Where to live in DR?

This question is address to anyone who has been in DR for over 3 years. If you have a choice what will be the best city to live and raise a family in DR (Santo Domingo, Santiago, Sosua). I have a wife and two children ages 11 and 13. PS. Best cities I mean low crime, best schools, climate, low cost of living.

Lived here about 17 years. For my 2 cents worth, I prefer the Puerto Plata area. Why? Cooler than Santo Domingo and Santiago; quieter than Sosua, and I am on the beach at Playa Cofresi. My fifteen year old daughter, goes to all english school in Costamber, 1 mile away, we are three miles west of Puerto Plata for shopping etc. Sosua is nice, with good English language school, but a little too busy and noisy for me. You cannot beat the Trade Wind breeze of the North Coast.

Santo Domingo was all I really knew growing up in the DR, although my maternal and paternal families were originally from Puerto Plata, Mao and Santiago. I used to visit relatives in all three places all the time. I have not been to Puerto Plata in a while, but it is definetely NOT the same town I used to love to visit growing up. I loved Mao as well, but TODAY I would lean towards Santiago. Now, I do love Santo Domingo because it is the city where everything happens (the good and the bad). From what I hear, the crime seems to be higher these days, but not as high as other Caribbean/Latin American capitals. There are many nice places to live: Piantini, Naco, Bella Vista, ect. I do recommed that you explore both Sto Dgo and Santiago. Both have great schools. The cost of living is higher now everywhere in the DR, so I am not sure if there is a difference between cities. The temperature doesn't vary much among cities, except in the mountain towns of Contanza or Jarabacoa, though I find La Vega much cooler than Sto Dgo and Santiago. Hope this helps.

Natasha