The Story
The DR you saw on vacation is not the whole story
You've been here. You know the food, the coastline, that feeling when you land and something in your chest loosens up. But there's a version of this country you haven't seen yet, and it's changing fast.
I've been coming to the DR since I was a kid. I grew up around wealthy people in Manhattan. My financial mentor, a self-made multimillionaire, taught me stock trading and gave me my first marketing job. One thing he put an emphasis on: at a certain point, money is not the objective. It's how you get the most out of the years you have. The DR is where that idea stopped being abstract for me.
Katie came from England over a decade ago. She left a corporate desk because she wanted access to the ocean and a slower pace. She found the DR, and the DR found her. Between us, we've watched this country change faster than almost anyone outside of it realizes. The DR's story is so good right now that the truth sounds like marketing.
The numbers behind what you felt on your last trip
The Dominican Republic has become one of the strongest economies in Latin America. Growth has outpaced the regional average for a decade straight. Tourism crossed 11 million arrivals in 2024. New airports are going in. International brands are showing up. The middle class now outnumbers the poverty population for the first time in the country's history.
You probably sensed some of this when you were here. The construction, the new restaurants, the quality of the infrastructure in certain areas. That's not a blip. It's a trend with a decade of data behind it.
"People always talk about the American dream. That was maybe 50 years ago. I feel like now it's here. You can start something, you can pioneer something. You can be around some of the most interesting people in the world who wash up here.
Katie, from the interview
Who else is paying attention
Most of the "life in the Caribbean" content online is made by 25-year-olds with a ring light and no money. That world and this world have almost nothing in common.
What's happening on the north coast right now is different. Thousands of Americans and Canadians are spending significant time here. Tech founders who realized they don't need San Francisco anymore. Remote professionals. Creatives. A growing number of people from the US and Europe who are paying serious attention to the DR right now. People like you.
"At a certain point, if you're only gonna live a certain number of years, money is not the objective. It's: how do I get the most out of this year? The DR is where that stopped being abstract for me.
Julio, from the interview
When that kind of mix lands in a small community, things happen. New restaurants. Wellness facilities. Co-working spaces carved out of old beachfront buildings. It starts to feel less like a beach town and more like the early days of somewhere. Austin before Austin got crowded. Tulum before Tulum priced itself out and became a parody of what it used to be.
"Decades back, if you wanted to build a tech startup, you had to go to San Francisco. You had to be at the place, surrounded by the energy, the people, what's happening. I'm finding that here. Pockets of people from all over the world connecting, building something new. The spark is just starting.
Julio, from the interview
You already know it's not perfect
If you've spent real time here, you've seen the other side too. The roads outside the tourist zones are rough in places. The bureaucracy moves at its own speed. Not everything works the way you're used to. None of that is new to you. The question is whether the upside justifies the friction, and for a growing number of serious people, the answer is yes.
"If you have the blessings of wealth, whether you're lucky, you built your business, you're self-made, there is no price you won't pay to get the most out of your life. A lot of people investing abroad right now are doing it for their families. To bring their grandkids. To make the memories.
Katie, from the interview
That's what the conversation above is really about. Two people who know the country talking honestly about all of it, including the parts that aren't convenient.
