San Juan vs Havana vs Santo Domingo (speak, population, areas)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Havana is highest on my list for cities of the three but PR is highest for country. I'm concerned about going (as a tourist) right now though as it seems like hurricanes may have temporarily put things out of commission. Don't know much about DR or Santo Domingo either way, wouldn't mind visiting at some point if people say it's worth it.
Been to Dominican Republic in 1998 with a female friend.We actually went to Santo Domingo, like all 3rd world capitals it lacks urban planning,is somewhat polluted and the vast majority are poor in the extreme.We only went in the daylight hours and it didnt seem too unsafe.More like a Central American city than a Caribbean one in some ways.
Id love to go to Havana
Santo Domingo has gone through some very big changes since then. It has basically become the most important city in the Caribbean and Central America according to the latest ranking of GaWC.
It now has a large middle class and even many of the poor neighborhoods have seen improvements in the quality of the homes. For example, in 1998 most of the poor neighborhoods consisted of dilapidated wooden homes, today the majority of those neighborhoods are filled with homes made of cinder and block, nicely painted, and comfortable on the inside.
Many of the avenues were upgraded to allow for a greater flow of vehicles abd the city even has an underground metro system. Traffic jams weren't really a problem in 1998, today its a different story.
Also in the retail/commercial aspect is has changed a lot. In 1998 middle class Dominicans made yearly trips to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the sole purpose of shopping for many things that were simply not available in Santo Domingo. That's no longer a necessity. Not only has the city grown in the number of large stores and in the variety of stores, it has also mushroomed in the number of malls. Even international companies have put up shop (for example, 5 or 6 years ago Ikea choose the DR as the first developing country in the world where they would open a store.) Pretty much everything is available now.
Nothing remotely similar to this existed in 1998 and it would had been very hard for anyone to even imagine 19 years later it would only be one of many malls:
Also, the city didn't look like this either (the number of highrises and skyscrapers in the 90's could be counted on the fingers of one hand, not to mention the city looked upkept):
The city is attracting many foreigners looking for business/professional opportunities. In recent years the city has taken a more cosmopolitan twist and its now much more common to hear people either speaking other languages or speaking Spanish with a non-Dominican accent.
You should consider visiting again, might be pleasantly surprised considering you know from personal experience how the city was 19 years ago.
Santo Domingo has gone through some very big changes since then. It has basically become the most important city in the Caribbean and Central America according to the latest ranking of GaWC.
It now has a large middle class and even many of the poor neighborhoods have seen improvements in the quality of the homes. For example, in 1998 most of the poor neighborhoods consisted of dilapidated wooden homes, today the majority of those neighborhoods are filled with homes made of cinder and block, nicely painted, and comfortable on the inside.
Many of the avenues were upgraded to allow for a greater flow of vehicles abd the city even has an underground metro system. Traffic jams weren't really a problem in 1998, today its a different story.
Also in the retail/commercial aspect is has changed a lot. In 1998 middle class Dominicans made yearly trips to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the sole purpose of shopping for many things that were simply not available in Santo Domingo. That's no longer a necessity. Not only has the city grown in the number of large stores and in the variety of stores, it has also mushroomed in the number of malls. Even international companies have put up shop (for example, 5 or 6 years ago Ikea choose the DR as the first developing country in the world where they would open a store.) Pretty much everything is available now.
Nothing remotely similar to this existed in 1998 and it would had been very hard for anyone to even imagine 19 years later it would only be one of many malls:
Also, the city didn't look like this either (the number of highrises and skyscrapers in the 90's could be counted on the fingers of one hand, not to mention the city looked upkept):
The city is attracting many foreigners looking for business/professional opportunities. In recent years the city has taken a more cosmopolitan twist and its now much more common to hear people either speaking other languages or speaking Spanish with a non-Dominican accent.
You should consider visiting again, might be pleasantly surprised considering you know from personal experience how the city was 19 years ago.
Fantastic post. I visited Santo Domingo about 15 years ago, and I liked the vibe and the look of the people, and the Carribbean feel in general. I haven't had the chance to back, and I haven't thought about it much either. But your post makes me more curious to see the changes, etc.
Santo Domingo has gone through some very big changes since then. It has basically become the most important city in the Caribbean and Central America according to the latest ranking of GaWC.
It now has a large middle class and even many of the poor neighborhoods have seen improvements in the quality of the homes. For example, in 1998 most of the poor neighborhoods consisted of dilapidated wooden homes, today the majority of those neighborhoods are filled with homes made of cinder and block, nicely painted, and comfortable on the inside.
Many of the avenues were upgraded to allow for a greater flow of vehicles abd the city even has an underground metro system. Traffic jams weren't really a problem in 1998, today its a different story.
Also in the retail/commercial aspect is has changed a lot. In 1998 middle class Dominicans made yearly trips to San Juan, Puerto Rico for the sole purpose of shopping for many things that were simply not available in Santo Domingo. That's no longer a necessity. Not only has the city grown in the number of large stores and in the variety of stores, it has also mushroomed in the number of malls. Even international companies have put up shop (for example, 5 or 6 years ago Ikea choose the DR as the first developing country in the world where they would open a store.) Pretty much everything is available now.
Nothing remotely similar to this existed in 1998 and it would had been very hard for anyone to even imagine 19 years later it would only be one of many malls:
Also, the city didn't look like this either (the number of highrises and skyscrapers in the 90's could be counted on the fingers of one hand, not to mention the city looked upkept):
The city is attracting many foreigners looking for business/professional opportunities. In recent years the city has taken a more cosmopolitan twist and its now much more common to hear people either speaking other languages or speaking Spanish with a non-Dominican accent.
You should consider visiting again, might be pleasantly surprised considering you know from personal experience how the city was 19 years ago.
Wow thats changed no end.Totally different city.We were staying in a resort but we got a bus into the capital,from what i remember the road was a bit bumpy.Certainly there werent the skyscrapers or a mall or half of these things.Big changes in 19 years.Interestingly has the rest of the country seen such good improvements???
Wow thats changed no end.Totally different city.We were staying in a resort but we got a bus into the capital,from what i remember the road was a bit bumpy.Certainly there werent the skyscrapers or a mall or half of these things.Big changes in 19 years.Interestingly has the rest of the country seen such good improvements???
Yes, especially in the major cities, especially Santiago. The most recent international company to set up shop in Santiago is Ashley Furniture, they built a sizeable homestore. The inauguration took place a couple of months ago.
The main roads have also been improved, but with secondary roads its still hit or miss.
Most of the resorts are east of Santo Domingo. When you went this was mostly a two lane road (one lane for each direction) and bumpy. Look at it now. A trip that used to take at least 5 hours has been reduced to just 2.
This one was built about 3 years ago in the northern part of the country.
I've been noticing that, when watching any videos on Havana. More and more people are wearing tight shirts, with body rolls sticking out.
Didn't realize that about the Cuban sandwhich...is that something they serve in Cuba at all?
I have only seen Cuban Sandwiches at Hotel Nacional, in Havana. But most common foods from the capitalistic past are only remembered by old people or people with hard currency.
Cubans with local currency -pesos- resort to junk food, street pizzas, lunch boxes, etc, which are not bad but not healthy. Food is hard to get, even with money, so people with no money eat bread and drink rum.
There are some curious restaurants, as Cuban Chinese, etc.
Last edited by farinello; 10-09-2017 at 06:37 AM..
So if I book a trip to Havana with a stopover in Mexico and same back - won't they forward my luggage right through and once I arrive in the US, they'll see my luggage sticker from HAVANA? And do I get a new ticket in Mexico city before I get in the plane?
Or will I have to book two (aka 4) flights independent from each other to make sure, the luggage gets checked in and out every time and my ticket will not reflect Cuba at all? a stopover won't make sense if my tickets and luggage reflect Cuba on it.
US travelers need a Visa to enter Cuba, if I come through Mexico, I don't need that, or am I wrong?
Travel to Nassau, Cancun, Toronto and buy a visa there when you book the flight.
You have to like ruins, Americana, time travel, Spanish architecture and myths.
The city, including Vedado, Miramar, etc, is just impressive, just like visiting Rome 100 years after sacking.
Of course, not for everybody and a difficult destination if you want to avoid resorts and pestiferous Canadian tourists.
But a very impressive city, a 400 years old Detroit.
If they try to sell you something, tell them you are Finnish...nobody commands that language.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
