Anyone have something positive to say about the island?

They have palm trees.

You make a good point about the information on this website. Most of the regular posters here try to help new comers from becoming overly optimistic. What I mean by that is that they are afraid someone will come and hate the islands and go away saying bad things. In truth, if you love the beach and the water and can live with the bugs, humidity and hurricane threat you are half way there. The downside is the slow island way of doing things , the lack of great service (public and commercial) and the closeness to a lawless element.

The lawless element is a result of a segment of the population living in public housing along with poor police activity. The lack of service is due to the older island way and the distance to transport things. There are at least 100,000 people who love the USVI to varying degrees. Come on take a look and give it a try. We will leave the overly optimistic reviews to the local Realtors.

Put it this way. If it were really so bad they would not still be here.

I have found it to be a fine place to spend over 35 years - I however love the slower pace, the acceptance of many varying lifestyles and the overall friendliness and lack of pretension. The beauty of the islands is undeniable - the weather is absolutely an asset - hurricanes are uncommon and preparation is the key to stress reduction.
No question the crime level has escalated over the time I have been here - most of it is drug and gang related - but truthfully it can affect you anytime [ which is true in many other places] - I rarely or never feel threatened.
Patience and/or acceptance is a key element of life here and not a bad lesson to learn in life in my estimation.
If you constantly feel the need to change things to 'how we do it back wherever' this is not a community to move to.

Love it! I've been on St.John for 11.5 years. I don't ever plan on living anywhere else. I am home.

But to tell you the truth, I can't think of anyone I know back in the states that would love it here like I do. They are all too used to the creature comforts that seem to be only for the wealthy down here. Like A/C for instance. Or reasonable rents. Or taking a 20 minute shower and leaving the water run full blast the whole time. I don't like to discourage people who want to try and live here to give it a shot, but I also don't want them to think it's all rainbows and butterflies 🙂 I always recommend a plan B. I've seen a lot of people come here with the wrong idea about what it's like to live here. Better to have realistic expectations and maybe low expectations, so that one is not disappointed.

I totally agree...the people who seem to struggle the most are the people who try to make this place like wherever they came from. And if you have any addiction problems/tendencies...um, this probably isn't the best place to be either.

Put it this way. If it were really so bad they would not still be here.

Some of us have jobs and family that we can't just walk away from.

I do love living on St. Croix, I imagine the same as everyone mentioned above, but to live in a place and not want to change anything is a little naive. Island life could be perfect 24/7, but there would still not be a Taco Bell.

The courteous, many are lousy lol, drivers!
People who wlll pick you up at 5:00AM to take you to the airport
Sitting at a beach restruant and being able to have a conversation with strangers
The weather!!!

Is there things that many would like changed? You bet!

This board is not at all representative of St. Croix. While there have been many, many helpful and cheerful people who contribute here, they are drowned out by a subset of scared-white-people who have become regulars. Secondarily discussions are occasionally derailed by locals who attempt to dissuade new people from coming for a variety of reasons.

Always good stuff at

http://www.stcroixlime.com/

and if you're on facebook,

http://www.facebook.com/everythingandanythingvirginislands

I'll probably never leave, by choice.

Patience and/or acceptance is a key element of life here and not a bad lesson to learn in life in my estimation.

Well said and very true.

I've been living and working in STJ for 6 months. Some will say I'm still in the "honeymoon" stage of island life but I think I've got a pretty take on it. Is it paradise? No. (well, maybe if you have unlimited funds and never have to work it is.) But it is incredibly beautiful and extremely special. I feel VERY fortunate to live here and plan on staying for a very, very long time.

I love the color blue. Some people don't like it. That doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the color, just not right for some people. I think the islands are like that. Great for some, for others not so much.

subset of scared white people?? what does color have to do with it. i know many people who were born here who do not appreciate the crime level and the level of corruption they see in law enforcement. they are as tired as the "scared white people" of what is going on here.

i love the weather, the beaches, the water, the island flora and fauna, most of the people i have met , the local food, the chickens you see every where. there is so much to love about the island.

the negative things that people post on here, for the most part, are our way of telling it to you like it is. we want you to know the bad as well as the good-no rose colored glasses. we dont want you to get here and think its all sunshine and roses. what would happen if you were only told the good. you get down here and find out all of the bad things that go on. not just the crime, the mail, the cost of food the lack of friendly customer service the poor road conditions. i personally would want to know both the good and bad of any place i live.

The "scared-white-people" phenomenon is a small but pervasive part of the character of the island. It's a natural offshoot of the culture shock people of any group feel when they enter a new group. Everyone experiences it to some degree, myself included. However I was referring specifically to its manifestation here on this forum. It has become a pretty monotypic community which is not only not really representative of island culture and life but also at times dismissive of it, even antagonistic toward it.

I'm not saying people's frustrations aren't sometimes justified, but many people, represented disproportionately here, fixate on the frustrations to the point that they're blind to the paradise around them because they've walled themselves into a hell of their own making. By the time most folks who actually move here get settled in and shed their worries, they no longer need the discussion board and no longer contribute to it nearly as much, if at all.

Forgot to mention, having a flat tire and three of the five cars that passed offered to help! The little Rosta guy in the fifth would not take no for a answer and insisted on using his floor jack and wanted to do most of it his self!
Almost every one you pass on the street greets you with a Good Morning, and mist seem to mean it!

But as my friend Diana says,"it's Paradise not Heaven"

Some posters think they are being altruistic. New Transplants come to live in the Virgin islands for the weather and the beauty. They never really understood the culture. economy and the society. They want Big Box Stores and everything that goes with it. A Lot of posters don't live on the islands. Some have only been here on vacation, some lived here 15-20 years ago. Living on any island is different than living on any mainland. So if you are looking for anything to happen in a" New York City Minute" go to Hawaii. If you're able to go with the flow this is paradise.8-)

I love living on St. Thomas. The beauty, the weather, etc. There are downsides of course, and those are the things often discussed here in the interest of helping prepare newcomers.

You can be happy or unhappy anywhere you live. I happened to choose this place because of the beauty, weather, and water.

I love, love, love it on St Thomas. I have only been here about six months, too, so also in the "honeymoon stage." I could see almost right away that life here is NOT for everybody. It really is absolutely gorgeous. I am from Florida, so the humidity, bugs and hurricane threats are already a way of life for me. I discovered a long time ago that I require at least one hour per week of in/on/near the water to stay sane, so island life was meant for me. The flora and fauna (as someone else mentioned) are fabulous. I hope I never get tired of iguanas. They are beautiful, I mean, some of them are mostly PINK! And I love the people. IMO, they are pretty darned friendly. Sometimes you have to do a little "killing with kindness" but I learned that one from my Southern Belle mother. I'm not sure that I will NEVER leave, but I can see at least another 3-5 years here. There are so many things to do, so many islands to hop, so many beaches to discover. It would be better if I had unlimited funds, then I could spend EVERYDAY at the beach and not have to make grocery shopping an all day mission. But I am practical, too, and make the shopping an adventure and the beach for a couple of hours before work a reward for getting the business of living taken care of. Sure, when I do laundry, I hang my clothes on a line to dry, but I can stare at Cowpet Bay and St John while I do it. Maybe I won't buy a new fall/winter wardrobe this year, but my sundresses, shorts and flops will be fine! FYI, I do have jeans and sweaters, I just don't need to wear them anywhere near as often in the winter months.

Moving somewhere can be very expensive. I think the people on this board have had too many experiences of seeing folks move here with one impression, then find out nothing is like they expected. Come for a pre-move visit and see for yourself.

daveandkimd: On this board, we are damned if we do and damned if we don't...Someone always thinks we are covering up dirty secrets or that we are scaring people away. We try to be fair and balanced, but it seems to backfire. Oh, well.*-) Come give the VI a try and see how it fits for you.

My wife and I moved here (STX) in November 2010. I think there was one day when I wondered if I would regret it. there have been about 130'days when I loved it. If you're a control freak, think twice about being here. If you have some patience and love nice people, sun and sand, beautiful vistas, gorgeous sunsets, and warm crystal-clear water -- give it a try. Am I in the honeymoon period? Sure. But I do love it here.

However I was referring specifically to its manifestation here on this forum. It has become a pretty monotypic community which is not only not really representative of island culture and life but also at times dismissive of it, even antagonistic toward it.

Well, you are new here so you have not really seen why this board is what you perceive it to be now.

This is the original thread that I think will explain a lot. Its first message is dated March 30th of 2006. One particular quote from the thread:

One of these days, an innocent bystander (if it hasn't happened already) will get caught in the crossfire while at the beach...

This is the last page of the thread - I would suggest that you read the whole thread :

Fourth page of vimovingcenter.com thread about crime in the islands circe 2006

The islands are beautiful and different. I wouldn't give up the ten years I spent growing up there for pretty much anything. It's just that quite a few people really do go there, to live, and don't understand that it isn't all peaches and cream. I think it is pretty fair to say the average Continental's stay in the islands is between six months to a year.

//yeah please forgive me for throwing in with the "rainbows and butterflies" and "sunshine and roses" croud

That's ok noOne, I'm sure its just a temporary lapse! lol.

I am part of the butterflys and roses brigade. I've been here for almost 8 years and like it a lot. If it weren't for family ties in the states, I'd probably be here forever. But it is just NOT for everyone. That's why I always suggest a longish premove visit and not buying any real estate for at least a year. I also caution familys with children to research very carefully before relocating their family.

In no way do I consider my self a "scared-white-person". An OLD white person, I will admit to being.

"scared-white-people" :-o:@) That's funny.

Been here almost a year and a half now - so not on the boards so much anymore But I feel the need to speak up when somebody asks for a good word because my husband and I do love it here. The hardest thing for me is watching people come and go 'cause it's not for everyone.

Been here almost a year and a half now - so not on the boards so much anymore But I feel the need to speak up when somebody asks for a good word because my husband and I do love it here. The hardest thing for me is watching people come and go 'cause it's not for everyone.

Yeah this says a lot. When you have spent quite a bit of time on the island/s your long time friends there and you will know. One of you will ask the other, "where is such-and-so, I haven't seen that person in a bit" You'll share a look and know exactly that even though you both liked the person, the last time you saw the person is probably the last time you will ever see them, because they left. At least today, vs. the 80s, there are cell phones, texting, email, Facebook, Twitter, thing like this board, etc...