Advice, moving to Santo Domingo

[toritobravo]

Hello,
This is my first time posting but I am familiar with this forum as I have read some of the postings. I have a few questions regarding living in Santo Domingo but first I will give a some background. This is long post in order to ask a few simple questions but I have feel the background will avoid questions coming back to me.

-My family and I are considering moving to Santo Domingo in the near future. We have two kids, aged 5 and 3. We also have two dogs.
-I will be making a generous salary and will be provided free housing and schooling (Carol Morgan School) for the children.
-My employer will also ship our vehicle (SUV) over for us. Our plan is to sell the SUV once we leave as it will probably get dinged up while in the city.
-I spent a summer working in Santo Domingo in 2006, my family visited me for a couple of weeks which were mostly spent at a resort in Boca Chica.
-Because of work constraints, I spent most of my time in Santo Domingo either at the office or at the hotel. I saw as much as I could in regards to the city but not as much as I had wanted to.
-I grew up in Spain and am bi-lingual. My wife and kids do not speak Spanish. They have been exposed to it and understand bits and pieces.
-My family has traveled extensively (mostly Spain and Europe) and has spent a modest amount of time in Mexico City. We could have moved to Mexico City but decided against it because I did not feel comfortable with some of the personal safety issues in Mexico. We are open to new things and realize that the Dominican Republic is not Europe. We are confident and know how to handle ourselves in a foreign country, however, the reality is that we would stand out and probably be labeled as tourists everywhere we went in the Dominican Republic.
-We are considering moving to Santo Domingo and our commitment would be approx. 4 years. We are excited about the prospect of moving there and feel that it would be a good opportunity for my family to learn the language (this is very important to us) and experience a different culture. I have several questions and would appreciate any advice.

1. Are there any safe green areas in the Santo Domingo area? I am talking about parks where we can safely walk the kids/dogs or ride a bike. When I was there, the Malecon did not seem to get very much pedestrian traffic. Whenever I walked on it, I was pretty much alone. I would not have felt comfortable letting my wife and kids go for a walk alone. I do not remember seeing any large parks like most cities tend to have. I have read that the botanical garden is nice, but it is strictly for walking and bikes or dogs are not allowed.

2. Are there any neighborhoods that entirely consist of nicer homes? I have seen some of the housing provided by my employer. They are nice homes and in various parts of the city. From my observations, it seemed as though everything was kind of random. There were nice homes next to not so nice homes. I would like to live in an area where my family and I can go out the front door and take the dogs for a walk. Is this possible?

3. My feedback from people I know working in Santo Domingo has been that you and the family spend most of the time in the car or in one of three places. Work/School, Malls/Restaurants/Movies, and Home. I have seen the work/school, malls, and homes and they are fine. My family, however, needs to be able to get out and do things. With the exception of the Zona Colonial, Santo Domingo did not seem to be pedestrian friendly.

4. Are day/weekend trips a viable and safe option in the Dominican Republic. We like to get in the car and go for a ride wherever it may take us. I am not afraid of the driving, I have driven and Santo Domingo and am fine with it. I am more concerned with personal safety (robbery, etc.)

5. I am a huge Green Bay Packer fan. Is there a way to watch the games? Is direct tv available?

I understand that many of these questions involve safety, please do not be insulted as I am just trying to get a realistic feel before I make a decision. The Dominican Republic is a beautiful place but it also remains a poor country. Unfortunately, safety sometimes becomes an issue when this is the case. When I was there I thought that the people were extremely nice and not once did I ever feel threatened. But being alone is different than being with family, so I would like your opinion.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.
TB

 

[Chirimoya]

If your children will be at Carol Morgan, which is also very near the best park - Mirador Sur - for walking, dogs, cycling etc and reasonably safe in daylight hours, your best bet is to find a place to live in the Bella Vista/Mirador Sur/Cazigazgos (sp?) area, which is also the closest to pedestrian friendly you will get outside the Colonial Zone/Gazcue area, and good for shopping and access to other key parts of the city. These neighbourhoods are not like Arroyo Hondo where you get the whole social spectrum, they are entirely middle/upper middle class.

 

[socuban]

short answer

I like the area(s) around park Mirador Sur (specially Avenida Anacaona), kinda feels like a small NY Central Park. For damage control, I carry a 9mm with 17 rounds + 1 in the pipe.

 

[toritobravo]

Thanks, but where are the others

Thanks Chirimoya and socuban for your advice. It is much appreciated. It looks like alot of people read the original post but not many are willing to contribute. What is up with that, does anyone else have any thoughts or opinions? You are all the subject matter experts so it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Matilda]

I would love to contribute but have no idea about Santo Domingo itself!!!!

You can make day trips with no problem. Juan Dolio is about 45 mins east and has great beaches for a day at the beach or Jarabacoa north for the mountains.

Driving is safe as long as you keep your wits about you.

You can have weekends in the mountains or at the beach.

I have absolutely no idea what a green bay packer is!!!! Satellite TV is available through Sky. BIENVENIDOS A SKY CENTROAM?RICA - El mejor sistema de televisi?n por suscripci?n v?a sat?lite

That has lots of english speaking channels and lots of sports channels assuming the green packers are something sporty as opposed to UFOs. Around 3000RD$ a month for the full package and 4 boxes so all members of the family can watch something different.

Matilda

 

[Lambada]

Again, I too would love to contribute but live on the north coast. Let me say welcome to DR1 and how nice it is to see a new poster who is thoughtful, considerate, bi-lingual and already has a good job.

Whilst you are absolutely right to satisfy yourself about security concerns here, the DR is nowhere near being in the same condition as Mexico. Having said that, some Santo Domingo residents, both Dominican & expat, have recently moved to the east coast to get away from big city noise, pollution and crime. But there is no overall grand scale exodus of expats from the DR because of this issue.

Wish you well with your future endeavours in the DR.

 

[mountainannie]

As for doing things- your wife will most likely hook up with other "foreign" women either at the International Women's Club or through the Carol Morgan School and there will be horseback riding, and parties, and tennis and swimming and golf and all that stuff.

It is true that the City is not very "walkable" - except for the Zona and Gazcue- but you will probably be in section where lots of houses have pools, kids will visit one another, etc..

There are lots of "multinational families" here - from Nestle, and Proctor and Gamble and the like and your wife will quickly make contacts and learn the ropes.

This is considered a very pleasurable posting for many --

And it sounds like you have a great set up. Your wife will adapt sooner if she takes immersion Spanish for a couple of months- that will help her fell more at home.

Ignore the comment about the sidearm... just use common sense.

And you can be at the seaside, or the mountains, or the desert within a few hours - it is really a very beautiful county.

Welcome.

 

[expatsooner]

I would second Chiri's recomendations of the Bella Vista/Mirador Sur/Cazigazgos areas, especially since we were actually neighbors in one of those areas back in the day.:cheeky: Lots of nice people in those areas. We had a dog and she loved to play in the Mirador Sur park.

As for football we used to go to Five Star, a betting place with lots of different games on to catch our favorite teams, it is on the Malecon.

The kids can do horseback riding at the Ferreria at the end of Nunez and we used to have "Saturday Adventures" with the kids that were all in the Santo Domingo area or within a 2 hour drive each week. True we repeated some things over and over but mainly because we enjoyed those things so much.

The most important thing is to get the right nanny and/or maid to help with the kids, especially since your three year old is not old enough to go to CMS yet (unless they have changed the program in the last three years). Not only will the nanny help you avoid paying too much for things but your wife and you can go out and do things alone or have special time with the kids one at a time without worrying about the other child. Our nanny was hired our second day on the island and ended up staying with us the entire nine years we were there and it made a HUGE difference.

Enjoy your time there, with the package you have you will be just fine. Good luck.

 

[rubio_higuey]

For satellite TV, check the classifieds sections of major newspaper (Listin, Hoy, Diario Libre) where there are ads for satellite TV (Dish network) they offer antennas and receivers for about 10,000 pesos. You will get all Dish channels, including PPV and music, for free. Check also http://www.dr1.com/forums/living/71121-nfusion-satellite-receiver.html
If you want Dish legally, set up an account in the USA and bring the equipment and chip card with you.

 

[carrie]

Welcome to the forum!

I sent you a Private Message!

I am a Blonde Blue Eyed native New Yorker of Puerto Rican Parents....they call me "La Gringa" and I live in the Zona Oriental.

Homes other than private gated communities will consist of nice homes and a few shacks. No consistency.

I only take buses in the capital if I am with one of my husband's family sis, niece or his Mom. We have taken buses, cars and even a bus to Higuey and Santiago.

Unfortunately, Santo Domingo is not a very pedestrian friendly city. But there are new parks being built for recreation and you can always go to the Malecon and walk or the Park by the Faro during the day only.

Good Luck. Any questions private message me.

I use SKY Dominicana I love it...just like my Direct TV back home in Pennsylvania.

 

[Sanation]

Welcome to the forum!

SD is a very large city. As previously stated, if the children will be going to Carol Morgan, you would be best to look around Los Cacicazgos/Bella Vista which are upper class areas.

We have a lovely house in Los Cacicazgos which is 5 minutes walk from the Mirador Sur and about 10 minutes drive from Carol Morgan and the nearest mall - Bella Vista. We love the area. It is peaceful and we feel safe.

The International Women's Club is a great resource for expat women. Many of the members live in the Los Cacicazgos area and I read recently that a play group has been formed. Check out their website for details... International Women's Club - Santo Domingo

Personal safety is an issue everywhere in the world. Common sense is your best defense. Los Cacicazgos is home to many high ranking officials and diplomatic staff. We do not have security staff, but are surrounded by homes which do. We have gotten to know the surrounding security staff and always give them a wave when passing.

Dominicans are terrified of dogs so are always good security. You will need to be careful that your dogs are supervised when in the yard to ensure they are not poisoned.

This is a fabulous country to live in if you are prepared. Life in the Capital is very different to other parts of the country. I personally have found working here to be very emotionally and physically draining. Make sure you have a good support network. This is a place that you do have to experience first hand before you can really understand the challenges. I was relocated here for my employment on a contract, so I had different expectations from someone relocating here 'forever'.

From a living perspective, basic tasks like shopping can be frustrating as stock levels of many items are not consistently maintained. I look forward to being able to go to one supermarket (instead of three!) to do the weekly shopping!

Working here is extremely challenging. I have experienced living in other developing/third world countries but have never experienced anything like the DR! The project I was brought here to work on did not have in place a good support network for expat workers. As such, there have been some major dramas that could have been avoided if the home office had supported the expat staff and invested in more training for the local workers. Cultural management works both ways. I recommend regular get aways from the Capital so as to maintain sanity levels.

 

[Mason3000]

"As for football we used to go to Five Star, a betting place with lots of different games on to catch our favorite teams, it is on the Malecon."

5* is the best I've found. Big, clean, new, good people.

 

[auraesther]

Re: Moving to Santo Domingo ( We are too!)

Ok...Just like Torito, we are relocating to Santo Domingo as well. Our employer is sending us there, but I have not been to the Dominican Republic since 1995 and I know that a whole lot has changed.

How is the housing situation? Any advice as far as where to live, how much to expect to pay for rent and such?

We also have children and will need all the guidance you can provide, please.

Thank you in advance for any and all information!

 

[mountainannie]

Welcome! You will pay anywhere from $600 for a three bedroom apartment on the 4th floor to $2000 + for a full house with pool.... depending on the neighborhood.

Any other questions not answered? The schools- I had friends who taught at St Michaels and sent their kids to Carol Morgan and regretted it - thought St Michael's was better academically - but it is parochial which is not everyone's choice. And there are others..... but I do not have knowledge/

Your employer has not helped with this?

 

[auraesther]

Thank you for your reply, Mountainannie!

Our employer has been sending information to us this week, since we just found out last Friday. However, I would like to find information from other sources as well.

Do you live there? How do you like it?

Truly appreciate it!
Thanks and have an awesome weekend!

 

[frank recktenwald]

Have you ever thought about living in Juan Dolio it?s close to the city and right on the beach. It might be an option for you.
If you need any info plse PM me.