Family of 6 relocating to St. Thomas

Prepare for a hundred different opinions based on your wants. I live on STX and believe that anywhere on the island counts as easily accessible for activities. You can drive from one end to the other in 45 minutes or less. There are shops and restaurants within 10 to 15 minutes of basically anywhere you live here. The amount and variety will be different of course. It sounds like you'll want at least a 4 bedroom if some kids are sharing rooms. There are also different climate zones on STX. East side is much drier with different types of vegetation. West end is where the "rain forest" is located and obviously a much wetter climate with larger trees and different plants. "Family friendly" is also very subjective. What is great for one family may be a disaster for others. Will your husband and you be working and if so what kind of work will you be doing? This may help in the decision making process of where you should move.

St Thomas is only 3 miles wide by 13 miles long so nothing is far from anywhere although the mountainous topography makes vehicle(s) a must and with a family that large, two cars is a given. Nowhere is going to afford you the ability to walk to shops and restaurants. Nor are there any specific "family friendly" areas. The "neighborhoods" here are vastly different from those in the majority of stateside locations.

Have you ever visited here? That to me would be an absolute must before you even think about where you might find somewhere suitable to live. Schooling is going to be a major issue too, and you need to come during the school year on that pre-move visit to check them out personally.

Unless you or your husband already have job(s) lined up, you need to be here to see what job opportunities might be available - but supporting a large family here is an expensive proposition!

Do read all the information at your fingertips top of this page on the pull-down menus from "The USVI" on the left to "Forum" on the right. When you've done that, I think you'll realize the importance of a pre-move visit to get a feeling for what living here is really all about and investigate your opportunities. Have fun researching and good luck!

@aconover. I recently visited the island of St. Croix alone. My wife and I have 4 kids as well!

I spent a week driving all over the island, looking at neighborhoods, housing, beaches, schools, etc. Had a great time! I will be making another visit shortly before making our final decision, but we are leaning towards making the move to STX.

Still waiting for some things to fall into place and then will make a final decision soon. PM me if you like.

Good luck! It's exciting!

my opinion, stx is more family friendly and country. stt is very touristy and busy. they say driving near the cruise ships can be a chore and make what should be a short trip very long?

beaches and water sports abound on any of the islands.

read the posts that deal with education, health care, crime.

there are a few neighborhood like places on stx. judiths fancy, queens quarters, a few others i am sure.

unless you live in town you will most likely not walk anywhere. well, the gallows bay area if you lived near there, you could walk to a few things

do some research on here and then come back and ask more questions.

my opinion, stx is more family friendly and country. stt is very touristy and busy. they say driving near the cruise ships can be a chore and make what should be a short trip very long?

Your opinion based on how much time spent on St Thomas? STT is "touristy and busy" in the "touristy and busy" commercial areas. Outside of those hubs the living is quiet and very family-orientated/friendly. All I hear where I live is the cooing of the ground doves, the cheeping of the bananquits and the occasional "thump" when an iguana falls out of a tree during the day - while at night nothing but the chirruping of the tree frogs and the sound of the waves way below.

The OP must have a reason for relocating to STT - we just don't have all the details. Probably a job which isn't available on STX.

St Thomas gets the bulk of tourists from Feb to April, and those tourists make it possible for St Thomas to have a variety of attractions year round that visitors and locals enjoy. Butterfly Garden and Coral World are very good kids' excursions and are also educational.

St Croix has kids' activities, too, but are less well advertised.

Different strokes for different folks.
Each island is different and offers their own unique charms and challenges.

I was in town yesterday around Havensite where the cruise ships dock and it was a busy ship day but I was in and out fairly quickly as the road expansions they've made in Havensite and to the bottom of the Raphune Hill road have immensely improved the traffic flow.
Once you're out of commercial areas, especially during the height of tourist season which is short, it's pretty quiet and peaceful and the distances ones drives are pretty much without traffic. You just pick your routes.

IMO, there's more to do on STT, should you choose and access to St. John with their National Park and beaches, quaint town (with very little parking in and around town), the BVI and our numerous outlying islands is better than from STX.

Everyone will have their needs in different areas. It's a matter of finding the balance that works best for your particular situation.

STX does have cheaper rentals and housing prices than STT from what I've seen but it may not have the job market you require.

My location on the Northside of STT is similar to Old Tarts.
The sounds I hear are the same. The ocean from the Bay below the house, various birds and the wild parakeets and, yes, the occasional thud from an iguana falling out of a tree! When there's a hard rain, it's like being in the middle of a rainforest and listening to rushing rivers!

Good luck whatever you choose.

I also hear the same things as Alana and OT, with the occasional sound of my wife yelling at me to stop causing trouble on this site.

ot, it is so sweet of you to be so concerned about how i derived my opinion. thank you

It's patently obvious that your knowledge of St Thomas is either non-existent or extremely limited and I've absolutely no doubt that if any of we St Thomians were rude enough to make negative comments about St Croix you'd be all over us. Save the condescending tone and the negative glittering generalities until there comes a time when you know what you're talking about.

*ding ding.......Fight!

Another thread where someone is looking for advice and it turns into a public argument about NOTHING!!!

*ding ding.......Fight!

Another thread where someone is looking for advice and it turns into a public argument about NOTHING!!!

Never saw that happen.. 😉

*ding ding.......Fight!

Another thread where someone is looking for advice and it turns into a public argument about NOTHING!!!

Not about "nothing" and relevant to living here when - year after year and decade after decade - some people who live on STX who have no knowledge of St Thomas seem to fall victim to a pervading virus, "SaintThomianbashitis". Must be something in the air over there.

I gave my advice, am always more than happy to give my advice, have been helping people relocate here for years and years but simply get testy when people bash my home and blithely toss out misinformation on it. That's all.

(tu)

(tu)

I was hoping for another monetizing opportunity for a fight on pay per view, vimeo, or YouTube. The VI needs more viral videos!

I'm a lover not a fighter.. *-)

But I'm willing to fight to make cash..

In all fairness, we are busier than STX, thanks to having a great harbor and ports for cruise ships and it's always been that way. However, OT is right when it comes to the St. Thomas bashing. We don't bash STX like the bashings we get from STX posters. There is a rivalry for whatever perceived notion from people that don't actually live here on STT or have spent any actual time on STT.

My niece, who is Tomian and a beautiful, gracious, talented and well educated woman from an excellent family background, was dating a Crucian who is a gorgeous, gracious, talented and well educated man from an excellent family, said the same thing when meeting people in STX about how much they'd put STT down.

Luckily, they didn't let the opinion of others get in the way of "true love" and are now happily married! A truce insued at the wedding!
Hopefully, one will here on this forum.

HAPPY EASTER!

Since you have children in various age groups, I would imagine their education and the costs would be a priority. Best to concentrate your efforts on the options you prefer for your children, then it might be easier to ascertain what's suitable for lifestyle and budget.

i have never bashed stt ( at least not that i can remember ) and no i do not consider saying it is busier to be bashing, but if you do-oh well . and if you chose to bash stx that is your choice.

My comments were made just "in general", speee1dy. Not directed at you.;) Or anyone else for that matter.

oh alana, i am sorry you thought my comments were directed at you. not at all.

it just seems that a certain person feels the need to comment in a negative way on everything i comment on. it would be nice if this certain person would find a new hobby, you know-back to playing with the false ads on craigs list or something equally productive

I do know the feeling.

Thanks for the great and helpful feedback so far.. A few of you asked for more details in order to better help us, so here is a little more about our situation..

We own a business that we are being bought out of. This will fund our move and means of living. We have not been to St. Thomas, but have been to similar places in the Caribbean. Our draw to St. Thomas stems from a business opportunity, but it's an opportunity that is some what flexible, so we are not limited to that specific island. We do plan to visit St. Thomas, but our trip will focus more on the business opportunity. We plan to take some time while there, to look at places to live. We would like to narrow down our search to 4-5 areas, which may or may not include other islands. Moving to the Caribbean has been a dream of ours for a long time. After many years of working corporate jobs and owning and running a business we are ready for a change of pace and lifestyle for our family...

Thanks again for all the great feedback! I sincerely appreciate it!

well, if you change and want to consider stx, pipe up. would be more than glad to help

thanks alana