach frontage that JD has.
 
Hillbilly

Hillbilly

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I can't explain it but I do not think BC will ever be anything close to South Beach.

You might find this sort of atmosphere in Juan Dolio/Guayacanes but not in Boca Chica.

There are too many drawbacks: both Geographical, Economical and Social
Geographical: Too small and too close to the container port
Economical: Not near enough hotels, not near enough wealthy population nearby to give it that South Beach ambiance.
Social: Most of the population are the dregs of the worker population from the old sugar mill days. No culture, little education and a day to day existence mentality. Almost any successful business there is owned or operated by foreigners (if they can stay out of trouble.)

HB
 
Bronxboy

Bronxboy

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Jul 11, 2007
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BTW, South Beach is not what it used to be. If there are 5 open clubs on Ocean drive, that is alot.

I used to live there 4 years ago and it was already dying down.

Now, 15 years ago SB was the place to be, HOT HOT HOT.

Now a days, COLD COLD COLD!!!!!
 
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Kyle

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sounds just like BC...
how many clubs use to be open on Calle Duarte ? :ermm:
 
aarhus

aarhus

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Boca Chica

johne said:
A good question but very flawed in your assumptions. You start by saying"Juan Dolio is being PROMOTED as the next SB" (my bolding). "Promoted' is the key word and the comparison to SB does not exist IMHO and many others. (read the thread if you have a couple of days of idle time).So, one cannot move forward with the idea of BC is next without a positive conclusion to Juan Dolio.

In addition, I don't think BC has the availabilty of beach frontage that JD has.
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The point I was trying to make was not that Boca Chica is better than Juan Dolio because it could be a kind of South Beach. I think South Beach has its good and bad things. I just imagine Boca Chica 5-10 years from now to be more lively than Juan Dolio when it comes to discos, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Hopefully the social level of the ares increases so crime and the worst prostitution decreases. I also find the beach at Boca Chica very nice. And there is a part of Boca Chica after the Hamaca which is more upscale where the Boca Marina and Neptuno is located. I see Juan Dolio becomming even more upscale but more recidencial and as a place for foreignere and Dominicans from the capital and abroad to have a vacationing home. Maybe I am being to optimistic regarding the dr, Boca Chica and Juan Dolios future.
 
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tht

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Plans for Boca Chica existed 8-10 years ago before the general part of the population realized the Mega Port is a container port and not a cruise ship port. The "investments" that had taken place by "investors" over the previous years all of a sudden disintegrated and most of them became nothing. BC the next South Beach?? HB put it all in a nutshell in his post, the fundamentals are simply not there, too many people in the bottom of Maslow's Pyramide.
 
aarhus

aarhus

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Maslows pyramid is an interesting framework to use when describing Boca Chica or other tourist oriented areas of the dr. I have been to most of the tourist areas in dr. Sosua/Puerto Plata, Boca Chica, Juan Dolio, Bayahibe, Bavaro and Punta Cana. They all have one thing in common. They have a concentration of Tigres, Tigresses and Haitian immigrants all looking to make some easy sometimes well earned money. Maybe the fasted growing area in that respect is Bavaro. Around Cortecito and Friusa. Just like it is in general the fastest growing area of the country. Recently I read in Clave Digital that the province of Altagracia where Bavaro is located is now the most violent in the country. It does not matter where the government and investors set up a new tourist area they will get the downside of prostitution, drugs, crime etc.... The same goes for South Beach in Miami. The Americans obviusly have less problems like that because they dont have the exstreem poverty. They are also much better at controlling it. There is a lot of police, camaras etc in South Beach. Hopefully here the government will get better at that here. So these areas can really develop. I think there is plans to clean up and improve Boca Chica.
 
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tht

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drcaycu said:
It does not matter where the government and investors set up a new tourist area they will get the downside of prostitution, drugs, crime etc....
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Unfortunately Boca Chica's problems are not just associated with tourism, it goes a lot deeper than that.
 
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STEVE G.

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drcaycu said:
I have been reading on the forum that Juan Dolio is being promoted as a next South Beach. South Beach is somewhat of a party zone. With Night Clubs, Strip Clubs, lots of restaurants, gay clubs. I mean everything. Could it be that Boca Chica in the long run has more of that potential despite its reputation now. And that Juan Dolio becomes more recidencial like North Miami, Brickel etc.. South beach is full of Botique Hotels and Boca Chica has around 60 small hotels.
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STEVE G. said:
The secretary of Tourism, Felix Jim?nez, announced that within the goals to diversify the tourist supply of the country contemplates to turn Juan Dolio to ?South Beach? of the Caribbean or prepared zone to receive the visits of important personalities, specially of the jet-set international . In addition, he informed that two Marinas in the area will be constructed, and the one between Juan Dolio and the Hig?ano river, which will attract a greater number of tourists of high consumption. Jim?nez offered the details during the Breakfast of DAILY newspaper LIST?N Diario... Jim?nez announced that in this period of government the construction of towers of up to 15 and 20 floors will be authorized in Juan Dolio. Nevertheless, it informed that they have unified the development norms, and consequently, buildings one next to the other will not be able to be constructed. It indicated that there will be a minimum of meters to allow people to walk by the inner streets, to see the sea and the gardens of the area... The new projects that would be developed in the zone will be of between 10 and 20 floors. Transformation From the past year in Juan Dolio the real estate tourism is being developed and many foreigners are doing of this country his second house, as far as investing in houses and apartments, explained Jim?nez. It needed that due to the natural wealth in this zone and its enormous potential as destiny, has conquered to a segment of the tourist sector of high spending power?
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How you can see the tread about Juan Dolio has started from the announcement of the Secretary of Tourism and the only comparison to SoBe was made about the developments and not about quantity of the Night / Strip / Gay Clubs. I don't think it was ever in the agenda :classic:
 
NALs

NALs

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Jan 20, 2003
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Wait a minute.

I think this is the first time ever I have seen the words Boca Chica and South Beach in one sentence.

Boca Chica the next South Beach? Oh my, yeah sure; it will be the South Beach of the gutter!

Juan Dolio and Boca Chica are world's apart. The former is developing an infrastructure that is more architecturally "chic", the beach is more "South Beach like", actually its better than South Beach. The only thing the beaches of JD needs is more people, but with time they will come.

In terms of clubs, restaurants and the like, give Juan Dolio a few more years and it will be the Caribbean version of South Beach.

As for the latter (ie. Boca Chica), the place is a dump. It could still be saved, but... and its such a shame because Boca Chica beach is one of the most beautiful beaches anywhere, but the town ruins it.

Overall, Juan Dolio is more "refined" than Boca Chica. Its less crowded, cleaner, its just better in any way that it can be compared to BC.

My 2cents.

-NALs
 
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ExtremeR

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Boca Chica for me is one of the best beaches of the country, the drawback is the people who goes there... it definitely rests to the experience but the beach itself is georgeous.
 
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liam1

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ExtremeR said:
Boca Chica for me is one of the best beaches of the country, the drawback is the people who goes there... it definitely rests to the experience but the beach itself is georgeous.
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I'm not sure how can anyone call the BC beach one of the best, or gorgeous?

BC is a dump. too dirty, too run down, too many hustlers chasing the same dollar, too many crackheads...
 
Tamborista

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I have to admit the view of Puerto Caucedo @ sunset is breathtaking, it almost makes you feel like you are in the Port of Newark on a hot summer day.

tambo'
 
aarhus

aarhus

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I certainly agree that Juan Dolio is a very interesting place for the future. It is right now a sleeping giant. The projects for the place and current developments deserves the description the New South Beach. It is going to be interesting to follow what happens there the next few years. Both Juan Dolio and Boca Chica has the advantage of being close to Santo Domingo. As the capital does not have a beach it will always be popular for people from the capital to go to either Juan Dolio of Boca Chica. The point I was mainly trying to make was that both areas could become very interesting in the near future. The two areas are very different. I agree that Boca Chica has some deeper problems socially and that the beach is overrun by hustlers etc. But the beach from natural point of view is one of the best in the country. It is shallow and calm and thereby more protected. It is a small quaint beach town. I still think it has a lot of potential. Maybe be less so for foreigners to have a vacation home. More for hollidaymakers who want to be at the beach but close to the captital. Maybe it supplements Juan Dolio more than it competes with Juan Dolio.
 
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jrzyguy

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I agree with drcayo. Sure..there are more pristine beaches elsewhere...but i actually like the beach better than juan dolio (except for the anoying vendors).

B.C. has great potential if things just got cleaned up a bit more and if it offered more to do at night. If they moved the hooker discos to the other side of central parque...and developed those few blocks on duarte with some quality nightlife it could be really become much more of a draw for toursists and perhaps locals as well.

I did notice a lot of reconstruction on duarte and around town on my last trip...so perhaps something will develop.

It will never be a S.B. tho...for many of the reasons already discussed. For a SB buzz it would have to be closer to the capital. It is a shame that the Capital was not blessed with a beach...that would rock!

Could B.C. use some improvement and and does it have potential...heck yes! BUt i like the fact that its an easy flight for me..close to the airport...close enough to the capital...i like the calm waters and limited snorkeling out by the reef, and I have made some really great friends there.

Of course i would like to see BC get spruced up a bit...but SB...no way.

I've been to Juan Dolio...and while the beach is much larger...and quiter (very few vendors)...i just find it boring. I kinda enjoy the beach scene in BC...everyone checking eacother out...the people watching can be very entertaining.
 
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mike l

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Sep 4, 2007
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jrzyguy said:
I agree with drcayo. Sure..there are more pristine beaches elsewhere...but i actually like the beach better than juan dolio (except for the anoying vendors).

B.C. has great potential if things just got cleaned up a bit more and if it offered more to do at night. If they moved the hooker discos to the other side of central parque...and developed those few blocks on duarte with some quality nightlife it could be really become much more of a draw for toursists and perhaps locals as well.

I did notice a lot of reconstruction on duarte and around town on my last trip...so perhaps something will develop.

It will never be a S.B. tho...for many of the reasons already discussed. For a SB buzz it would have to be closer to the capital. It is a shame that the Capital was not blessed with a beach...that would rock!

Could B.C. use some improvement and and does it have potential...heck yes! BUt i like the fact that its an easy flight for me..close to the airport...close enough to the capital...i like the calm waters and limited snorkeling out by the reef, and I have made some really great friends there.

Of course i would like to see BC get spruced up a bit...but SB...no way.

I've been to Juan Dolio...and while the beach is much larger...and quiter (very few vendors)...i just find it boring. I kinda enjoy the beach scene in BC...everyone checking eacother out...the people watching can be very entertaining.
Click to expand...


Tambo just posted and you have 3 red flags.....what's she going to do to us now??

Astro wacked me as well..no biggy !
 
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