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I and my sweetheart are exploring the feasability of relocating to the Caribbean. For numerous reasons, St Croix is my first choice, but naturally, many questions need to be addressed. We would like to purchase a property now, use it as a vacation/rental home, and move in about 5 years.
Can anyone tell me about the southwest area of the island, from Frederiksted around to the Harvey Channel, no more than a mile or two, at most, from the shore? I've seen inexpensive homes listed in Hannah's rest and Williams Delight, as well as some other neighborhoods, and I'm just wondering what these neighborhoods are like, is crime a problem, are the homes well kept, etc?
Also, I've been a bartender around the Pittsburgh, Pa area for over 20 years, working in upscale restaurants, 13 years at my current employer. Can I reasonably expect to find a decent bartending job that will earn me enough money to live? How much should I have in savings as a "backup" for unexpected emergencies. I also drive a school bus, not afraid to work long hours, and my sweetie also drives and is and EMT. We're just tired of the winters, love scuba diving, and want to live a life similar to what we have now, only in the tropics, and judging from what we've read, this isn't an unreasonable thought. The only REAL draw back we've seen so far about St Croix, is the CENTIPEDES!!!! Are they really that big? and if so, are they that plentiful? Can anything be done to keep them out of your house? Are there areas on the island that they do not thrive?
Anyway, any information about these questions, and any other advise about relocation the St Croix would be greatly appreciated. I'll continue to read this message board, and hopefully keep everyone posted about our situation and progress in making our big move.
Thanks,
Joe
Posted : March 17, 2005 3:13 pm
I used to live in William's Delight and there are two areas, the projects, which is one of the worst neighborhoods on St. Croix in terms of poverty and crime, and the other area, which consists of privately-owned homes. The private section isn't bad at all, and has some very nice homes. My house was never broken into, but the entire neighborhood has a bad reputation since most people who don't live in William's Delight fail to see the neighborhood as two separate entities and judge the entire area with their knowledge of what goes on in the projects. I'd recommend it as a place to live, but you might want to check it out beforehand. One neighborhood you should check out in that part of the island is Carlton. They have some really nice houses in that area from what I remember.
About centipedes, yes they can get frightingly big (about 7-8 inches), and they're pretty fast. From what I hear, the bite is extremely painful. The only reason why it's "technically" considered a "mild" bite is because you don't actually die or suffer any permanent damage from it. I would describe the bite (from what I've heard) as the most damage you can receive without actually receiving anything permanent. They're not very plentiful. On average, I'd see one every month or so. The only time I've seen more than one centipede at the same time was when I found 13 baby centipedes in my bathroom one time, which is a rarity. You will see them more often during periods of heavy rainfall. Actually, the neighborhood I lived in was known for having a lot of centipedes, since it's a low-lying area and whenever it rains it floods, which causes centipedes to crawl into homes from out of the ground. Where I live now in the rainforest (during summer and winter breaks in college), is also known for having a lot of centipedes, because rainforests have a higher concentration of insects and other critters. To keep them out of the house, I would refrain from keeping the door open and making sure I seal all openings in window screens where they could crawl in. Oh, and another thing, always shake your clothes when you pick them up from the floor, and check under your pillows before you go to sleep, as centipedes like to hide under things.
Posted : March 17, 2005 11:33 pm
Hey Joe
You appear to be at the very beginning of your education regarding living in the usvi. You need to do a lot of research and then do some more.
You need to come and visit, if you have not done that yet.
You need to read the books that this web site offers.
Getting a job should not be a problem.
But remember.... bug, lizards , centipedes, rats, mongoose, mosquitos and other bitting bugs are just some of the citizens of these islands.
Good luck in your search.
Stxer
Posted : March 17, 2005 11:53 pm
Dominic, thanks for the information. I will look into the Carlton area, it looks to be right near williams delight. And yes, Stxer, we are right in the very beginnings of our research into the islands. St Croix seemed to be a good, logical place to begin the search since it is a US territory.
We will be doing plenty of research as we have a good bit of time before we actually make the move.
I can't wait to visit St Croix. We were just in Cozumel a few weeks ago, and plan to spend a week in Curacao in the fall. A visit to St Croix will probably fall into line after that.
In the meantime, I will keep a eye on these pages, and as you say Stxer, research and then research some more,
Thanks
Joe
Posted : March 18, 2005 1:57 am
