Age and Why goin to USVI

Hey. I am in the same situation as Matthew J. Garvey but i am only 20. I am getting my degree in hotel management and plan to take a trip to St. Croix upon graduation to scout jobs and find a place to live.
Are there many people around the age of 20-30?
Anyway, if there is any general info people can offer or advise it would be greatly appreciated.

Kyle Fitzpatrick

Hello Kyle,

A lot of the seasonal workers that come down are in the 20-30 age range. 😉

--Islander

Yet another question for anyone who knows the islands, preferably St. Croix....

What would be the best way to find out possible employment opportunites in restaurants or hotels?

Who is the best to contact for insurance costs?

Who is the best to contact for rent options? There doesn't seem to be much available on the internet besides vacation villas.
Along with that it seems to be cheaper to buy a house and fix it up....Does anyone have an opinion on that?

Im sure i wil come up with more questions soon but any advice is greatly appreciated.

Kyle Fitzpatrick

Kyle,
STX is a wonderful place to live. My wife and I have lived here for about 2-1/2 years. That being said, it's a tough place to make a living. We do very well because of my wife's pension, some investments we have and a small inheritance I received. We both work in order to have a reason to get up in the morning. Unless you are a teacher, nurse or refinery worker, wages here are nortoriously low. Even teachers and nurses can do better in the states.
Its very difficult to get a job here without being here full time. We have lots of young folks who work in the hospitality industry. During high season finding a job is pretty easy.
What type of insurance are you looking for. Health insurance, if not employer provided, is extremely expensive. Auto insurance isn't bad. We insure our cars with Lloyd's of London and go thru Executive Insurance Co. Again you have to be here to do it.
Getting a place to stay long term is again very difficult without being here. People want to see you before they let you rent their property.
Here's my advice to you. Come down for a week or two. Spend time checking out our island regarding what you asked about. If you think STX (or any of the other Virgin Islands) is for you, buy and memorize the Settler's Handbook. Read this board religiously. Email specific questions to the individuals on this board. Once you have done your homework, come on down. Stay in an inexpensive tourist rental place for a week or so, until you find longterm accommadations. Moving to the USVI is a little more difficult than moving from one state to another, but worth the effort. Feel free to email me if you think I can be of assistance.

Good luck,
Ric

Hi Ric..and anyone one this board who has an opinion
.my fiance'and I are on our way down next week for our pmv ...
to look at homes and work ...
is there an area you find more reasonable and safe?
and Im in the restaurant industry looking for a few to apply at for the future , any suggestions?
thank you very much in advance for any help at all.
sean

Ric,

njgoombah here, still mulling over the possibilities of a 2 year hiatus on STX. I will be seeking employment as a pharmacist and my significant other would be seeking employment in marketing/PR/advertising. I understand the cost of living is higher there, but what is the bottom line? I accept the fact one has to live with less sometimes and do without little things you prefer. But can you actually go to the beach every free day you have? Are there any affordable golf courses? Isn't there a casino on STX? What is the level of income needed for 2 people in rental housing with 2 serviceable cars to be purchased locally? Not living in the lap of luxury, but eating out 1-2 times a week and not living in a cardboard hovel.

Thanks for any advice,

njgoombah

Sean,...and Nigoombah,
My husband and I have recently moved to STX. We love it, but finding work has been VERY difficult. Ads in the paper are few (many jobs are gotten by word of mouth - so we tell everyone my husband's looking) and when there are ads in the paper things move VERY slow here. It has taken a week or 2 for someone to call back for an interview, then another week and they ask you to come back and fill in an application form, then another week..... and so it goes. Definately have a stash of cash.
Rentals can be had from 500/month and up; But there are some places you would not want to live - you want to check them out in person.
Yes, you can go to the beach everyday! And its fabulous! Our beach is at our front door 🙂 Snorkeling, diving and boating here are wonderful! Yes, there is a casino - Divi Carina Bay Resort and Casino is a beautiful place. There are 3 or 4 golf courses - about same price as any resort area.
The paper has had more recent ads for experienced restaurant & bar help - they are starting to gear up, but still have a bag of money with you. Groceries are expensive and Restaurants are very expensive . Most of our money goes on food.
Sean, if you want to get together next week PM us or post - maybe we can all meet up with Ric and others! Good Luck!!

yes we would love top meet up some time on our trip we will be there this comming wendsday for 2 weeks ..any time is good for us , let us know whats good for you , you can e-mail me at obseanfood@yahoo.com ...hope to hear from you . and thanks for the info.
sean

Jersey boy -

Might want to check into that salary thing for pharmacists....I suspect you will hyperventilate when you see what they are paying...the payscale here is not equal to the states, and it isn't enough to keep up with what you perceive as "your lifestyle", although your perception of what you "need" changes very quickly. Remember that you will have to work for 6 months basically as an intern and most likely at a reduced rate until you get your VI license, which is not reciprocal from anywhere that we have found. Depending on your age, passing the NAPLEX could pose another set of challenges for you...it eats up a lot of free time those first six months.

We do not live in the lap of luxury by any means, and yet our rent and utilities is almost twice what we were paying in Arkansas, and there we had twice as much square footage, central air, garage, workshops....sobering thought. In defense of living more expensively than we probably have to, I must admit I am the one who would probably melt like the bad witch if I didn't have air conditioning....but the summer here was brutal. I make no apologies for being faint of heart.

A couple of things to remember - yes, you CAN go to the beach any day off you have, and if you get off early, head on out...if you are both working, though, this little thing called "life" intrudes to some degree. STX is kind of an early-to-bed place for the majority...I don't see people heading out at 8:30 to do their grocery shopping like I did at home. Depending on where you live, things may be inconvenient for you. One Kmart is on the far west end of the island, the other is in Sunny Isle, which we fondly refer to as Sunny Hell because of the traffic. But just the travel time, shopping time, and the wait-in-line time can trash the better part of a day if you are making a grocery run and Kmart stop.

If you each have a drink, you can just about count on a $40-50 tab with tip included, and that is eating lower end but not fast food. Think of your expenses as vacation costs that go on and on....and be prepared for a total lifestyle change. It can't be explained, it has to be lived...and you have to be here for a couple of months before you can see it - until then it is just quaint and amusing. You either take a deep breath and adapt, or you become miserable...and I've met folks at both ends of the spectrum since I've been here.

I live with a pharmacist, so I will step out on a limb and say ya'll are somewhat rigid - things need to be in place, everything needs to go in a certain order....you will need to forsake that notion immediately here or go nuts.

I'll give you an honest opinion, how's that? If you can take a month or two month leave of absence from your job and come down and LIVE here, not just visit, look for work, find the challenges before you make the jump, you will be surprised how much you can find out. We didn't do it that way, and we are not sorry in the least we are here, it was the best decision we'd ever made...still, the cost of living thing didn't really grab hold until we were already here. When you're just visiting for a week or two, the larger dinner tabs don't bother you much....when you've been here a couple of months, you keep longing for that drive-in place back home with the $3.00 burger!

If you've never read Herman Wouk's "Don't Stop the Carnival", now is the time. It may be fiction based on what he saw, but it is as real as it can be - you will laugh at some of the scenarios, but they will become a part of your daily life.

All of that being said, I can't imagine being anywhere else - your days off are incredibly beautiful - even driving to work is a pleasure. You can do anything for two years - c'mon down! How many people can say they were fortunate enough to live in the middle of the Caribbean in their lifetime!

Sean & NJ,
I will try to answer some of your questions. Most of the island is pretty safe. One of the purposes of a PMV is to determine what part of the island is best for you. LindaJ & I live on what's called the Northshore. We live pretty close to Cane Bay. We love it. It's pretty rural and secluded. Other folks would hate it for the same reason. If you want to live near well-to-do white people from the States, then the East End is for you. If you need a more urban environment the Christiansted or the Sunny Isle areas will better suit your needs. I tell folks that living up is better than living on the beach in most cases. The breezes are better and the bugs aren't as bad. We don't have a/c. There are a few nights when the humidity is unbearable, but the breezes usually make it ok. Our electric bill is usually less than $70 per month. A/C makes it a lot higher.

The cost of living is higher than some parts of the States and lower than others. We have found that by working at it, we can keep our cost of living to about 10% more than it was in Kentucky. You will find you need much fewer toys than you need in the states. I really don't know why. Clothes are cheaper because you don't need winter stuff here. Ties and formal wear aren't used much either. One good "marryin' and buryin'" suit will suffice.

You can gamble at Divi Bay Casino if you wish, but I've been told the machines are set pretty tight. For entertainment most folks I know go to the beach, snorkel or dive. Keep in mind LindaJ and I are older. Young people may want to party more. This is a very natural place. There's not much artificial about it.

There are three golf courses on the island. Carambola is a Robert Trent Jones designed course and is supposed to be pretty challenging. The Buccaneer also has an 18 hole course. The Reef has a 9 hole course. I can't tell you about prices or much about the courses, because I can see no good reason to ruin a perfectly good walk by chasing a little white ball.

Saturday evenings you will usually find some number of us at the bar at Off the Wall. Like others have said this is an early to bed place so we usually are gone by 7:30 or 8:00. I look like Santa Claus on his summer gig.

Hope this helps a little.

Ric

thanks Ric, ,,well try and stop by and say high, rural and out of the way is more my speed, lived Hawaii and Fiji most my life, thank you very much for the info

Just one point about the East End. It is more about socio economic class than race on the east end. There are certainly well to white people, but there are also well to to blacks, indians, and asians also.

There are some also more modest neighborhoods.

Just like the rest of STX you need to check it out for yourself on a PMV.

Jim

age: 21

Reason: I got a job as a boat captain, and I feel like a change of scenery. I'll be flying in next Monday and starting work right away. I'll be living somewhere on STT, most likely east end.

Hi, I'm Erin and i'm 22. Going for traveling nursing and i'm very excited.

Erin what island are you moving to and when?

I am a 24 year old nurse and I am considering a 6 month assignment at St. Croix. I am very excited about the idea...but also kind of nervous. The pay, like you mentioned is not all that great but the agency pays for relocation andliving expenses. I think this is a great oppurtunity, but I am a little hesitant. It sounds too good to be true. Is the crime really that bad as some say? It is safe for a woman to go on a run by herself?? I would love to hear what you have to say...the good and the bad...Thank you! -Katie

Katie-
A 6 month assignment would be a great way to get a good taste of the island of stx. Crime is like anywhere; take normal precautions and be aware of your surroundings. As for running alone.... it would definately depend on where and what time of day. Most roads are very narrow here and not safe for a pedestrian. However the beach is a great place to run during the day!

Hi Im a 28 year old moveing nov 5th with 2 small kids. My fiance has been there for 6wks and likes it so far. What is it like for faimlys. Are there lots of kids. Is there lots of young moms. What about doctors good ones health insuranc I need to get for the kids My fiance works for the refinery but until we get married I have to pay out of pocket.
Lindsey

How small are your kids - school age? not much in the way of playgroups or organized moms groups. My husband, Eric, is a Nurse Practitioner here on island - he is primary care provider - can write prescriptions, referrals to specialists, etc. He sees a lot of the Refinery people. I think he is great, but I am biased of course. He could also refer you to someone else if you preferred an MD.
Health Insurance is very expensive here - ouch - no Blue Cross etc.

Jane Nelson
RE/MAX st croix

What is his cost for a visit. My kids are 7 and 4 girl&boy.

Thanks for the reply! I am seriously considering the move..probably not until the end of January. I am a little scared that it will be much different than my expectations....There are a lot of things I have to look in to.....I need to find out where I will be living and the conditions of the housing...Thank you so much! KatieB

I will ask him for a rough quote - lol
You will need to look into private schooling or home schooling for the children as the public schools are quite frankly ghastly.
We have both parochial and non-denominational private schools here.

Howdy,
I just stumbled across this site while online. After reading your posts I want to move! We Live in Arizona and I can't stand this place! It's turning into a zoo. My wife and I live pretty simple lives and figure we sell our home we could just quit! We could go anywhere in the world... if we had the guts.

We don't have any kids... unless you count a cat, dog and bird...

Arizona is "hectic" everyone is either killing themselves trying to get rich or very near an age-related visit from The Grim Reaper! Hey, they may be old but, they drink like college students... seriously! And everyone is fat! I mean F-A-T! And it's not that "jolly" kinda fat either. (It's OK... I used to be really FAT so I can say stuff like that.)

But, the worst part about Arizona is the mysterious brain disorder commonly referred to as "Wanna-Be-Uh-Gang-Memeber Syndrome". It afflicts males and females between 11 - 38 years old. It's victims seem to live in an alternate reality. In their "Rap-Fantasy" life they're "Super-Pimps" from "The Hood"! In reality they're just suburban kids who watch way too much M-TV! This wouldn't really bother me but, they're EVERYWHERE and they think it's "hip and cool" to blast they're horrible "music" from all seventeen speakers comprising their automobiles "sound system".

It seems like we have a "live" Police chase at least twice a month. There's a bit of "racial tension" due to the "illegal immigration" situation. And, just last night two 17 year old boys were murdered while working at a SubWay Restaurant. Like I said... it's a bit hectic.

So, do you have the "Rap-Culture" thing goin'on down your way? The typical, regular, nothing fancy home sells for about $260,000 here. Everything is expensive and they find a way to tax and regulate every conceivable aspect of your life in Arizona.

So... it's obvious that I "Got Issues"! Does any of this sound familiar? Is that why you moved? Is it a different culture or a different way of life?

I would appreciate any insight or thoughts!

Thanks,
Anthony

Where in AZ are you?? We live in the east valley, Sue and Randy live in the west valley, and Kelly and Ava in Phoenix. We have gotten together for dinner to talk about STX, and will be getting together again. We have bought a condo in STX. We have been to STX three times in the last year, and are going again for Thanksgiving. Our email is nxcess@cox.net.

We have not noticed the RAP culture you mentioned, but maybe that's because we are older. Most of the younger people we have contact with are our daughter and son in law, or kids at the races.

We do notice the loud music and the illegal alien problem. How could you not notice it.
Terry and Annie