Santo Domingo. – After languishing for more than a decade in decay and abandon, the remodeling of the capital’s only beach and its environs was inaugurated yesterday and renamed Güibia Plaza, where kids can play and adults can relax.
President Leonel Fernandez headed the ribbon cutting, in which Santo Domingo mayor Roberto Salcedo said the 13,497 square meter plaza features free Internet, stores, a clean beach, restaurants, playground and a large outdoor gym with modern exercises equipment. He said the work cost more than US$50 million
He said at the start of his administration he received the now remodeled area deteriorated, with squatters and petty thieves who even used it as their shelter.
Salcedo added that in the past the coastal strip represented the capital’s biggest shame, because it was “literally sequestered," and where families couldn’t visit.
From: Dominican Republic, vieja Santo Domingo
Good one ...it would be great to see the entire length of the Caribbean front roads from the Charles de gaulle intersection to the cross over bridge way west on Malecon all cleaned up with nice grassy parks , donkey rides and free of all the garbage that is currently there .together with large clumps of shady palm trees ,,,If that was done I am sure the buildings on the other side of the road would also be improved
From: United States, Omnipresence
what the hell...it's a start....
Written by: Grosero, 18 Nov 2011 8:41 AM
From: United States
nice and clean so the slobs can just throw trash on it!
From: United States
Watcher48 -- I agree with you. In this case, it's better to look at the glass as being half full as opposed to it being half empty.... Algo es algo.
Written by: generoso, 18 Nov 2011 10:32 AM
From: United States, Quisqueya
Unless they can contain the garbage that washes down the Ozama river, and the currents take it to Guibia waters, this beach will always be polluted and unsafe for bathers.
A few years back some surfers were attacked by sharks and badly injured, This beach is unsafe and a disaster waiting to happen unless shark barriers are placed in the ocean.
Written by: xwill7, 18 Nov 2011 10:35 AM
From: United States, El cuarto bate
The north coast beaches are way better than any south coast beaches!
From: Dominican Republic, San Carlos, barrio de matatanes, aqui no invente
Great just what the country needs another US$50M facelift
how about some f**ing classrooms??
que risa me da roberto salcedo el chupa media mas grande de la isla, hablando plepla de la obra, mientras tres esquinas al oeste de la nueva invercion del pajaro de leonel la basura te llega a las rodillas, tipico PLDrogo hablando mierd/**
Written by: lovingit, 18 Nov 2011 12:34 PM
From: United States, Delaware
@generoso,
It doesn't need shark barriers.. cleaning the ozama flow would take care of that of it's own.
I think it is a great initiative, that hopefully could eventually grow as Ricardolito mentioned, and maintained clean, it would be bring Santo Domingo tourism to another level... Santo Domingo has great night clubs, great places to eat, to visit, etc, but although most tourists would be ok with that, the one thing they want the most are sun and sand, so this could boost that tourism, and with time, even make Santo Domingo the Rio of the Caribbean
From: United States
Kudos for making it look nice. But, sadly, nobody should swim in that dirty water.
Written by: lovingit, 18 Nov 2011 12:55 PM
From: United States, Delaware
..one more thing.. keep peddlers and hustlers out... actually free beaches are great, but for this particular one, I am ok with them charging an entry fee like NJ beaches, to keep scum out and have money for maintenance.
Remember the Boulevard en la 27? se fue a pique!
Written by: lovingit, 18 Nov 2011 12:58 PM
From: United States, Delaware
@porfi_rubirosa
yeah, the water is prob not the greatest quality.. maybe they should do a daily water check like they do in US city beaches to ensure is safe for swimming, thought, I wouldn't be surprised that Guibia would still be cleaner than Coney Island beach in Brooklyn ;-)
Written by: xwill7, 18 Nov 2011 1:16 PM
From: United States, El cuarto bate
Why don't they invest in Puerto Plata which is already set up to handle as many tourists that show up? North coast has the great mountain views!
From: United States
I agree that there is more money from the gov poured in SDQ than POP. But again the SDQ's population has a higher income.
Written by: xwill7, 18 Nov 2011 3:45 PM
From: United States, El cuarto bate
tony,
Higher income people are not going to go to their local beach in SD, they go to Bavaro.... DR should care about bringing more tourists into POP bring in that extra money to help the north coast
From: United States, Brooklyn
I like what salcedo said without saying... That we must a beauitful country not for the tourist but for our selves.
Written by: anthonyC, 18 Nov 2011 4:13 PM
From: United States
Every 10 years they fix up the beach. Then 6 months later "Chopo Beach" is back to being a dump!
Written by: Escott, 18 Nov 2011 4:46 PM
From: Dominican Republic, Cabrera and Sosua a 2 days a month for payday
Carlos you are nothing but a friggen tourist!
Written by: RoyStone, 18 Nov 2011 11:13 PM
From: Australia
Wow, one more shopping mall - just what we don't need!
There are some beautiful natural features - little beaches and coves, coral rock-faces and pools. The problem is the masses of garbage that washes up. Clean beaches - how? Re-direct the Ozama Sewer (euphemistically called a river) to the Atlantic coast?
Written by: Trujillo, 19 Nov 2011 2:09 AM
From: Dominican Republic
Pessimism...that's why your lives suck!
Written by: Atabey, 20 Nov 2011 10:44 AM
From: United States, NYC
It's a start. But making things sustainable will require moving the vast numbers of people off the banks of the river Osama, and relocating them somewhere else. Replanting the area and making it an expansive green area for the people of the country and foreign guest. That's a real tall order that requires a lot of money and planning. Also needed is a cogent systematic sewage waste facility(s) to handle the flow heading into that area. Again, more capital outlays. And don't forget that those tens of thousands of people need decent and well planned out housing units? With water/electricity/waste-water treatment linkage, schools, hospital/clinics, etc. A vast undertaking indeed.
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Unless they can contain the garbage that washes down the Ozama river, and the currents take it to Guibia waters, this beach will always be polluted and unsafe for bathers.
A few years back some surfers were attacked by sharks and badly injured, This beach is unsafe and a disaster waiting to happen unless shark barriers are placed in the ocean.
how about some f**ing classrooms??
que risa me da roberto salcedo el chupa media mas grande de la isla, hablando plepla de la obra, mientras tres esquinas al oeste de la nueva invercion del pajaro de leonel la basura te llega a las rodillas, tipico PLDrogo hablando mierd/**
It doesn't need shark barriers.. cleaning the ozama flow would take care of that of it's own.
I think it is a great initiative, that hopefully could eventually grow as Ricardolito mentioned, and maintained clean, it would be bring Santo Domingo tourism to another level... Santo Domingo has great night clubs, great places to eat, to visit, etc, but although most tourists would be ok with that, the one thing they want the most are sun and sand, so this could boost that tourism, and with time, even make Santo Domingo the Rio of the Caribbean
Remember the Boulevard en la 27? se fue a pique!
yeah, the water is prob not the greatest quality.. maybe they should do a daily water check like they do in US city beaches to ensure is safe for swimming, thought, I wouldn't be surprised that Guibia would still be cleaner than Coney Island beach in Brooklyn ;-)
Higher income people are not going to go to their local beach in SD, they go to Bavaro.... DR should care about bringing more tourists into POP bring in that extra money to help the north coast
I like what salcedo said without saying... That we must a beauitful country not for the tourist but for our selves.
There are some beautiful natural features - little beaches and coves, coral rock-faces and pools. The problem is the masses of garbage that washes up. Clean beaches - how? Re-direct the Ozama Sewer (euphemistically called a river) to the Atlantic coast?