Santo Domingo is Barcelona 15 years ago

Dolores · #1 02-11-2005, 06:06 PM

Just back from five days in Barcelona and can't help drawing parallels with that city and the city of Santo Domingo. I think Santo Domingo should look to Barcelona as the grown up it would like to become.

That city is central to Europe -- UK, Spanish traffic to France and Italy pass that way. Ditto, Santo Domingo is a central geographic point for Europe and the US. Barcelona, though, is subject to their air traffic having to go through Madrid for flights to America. Ridiculous, but everyone says it's politics. If it weren't for politics, Barcelona would be truly the stepping ground for Europe, which brings us to what Santo Domingo can become as it has no problems with air connections.

Barcelona is a city built for its people. The streets are for walking, the Rambla takes you everywhere. One lady told me to steer away from the big shops -- the Corte Ingles -- and check out all the little shops. Barcelona is full of little shops. Santo Domingo could be that and promote its shopping districts -- El Conde, Chinatown, Naco-Piantini-Winston Churchill, Bellavista, Plaza Central/Lama, Americana, etc and the small shops all over.

Barcelona is all full of restaurants. Santo Domingo can be that. It already has such great gastronomy, albeit very expensive, these days.

Barcelona is a city of architecture. We could encourage architects to be daring. We could hold contests for the better apartment buildings. We could hold contests for the best commercial building. We need daring and functional architecture, it almost is happening, we just need to tell people to go for it, break the norm, spell Caribbean uniqueness in our streets.

Barcelona is a city that is alive at night. Santo Domingo has a vocation for that. And we have year long great climate.

Barcelona is full of tourists touring the city's shopping, the incomparable works of Gaudi, and his competitors. Hey, we have great architects, let's put them to work on the plazas. We can make this city a showcase for people to walk around and meet people. That should be the focus. For sure there are solutions.

From what people tell me, before the 1992 Olympics Barcelona was a sad city, with the port area a slum. Now it is a sexy area where things happen, especially in the summer and spring. Remember, it is summer weather all year round in Santo Domingo.

Let's look to Barcelona for inspiration.

Would love to hear feedback from others that know Barcelona and how we can apply lots of what has worked there here.

Keith R · #2 02-11-2005, 06:12 PM

Well, actually D, I went to Barcelona in 1989 and it was not sad at all. It was beautiful and quite liveable. I fell in love with the place, and it remains on my top 5 list of cities.

Jon S. · #3 02-11-2005, 06:14 PM

All I hear is "architecture is incredible in Barcelona, we had a great time shopping and clubbing there" from people I know that went to Barcelona. But I don't suggest the Gothic-type architecture in DR. That works for them but not for people that have year-round summer.

Chirimoya · #4 02-11-2005, 06:39 PM

My first visit was in 1982, and it already had plenty going for it then - of course the big changes came in the run-up to the 1992 Olympic Games. I visited in 1990, when the port area was being revamped, and then in 1996 or 97, and most recently in 2003. It is a dream city, that despite being so popular with tourists has not become plastic or 'Disneyfied' like others in similar situations. Spain has progressed in leaps and bounds since Franco died, and what's more has done it with dazzling style, taste and verve.

The modern Dominican Republic could learn a lot from this experience.

Barcelona has its Gothic architecture as well as the Gaudi stuff (which is sort of art nouveau meets gothic on acid) but what Dolores must mean is the new wave of daring, modern architecture which has sprung up in the last 10-15 years. Conserve and enhance what exists, but don't be afraid to try out wild new stuff as well - something that is applicable to Santo Domingo.

There is already plenty of great architecture in SD that could do with recognition, care and attention - all that neglected art deco as well as the colonial and neo classical structures. I also agree that the modern architects could be challenged to come up with something more adventurous and aesthetic than high rise monoliths a la Acropolis or the Malecon Center.

However, the first leaf from Barcelona's book should be to make SD more pedestrian friendly - it would enhance the city and our quality of life no end.

andy_089 · #5 02-11-2005, 06:49 PM

With some luck i will get a new job there next month. A big global company is currently outsorcing its HR service department to barcelona.

Here are some links to picture galleries:

http://www.pbase.com/afuent/barcelona_2004

http://www.pbase.com/ddos/barcelona&page=all

http://www.pbase.com/phathh888/barcelona_spain&page=all

http://www.pbase.com/apollo_heru/bcn&page=all

http://www.pbase.com/borgie099/barcelona&page=all

http://www.pbase.com/ralf/bcn_misc&page=all

Chirimoya · #6 02-11-2005, 06:59 PM

You lucky man! Hope it works out for you.

Also - really nice photos, they do justice to the city's wonderful sights. I liked the one of the boy in the Barca shirt feeding the pigeons.

Our photos from a very child-oriented visit a year and a half ago, are not nearly as impressive. There is one of Copito de Nieve weeks before he died, though.

Lesley D · #7 02-11-2005, 08:09 PM

Thanks for this detailed post about Barcelona. Out of the Western European cities that I have visited thus far I have yet to see Barcelona. Spain period is on my list the only aspect that is preventing me from going right now is time.

I find your comparison interesting because you are the first person that I know that has done so. What I mean is envisioning Sto. Domingo as a potential Barcelona in years to come. If Barcelona is anything like the other beautiful European cities that I have visited then it still has a long way to go. Sto. Domingo definitely has so much potential for everything in comparison to many other internationally renowned cities but as we all know countless issues need remedy first to make the city what it has the potential to be. Internal "politics" is the biggest problem because culturally, historically, climate wise etc. Sto.Domingo has it all.

-Lesley D-

Hillbilly · #8 02-11-2005, 08:34 PM

I was told by some executives from GESA that Spain and Mallorca were like the DR-no lights.

But they got their act together.

I can agree with D that Santo Domingo has a potential, barely, but a potential.
the old, walled city must be preserved. The neighborhoods like Gasque must be preserved. As far as I am concerned, the rest can go.

Perhaps with the new Metro (gimme a break!) things will get more organized....

Sometimes I want a government like Lilis.......Metro, Island, Baseballandia???

ARRRRRGggghhh!

HB

Narcosis · #9 02-11-2005, 08:49 PM

Dolores I agree with your enthusiasm about Barcelona, in my opinion second only to Paris in overall architectural beauty and artistic vibe.
I am a fervent fan of Gaudi; Parque Guell, Casa Mila, Sagrada Familia all a trip, along with Joan Miro, Picasso and Dali we have a hotbed of artistic genius which can be felt on the street, in the buildings, as well as in the soul of the people themselves.

Santo Domingo has obvious historic ties to Barcelona and the region of Catalonia in that many of our leaders are descendants of this city or area, people like Balaguer, Bosch, yes unfortunately even Hipolito and as evident in common surnames in the DR such as Munne, Dalmau, Puig.Pujols,Sanz,Roig,Gasso,Pages,Casals,Barcelo.

Santo Domingo, as you point out Barcelona did as well pre-92 Olympics, has it’s back to the ocean, unlike most cities where the most expensive real estate is water front, Santo Domingo seems to be the opposite with even the lowest of real-estate being on the river front and the typically nicer areas inland or away from water.

Pre 92 Olympics the beachfront near the port area of Barceloneta was a dump and literally you had no real view of the ocean unless you stood at the end of the Ramblas near the statue of Columbus, (similar to ours in parque Colon in front of the Cathedral), nonetheless Barcelona has finally discovered the Sea again and new real estate is popping-up all along the beachfront pumping new life into a decaying area of the city. Malls, Parks and Hotels such as the Ritz Carlton now adorn this once forgotten area.

I hope that we also begin to appreciate the blessing of living along one of the most beautiful bodies of water in the world and we begin to appreciate this fact by taking care of our malecon as well as give our colonial zone the merit it deserves as our “claim to fame” in world history.

Chirimoya · #10 02-12-2005, 07:40 AM

So which one do we nominate for our 'Ramblas'?

Maximo Gomez (for relative proximity to the Colonial Zone)

Churchill (for its width, and la Feria)

Lincoln (for being the party capital of, well, the capital)

???

- It has to be mentioned that the last two already have 'Ramblas' style boulevards, as does the 27 between Lincoln and Churchill. The traffic volume and noise on the avenues does not make walking down them a pleasant experience, and their success has been limited.