I was just there last month....
Santo Domingo's beach is Boca Chica and it tends to be very crowded as it is popular with the capital's residents for obvious reasons. It does have nice parts, though, such as the private beach and then there is the part where Boca Marina restaurant is located---they have their own section of the beach and a beautiful restaurant with cabanas. I think the next closest beach to the Santo Domingo that is decent is Juan Dolio, but I confess to not to be too informed on what you can do around there.
Regarding the nightlife, I think this boils down to what you're into and how much you're willing/able to travel around over there...I will take a different direction than most posters here and advise you to go to Santo Domingo for nightlife options. There are lots of trendy restaurants/lounges and clubs that you can go to, do some sightseeing (Colonial Zone is a must, IMO); For example, Hard Rock Cafe in Blue Mall was surprisingly a very enjoyable experience-- I was hesitant to go at first because I come from the States and have been to several Hard Rock Cafe's and didn't want to go to a US franchise in DR, but I'm really glad I went: they had live music on Tuesdays (merengue, salsa, son, bachata) and the outdoor terrace area is spacious and has decent views of the city + it's in a very decent part of the city, one of the more well-to-do areas and is generally 'safe', and, of course, lots of English-speaking Euro and American tourists. If you want a more 'authentic' Dominican experience, I would recommend a place like Andy Ranch in Santiago, especially on Fridays as they have one of the best merengue tipico bands playing there, Banda Real.
Does Santo Domingo have nice beaches or are most/if not all is rocky?
Santo Domingo's beach is Boca Chica and it tends to be very crowded as it is popular with the capital's residents for obvious reasons. It does have nice parts, though, such as the private beach and then there is the part where Boca Marina restaurant is located---they have their own section of the beach and a beautiful restaurant with cabanas. I think the next closest beach to the Santo Domingo that is decent is Juan Dolio, but I confess to not to be too informed on what you can do around there.
Where do you think would be another place for me to vacation by myself (39 male) that is English-speaking friendly, beaches, night life, safe, etc. I have another 2 weeks of vacation and could easily go back by myself but my friends/family wouldn't be able to go back this soon.
Thanks
Regarding the nightlife, I think this boils down to what you're into and how much you're willing/able to travel around over there...I will take a different direction than most posters here and advise you to go to Santo Domingo for nightlife options. There are lots of trendy restaurants/lounges and clubs that you can go to, do some sightseeing (Colonial Zone is a must, IMO); For example, Hard Rock Cafe in Blue Mall was surprisingly a very enjoyable experience-- I was hesitant to go at first because I come from the States and have been to several Hard Rock Cafe's and didn't want to go to a US franchise in DR, but I'm really glad I went: they had live music on Tuesdays (merengue, salsa, son, bachata) and the outdoor terrace area is spacious and has decent views of the city + it's in a very decent part of the city, one of the more well-to-do areas and is generally 'safe', and, of course, lots of English-speaking Euro and American tourists. If you want a more 'authentic' Dominican experience, I would recommend a place like Andy Ranch in Santiago, especially on Fridays as they have one of the best merengue tipico bands playing there, Banda Real.