This street ,,calle Conde is having a hard time at present with many buildings for sale and businsses closed and it needs a lot of imagination and make over ..to make it come to life.One problem is that it is a walking street but incredibly hot ..maybe some big colourful umbrellas with seats and tables would help as would a collection of good buskers . The potential is enormous especially during the tourist season

Ricki it is a work in progress ....the heat problem cannot be solved but everyday at between 4and 5 a breeze starts to blow down the conde just in time for the paseo...those Spaniards knew what they were doing .The Colonial Zone is gradually being polished and upgraded The Conde is my least favorite part of the Colonial Zone but it needs more quality places to meet and eat not the cheesy beer cafes that are found at the Parque Indipedencia end of Conde but the SEGAFREDO type places at the other end of the Conde

Ricardolito

In Japan, in a city Calle Sasebo, they have something similar to the El Conde, they called it the GINZA but the entire Ginza strip is cover from the sun and the rain, it have some plastic covering very pleasant to walk on it, El Conde i was there this past june, the sun it trying to burn you, i think those business owner in order to bring more customer to El Conde should borrow that idea and cover the entire el conde from the elements, when i was there i could not way to get back into the mall, where AC and the shade was hanging out, i totally forgot what i was trying to buy.

http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/17472/photos/view/4/16

the Ginza now has a covering on it ? which Ginza are you talking about ? the one in Tokyo ? I dont think you have the correct name

This is the Ginza in SASEBO, JAPAN. not the one in Tokio,,,,follow the link

The HEAT is not what's killing the businesses on Conde....the lack of tourists and lack of money is!

Maybe the DR could get a loan from the IMF for Conde too.

Try walking Duval Street in Key West or Burbon Street in New Orleans...or any of the Riverwalks or Ocean Walks in South Florida....you'll roast like a chimmichurri in minutes....

I'm still trying to figure out how the chopos wear long pants, jeans and polos all year down there with no electricity to run the AC!

the parque Indipendencia end of the Conde is the cheesier end

Yep...get down around Paco's and HOE-tel Discovery and it's a noisy mess, but a good place to "people watch" at rush hour...

HOE-tel Mecure has a great little patio area to eat and drink as long as you don't mind the future politicians hounding you to shine your shoes...

The Cafeteria de Pinalba has decent food, and is shaded by a beautiful tree...lately it's been over run by a treasure boat crew making for some ugly "family spats"....

DR has the most holidays around

When 1/2 of the population works for the Government you need a lot of Holidays. When the PRD wins the next election the other 1/2 of the Country will get a paid vacation.

Irony at its best .....most celebrating Constitution Day have headed to the beaches...ones the constitution now says are not public anymore!

but hey...its a holiday!

Don't need to first have a constitution before you can celebrate it?

i agree that our governments have tramped our constitution to benefit the few for many decades already. Do not be surprised if the next PRESIDENTE changes it again. What a bunch of puppets.

On the other hand, El CONDE is just beautiful and a really nice place to simply take a walk, smoke a great cigar while having a conversation on the open air. There are also, some great cafes in the area serving some pretty good food.

This past July, we visited the area for a few days with a friend that just bought a condo in the colonial zone. A funny story about my wife and church people: We went to visit the colonial church as we always do when we visit Santo Domingo, but has always been on sunday and my wife is dressed to part. Well to make a long story short, this time we decided to go on tuesday morning, so we can simply move on to a pico duarte (very nice, try it). As we are walking this guy runs toward us and tells my wife, lo siento pero usted no puede entrar en pantalones,

cortos. I had shorts and he did not say anything to me, so I asked him and he told that the rule only applied to women.

Now my wife is a very independent woman who makes great money and has a great job, you guys should have seen her face, it was like what the f*#k are to talking about. So in the end, i stayed inside and she waited for me out of the church, LOL.

I think that there can be more shade in el Conde and that would be a good start..the street is so close to one of the cruiser terminals and is the centre of the only really interesting part of the capital for tourists and the several cafes on el conde in front of the cathedral do well and the balcony on Hotel Mercure seems always full . Sometimes there is a group from Peru singing and they draw a good number of people but there needs to be a concerted push to make it an attractive walkway all the way from Calle las Damas to Independencia

Ricki as a long time resident of the heart of the ZC I appreciate your interest . The Conde is an important part of the Colonial Zone experience for the tourist ....however the product is lacking at this time more eating and meeting places are needed and although I seldom frequent them quality fast food outlets .....both Burger King and McDonalds left the Conde which says something about the economic health of this street ...there has been no one to replace them ....there are some hole in the wall bars that to a discerning tourist would be a roll of the dice ....we need clean quality places for people meet and eat ....and not be accosted by people like josean begging for political contributions that he uses to buy rum

"both Burger King and McDonalds left the Conde'

And when you leave the Trifecta that will make property values double will be complete!

I avoid the the Conde josean that is where the trash like you and abc congregate.....I am near the Casa Cordon and Plaza Espana .....very different than your old city in Port au Prince

Blutarsky, your dictionary defintion came up as follow: ignorant+arrogant = moron

Comrade dag come to the defense of his little buddy josie how noble

You’re just jealous because you have no friends, not even the Red Cross would come to your aide!

How unkind of you to say so