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Good Afternoon everyone!!
A friend and my self are thinking about moving to the rock this nov-may (the tourist season) and yes, i have read many posts so far, and a lot of my questions have been answered. however, I am really concerned about the crime as we are 2 white females in our early 30's and attractive.. Not that it matters, I think it only matters that we are white females?? i would like some info on that, rather then what i see from google,but perhaps from some other females who live there or who went to the island during the tourist season.
From what I have read, it doesn't seem that we would have a hard time finding waitress/bar tending positions, which we both have many years of experience in! My friend and I thought it would be a perfect time in our lives to work on the island for the 6 month tourist season, take in the island and hopefully make new friends and money while we were there!
My questions are (again, crime with women there) , anyone else who has moved there for the season, did you like it? would you do it again? was the money worth it? were you able to make and save a lot of money in the restaurant/bar industry? where did you live or where is a safe place to rent a furnished apartment for the 5 or 6 months that you lived there? and which side of the island? did you rent a car while you there? and what restaurants/bars are the best to work at, fun and made a lot of money?
If anyone could take the time to answers these questions, I would love it and would be greatly appreciated!! I would like to hear the good, the bad and the ugly!! 🙂 from someone with experience, living there or who has done exactly what I would love to do this fall!!
I look forward to hearing from you all and thank you for taking the time to read this and respond!! 🙂
Marni 🙂
Posted : August 21, 2012 6:18 pm
it does not matter that you are white as far as crime goes
Posted : August 21, 2012 6:45 pm
I just sent you a PM
Posted : August 21, 2012 10:10 pm
The idea of moving to STT to "make money" in the bar industry is ambitious. COL is high compared to what you'll earn in a season. Violence clusters around bars and housing projects. Good luck.
Posted : August 21, 2012 10:25 pm
To expand on what Blu said, for example, a gallon of milk is $8...what are you accustomed to paying?
A gallon of gas is $4.45 as of today....so, even if you buy a small car with a small gas tank, you are looking at $53 to fill it, which might last you a week, as the roads are quite steep and gas mileage is very low here. Taxis are per person, per destination, so, if you won't be buying a car, you will spend approximately $30-$40/day, which adds up quickly. If you ARE buying a car, not only will you have the expense of buying it, you also have to insure it, and maintain it (odds are, unless you spend at least $4,000 for a car, you will have maintenance issues to be taken care of). Then, when you are leaving, you have to hope that someone buys it from you, since all of the other 'seasonal' workers will also be selling their cars.
Since you will be working in the bar/restaurant industry, odds are that you will not find employment until you arrive, so you should come with a 'cushion' to help you get settled...figure, first, last and security for an apartment should come to about $1,500 each, assuming you can find a two bedroom for $1,00/month, which I find to be highly unlikely, but stranger things have happened. (I have been paying $1,500 for the last 6 years...thankfully my landlord has not raised my rent in that time, as most would do. I would guess a two bedroom to be more than what I pay.) Then you have to be concerned with utilities, as electric and water can be quite high (I think the last bill for WAPA was $0.41 per KWH, while the average in the U.S. is $0.08 per KWH)....and that only covers electricity. Water is another issue altogether, so you must learn to conserve wisely.
Now, you need to figure in what you will spend on food and drink and going out to have fun...remember, this is a tourists destination, and prices for things are commensurate...plus, any consumable items you would use or eat, well, they all have to be shipped in, so prices are higher than in the States.
These are a few of the things that you should consider when coming for the season. Can it be done? You bet. Is it easy? Some say yes, some say no, but there ARE a lot of seasonal workers here in the high season...if this is your first foray into it, it can be intimidating. If you are experience in being a 'gypsy', then it may be easy.
I hope this helps you some!
Posted : August 21, 2012 10:58 pm
Marni, I'll send you a pm
Posted : August 22, 2012 12:01 am
