North Coast vs. Santiago

[AZB]

scott is right, santiago sucks, sosua is the place to be.
Please tell that to all of your visiting friends as well.
AZB

[dulce]

Originally Posted by Hillbilly

I think that first off, one has to establish the fact that the North Coast is NOT just Sosúa and POP and Cabarete.

Santiago
That said, let's establish that Santiago is, and has been, the economic, cultural and social heart of the entire region for centuries. It is a major urban center with all of the good, bad and FUGLY that can be found in any urban center. The good is very good, and is, surprisingly so, fairly open to most people. The Centro Español, the Anaprosan, the Gurabito clubs are reasonable receptive to 'outsiders' as is the golf club. The theater presents very nice events and the newer Centro Leon has been an explosion as far as culture, art, music and intellectural conversations are concerned. Unfortunately for most of the posters here, the language spoken is Spanish, so the impact is sort of lost on the foreign community.

Obviously, Santiago is a family oriented place, and it is a place where personel contacts and networking are more valuable than just money. If you are an a$$, you will get a cold shoulder that will freeze you out and make life difficult. If you are jovial, kind and respectful, the odds are that you will be received into society rather quickly and enjoy a wide range of friends that will open other social and recreative possibilities to you and your family.

North Coast as seen through the eyes of a stranger

The North Coast of the Dominican Republic was chosen to be the beginning of the push towards a tourist industry way back in the 70s. Sosúa had always been the Dominican Riviera in a way that Boca Chica, in the South, could never match. Entire families moven into Sosua during the summer months and even today there are families from Santiago that maintain their summer places up there. When the push towards tourism began, very few people in the Cibao Valley were even interested in it. Bill Kirkman was one that did. Over in Puerto Plata, Playa Cofresí became an alternative to the crowded beach at Sosua, and Morales became a player in tourism. The Brugals and a couple of other prominent families like the Bordas started to participate in the industry, but most of the investment was either foreign or from Santo Domingo. Santiago stayed pretty much aloof-with the exception of the construction industry and some furniture manufacturers. The people that were used to going to Sosua didn't go as often.

As tourism progressed and the low-class, working stiffs from Europe began filling up Sosua, and later Cabarete with guys and gals looking to get laid by lusky Latino lovers, the "quality people" from other parts of the country shied away more and more from the North Coast. The perception was that the trash had moved in and let's look for another place to go. Many people from the Cibao went into the mountains to the south-Jarabacoa, SAJOMA and places in between. As tourism progressed and a more stable group of people began to buy property in the form of condos, or as in Sea Horse Ranch, in heavily guarded, isolated residential areas, the North Coast began a slow comeback, in the perception of quality people,as a possible destination for sun and fun. The influx of people with no children, reasonably high incomes and looking for a retirement location really helped the area. The creation of the golf course in Cabarete brought many local folks back to the area for a while, and now Playa Grande is bringing back more golfers and a higher class of tourism. Playa Dorada is also trying to exault their golf course, and many people from the Cibao have property in the Playa Dorada comples.

As for all of the "attractions" on the North Coast, most Dominicans that could afford to see them have done it years ago, and today places like Ocean World are just out of the reach for most travelling families that live locally. And who among those that live here would be seen dead in the back of a surplus army truck going into cane fields? We've pretty much done that, been there....or it seems downright stupid to get that much sun and mosquitos and then have to pay for it. We understand that it is a really exotic thing for someone from England or Europe or the States-at least the urban dwellers, but no sane Dominican or long time resident would be caught dead doing that...but it is an attraction, so be it.

Therefore, it boils down to a life style, because life on the North Coast is not much different from life in Santiago in all reality. For a foreigner, you have to come to Santiago to shop and buy supplies. For a Dominican, you have to go to the North Coast to go to the beach. Most stuff in between is just a matter of taste. I can't believe that the bars in Sosua are any better or any worse than those in Santiago. Of course, there are about 9 less centers of prostitution in Santiago, as I write this, but I am sure that "that necessity " can be cured some place else.

F.W.I.W.

HB

Excellent Post HB! Thank you for your informative reply. I now have a much better idea of what Santiago is about. How are the free zones doing in Santiago? With more college education available there is there more high tech businesses looking to do business there? Are the colleges changing the courses offered to keep up with business demands?
The beaches of the North are the only ones I have not visited yet but someday I want to get up there. I would like to compare beaches,scenery,and to meet some of the DR1 board members to share experiences.

[Robert]

We all have different lifestyle requirements, that's why I live in Santo Domingo.
I couldn't live in Sosua and I think Santiago would soon get too small for me.

Horses for courses...

[Escott]

Originally Posted by AZB

scott is right, santiago sucks, sosua is the place to be.
Please tell that to all of your visiting friends as well.
AZB

I didn't say that Santiago sucks!

Santiago is GREAT if you

Like Gambling (Casinos all over the north Coast also)
need building materials
Don't enjoy resorts
don't like the ocean and don't like to swim
Don't like Water Sports such as surfing and diving and snorkling
never want to speak English
Don't enjoy meeting and conversing with people from all over the world
NEVER want to go out with a woman who is over 20 and not Dominican
Prefer going out with different women every week and not having any sort of relationship
prefer preteens with half a brain
don't swim
Like buying stuff from 20 peddlers at every traffic light that sell the same crap
Love crowded cities with smog, traffic, road rage and rats the size of small German Shepherds

Lets see, must be some other reasons I love Santiago but I have to give it some thought.

[Gringo]

Originally Posted by Escott

I didn't say that Santiago sucks!

Santiago is GREAT if you

Like Gambling (Casinos all over the north Coast also)
need building materials
Don't enjoy resorts
don't like the ocean and don't like to swim
Don't like Water Sports such as surfing and diving and snorkling
never want to speak English
Don't enjoy meeting and conversing with people from all over the world
NEVER want to go out with a woman who is over 20 and not Dominican
Prefer going out with different women every week and not having any sort of relationship
prefer preteens with half a brain
don't swim
Like buying stuff from 20 peddlers at every traffic light that sell the same crap
Love crowded cities with smog, traffic, road rage and rats the size of small German Shepherds

Lets see, must be some other reasons I love Santiago but I have to give it some thought.

You forgot to mention dodging bullets as of late, and if you don't let them wash your windshild at the intersection they will key your car when the light changes.

And don't forget four hours of Power Daily.

I like the one about Rats the size of German Shepherds, in fact last time I was there I adopted one, makes for a great watch dog and the Pto.Pta. Rats dare not enter.

[Escott]

If you're going to post about 16yr olds, I would prefer you do it on another site.

It just get's DR1 into trouble.
-=-=-=-=-

I didn't post anything about 16yr olds that would put DR1 in a bad light.

[Ogre of the Caribbean]

Pardon, people mention "car wash" all the time. Is this some bit of slang, or people really talking about a car wash were one gets his car cleaned?

Just curious...

[Ken]

Joel P, I'm not sure what posts you are talking about so can't be specific. But in this thread there is a reference to car windows being washed that refers to the boys that try to earn money by washing the windshield of cars waiting for traffic lights.

I can recall some other threads that talked about car wash that were referring to what is a car wash by day and a popular Dominican disco at night. Threre is one of these in Sosua, for example. When people talk about the car wash in relation to night life, that is what they are talking about.

[Robert]

Originally Posted by joel pacheco

Pardon, people mention "car wash" all the time. Is this some bit of slang, or people really talking about a car wash were one gets his car cleaned?

Just curious...

At "some" car washes you will find girls (hookers).
You can also get your car washed, as it's a car wash.

End of subject.

This thread is titled "North Coast vs. Santiago" please keep on topic.

[Hillbilly]

into a mud slinging affair. Admittedly, Escott does not know or care to know much about Santiago and AZB is very upset because his source of wives has, at least temporarily been cut in half. And, FYI, Santiago is 10 or 15 times the size of the Sosúa-Cabarete area, so it can be supposed that it would have more "facilites" for hanky panky. My informants tell me that the motels in Santiago are the best in the country, by far. Of course, all those that visit them are not professionals.

In response to a couple of more serious questions,: The Free Zones in and around Santiago continue to function and seem to be doing well. The universities have indeed adjusted their studiy plans to become more "job-oriented."

And while Santiago is a predominantly Spanish speaking city, you can speak just about any major language and find kindred souls here. At our house we play bridge on a regular basis, and the players a mainly Dutch...in fact, we need more players...

Oh yes, Punta Rucia is on the North Shore, and we do go there as often as possible. Of course we do. But you must remember we are a large family with a flock of little children, so our life style is much different that roaming ex-pats looking for some squeeze...which is available up there, too.

No matter, the basic equation is the same: Santiago for families, work, education and culture:: Sosua (North Shore ) for party, beach, sun and relax. So, what the beef?

I can live with that....


HB