family move to STX

Hello Tom,

You have a great plan in place! Might I suggest you post your list of questions here... myself and others might be able to answer a few, give opinions on others, or perhaps just direct you to the quickest way of finding the answer once on island. Also might help others who are planning; perhaps they have your same questions or might not have thought of some you did. 🙂

I know that many of the private schools offer discounted tuition to students with parents employed at the school. I don't know whether any offer an exchange but it would seem that if you were negociating salary that perhaps opting for a lower salary for higher percentage off might be something worth discussing. Check out the schools/education section of this site (go to the home page using the link at the top and then you can find education)... from there choose St. Croix Schools, the private schools with web sites are clickable - you can then go to their web sites and read through their employment/application information.

You might look over the dive businesses, do some research there. (I haven't updated this list for a while.)
www.anchordivestcroix.com
www.canebayscuba.com/
www.divexp.com
www.n2blue.com/
www.divescubawest.com
www.scorevi.com
www.stcroixscubashack.com
www.stcroixscuba.com/

Here are some construction businesses on STX:
Custom Builders (340) 773-8897
All Points Construction(340) 773-4558
Tip Top Construction (340) 773-5252
Northshore Partners (340) 778-2446
Hutchins Construction (340) 778-7811
RJ Quinn & Company (340) 773-4459

Check the yellow pages for others: www.viphonebook.com

--Islander

OK, fair enough. However some of these questions have been covered in earlier messages. Our concerns are quite the same as those who came before us:

1) We would love for our children to attend public schools but my wife has done some research and they don’t seem to be very stable. So which school and how much,

2) How much to transport a car by ship container. Cheaper to buy one on the island?

3) Location of real estate near chosen school.

4) Is my 250 Honda motorcycle a good idea or am I going to get killed

5) How much to transport our household goods by ship. Maybe 40’ container

6) How many hurricanes a year average and how bad is it really?

7) Does your house survive hurricanes?

8) Is it really paradise after a while?

9) Do people feel land locked?

10) Is the boating/sailing really wonderful?

11) After being there for a few years how to families feel about their choice?

12) Is it more expensive to order and ship items by DHL (or equal) and does it take longer. I keep reading about people who are waiting on car parts. Why not just order them and get them shipped to your house and fix the darn car yourself or take the parts to your mechanic?

13) When your children grow up do they just want to leave the island or do they want to stay?

The truth is that we can find the logistical answers ourselves through the web and proper research. My real questions for you islanders is more mental and emotional. What is it really like to live and raise a family in St. Croix. Is this a good idea for my family (you can’t answer that, only we can). Do the born and bred islanders resent the newcomers. Will my children feel accepted or outcast. Is being a lily white 47 year old man a hindrance. Is selling a business that has been profitable and good to us a good idea. Will my wife (who’s idea this was in the first place) still love her idea in five years. Not really questions that people can answer for us but still the questions I have in mind.

I'll answer some of your questions:

1.I graduated from Good Hope School, another private school is Country Day. Tour both schools and see which one is the best fit. I think Good Hope has the better campus (on the beach) and has a more diverse student body, IMO.

4. A lot of the roads here are narrow and curvy in some places.. there are motorcyclists, but I don't think it's the safest place to ride one.

6. Our last significant hurricanes were: 1989, 1995, 1998, and 1999. The one before that was 1928, so the frequency widely varies, but I think I read somewhere a long time ago that we're currently in an era where hurricanes are more frequent.

7. It depends. 95% of the homes lost their roofs in the catastrophic Hugo in 1989, but building codes have improved considerably since then. Marilyn in 1995 was pretty bad, but moreso in St. Thomas. The last two storms, Georges in 1998 and Lenny in 1999, did not cause considerable damage, as they did not hit the islands directly. It really depends on the house, and the strength of the storm. If you see a house still standing after all the storms we've had, that shows how sturdy the house is. You should be OK, as long as the house meets all codes and is sturdy. It's not incredibly likely that a Category 3,4, or 5 (hurricanes capable of considerable damage) will directly hit the island, though it can happen.

8. Depends on the person's perception of what is going on around them. A hard question to answer. I feel that it is paradise, with a few drawbacks (crime, poverty, bad economy, inefficient gov't), but as a native Crucian, I feel that the positives (beauty, nature, diversity, climate, ocean, etc... ) outweigh the negatives considerably. Living here (or in the Caribbean in general, for that matter) is an experience that cannot be duplicated anywhere else.

9. Sometimes people feel landlocked, especially if they're used to moving around freely on the mainland. Again, this depends on the person.

11. Some feel good about the move, some don't. I've known families that have moved back after two years, and I've known some who have stayed and have never looked back.

12. DHL, like Fedex and UPS are considerably more expensive than the US Postal Service. However, a big drawback of the US Postal Service is that they can take forever for Priority Mail, especially during the Xmas season.

13. Young people in high school tend to look forward to moving to the states (most college-bound Virgin Islanders study on the mainland instead of UVI). However, the funny thing is that as soon as they hit the mainland, they tend to miss home and long for it. I am a prime example of this. All my childhood, I, as well as other kids, always saw the states as the "land of everything", with all kinds of stores and stuff the islands don't have. However, I feel that as kids mature and become less intriguied by stuff like big shopping malls and things of that nature, we tend to appreciate the islands more. After high school I couldn't wait to leave to Rhode Island, but as soon as the harsh New England weather hit me and I was without my island, I longed to go back for Xmas and summer breaks.

However, though young people tend to eat their words and miss the islands once they hit college, many of them do not return permanently. This is an issue that is still prevalent in Virgin Islands society, with many educated people leaving for college and never returning for good. Though I'll spend some time on the mainland for a few years after school, I will definitely return permanently. I feel a need to turn out the misconception that St. Croix has nothing to offer for college graduates.

Do born and bred islanders resent newcomers? For the most part, no. As long as you are respectful, you will be respected. Respect is a two-way street. St. Croix has always been a melting pot of people from other places, but a few might feel as if you're coming to take their jobs way (of course, this depends on the field you're going to be in). However, if you bring something to the table that helps the island and contributes, you will be welcomed.

There's my two...thousand *lol* cents....

And about your wife, Good Hope is always in need of teachers for the new year, as St. Croix has a shortage of teachers. Give them a call and see what you can get. If not, check out Country Day.

Dominic,

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I am coming to the island the first week of Feb. for a "look around". I am staying with a local in an attempt to feel the lifestyle. I completely understand one can not do this staying in a resort. My wife and I have a two year plan. This trip is dedicated to finding a school for our children, talk to folks about future employment in the custom home building industry, shop for; food, doctors, dentist, marinas, etc. Drive the island. Buy a building lot and maybe a small home.

You mention the crime rate. There is crime everywhere but it certainly raises my eyebrows. Are you talking muggings, drugs, home invasion, child abductions...? I am very concerned about bringing my children to a place where there is an overly high crime rate. Is the crime rate higher on one side/end of the island vs. another? This would help with my real estate hunt..

Thanks again.

You mention the crime rate. There is crime everywhere but it certainly raises my eyebrows. Are you talking muggings, drugs, home invasion, child abductions...? I am very concerned about bringing my children to a place where there is an overly high crime rate. Is the crime rate higher on one side/end of the island vs. another? This would help with my real estate hunt..

Home invasions, occasional muggings, certainly drugs. Can't remember any child abductions. I don't find the crime rate to be overly high, but the young men tend to have vendettas which sometimes result in a homicide. Too many illegal firearms.

This is NOT paradise. You should be able to afford property in an area that has a strong homeowners association and a neighborhood watch. You may want to fence your property and have a couple of aggressive dogs patrolling it. You'll need to put good locks on your doors, and have strong doors. Electronic equipment seems to be a favorite target, and anything that has a speaker attached to it or that can be attached to a speaker.

Put your children in private school, either Good Hope or Country Day. Either one is good, it will depend on how close you are to either school. You will probably end up purchasing property on the eastern end of the island, so Country Day will be closer. Your children will be unhappy in public school, and will be picked on.

You are coming to an island that, while beautiful, has lost all of its native culture. You would not even have to lock your doors if this place was as it used to be. Unfortunately, we have been saturated with American culture and values, everyone is chasing the dollar, materialism is rampant. You can live here, but you have to be very careful.

Once again, thanks for the advice. I will take a good hard look, with out the rose colored glasses on, when I visit next month.

Tom wrote:

> Once again, thanks for the advice. I will take a good hard
> look, with out the rose colored glasses on, when I visit next
> month.

Great idea. Just this morning on a talk-show a lady who moved here last July from Arizona called to say that there was a dead horse in front of her house. Dead horses are not uncommon here, because the young men will ride them until they drop and they are also allowed to roam freely and get struck by automobiles (of which paradise has way too many, but that's another story.)

Anyway, the dead horse cannot be removed for days because we are in the throes of Carnival season and all government employees are off. It's impossible to get anything done during carnival season, because they won't stop the carnival.

You will likely be appalled at the lack of attention to basic details.

Local Resident,

How long have you lived in STX. I am curious if you are trying to scare me away or really are being kind and pointing out what others won’t.

More on the philosophic side of your questions...

I think it is very difficult to forecast how someone will feel about actually living in the Virgin Islands, but my own extremely humble opinion is that there are red flags...

If someone is concerned with HOW things are done in the states versus how they are done here they will be constantly at odds with life.

If someone is on the impatient side, the daily slowness and bureaucracy will wear on them.

If someone is accustomed to the trappings of modern middle-class life in the United Sates: picking up fresh shitake mushrooms for dinner, listening to satellite radio, requiring second day mail delivery, life will be a challenge.

My advice would be (if you decide to move) to make a family contract to stay for a period of time- a year or so- then reconsider if it is what you want. There are a lot of people who don't stay 3-6 months, but if you make it to a year and extend, set another goal- maybe 2 years. I would put off making any long-term decisions (buying a house or lot) until then.

Read the online newspapers. Local Resident mentioned the local talk shows- I believe you can pick up Radio One on the Internet- www.wvwi.net- excellent source of local opinion! Don't burn your bridges back home. Make sure you have adequate capital to make the move. Stop and smell the roses! 😉

Tom wrote:

> Local Resident,
>
> How long have you lived in STX. I am curious if you are trying
> to scare me away or really are being kind and pointing out what
> others won’t.

I'm from here, born and raised. Spent some time in the military, lived all over the US and also Europe (Germany), then came back home when I got out of the Army.

I love it here, and wouldn't live anywhere else. My wife was born and raised in Manhattan, visited the island eighteen years ago, and has been here ever since. She actually cries whenever she has to leave. We have a lot of friends who have moved here from all over the US and are very comfortable, and don't want to go anywhere else. Some of the richest people I know live here, and they can afford to live anywhere on the planet. They ache to return whenever they leave. It affects some people that way, and we can look past the potholes, inept government, bad public schools, lack of mainland-type shopping and services, etc.

All I'm trying to point out is that this is a lovely place with very nice people, but it only takes one idiot to ruin your day and we have our share of idiots. Your home has to be your castle here, more so than any other place I've lived. You have to create for yourself and your family a haven to come to where the stresses of island life disappear. You will find that the older folks are very nice, they still have some West Indian in them...but the young men need some guidance, because they are a problem. Too much hip-hop and cRAP music influence.

Not trying to scare you away at all...just have your eyes wide open, and realize that living here is very different from just visiting. You have to be able to still appreciate the beauty of the island and it's inherent charm even after driving through that pothole for the umpteenth time, after standing in line for your license, after having to fill your cistern because you ran out of water, after WAPA shuts the power off AGAIN...the stuff we locals go through all the time, which doesn't deter us from loving our home.

I have to disagree with "localresident" about us "losing our native culture". That is so blantatly wrong. St. Croix has a culture distinctly dfferent from that of the mainland, and though we have elements of American culture in our society, it has not run us over, and we still cling to our own cultural ways. Just look at the Crucian Christmas Festival! That is one piece of evidence that shows that our native culture is alive and well, and we are doing our best to preserve it and protect ourselves from assimilation. You need to see things from both sides of the picture, "localresident."

Also, why do you say that he will "probably" live on the east end. Not everyone is interested in forming their own little enclave away from the rest of the populace, most of whom are decent, hard-working and law-abiding people.

"Localresident" is correct about the crime, though. Almost all of the homicides occur between people who know each other and have issues with each other. Muggings and home invasions happen from time to time, so take "localresident"'s advice in protecting your home. This is not a war zone or anything like that, you just need to be careful with certain things. Overall, I feel that this is a safe place for children - after all, I was a child not too long ago 🙂

I agree with everything EastEnder said too.

Oh, East Ender how true you are! LOL.

Even though I have managed to make it through 2 years and own a home here, oh how I have missed SF's selection of mushrooms (portabello, shiitake,etc. --take your pick), farmer's fresh yogurts, arugula, alternative cinemas, entertainment, thai restaurants...

To your sage advice, I I would add, "take each day at a time." There are days when I can't imagine being back in "congested, dreary" SF or NY, then there are others where I pray hubby will tire of this place and allow me to squire our family back to "civilization."

Well, I certainly did open up a can of worms. Thank you all for chiming in. I have lived for 47 years within a five mile radius of where I was born in Columbus, Ohio. This is a great place to raise a family. The area we live is very safe (relatively speaking) and our children go to a very good public school system. I own a successful small business and we boat all summer on the great lakes (lake Erie mostly). The big BUT is this. my wife and I want to live somewhere else with warm weather, oceans and boating before we are to old to get out and enjoy it. We are hoping our children will lay down roots of their own and stay near to us vs. we wait until they grow and we move away from them. The biggest thing I know I will miss is …ice hockey. I still play a few times a week and also coach my sons travel team. I have been playing for over 35 years.

After reviewing other locations we thought we had decided on STX. It seems the best fit. Larger island, less tourism, US territory so no visas needed, island future growth of economy is hopeful, as US citizens living there seems to offer more protection than living in an other country. We can own property. Etc.

These are just a few of the reasons we have chosen STX. However, I have no desire to relocate my children into an environment that is hostile. We are selling our business that has been very good to us so this is a very big deal to us. There will be no moving back, because “back” will be sold and gone.

I lived in Columbus & can I just say I hated it!!!! I think anywhere one chooses to go to will have the ups and downs. There are so called great areas in any city or state and they will still have some bad crimes. I live in San Diego and our gangs are terrible and we have home invasions too...along with abductions! And we call ourselves America's Finest City ;0)

Tom,

I think whether or not you and your family like St. Croix will depend almost entirely on your attitude. Personally, I love it here and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Local Resident mentions that an idiot can ruin his day. Personally, I would never let an idiot ruin my day-I would just have a good laugh. I never let potholes, inept government, the lack of shopping alternatives, and so on bother me, but I’m sorry for people who are bothered by these things and we definitely need some improvements! Again, it’s all attitude. We have a saying here: Positive is how I live!

FormerOhioGuy wrote:

> Tom,
>
> I think whether or not you and your family like St. Croix will
> depend almost entirely on your attitude. Personally, I love it
> here and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Local Resident
> mentions that an idiot can ruin his day. Personally, I would
> never let an idiot ruin my day-I would just have a good laugh.
> I never let potholes, inept government, the lack of shopping
> alternatives, and so on bother me, but I’m sorry for people who
> are bothered by these things and we definitely need some
> improvements! Again, it’s all attitude. We have a saying here:
> Positive is how I live!

Tom, the reality is that anyone who lives a middle-class life in the United States today is accustomed to an incredible array of conveniences. You might even say that they are spoiled. To take such a person and plop them down onto an island that does not have that level of convenience will be uncomfortable for most people. We in the VI are used to being more self-reliant. We don't just preach conservatism, in a lot of ways we have to live it. For example, you learn to conserve water when you realize that all you have is what you collect from your roof during rains. St. Croix has had " too many lovers who used her and ran" (apologies to the Eagles.)
I'm not trying to discourage anyone from moving here, but I've seen too many who did and then, in short order, missed the winters (yes), the shopping, the sports, the museums, the malls, ad nauseum.
An idiot can certainly ruin your day when you go to a business and receive horrible treatment. My wife received such bad treatment at a business one day she broke down and cried, and said it was the one time she actually felt like leaving the island.
We recently had to spend two thousand dollars replacing ball joints on a 2001 vehicle due to having to drive the Midland road daily, so yes, the potholes can ruin your day. I am bothered by an inept government bureaucracy that always finds a way to delay the repair of said Midland road, sewer system, schools, etc. while giving themselves perks. I'm sorry if you are not, but we can't always have our heads in the sand here.

Dominic wrote:

> I have to disagree with "localresident" about us "losing our
> native culture". That is so blantatly wrong. St. Croix has a
> culture distinctly dfferent from that of the mainland, and
> though we have elements of American culture in our society, it
> has not run us over, and we still cling to our own cultural
> ways. Just look at the Crucian Christmas Festival! That is
> one piece of evidence that shows that our native culture is
> alive and well, and we are doing our best to preserve it and
> protect ourselves from assimilation. You need to see things
> from both sides of the picture, "localresident."

*** I stand corrected, you are absolutely right ****

> Also, why do you say that he will "probably" live on the east
> end. Not everyone is interested in forming their own little
> enclave away from the rest of the populace, most of whom are
> decent, hard-working and law-abiding people.

** not necessarily enclaves, but places that have a strong homeowners association. That is the only way to protect yourself from folks who want to do odd things that destroy the peace and quiet of the neighborhood, and I suspect you know exactly what I mean.
Think multiple junked cars in front yard, blaring stereos all weekend long, etc.

My wife and I are very self reliant. We always have been so I am not to worried about that. We live as a family on our boat at Lake Erie during the summers and we understand conservation. On a boat we have very limited resources and have taught the kids to conserve. I am concerned however about poor manners or harsh treatment from shop owners or vendors. Having owned my own business for all these years I may not quite be up for that. I am curious, if jobs are hard to come by, then why the poor treatment from vendors. One would think that they would really bend over backwards to make their clients happy, if not they would loose their jobs.

Thanks

Tom wrote:

> My wife and I are very self reliant. We always have been so I
> am not to worried about that. We live as a family on our boat
> at Lake Erie during the summers and we understand conservation.
> On a boat we have very limited resources and have taught the
> kids to conserve. I am concerned however about poor manners or
> harsh treatment from shop owners or vendors. Having owned my
> own business for all these years I may not quite be up for
> that. I am curious, if jobs are hard to come by, then why the
> poor treatment from vendors. One would think that they would
> really bend over backwards to make their clients happy, if not
> they would loose their jobs.
>
> Thanks

For the most part the vendors and staff are accomodating but you have your occasional sourpuss. Crucians (St. Croix residents) are very friendly and helpful. They will even let you into traffic, something I didn't see too much on the mainland 🙂
The overall atmosphere here, Tom, is relaxed and friendly, very congenial. We have a few problems, like anyplace that humans live.

Tom,

I just wanted to add my two cents. I have lived on St. Thomas now for 6 months with my husband and three kids. Kids love it. My husband has a good job and loves it. I am the only one in my family that has had a difficult time adjusting. I am from Kansas City, MO and I think everything is different here.

What I have come to understand is that it is more difficult for the wives to adjust than the rest of the family. I haven't pinpointed this down yet as to why it is this way, but it seems to be true.

Every person's experience here is different from everyone else's. I do suggest that you do your research - as you have been here on this board - be aware of the 'challenges' you will face. Be supportive of your wife. Your situation sounds somewhat similar to ours and your wife may or may not adjust as quickly as you will. My husband has been very understanding and supportive of me and without that I would have packed up and left a long time ago.

For the good news - We just returned from a two week trip to the States. I went gladly hoping to 'find' myself again in the shopping, Stateside conviences, restaurants, etc. We did eat out at Thai restaurants (our favorite - not found on the islands) and shop at Wal-mart. Funny thing happened though. I didn't feel the need to go shopping so much as just enjoy being with family. I did enjoy my longer showers - since water conservation is so important here - but found that didn't really matter so much after a while and I didn't feel like wasting the water. The point is that we missed the islands and just as importantly I missed the islands. I think I have just started to adjust and appreciate what I have here on STT. It just takes time.

What you should know is that the islands offer everything you need just not everything you want. So, it comes down to what you want and what you can adjust too. We have simplified our lives more than I ever thought possible and since returning to the islands, I want to simplify more. I think that our future on the island will be better than the last six months have been. I wish you and your family good luck with your endevors.

Teresa

Teresa,

Thanks for the input. My family is very close and we love to just spend time together. That is why we love to boat so much. We are all together and not bogged down by the rush of scouts, hockey, violin, tennis and on and on. During our time at the boat it is just us and we love it. At home when not chasing kid activities we are home bodies, play games, read, movies, homework and play some more. My wife and I are very close and I count my blessings. She is sick of all the “grey” weather we have here in Columbus, Ohio. She is extermly outgoing and easy to like. I do not feel the transition in that regard will be hard for us. My biggest concern is (selling my business and being without income) finding a good job and paying for 3 in the private schools.

Thanks.

tom

Tom: You just mentioned boats again...When you are doing your due diligence work, you might want to look at St Thomas and St John.... Not that they don't have boats on St Croix, but it is pretty far from other islands. From St Thomas and St John you can easily cruise the BVI on a weekend...Not that I want to confuse the point any further! 😉

Teresa,
I've been following youru story and am so happy to have read this new post! I hope you continue to adjust and someday you will forget all this adjusting you had to go through! I wish you and your family continued happiness on STT.

TOM,
I've been reading your posts too and the whole time I was reading them I was thinking, why aren't they looking at St. John? I think this would be a better fit for you and your family. But I'm not sure your reasonings for leaning towards St. Croix. The housing tends to be a little less on St. Croix and than on St. John, but I think the island and it's location is worth it. STT is bigger and if that is what you need for economy/job then that may be a better option too. I again recommend the settlers handbook. It lays out the three islands side by side so you can compare and get a better feel for them. Keep us posted on your decisions and happy moving!