Is there a place like this in Santiago???

[SKing]

Hi guys. If you remember me I am moving to SaJoMa in August with children and I just have a quick question. The question I am being asked time and time again is "Why SaJoMa". I am being told that Santiago is so much better. I just returned to the US about 3 weeks ago from a trip there for 9 days. I spent 7 of those days in Santiago trying to find what drew me to SaJoMa, to no avail. Maybe I am not looking in the right places...advice on any "urbinazaciones" that fit this description would be sooooo welcome.
- working class: people that work period. Not necessarily "professionals"
- the kids are OUTSIDE: I went to several neighborhoods where I liked the homes but did not see not one child outside playing (and yes, I did return on different days at different times). Everything was so quiet, I did not hear not even one Frank Reyes or Antony Santos song!) That's just not Dominican.
- most of the adults are outside: I only found one neighborhood where I actually saw adults outside chatting or sitting on their patios talking.
-the homes do not have tin roofs but they aren't mansions either.

Is there a place like this in Santiago??

[Funnyyale26]

Most of the people from SAJOMA are actually abroad, this town has the largest diaspora in all of the DR, that is why you did not see many people.

Quien entiende al mundo, ehh? mientras la mayoria de los extranjeros se quejan de los tantos ruidos que hay en nuestras ciudades, hay gente que quiere vivir en el tumulto.

[Chip]

Santiago has plenty of barrios like you describe. The very upper class "urbanizaciones" are almost like subdivisions in the US with one big difference - the people actually know their neighbors and greet them when they see them. As far as the "bulla" (the noise as they say here) being absent in the barrios, that is typically by design as mandated by the "junta de vecinos". Take it from me as someone who has lived in the campo, barrio and a nice area in Santiago and Moca for almost three years, while the music and "bulla" etc. can be fun in the beginning, before long having bachata rocking you're house every weekend until 2 am will get old soon. Unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot you can do about it and you will just have to be content to yell to hear yourself being heard and take phone calls the following day. You're best bet is the middle of the road urbanizaciones where the people are out and about and the kids play with their neighbors.

Furthermore, there are many "middle class" urbanizaciones where homes will range from RD2.5M to RD5M close to good bilingual schools and just enough bulla to make one feel at home.

[Hillbilly]

Los Jardines
El Ensueño
Villa Olga
Prados del Este

Kids do not seem to play in the streets like we used to. they are inside withtheir X boxes and Game cubes...or at a club playing or swimming or practicing.

HB

[SKing]

Originally Posted by Chip

Furthermore, there are many "middle class" urbanizaciones where homes will range from RD2.5M to RD5M close to good bilingual schools and just enough bulla to make one feel at home.

That is exactly what I want.

Thanks Hillbilly for the suggestions, I will check them out when I go in April. I will be renting for the first year, thanks to the advice of so many on this site. Do these neighborhoods usually have houses for rent or mainly just for sale? Also, in talking with the Director of the private school in SaJoMa I was shocked to find that shool is only 3 hours per day. The older grades from 9a-12p and the younger kids form 2p-5p. Is this normal in the DR? All of the blingual schools that I visited there in Santiago in Jan were like here, from 8a-3p or something like that. Should I be concerned about these "shortened" hours?

[SKing]

Does anyone know anything about Urbanizacion EL EMBRUJO???

[Hipocrito Mejia]

Originally Posted by SKing

Does anyone know anything about Urbanizacion EL EMBRUJO???

Which one? There's 3 of them.

[Chirimoya]

Originally Posted by SKing

Also, in talking with the Director of the private school in SaJoMa I was shocked to find that shool is only 3 hours per day. The older grades from 9a-12p and the younger kids form 2p-5p. Is this normal in the DR? All of the blingual schools that I visited there in Santiago in Jan were like here, from 8a-3p or something like that. Should I be concerned about these "shortened" hours?

Are you sure it was a private school? That timetable is typical of a public school, but as you say, the usual school day in private schools - in the big city anyway - is 7:45-2:00 or 2:30. (Only pre-school finishes at 12 or 12:30).

[adrianb]

Looking at your list:
- working class
- the kids are OUTSIDE
- most of the adults are outside
-the homes do not have tin roofs

That to me means the poorer areas of Santiago (there's a lot of them)... Areas like:
- los ciruelitos
- villa olimpica
- corea
- los pepines

Personally I wouldn't live in one of these areas; the recommendations hillbilly gave were much better but don't meet your specifications. You may want to reconsider what you're actually looking for.

[SKing]

Originally Posted by adrianb

Looking at your list:
- working class
- the kids are OUTSIDE
- most of the adults are outside
-the homes do not have tin roofs

That to me means the poorer areas of Santiago (there's a lot of them)... Areas like:
- los ciruelitos
- villa olimpica
- corea
- los pepines

Personally I wouldn't live in one of these areas; the recommendations hillbilly gave were much better but don't meet your specifications. You may want to reconsider what you're actually looking for.

I think that you misunderstood what I described. Please read Chip's response or at least the last part of it. That is what I am looking for, in so many words. I am 100% sure that I am not the only person who wants to live in a neighborhood such as that. I live in a subdivision now that I moved into 2 years ago and still only know 1 neighbor personally. And it is not because of lack of effort on my part. I do not want to change my children's lives drastically, but I also do not want to move into a duplicate of my current subdivision. Thank you for your suggestions.