Gentle Winds or CandleReef?

I have only see the outside of Candle Reef, and I really like it. They seem to have different styles and floor plans and its a GREAT neighborhood. I can't really comment on Gentle Winds except to say that I heard it's nice too.

IMHO gentle winds is in the most beautiful condo setting on st croix, when you first drive in and go down the road to the beach and pool area and see the windswept reefs and the other islands in the distance it just takes your breath away, the whole shore line from salt river to carambola is magnificent and unlike anything else on the island.

I too like Gentle Winds. But I've never been inside any of the units. Look at the specific unit you are renting before you sign anything. Each condo is individually owned.

I'm not sure where Candle Reef is, but if you are going to be working I would factor that into your decision. If C R is East of Csted, you would have to drive thru town each way to and from work in traffic if you are working North or West of Csted. Sunny Isle area is also a area to try to avoid during rush hours as well. Yes I know that the traffic there isn't near as bad as most cities, but it still is a little wait.
Gentle Winds is located so you can get to anywhere but the East end without going thru bad traffic areas.

Gentle Winds is in a beautiful setting, but it is somewhat farther away from things (stores,schools,etc). It is very visible from the road. It is near Cane Bay restaurants and diving. Candle Reef on Ms. Bea Rd. is on the east end just past The Buccaneer and only a few miles to Christianstad. It is somewhat hidden away, even many locals have never noticed it. It also has a beautiful,almost private beach. Terry's advice is good about where you are going to be driving to regularly. But Linda J's advice is best. The units can be very very different when it comes to views, furniture,condition. The sales price for a Candle Reef condo is much higher for similar sized units.

If you have checked out location, then I would make my decision based on the condition of the unit. Candle Reef is more residential, one HOA there even prohibits short term rentals. I could be happy in either if the the place felt like home to me.

This is as much an "east end vs west end" question as it is a comparison of the two condo complexes. Both are waterfront with sandy beaches and the units for sale fall into the high end price range. Candle Reef is usually more expensive to purchase than Gentle Winds. Each has units in good condition and units in deplorable condition. Definitely check the specific units available for rent as part of making your selection.

Gentle Winds has a mixture of occupancy that includes live-in owners, snow-bird owners, long-term tenants (lots of Hovensa people), and short-term vacationers. Candle Reef's HOA doesn't allow rental periods of less than 3 months, so you don't have short-term vacation tenants moving in and out each week. Gentle Winds allows pets, even large dogs.

The beach complex at Gentle Winds is set up more like a resort hotel, with a bar by the swimming pool and palapas on the beach. They have a games room and a lending library and some meeting rooms by the beach, also, plus acres and acres of lawns. They're fairly secluded in their location and there is not a lot of traffic. The condo buildings are set well off the main north shore road and just west of Salt River. It's about a 15-20 minute drive back into Christiansted from the condos and about 12-15 minutes to Sunny Isle and Hovensa. Country Day school is 5 minutes away.

Candle Reef is buried back behind a residential neighborhood off of Miss Bea Road, east of Cheeseburgers in Paradise. It's definitely more residential in feel, where Gentle Winds combines residential with tourist resort. As terry said, lthough it's only 10-12 minutes from Candle Reef to Christiansted, you then have to drive through town to get to anywhere else you might want to go. For some people, living east of Christiansted is one of their objectives and others like being more centrally located.

If your activities will include the yacht club, you might want to live towards the east. If you prefer hanging out at Cane Bay, then Gentle Winds might get the nod. Both have golf courses nearby. Gentle Winds is closer to more of the shopping options and to the two main private schools. If you have school age children, the commute to transport them each day/each way plus additional trips to school for activities is wise to take into account. If you are retiring without children of that age, then it wouldn't come into play.

You would likely be happy at either complex. Another nice waterfront condo complex you might consider is Pelican Cove.