01/2009 - Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
I recently did a long walk around the Jaragua Hotel, which is situated on the Malecon (George Washington Avenue), The Malecon runs along the ocean in Santo Domingo. I took this walk from my hotel, the Hotel Riazor, situated right behind the Jaragua Hotel, on Independencia Avenue, which is one block North of the Malecon and runs parallel to it. By taking this walk, you can see many of the most talked-about clubs, casinos, hotels and restaurants. After completing my first visit to Santo Domingo, and seeing lots of the city outside this particular area in my rental car, including the colonial zone less than a mile to the East, and the university area, less than a mile to the west, and other clubs and restaurants to the north, I would say the particular area I will show you in this thread, through pictures I took on my walk around the Jaragua, is a perfect home base for anyone, especially if he doesn't have his own wheels, as I did.
If you're interested in this area, also check the prior thread of Cheeno, with many better pictures of the same stuff: http://news.insearchofchicas.org/for...ad.php?t=39319. (How to get to Sky Blue, The Girl's House, Aurora, Tabu, and Lapsus) Some clubs have changed their names or moved, so my thread here is designed to point out the most current info, current as of two days ago, when I took these photos, and did the walking tour.
Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
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Ok, we're going to start at 1 and go to 18.
Sorry that the street names on this picture of my map are illegible. The street along the ocean is George Washington Avenue (the Malecon). The street just north of that and parallel to it, and where we start our journey, is Avenida Independencia. Basically we start at the Riazor Hotel (1) on Independencia Avenue, walk west to Socorro Sanchez, turn left and go down that long block to the ocean, turn left on the George Washington Avenue (the Malecon) and pass by the Jaragua Hotel, the Melia Hotel and the Intercontinental Hotel, before turning left on Avenida Pasteur to get back to Avenida Independencia, where we turn left again to get back to the Hotel Riazor.
Here is what we will see (as numbered on my horrible map):
1) Riazor Hotel
2) Manolo Cafe (restaurant)
3) Aurora Club
4) Riky's Nightclub f/k/a Lapsus (and former Tabu right next door)
5) La Parada (club)
6) La Parada (carwash)
7) La Parada (restaurant/bar)
8) Jaragua Hotel and Casino
9) Melia Hotel and Casino
10)Torre Veiramar (condo highrise)
11) Intercontinental Hotel and Casino
12) Sky High
13) Satin Dolls
14) Girls House
15) Mystik Hotel
16) Hermanos Villar (restaurant)
17) Bank/ATM machine, pharmacy, Claro and Orange Phone Stores
18) PLD (Dominican Liberation Party, headquarters of political party of President Leonel Fernández)
Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
Ok, let's start at the Hotel Riazor (1), where I stayed. Here are a few photos. I left my car in the small parking area in front of this hotel. I never had a problem parking here during my stay. The hotel is $58 US per night, or the equivalent in pesos in cash, including breakfast (it costs a bit more if you pay by credit card). They told me they would charge $7 more per night if I had a guest overnight, but they only charged me on one night, when my chica actually got a coupon for breakfast with me. On the other few nights I had TLNs, I was not charged, but I only got one coupon for breakfast. The breakfast is very basic.
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Here's the business card for the hotel, which still has no website. They take reservations by phone, and you don't even need to give them a credit card number for the reservation, just your name and dates.
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Now, we move to (2), the Manolo Cafe, where you eat breakfast. This place is ALWAYS open, even on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, as the Riazor Hotel and the Manolo have the same owners. You can eat breakfast at any time, say 1 PM, if you want (I did that many times). This is not my photo of the Manolo Cafe. I stole this from Kennilingus recent trip report (thanks Kennilingus!). I could have sworn I took photos of this restaurant, but I can't find any.
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This restaurant is directly across from the back entrance to the Jaragua Hotel. To go to the Jaragua Hotel and Casino, I always walked across from the Manolo Cafe to the back entrance of the Jaragua Hotel, and down its back driveway to the parking lot behind Jaragua, and through the hotel to the casino/disco/bar at the front of the Jaragua.
The Manolo Cafe is at the intersection of Avenida Independencia and Hnos Deligne.
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Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
If you keep going West on Independencia Avenue, crossing Hnos Deligne, you will immediately see the Aurora Bar (3) and Riky's Nightclub (4) up ahead on the right.
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Here's a couple pics of the Aurora Bar (3). This afternoon chica was nice enough to pose for me even after I had declined her invitation to join her in some kind of sinful pursuit.
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Here's a view of the Aurora as you look back on it after passing it.
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Next we come to Riky's Nightclub (4), formerly known as Lapsus.
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You will see the following "Tabu" still painted on a door on a building directly next to the Riky's Nightclub. However, there is no longer a Tabu in this spot (it apparently used to be one of two Tabu's; the Tabu behind the Embajador Hotel, in a different part of town, has long existed and remains there today).
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A couple more pictures of Riky's Nightclub:
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Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
Shortly after you pass the Aurora Bar and Riky's Nightclub, you will come to the intersection of Avenida Independencia and Socorro Sanchez.
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Turn left on Socorro Sanchez and walk the long block to the ocean. You will immediately see this car wash on the right.
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Keep going and just beyond this on the right, you will come to La Parada, and there are three parts to this: La Parada, the girls club (5), La Parada, the carwash (6), and La Parada, the bar facing the ocean (7). First here's the club (5):
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Now here's the carwash (6), or at least the parking lot for the carwash, which you can't really see in this picture (it's to the left of this picture actually).
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Finally, at the end of this street, we get to the Malecon, along the ocean.
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Here's La Parada (7), the bar/restaurant right across the street (the Malecon) from the ocean, on the corner of Socorro Sanchez and Avenida George Washington (the Malecon).
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Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
Turn left on George Washington Avenue (the Malecon), and walk this way toward three of the biggest Santo Domingo hotels and casinos on the ocean.
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First you will come to the Jaragua Hotel and Casino (8), the front entrance of course.
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Then to the Melia Hotel and Casino (9).
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Next, you will see this condo tower, the Torre Veiramar (10), where I am told condos go from $400,000 US for a two bedroom up to $1.5 million US for a penthouse apartment.
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Finally, you will come to the Intercontinental Hotel and Casino (11), the last hotel before turning left onto Avenida Pasteur.
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Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
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WTF.................. JOHN MADDEN was in the DOM REP:confused:
Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
As you turn left onto Avenida Pasteur, which happens to be one way back toward Avenida Independencia, you will see casas on the right. First you will find Sky High (12),
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and Satin Dolls (13).
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Both of these clubs are owned by the same owner. That SUV in the driveway belongs to the owner, and she happened to be getting out of her SUV as I was taking my pictures. She spoke to me in perfect English, and explained that she lives in Rye, New York (or at least has a home there). When I asked if I could get a discount at Sky High tonight if I do some free photo advertising for her, she just smiled. Hmmm, that means no, I guess. She spoke of both of her clubs, Sky High and Satin Dolls, and explained that one is for dancing and the other is for taking girls out, but prtyr2 later told me that he thinks Satin Dolls is not really open yet.
Next, we come to what is probably the most celebrated of casas in Santo Domingo, at least here on ISOC - Girls House (14).
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Conveniently next to Girls House, is the cheap Mystik Hotel (15), where you can pay for a short stay.
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Here's another pic of the Mystik Hotel, on the left, and the Girls House, immediately to the right.
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Finally at the end of this block, at the corner of Pasteur and Avenida Independencia, is the Dominican restaurant, Hermanos Villar Restaurant (16), where you can get good inexpensive Dominican food, buffet style, in a busy restaurant. There's a bakery attached as well, I believe.
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As you turn left onto Avenida Independencia on the way back to the Hotel Riazor, you will immediately see lots of convenient stuff on this corner (17), including a bank/ATM machine, pharmacy, Claro and Orange Phone shops(17).
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Finally, on the right as you continue to walk back along Avenida Independencia, you will see the headquarters for the political party of the current President Leonel Fernández, the Dominican Liberation Party, the Partido de la Liberación Dominicana, or PLD, (18).
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With just a few more paces, you're back at home base, the Riazor Hotel (1).
Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
Dude, you bidding to be the ErikS of la capital? Anyway, thanks for taking the trouble.
Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
Nice job. A couple of quick notes. The other Tabu at Embajador isn't new it co existed with the one next to lapsus and has been behind embajador for at least 8-9 yeasrs maybe more.
La Parada on the malecon is known by locals as "la ceniza" if you tell a taxi driver you want to go to La Parada you will get blank stares. Say La Ceniza and they know where you want to go.
I am not even sure how the owner of Sky High makes money so the idea of opening second place is funny. I had heard rumors that she ran the place for Cubans that were laundering money. Who knows. Girls house, Foxys etc are owned by Cubans.
Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
Very nice job guys with the pics and map. This should be required reading for every newbie who wants to get his toes wet in La Capital.
Next time bring Cheeno along , he has a lot of experience with this area, plus we would have gotten FOOD PICS out of the deal, cause I was getting kind of hungry after scrolling through at all of that.
Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
Quote:
Originally Posted by
weyland
Dude, you bidding to be the ErikS of la capital? Anyway, thanks for taking the trouble.
Hardly. Prtyr2 or MrHappy would have to take on that role. I just photographed the stuff that's there. I haven't been inside half of these places myself. Thanks, prtyr2, for the annotation.
Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
The September 5 day Santo Domingo Getaway at The Marriott
http://news.insearchofchicas.org/for...ad.php?t=64994
These two reports go hand in hand.
Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
I just re-sized the photos in this thread for easier viewing. Sorry, those of you whose computers I blew up before:(:icontd::o...I'm glad you came back, which you obviously did if you're reading this.:rofl:
Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
This is a great report. I actually have a sense of direction of SD like I never did before. This will actually help anyone who wants to expand his wings beyond Sosua. The John Madden map helps a lot.
Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
You are LUCKY he didn't post food pics. We ate at Antonios one night for great imported skirt steak Argentina Style and at david Crocketts for very good rib eyes. Plus on New years eve CD had the buffet of typical dominican food at el conuco. You'd all be gettin hungry!
Quote:
Originally Posted by
jd426
Very nice job guys with the pics and map. This should be required reading for every newbie who wants to get his toes wet in La Capital.
Next time bring Cheeno along , he has a lot of experience with this area, plus we would have gotten FOOD PICS out of the deal, cause I was getting kind of hungry after scrolling through at all of that.
Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
Oh yeah CD had what looked like a decent pasta from La Sagna while sitting at the bar at Cats.
Food is one very big reason I way prefer SDQ over Sosua. In sosua if you want a decent steak it is El Torro and that is it. In santo domingo there are more choices. Nothing in Sosua matches David Crocketts, Antonio's, Porter House, Don Nestor or even Train, Madera and others.
On xmas eve I called chef pepper and ordered:
2 racks of lamb
4 racks of baby backs
3 imported skirt steaks
8 anugus burgers with buns
all were delivered in 45 minutes.
Yesterday I went to Price Smart and Omaha Gourmet and got:
5 half gallons of Floridas best Orange juice
18 cans of bumble bee tuna
campbells chicken noodle soup
lots of chicken breasts, thighs for making cajun chicken and rice and legs for BBQ style
Libbys canned corn
american style bacon
brown and serve breakfast sausages
at Omaha I got:
6 packs of Nathans hot dogs
6 packs of johsonville sweet italian suasage
2 bottles of jack daniels mustard spicy brown mustard
and 4 bags of Dirty Brand Mesquite BBQ Potato Chips
I have 2 Nathans dogs on the george foreman right now and the best part is the BUNS. I actually got us style hot dog buns at Omaha instead of the huge and hard dominican style buns. . . . . .yummy. . .
Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
Ahhhh - resized pics... now that is better. Great pics CD :up:
Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
Quote:
Originally Posted by
prtyr2
You are LUCKY he didn't post food pics. We ate at Antonios one night for great imported skirt steak Argentina Style and at david Crocketts for very good rib eyes. Plus on New years eve CD had the buffet of typical dominican food at el conuco. You'd all be gettin hungry!
That's right! As for restaurants in this particular area (around the Jaragua), I ate at both the Manolo (ok, but not great, it was pretty ordinary, in my opinion, but adequate as a place for a free breakfast, and for lunch or dinner when you don't want to venture far from your hotel), and Hermanos Villar. Unfortunately, I have no food pictures from either of these places. For food pictures of the Manolo, see Kennilingus' recent trip report.
In my view, the Hermanos Villar is much better if you are looking for Dominican food. When in Rome, I do as the Romans do, so while in Santo Domingo, I ate quite a bit of Dominican food. Judging by the crowd of mostly Dominicans in Hermanos Villar, though it sits in the middle of a tourist area, I would say Hermanos Villar is the place to be. Great bang for the buck. Sorry I have no pictures of my meals of rice and chicken.
Nor do I have any food pics of the wonderful meals I had with prtyr2, at the two steakhouses he mentioned, or at a few other restaurants. Prtyr2 recommended the restaurant at the Hotel Senatorial, which is just off my map, several blocks East of the right side of my map here. As it is Swiss-owned, and has Swiss dishes on the menu, even fondue, I ordered Cordon Bleu there, and I was surprised that it was quite good, especially given the price.
I had just eaten the same thing last month at the best Swiss restaurant in New York City, and the Hotel Senatorial certainly wasn't nearly as fine, but it was much cheaper and it was surprisingly good. I also ate many times at the Hotel Conde restaurant on El Conde, and did my one and only food pic at that place (which will make it to my trip report if and when I ever finish it). Other than that, I ate lobster and shrimp with a chica and a couple of her family members (oh, no, I can already feel the heat...) at a restaurant in one of the malls, and took a chica and her kid to McDonalds, and another chica to a pizza place on El Conde. But mostly I ate Dominican food and was happy to do so.
I really didn't think we need any more photos of rice and chicken on this site, and I didn't bring my camera into the steakhouses and other restaurants I visited. Besides, there can be only one Cheeno.:)
Re: Around the Jaragua: A Walking Tour of Santo Domingo Clubs Near the Jaragua
thanks cd for resizing the pics and allowing me to view your fantastic discription of SD.
It used to take 5 minutes for this thread to load and then after giving u a thank you, id have to wait another 5 minutes for it to reload again. Now i only have to wait 10 seconds. I can spare ten seconds :) thanks again