Living simply - wanting little - having little - on Saint John?

Not unless you want camp on the beach in a tent. (which i think is legal on some beaches in St. John) St.John is very expensive, mostly rich, retired people that live in million dollar homes/ villas. Most take ferry every day to St. Thomas to work and shop. Even if you have alot of money St. John and Water Island can be very difficult at times to find a place to live. Very exclusive. If you like the USVI, St. Croix may suit you better financialy.

I'am sure people that were born and lived on island all their lives don't live in million dollar houses or villas. If you live like they do, why not?
One Love......Ironman

ironman--
Only 200 ppl live on Water Island and within the past 10 years or so people started living on it. No natives, just open land. No jobs, buses and or taxi's and no real grocery stores, only corner markets. Everyone who lives on these exclusive islands go to St. Thomas by ferry to do their buisness and they have lots of money to do so. Check the real estate listings and prices, you will see. If you see cheap housing ie: 1bed condo or house for rent for under $1,500.00 mth. Let me know. I'll be suprised. That is VERY rare. St. John is the much the same but not as exclusive as Water Island. 2bed 2bth home can go for $700-900,000.00 on these islands and one acre of land is atleast $150,000.00. Don't you think thats a little expensive?!

Aimee,
I think it is great to have so much input from people like you. Have you lived on the island long? Which one do you live on?

I must say though that I was somewhat distracted by your downing of the housing situation on STX> I will be there in less than 2 weeks for a month long pmv. I have spent time on the island in the past. I will be working to secure housing, etc. and can't believe it is that difficult to find "decent" and "safe" housing on STX at a reasonable price>

You indicated that "These islands are not ideal for that (minimal financial needs" and "only the basic essentials in life") unless you can legaly live on the beach. Which you can't because most of it is protected by law."

THAT is exactly what I am coming to the island to do - live a minimalistic life. There have to be people who live on the island that don't have huge bank accounts or fancy houses. People who live simply. Maybe that is the "element" you refer to in your posts about the seedy areas of the island to live. The common people of St. Croix.

That's all I want to be. A local - a commoner. And I have a degree and many years experience as a business analyst. I had it all once. It wasn't what it was cracked up to be. It's just stuff. I want to live a simple life on a beautiful island and do whatever I have to in this world to be the best person I can be. I have been blessed with opportunity to even be on the island, but also with openness of heart and mind. I don't want to transplant my lifestyle in the big city to a nicer view on the island. I want the island lifestyle.

It is discouraging to visitors of this board to hear someone so knowledgeable speak so harshly about many residential areas of the island. I believe that we should be honest and not sugar coat things, but don't down so many places - you never know where one of the "regulars" on this board live. You could be calling their home a "project" or something similar.

I do appreciate your informative posts - just if you could not be so harsh. I'm sure that is not your intent at all - you are just being the great informer that you are. That is great! Don't stop - just think about how someone else might interpret what you post.

Thanks everyone for all the great advice on this board. Can't wait to see you all!

Linda

I don't believe Aimee lives on-island. I think she visited once for a week.

Linda and I have lived on STX for almost 2 years and are experiences are very different from Aimee's. Please keep an open mind until your visit. And please post your impressions after you get here.

We are usually at Off the Wall on Saturday nights. If you see us, please introduce yourselves.

The truth of the matter is St. John is one of the more expensive places to live in the Caribbean but that doesn't mean it is impossible to live simply. It would just be a matter of setting priorities and figuring out if "simple" on St. John" offers you the level of comfort you as an individual deem is appropriate. I live on a neighboring island where there are $million+ villas and and one room shacks with dirt floors and no windows. It's been a while since I've been on St. John but I'm sure you can find both on that island.

All too often, non-islanders thinking about relocating to the Caribbean convince themselves they are looking for a simplistic and idealic lifestyle only to find they miss many of the conveniences they take for granted back home. Yes, it's easy to say I don't need much but you have to look at how you really look closely at your current lifestyle and decided what you are really willing to do without for the long term if you truly want to live simply. Since these requirement differ for everyone the only way to tell if YOU can live withinin your means on St. John (or any other island) is to make a pre-move visit during which you stay in appropriate accomodations (don't stay at a resort or hotel that caters to touristsas you'll get a false represntation of island life). Try to make this temporary stay last several weeks, shop like the locals, dine like the locals, make a daily comute like the locals, only then will you get a true feel for what island life is like and if it is right for you. Remember, living on an island is far different from going there on vacation - you have to actually earn your living, pay bills, eat, cloth yourself, etc. much the same as you do now. Island living is not better or worse than where you are now it's just different.

I find it amusing how Aimee has such authority in her answers. Don't know how someone can answer things with no real actual knowledge, but basing comments on assumptions.

Take this comment for example.
"Only 200 ppl live on Water Island and within the past 10 years or so people started living on it. No natives, just open land. No jobs, buses and or taxi's and no real grocery stores, only corner markets."

Water Island has been lived on for centuries. Walter Phillips got the lease on it from the federal government in the 50s. There are a little over a hundred homes on the island. One convenience store. And yes, there are natives over there, albeit a few.

I commend her for her diligence in research, but one can only really answer about things they truly know about and have experience in firsthand. And then people like Linda from Michigan appreciates your comments believing you live on island.

Here's another:
"St.John is very expensive, mostly rich, retired people that live in million dollar homes/ villas. Most take ferry every day to St. Thomas to work and shop."

Who? The rich, retired people? What about the other people. Do they live in million dollar homes? No. There are places to rent in St. John for under $800 a month. They can be found. People who live in St. John come to St. Thomas to work and people from St. Thomas go to St. John to work, happens every day.

Sorry, I just don't see how you can give informative answers when you only visited for a week.
Take afriend's advice. They have lived the island life and offer a realistic answer to the original question.

Ronnie

PS I am a native Virgin Islander and I have benn answering questions on many message boards about the USVI for probably over 8 years now. I offer answers only about what I know about.

After reading some of the responses to life on St. John, I feel it is my duty as a resident of St. John to clarify what seems to be some very misleading info. True it is expensive to live on St. John but it depends on what exactly you are looking for. My boyfriend and I live in a one bedroom airconditioned apartment that is furnished with cable, city water, and is two blocks from the ferry dock. We pay $900 a month, we have no bugs, and our landlord is at our beck and call when need be. True we have no view but it suits us and is affordable. Water Island is nothing like St. John, we have buses, taxis, and whatnot. I haven't seen too many old people, they must keep to themselves because most of the people I have met are young vivacious transients like myself. It is a beautiful and wonderful place that is feasible to live, but if you believe all that you read without checking it out for yourself then you probably wern't meant to live here in the first place.

I have lived on SJ for 11 years. Never made over $21,000 a year. Never went hungery, or thirsty. And am very happy. So island lover, the ans is yes. Thats all i got to say

Island Lover, yes many come to St. John and make it living on very little or even living on a lot. On St. Thomas you will see a very long line of cars parked on the side of the road in and near Red Hook. It is many people who live on St. Thomas and work on St. John. If we could, we would love to live on St. John. For now we live on St. Thomas and enjoy St. John on the weekends. Good luck in your adventure. Keep us posted!

Teresa