California girl needing a change!

You might want to do a pre-move visit. In fact, it's pretty important since you haven't been here. There are lots of single women who hae moved here. You could find a small apartment for that price. I don't know what kind of inside sales you do so I can't comment on salary comparisons. Certainly, it's not as humid here as most hot places in the States. September & early October are the warmest & most humid due to ocean breezes dying down a bit at that time.

We have some shallow people here, too. 🙂 They're probably not as Botoxed though.

Hi! I'm 27 too and moving for some of the reasons you are. I have always wanted to go to UVI for marine biology. If you haven't learned already nursing and teaching are 2 of the biggest professions in constant demand. This site (not these boards) have a lot of good general information about what to expect in the USVI.

As far as making the actual move, it would be much much easier if you were willing to come down here with nothing other than money. Expect about $3000 per car and about $3000 to ship a 1 bedroom apartment. You can use the USPS to ship for pretty cheap - it just takes a couple weeks for things to arrive and you can't ship really large stuff.

This thread gave me a pretty good idea of what island life is like: https://www.vimovingcenter.com/talk/read.php?4,84216
I ordered this book and a copy of the local newpaper: http://www.vitraders.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=21-01&Category_Code=Rel

Things to be aware of: the island is ~75% black, St Thomas is 13x4 miles, St Croix is 22x7 miles, electric costs are around $200/mo for a 1br apt, water is around $65/mo, you will need a car to get around, there is no AE, Express, Target, Wal-Mart, etc... customer service is purportedly horrible, the islands are on the Puerto Rico Trench, a 6 mile deep trench that is capable of washing the islands away with a tsunami...

Things to look forward to: the island is paradise, there is diving off-shore, the trade winds carry a relatively low-humidity breeze year round, temperatures don't vary much and are predictable, life is slow(er) paced and more laid back, the islands are rich in culture, people accept you for who you are (except nativists), the geography is GORGEOUS...

As far as the islands go St Thomas is going to be a bit more expensive than St Croix. You could probably find a small 1br place for $750/mo on St Croix where you could expect $950 for the same place on St Thomas.

More important to me than anything else is the water, weather, and geography. I expect to run into things I don't like, but I've run into those everywhere I've lived - even San Diego. I LOVE watersports, boating, diving, snorkeling, sunning... some of the things that make me happiest.

Thanks for the quick reply! Unfortunately I havent finished school yet, and Im not really sure what career path I would take while going.

I love the outdoors as well and the island life sounds amazing. I experience the "slowness" people talk about from my 1 week trip to Hawaii several years back. Does the city life at STT compare to here at all? Do you ever feel like you run out of things to do there?

I would probably end up only taking some clothes with me and selling the furniture I currently have, execpt maybe my mattress since it's probably the best mattress in the world!! I do have an 08 Jeep though that I just bought and would hate to give up.

I also hear a lot about dogs, but are there any cats on the island? I dont have either but if I had to choose it would be to have a cat.

At this point, I guess I do have to plan a PMV but it sounds pretty great (except for the electric costs!). Here's a stupid question, do they have any gyms to go to down there?

I think I definitely need to do more research on moving, but it sounds awesome to just be able to sell everything, pack light, and start over somewhere.

I have an 07 Nitro and I don't know about you but I spend about $300/mo on fuel alone so I think the high utility costs will offset our savings at the pump. I would have sold the Nitro but I would end up owing more than it would cost to ship so I decided to take it. Plus I heard a lot of the more secluded, beautiful spots require a 4WD vehicle to get to so it's not a total loss.

Look into a place called Red Hook, it's the more happening place on St Thomas, with more of a night life for singles.

We will also be a short 350 mile flight to South America, and right across the pond from Puerto Rico.

Are you going to finish school on the island? That would be so cool... I'm probably going to start in the Spring. I was studying computer science but am considering changing to marine biology.

Well I really was thinking of studying art but it doesnt look like they have much of an art program there.

Not that Im really concerned with the black population, but does anyone know if they have the typical "ghetto" attitudes?

Hi ariesaca,
not sure what you mean by "typical ghetto attitudes".

And the door opens..........This is a sit back and laugh thread.

Ok - lol - I truly dont mean to offend anyone by asking this but I probably am going to. Most of the black people here tend to be flamboyant and have this "oh NUH UH Gfriend, you did NOT just say that to ME" - they just seem to have this demeaning approach when it comes to being in the same room with white people. 2 of my very close friends are black, but they dont act that way. They always refer to the others as "ghetto". Maybe it's the LA type but they have this "I'm better than you complex" and they always seem to want to intimidate anyone who's white. Anyway, thats my two cents n I wanted to know what they're attitudes are like there or if they're just down to earth with everyone they meet.

Ok - lol - I truly dont mean to offend anyone by asking this but I probably am going to. Most of the black people here tend to be flamboyant and have this "oh NUH UH Gfriend, you did NOT just say that to ME" - they just seem to have this demeaning approach when it comes to being in the same room with white people. 2 of my very close friends are black, but they dont act that way. They always refer to the others as "ghetto". Maybe it's the LA type but they have this "I'm better than you complex" and they always seem to want to intimidate anyone who's white. Anyway, thats my two cents n I wanted to know what they're attitudes are like there or if they're just down to earth with everyone they meet.

I understand what you mean. And my guess would be no, not at all. At least I know they usually refer to themselves as Afro-Carribean. More of a cultural black person as opposed to a 'getto' black person.

Well I guess I can tell the huge difference between the Islanders (sweet and geniune) and the west coast kind who typically dont act that way at all. My dad is from Aruba so my background is Dutch, Portugese and a small percentage of black. I just know there is a major difference in the Western cultured people and I tend to really like the Islanders more! (tu)

I think maybe you need to visit yourself & make your own decisions. And none of us just get on a plane & take a 350 mile ride right to South America. *-)

And cats are hardly an endangered species here.

You do realize that the islands population is about 85% black, 12% hispanic and 3% anglo? Are you sure this is where you want to live?

And none of us just get on a plane & take a 350 mile ride right to South America. *-)

Why not?

Why am I getting the feeling people are posting in threads to deter people from coming there?

PLEASE KEEP YOUR BEHIND IN CALIFORNIA!!!

"Why not?"

For one reason, I can't go to the Cyril E. King airport here & get a flight to S. America. In many cases, I'd have to fly NW to Miami to get to S. America.

"Why am I getting the feeling people are posting in threads to deter people from coming there?"

Most of us have lived here for a long time & have seen people with pie in the sky ideas about living La Vida Loca down here who come & as soon as they see it's not all beaches & pina coladas. They will probably have to work harder than they ever have in the States just to eke out a living & therefore turn tail and run back so we try to tell it like it is to save them the money & trouble. But go right ahead.

I learned a long time ago that the VI is what it is. It got along without me before & it will get along without me after I'm gone & I'm not going to change the way things are done or the way it's been for a lotta years. And that may be why I've made a very nice life for myself for 26 years down here. YMMV.

Oh ariesaca! I'm sure you didn't mean to be offensive, but what you said was very ignorant. Of course all the black people in the VI are not "ghetto". It is like asking if all the white people from a certain state are trailer trash. All the people of any race, nationality, religion etc are not the same. Most people also respond to how you treat them.

Thanks Sabrina. I agree that it was was incredibly ignorant and offensive. I guess Ariesaca thinks only white folks read this board.

I don't think anyone here is trying to deter anyone from coming. After you have been here for a year or two you will see your fair share of people that try to make it here (not talking about temporary workers) and simply can't afford it or find its not what they thought. So many people have an idea of what they think it is like to live here and usually they are wrong, its simply just another type of place to live. It is nothing like anywhere I have lived in the states. It really takes a year or two to really adjust. To get past the honeymoon stage and the I hate it stage to the this is my home stage. People are trying to help and give you a fair idea of what island living is about.

If you are young and have nothing to loose and can save up enough money and want to try it then why not?

If you have kids, debt, etc I would think seriously about the costs and lifestyle changes it takes to make it here.

Hello again

Thanks for all the input and again - I didnt want to offend anyone -I agree my choice of words SUCKED. My biggest worry is that I'm not discriminated against just because I look like the stereotypical "California Girl". I tend to not get a lot of respect in areas that whites are a minority even THOUGH I do approach everyone kindly. I guess I just have to see for myself but I am still interested in at seeing the island.

My whole GOAL is to get away from rude and ignorant people so I'm hoping that I can find a sense of peace there.

Anyway, thanks again for your help.

The only thing you can come here to "get away" from is SNOW!!

So is what you're saying is that everyone in California is rude and ignorant, and no-one in the USVI is rude and ignorant?

Sign me up!!

"...My whole GOAL is to get away from rude and ignorant people..."

Good luck with that!

ariesaca, you will find a lot of people aren't comfortable talking about race, so it's necessary to side-step around your point, or just to go see for yourself - unfortunately. I learned a lot while I was in the Navy and being uptight about race, color, nationality, or creed is just silly and just stands in the way of people coexisting comfortably.

One of my best friends on the ship was from Antigua, grew up in the Bronx, and was indeed very ghetto. And I was very much white. We recognized that and once we were able to get past it, we were able to throw jokes back and forth (nothing derogatory or personal) and just let our guard down. Everybody comes from different backgrounds and once people recognize that different cultures share different characteristics, good or bad, there would be a lot more headway to be made in terms of acceptance and integration.