Negative Environment?

Gigifreesprit is just another troll that got tried of running scams on Craigslist.

Well, instead of moving to the VI where the people on this page comment, you could move to the VI where the people on the secret facebook page live.

They appear to be two different places. :@)

You're the actually the negativity the author of this post speaks of. Smh. You don't know me from a can of paint. Talking about someone who you don't know isn't a reflection of them but a reflection of you and FYI, I'm sure you meant to say tired not tried.

Gigifreesprit is just another troll that got tried of running scams on Craigslist.

Well, instead of moving to the VI where the people on this page comment, you could move to the VI where the people on the secret facebook page live.

They appear to be two different places. :@)

Since the Olympics are going on, I award you a gold medal in commenting.

You're the actually the negativity the author of this post speaks of. Smh. You don't know me from a can of paint. Talking about someone who you don't know isn't a reflection of them but a reflection of you and FYI, I'm sure you meant to say tired not tried.

Gigifreesprit is just another troll that got tried of running scams on Craigslist.

LMAO!!!!

can they be awarded more than 1 gold medal

Well, instead of moving to the VI where the people on this page comment, you could move to the VI where the people on the secret facebook page live.

They appear to be two different places. :@)

Since the Olympics are going on, I award you a gold medal in commenting.

if you are going to be basing your move on people that are on a message board, something is really wrong

I have been reading this forum for several years and posting from time to time for a year.

After many trips, and purchasing land six years ago, I am ready to sign contracts to start building my dream home as soon as the permits are issued. (FYI this will be mostly a home to live part time while not traveling. My spouse and I will retire when the house is completed and no employment is sought in the USVI.)

I have found this forum to provide lots of useful information, but I must confess that I am now a little bit concerned about building my dream home in STT. Part of that has been how disappointed I have been for the lack of respect among some people on this forum (just two recent examples: “Sick and Tired Again” and “Hi Everyone”). I appreciate the volunteers who answer the same questions over and over again. The people I have met on island, including my neighbors, are delightful, but now I wonder whether over time they will also be unrespectful and provide a negative environment. I have no interest in living in a place where negativity prevails.

The natural beauty of the Virgin Islands is world class (I make this statement as a world traveler). Certainly there are drawbacks (crime, government, debt and ratings). The Virgin Islands share the same issues that other small islands in the world face, including cost of living and cost of construction. What I am most concerned about is whether these issues have changed the attitude of people and make them more negative and cynical (as shown in recent posts) vs all the positive aspects of living in the USVI (as reflected on another recent post… “What do you love about the Virgin Islands?”). For instance, my impression is that people in Hawaii are happy. But I prefer the nature in the VI and it is closer to family in the East Coast.

Any thoughts will be appreciated.

The answer is the world is becoming more jaded and cynical. This happens when the vast inequities from.The haves and have nots continue to increase. Surely a world traveler has seen this.

One only has to look at the political structure of the VI and be aware of the political activity (and lack of it) to see that doom is coming.

Well, instead of moving to the VI where the people on this page comment, you could move to the VI where the people on the secret facebook page live.

They appear to be two different places. :@)

I agree, and though it may have been said in jest, there are various population segments here. The affluent are generally very positive, and those who are not have varying attitudes ranging from bitter to gracious.

Just be nice all the time no matter what and you'll be fine.

to the OP,

Just take a look at the commenters here. There are basically less than a dozen that comment on just about everything. Good or bad that is not a good sample size for life here in the USVI. There is some great advice here and there is a good amount of useless bickering for some reason. My best advice, as someone who has used this board for direction and tried to help others when my knowledge will do so, is to ignore the petty arguments from the regulars and focus on the direct answers to questions that some people provide. Everyone's experience will be different moving/living/vacationing here so take that into consideration. One person's nightmare is another's dream.

Ignore the negativity. It is very unrepresentative of the population here. This place is just like any other- its what you make of it. Some love it, some don't. Some thrive, some dive, some simply can't survive.

See post: "What do you love about the Virgin Islands" for a different perspective than what is offered on this forum.

Edit: Woops sorry, you already saw that post.

Ignorance is bliss

Sparty and CruzanIron are cracking me up and so is this thread. They deserve a gold, silver and bronze.

Stop worrying about it. Think about your beautiful home that will be finished soon and your new life in the Islands. I wished everyone who came to the Islands left their negativity where they came from, but that isn't usually the case. But fortunately those are few and far in between. Just like on these forums, you will get all kinds of comments good bad and indifferent. If it were me, I would opt for the middle of the road comments, which are usually the real deal and not those soft soapy responses especially if you are planning on make St. Thomas your home. I love the Islands for their beauty and not just the views, but also the people who are multi cultural and some of the most friendly that I have ever come across. There are also negative aspects to the Islands, but I prefer to revel in the positive aspects and leave the negativity to the negative nellies out there.

Like I always like to point out that "Paradise is only Paradise when left alone and viewed from afar.

mike

Love: I get tired of some of the posts here, but I do not think they reflect the general outlook of people on St Thomas.

The general outlook of people on STT? Drunk?

Love USVI:
It is very unfortunate that so many posts here do get hijacked by the same few individuals. I've often considered how much of a better outlook some of them would have, if they used their time more wisely. Whining and complaining is so much easier than getting involved and attempting to actually improve things.

I follow this site on a somewhat regular basis, and have found it helpful in a lot of ways. I get a lot of up to date news from posters about local buisnesses, events, general goings-on, and all the very slanted views on local politics. So if you do sift through it all, and dont let the Trolls drag you down, there is some valuable, insightful stuff here from time to time.

The USVI, like so many other places, is a difficult place to make a good living. High paying jobs aren't easy to find here, and as everyone seems to agree, this is not an inexpensive place to live. I think many people posting here are extremely frustrated by all their efforts to make a good life for themselves here. Jobs don't pan out, trust funds dry up, relationships fall apart, and paradise dosent quite look the same as when they first arrived.

It sounds as though your in good financial shape and that's a major plus for coming to the USVI. If you've been able to achieve that, you're in a far better place than many here (those who live here, and I would imagine those who post on this site).

Personally, I think there are really only two important considerations to consider. Hows your health, are you in fairly good physical shape? And do you have a way to keep yourself financially afloat in the means your accustomed to? If you're able to come here with a "yes" answered to both questions, you'll be in a much better place than the few who seem to be terminally miserable on this site.

As others have posted, the vast majority of the people who live here are some of the warmest, friendliest people I've ever met. As far as my experience with getting a home built here, the pace will be slower than your used to, but that doesn't mean that anyone isn't doing what they can to make things right in the end. Be patient, be freindly, you'll be treated in kind.

Fairly good physical health only takes less than a second to be financially destitute. I would not have come here without a guarantee of health insurance coverage. To tell someone otherwise is foolhardy. Telling people the realities of the Virgin Islands is not trolling or misery. It is what I see daily. It doesn't suck. We are still here. I've had opportunities to move back stateside but we still love it here and we aren't quitters

I don't think the environment on this forum is anyway representative of the VI as a whole. Apart from all the other valid advice I think your biggest concern specific to your plan is to make sure you get a good solid builder with the right contract and make sure you are present on island to supervise at least most of the time during construction. Don't pay out for anything until it's been delivered/completed. You've likely heard it will take months, Murphy is lurking under every plank, and you'll probably be at least 50% over budget.

I am completely comfortable living here - over 40yrs. -- I could care less about how long my daily errands take -- { My side of the conversation] Good Morning, How are you ? Great and the weekend is coming so you're good , right , This is why I am here and trying to solve -------fill in blank----------------- do you know where that might happen? Thanks I will try that. REPEAT with the next person.

If it seems unsolvable I start asking my friends later about a different solution - I do not feel that the initial foray was a waste of time - just misdirected energy on my part - eventually It works out or becomes moot to me.

I find the friendliest people often, I smile - am rarely disturbed about the way things are going - and am not reluctant to drive to the beach, open the trunk, get out the beach chair and go for a swim and get some sun and think. Unless I have found ice cream on sale. Then it is straight home and errand day is over.

Except for extremely pressing needs I do not make a list of things to do - just a list of what I have done today -- much more reassuring concept in my life.

Some problems are certainly exasperating - I will live through it and if it needs attention, well, I do it as soon and as best as possible.
Simple island frustrations can easily put anyone in a negative mood - if it is a continuous way of life, change things for the best or plan to leave in an organized fashion - it is not going to change here soon or maybe never.

It is a fine place to test your patience, acceptance levels, overall attitude outlook on life and ability to enjoy what is here.

The two major negatives about retiring here center around finances and health. Only a handful of the many longtime residents I first became friends with here a few decades ago are still here. Natural attrition aside, many eventually left and moved stateside as they aged because (a) their retirement income went MUCH further elsewhere and (b - equally) they developed ongoing medical issues which simply couldn't be easily and promptly addressed here. This isn't just a "transplant" phenomenon - many native Virgin Islanders leave for the same reasons.

One particular case which always stands out for me is the lovely couple from NYC who visited a few times a year for MANY years and eventually purchased property which they planned on moving into permanently upon retirement. Just a few years short of the dream, the husband suddenly and unexpectedly developed an aneurysm which burst. Had it not been for the speedy ambulance response which rushed him to the nearest NYC hospital, he would have died. It was a jolting dose of reality for them. They ended up selling their property here and built in Florida where they had excellent medical facilities close by.

I own another home on the mainland for those very reasons. I just rent it out until I need it.

Thank you all for your comments and perspectives.