Pétion-Ville

Pétionville or Pétion-ville is a wealthy suburb of Port-au-Prince, the capital and largest city of Haiti. It is known for its nightlife and restaurants, many of which have large expat crowds.

Understand

Pétion-Ville is in the hills east and separate of the city itself on the northern hills of the Massif de la Selle. It was named after Alexandre Sabès Pétion (1770–1818), the Haitian general and president later recognized as one of the country's four founding fathers. The district is primarily a residential and tourist area. Pétion-Ville is part of the city's metropolitan area, one of the most affluent areas of the city, where the majority of tourist activity takes place, and one of the wealthiest parts of the country. Many diplomats, foreign businessmen, and a large number of wealthy citizens do business and reside within Pétion-Ville.[1]

Despite the distance from the capital and the general affluence of the district, the lack of administrative enforcement has led to the formation of shantytowns on the outer edges of the district, as poor locals migrate upward and have settled there in search of job opportunities.

Pétion-Ville has more security than the center of Port-au-Prince, and in general, than the other major cities of Haiti. The community is very stable, with nightlife and business conducted with an appearance of western normality, in striking contrast to many other parts of greater Port-au-Prince.

The hillside suburban town is filled with nightclubs, beauty salons, fitness gyms and French restaurants. Businesses which cater to tourists are commonplace, and parties and get-togethers often take place at night. Establishments often host considerable expatriates and foreigners of a similar calibre.

Get in

By plane

Port au Prince airport (PAP) is served by several major airlines - primarily American Airlines and Delta - as well as smaller flights from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and other spots in the Caribbean. Taxis from the airport to your destination in Port au Prince will be about $20 for standard fare. Try to bargain down to $15. Tap taps going to all places past the airport and will cost about 10 gourdes (25 cents).

By car

Traffic is bad in and out of Petionville but many roads are quite scenic, looking back towards Port-au-Prince.

By bus

From Santo Domingo, Caribe Tours runs a once-daily bus to Petionville (in the hills above Port-au-Prince) that leaves at 11:00 am. A ticket costs $40 USD one-way + $26 USD tax and + 100 Dominican Pesos. Terra-bus may also still be servicing the Santa Domingo-PAP route.

Crowded tap-taps (passenger pickup trucks) and buses can take you to Petionville for a few dollars, but can be dangerous.

Get around

Tap-taps run along prescribed routes throughout the city. Most routes cost 10 gourdes (2 Haitian dollars, $0.25 USD), though to get across the city you may need to utilize multiple routes, each of which charges separately.

Taxis typically are about 500 gourdes and should only be utilized during daylight. After dark, prices rise substantially and you are at substantially greater risk for being mugged.

Buy

Markets

There are a number of supermarkets in the town.

• Giant Supermarket, (Rue Oge & Rue Geffrard). A supermarket where you can get virtually anything you'd want from the US or Europe, plus Haitian items. Candy, bread, fruit, meat, drinks, and alcohol. Probably the best supermarket in Petionville, if not Port au Prince.

Banking

There are a number of banks in Pétionville. Banks here close very early, even on the weekdays.

Eat

There are a number of good restaurants in Pétionville.

Mid-range

• Mr. Grill, (on Rue Riguad between Clervenau and Faubert). A steakhouse and guest house with a nice ambience. The chicken kebab is tasty, as is the fried goat and skirt steak. On Saturdays a live twoubadou band plays. Entrees $13-25
• Presse Cafe is a cafe across from Mr. Grill that has Haitian bands play on Friday nights. Very popular with expats and locals alike.

Splurge

• Quartier Latin is a Latin-American restaurant with good food, tasty rum sours, and dancing to live music, mostly salsa, merengue and other Latin music. It's housed in an old mansion. On the eastern end of town near the Brazilian Embassy.

• The View, Juvenat 7 (in the Hotel Karibe). A variety of good food, from Haitian dishes to sushi. The View is located on top of the Hotel Karibe, a 7-story building which dwarfs the rest of town. The view alone is worth going for, spectacular if a little off-putting, as shantytowns climbing the hills are almost at eye-level. You can see the ocean too. Good rum sours as well, though food service can be slow. Dishes range from $13-$25. (18.511796°,-72.289549°)

Drink

• Crémas, an alcoholic beverage made of coconut and vanilla.
• Rhum Barbancourt
• Biere Prestige
• Only drink Bottled Water!

Sleep

Mid-range

• Mr. Grill has a few small rooms.

Stay safe

The town is safer than Port-au-Prince, but still one should be careful.

Cope

Embassies

• Many embassies are located in

Get out

• Port-au-Prince -- the capital city.

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