Best/Worst Neighborhoods to Live in

stay away from Bavonae, smith bay, back street, hospital grounds

Look to stay on the east end, the north side, Mandahal and the south side by the Marriott.

If it is cheap it is probably not a good place to be.

Billd

Billd:

Smith Bay is a large area....some places are OK......for example.....Point Pleasant....

F.I.

Northside, Skyline, and Wintberg would be your best bets

I think build hit the nail on the head!
Add Savan as a place no to be.

STT has great neighborhoods all about!

I beg to differ with Exit Zero. Brooksleann: any n'hood in the USVI is one to avoid. Just ask the family of the tourist from PR that was killed here a few months ago. The VI violent crime rate would make Columbia blush. You and your family would not be safe here...anywhere.

island expat, you have a very skewed sense of perception if you think columbia is safer. you probably think living in mexico would be a breeze too.

Brooksleann. I sent you a P.M.

Billd:

Smith Bay is a large area....some places are OK......for example.....Point Pleasant....

F.I.

I love it here too, and having Coki as my "back yard" is pretty hard to complain about.

Why are you throwing Smith Bay under the bus like that? 😀

Island Expatriot is a devoted local person who doesn't want any new people moving to the territory. Some days I completely understand the position. There are many such people. Unfortunately the view they share causes more problems than it solves.

You MUST be kidding! Where on earth did you live on STX? Hubby & I have lived here for two years and couldn't be happier or safer!

I sent you a PM

Stay away from Bovoni, Contant, Hospital Ground, & Smith Bay. If you like to live where people chain their dogs and keep them outside 24/7, then Fortuna is your place.

If you are going to be working in the TUTU area, look in the Mandahl, Misgunst, Dorothea - all on the north side of the island and the commute is bareable.

Stay away from Bovoni, Contant, Hospital Ground, & Smith Bay. If you like to live where people chain their dogs and keep them outside 24/7, then Fortuna is your place.

If you are going to be working in the TUTU area, look in the Mandahl, Misgunst, Dorothea - all on the north side of the island and the commute is bareable.

Again I don't get the comments on Smith Bay. There are many respectable communities in Smith Bay, including Point Pleasant and Pineapple Village. Coki beach is awesome, you have high class dining in the neighborhood, and it is a easy hop over the hill to TuTu for shopping and Red Hook and the ferry to STJ are right down the road. I live by many fun, educated, working professionals. What scares you all so much of about Smith Bay? I commute 30 minutes to the airport from here. Heck, maybe I should keep my mouth shut as to keep rent down. 😀

You MUST be kidding! Where on earth did you live on STX? Hubby & I have lived here for two years and couldn't be happier or safer!

That's nice for you. Unfortunately, there are no absolute "safe" areas on STX. Some years ago, I lived in a very fancy, very expensive East End neighborhood, and had my apartment broken into by armed men who were tipped off by a gardener working in the area. The burglars were interrupted by a very brave neighbor of mine who proceeded to get shot at while the guys took off in a truck. Despite getting the license plate of the truck, the VI police were never able to find the armed burglars because, they said, they talked to the owner of the truck who swore that he "forgot" who he lent it out to that day my house was robbed.

Better to be cynical and safe, than surprised and sorry. We do have the highest violent crime rate in the country, folks.

But STX sure is pretty, ain't she!

IT

Been here 5 years living on the north side in St. Peter and Hull Bay. It's a Frenchie area and they take care of their own, and their tenants!
I feel absolutely safe at home--don't even always lock the door when I am out. People here pay attention to what is going on around them and report suspicious behavior. There are also tales of "Frenchie justice", where the bad guys sleep with the fishes, as it were. The east end--Nazareth, Secret Harbor and Cowpet Bay are equally safe and can be more luxurious--but I'm not a condo guy and it's a little too white bread out there for me.

IslandPilots also has a point about Smith Bay. It covers a huge geographical area--all the way to Red Hook--and much--maybe most--is perfectly safe. But the gritty core has a number of bars and other establishments that have had more than their share of violence. I guess the deal is see what you are getting into and talk to the neighbors!

Good luck!

I think the whole point of this thread is that you have to look at neighborhoods yourself. It is silly to say "Don't live on Back Street," as there are very few residential apartments there. If you move here, get a place for a month or so. Ask people where they live. Find out what routes you want to take, what amenities you need or want to be near. Look at a variety of places. Tutu is pretty mid-island. You could live anywhere you want and it will be fairly convenient.