Moving to St Croix

Uh-Oh.

Ha! Let me beat OT to the punch! Use the drop down menu above and do a search for all your questions. There is a wealth of information there and will answer all of your general questions. Then come back and ask anything specific.

Good luck on your adventure!

As much information as the drop-down menus contain, I don't think the specific questions the OP has will be answered there.

I'm sure someone on STX can answer the questions about beachfront locations within walking distance of stores, etc. and suggestions of RE agents.

I don't think that the rental market is as changeable on STX as on St Thomas where high and low season is concerned but basically high season is end November through May. Most landlords prefer to start out with a one year lease but you may be able to find a month to month rental which will suit.

I'm sure some of the STX forum participants will have some suggestions. Good luck!

Thanks, I've read all that and more. As I said I was interested in if islanders could lead me toward an area to focus my housing search on with the criteria I listed. That is not readily available in the places you mentioned.

Let me repeat my questions here. Without a car which is the best area for beach living close enough to walk to shops, restaurants, nightlife, etc.

Many thanks,

Thank you so much for your response.

Thanks, I've read all that and more. As I said I was interested in if islanders could lead me toward an area to focus my housing search on with the criteria I listed. That is not readily available in the places you mentioned.

Let me repeat my questions here. Without a car which is the best area for beach living close enough to walk to shops, restaurants, nightlife, etc.

Many thanks,

F'sted maybe. Can't even think of anything in C'sted b

Take a look at the Gallows Bay/Mount Welcome area. It is one of the few places that you can get by without a car. Good luck!

Not sure how you plan to get by without a car. Taxis are very expensive. There isn't much for bus service. The island is not suited well for walk-ability in as much as having the basic necessities for long term living all within walking distance. Seaside Market is a small not inexpensive market in Gallows Bay adjacent downtown C'sted, perhaps walkable from Schooner Bay condos. It's quite a walk from downtown C'sted. Even if you got a rental in condo-row it would be a heck of a walk to Food Town and not really other shops to walk to. The only beach in C'sted is on Protestant Cay by way of water taxi. There is a beach in F'sted, and others close by. Not a lot of shopping in F'sted, no grocery stores. Plaza Extra West is a few miles from downtown F'sted. Not a lot of nightlife in C'sted, even less in F'sted. Lots of good realtors in STX. Joel Ureta,with St. Croix Island Life Real Estate works with a lot of rentals.

Does STX have safari taxis that do certain routes like in STT?

Not really. I think there are a few taxi vans that do tours. I've never seen a safari taxi on STX, let alone any taxis that do regular routes.

I think the Schooner Bay Condos in Gallows Bay is really the only place where walking everywhere could work. In Frederiksted there's not a sizable grocery store in walking distance of anywhere near a beach.
Seaside Market, several good restaurants, hardware store, bank and post office are all very close to Schooner Bay. There is Altoona beach a very short distance the other way, but it looks out into the harbor, not the Caribbean. At the end of the park area there is a small beach that faces north into the sea, though. And Christiansted is about a mile away.
For the record, you are unlikely to enjoy living on St Croix without a car.

Yes, Taxi vans follow a specific route on Stx. It's $2-2.50 a ride. It's pretty consistent and reliable from 7am to dark. Much harder to find taxis in StX after dark, unfortuntely.

Wow. Not asking for much. Lol

If you do not work you might be able to get by without a vehicle while living in town. Even if you work, it is doable but could be costly. I know b people who take taxis to work. Cost can be 20 each way because they are not on the main route . As was mentioned there is seaside market and a couple of other quick marts in a close area. Byt still would be a drag to have to walk to the market every other day because things are too heavy to carry

Protestant cay is the beach on a small island. You can use the beach but the water taxi costs money

Go to google maps you can check out distances and shops and the hospital and other points of interest .

Not sure what lively nightlife you are thinking about, stt has more of that than stx.

Do you have or need health insurance? There are no individual plans for Americans

Are you going t o work?

Thank for the info. Taking a cab from the market once a week is easy. I won't have anywhere I have to be daily, just would like to have some options of restaurants, bars etc, when the spirit moves me.

That's only the 2nd time I've heard that St Thomas is more lively than St. Croix. Most of what I've read paints St Croix as the biggest and most developed, which I may have mistakenly taken to mean, the one with the most entertainment options. If cabs are readily available however, getting one late at night for safety would also be fine. The biggest thing about walking to places is that I do want to have the basics withing walking distance and I like to walk. So my search continues.

Another poster suggested Gallows Bay, Mount Pleasant area. What I am trying to do is to pick a place to stay for a month or however long it takes to get acquainted with the island and see if it works in the way I need it too. I suppose I could stay a couple of weeks here and a couple on St Thomas and see which is more doable. I will say a lot of what I read about St Thomas, was about difficulty with septic tanks, electricity water,etc. I'm not that rustic so I did rule it out early.

I have excellent private health insurance which I've used all over the world with no problem. I will not be working.

For the record, you are unlikely to enjoy living on St Croix without a car.

i certainly hope that's not true since that will be my situation. Catching a cab to the market for grocery shopping seems easy since it's a once a week/ten day deal. Now having to catch a cab to get to any restaurant or bar on a daily basis would be a chore but from what I've read If I focus on certain areas, It may be doable.

I'm really confused about the perception you have of St Thomas and not sure where to begin. Difficulty with septic tanks, water, electricity, etc.? Less lively and less developed than St Croix? It's probably really not a good idea for you to move anywhere here sight unseen until you've done a little more homework and have a better understanding of the two main islands. That information is really basic and in fact is addressed in the section "Meet The Islands" in the first drop-down menu top of this page. You said, "I've read all that and more" but ...

Take a look at the Gallows Bay/Mount Welcome area. It is one of the few places that you can get by without a car. Good luck!

Thanks, I've started looking at this area from your suggestion and it may be the answer. I'm thinking I will start my search there by staying in a hotel and exploring the island while I find the perfect (I know you said low expectations) place.

I'm not looking for paradise, I just want to give myself a stress free existence for a period of time, which includes not driving on narrow roads, on the opposite side of what I'm used to and being able to have a cocktail without worrying about my car. And the beach. So it seems relatively easy.

Some sands, some bars, some restaurants, what can go wrong?

Well the more you read the more you know and I have read. I have not been focusing on St Thomas, as I said I simply have now heard twice that it was the livelier island. Since I've heard it twice now I thought I would explore further. And what I read is what I read but as I said I was not exploring the possibility but the article was from 2015, so yeah, didn't seem like a possibility.

As for moving sight unseen, It' will be for less than a year. I want to live on a beach, not be on the mainland and maintain my banks, phone, etc, so the USVI is it, for what will essentially be an extended vacation

I read but as I said I was not exploring the possibility but the article was from 2015, so yeah, didn't seem like a possibility.

Which article fron 2015? The general information on the four islands in the drop-down menu referenced is current information. Have fun on your extended vacation and hope you find the right place!

Sounds like living in Gallows Bay is for you then. Bar at the marina and No Bones, , beach at Altona Lagoon, food at Seaside, and less than. 30 minute walk to town.

Not on this site. It was an article written by a journalist who moved from the mainland to St. Thomas. The information on the drop downs on this site is fine in the macro for when I began looking but I found first hand accounts to be informative also. But as I say St Croix has been my focus but I may now look thanks to the posters here at both islands.

Yes, I'm planning on staying in the area while I explore the island. This board had given me a first hand account of where to begin my search. That's been invaluable. Thankfully I'm in the position of taking my time over a decision, so I'm looking forward to the exploration and finding my place.

Many Thanks.

I'm not looking for paradise, I just want to give myself a stress free existence for a period of time, which includes not driving on narrow roads, on the opposite side of what I'm used to and being able to have a cocktail without worrying about my car.

Note that it takes about 10 minutes to get used to driving on the left. The cars are all left hand drive so nothing new there. There no abundance of fast driving forcing a lot of quick high speed decision making behind the wheel.

You'll likely be in a 2 bdr condo therefore septic is not likely to be a problem on either island and if it was the HOA would take care of it. There will be equal power outages on both islands. The outages typically have more to do with where you are on the island vs. which island.

" I will say a lot of what I read about St Thomas, was about difficulty with septic tanks, electricity water,etc. I'm not that rustic so I did rule it out early."

STX has these same issues.
I wouldn't call any of our islands "rustic."