T-Minus 10 months (STX)

You will probably get a lot of negatives once you start asking about Internet service on St. Croix, so let me go ahead and say that I work from home, I am a software developer, and I have to constantly do online conferences with clients and co-workers as far away as Poland. I use gotomeeting a lot.
My ISP is CHOICE VI. I have no problems with the service and I use it in two locations: Gallows Bay (East) and Carambola.(mid-island). I use a lot of cloud services from both locations (Windows Azure for example) and I have several virtual machines hosted by Rackspace. I am certainly not a casual Internet user...my business depends on it.
I also recently ditched DISH network and went to totally Internet-based TV viewing, using Netflix and Amazon Prime. I like to watch the Pix11 news out of New York in the mornings, so I watch their live stream with nary a hitch.

We also work from home as consultants in a tech industry. We used Broadband VI with almost zero issues. We had battery back-ups for the inevitable power outages and a generator - but it was always nice when WAPA went out, our BBVI stayed up and working. Zero complaints with them. We were out East until a few months ago. 🙂

Thanks for the replies! Yeah I am sure it isn't like my 500mbps office connection vpn BUT, the big boss offered me a position in the LA office when I insisted I was moving to the island... Needless to say there is still an office vacancy.

I just do voip calls, and ticket/livechat stuff so it should be easy (and only internet tv).

What are some good areas to look for rentals? I have one agent I am working with, but am very curious as to the areas. (Looks like we need to setup an USVI IT group page 😉 )

Thanks again!

It depends where you like to live? There are quite a few threads relating to choosing a rental on the board. It's really a personal decision. My advice is to get somewhere short-term when you first arrive (there are many options if you ask people here) and then look around before you commit to a longer lease. Most folks seem to find an area of the island that "clicks" for them and it is entirely a personal thing.

An IT page would be nice !!

JulieKay is absolutely right about areas that "click" for different people...it IS a very personal thing. Some people MUST have an ocean view, for example.

BTW, speaking of bandwidth and Internet reliability again, my wife works for a hedge fund and they absolutely have to be online at all times, so they have redundancy set up using both Broadband VI (great ISP) and another ISP. If our local Internet service is good enough for people who are trading hundreds of millions of dollars a day, then it's probably good enough for your needs LOL

View is of no concern for me (if there is one sweet). What about safety? Gun Laws? I did come from the military so I do have guns and I understand I need to register them, how is safety on the island (crime areas)?

Basically just getting out of Maine is what I want, this winter killed it for me my home state turned against me lol.

As for the bandwidth I think that is plenty ha! I am also looking at room share. See how things play out the ticket is bought now just to finalize things over the next 10 months.

There are lots of discussions about crime on these boards, several in the last few months - just search "crime STX" and many turn up. You will find that there is a broad range of opinions about crime and attitudes towards living with it on the island.

Break-ins happen all over the island, personal assaults (like mugging/robbery) tend to happen more in the cities, like just about anywhere. There are varied opinions about "crime areas."

I think the main thing is more you and your personal attitude - like tends to attract like. If you see everyone you meet on the island (even those you don't know) as friends and neighbors and treat them as such, you tend to have a much better experience then seeing people as potential threats and being wary for confrontation. Your military background may or may not help you with this, I don't know. Being nice to everyone and being part of the community tends to serve a person well, as reputations get around pretty quickly.

Most people I know with guns on the island seem to me to be more wary and seem to be more focused on crime - and many of them seem less happy overall to me. Higher anxiety. Sometimes people with guns seem to be victims of crime more often, I have no idea why though. These are simply my observations and I don't intend them as fact, I'm sure others will disagree with me.

That all said, there have been some violent and senseless crimes that have happened in the VI. And being small islands, people tend to know each other and when something happens like that to someone you know it feels close to home. There are a couple on this board who have experienced some rough stuff, sadly.

My attitude was to sell any and all, I live in a small farming village in Central/Western Maine. We live in a place where crime is like anywhere else (even rural) the government has failed many, and we are here to help each other.

it could take 5 months or so to get a gun license to have a gun in your home. you would have to ship your guns to a local gun range and not pick them up until you are licensed. if you want a carry conceal, you need to meet certain requirements. most people do not.

most people i know have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has. not just gang on gang. take normal measures and you should be fine

there is plenty to read on this board in regards to crime

It could be very difficult to get a gun license in the VI these days. The powers that be are very selective about who gets one now and what restrictions are put upon the licensee.

View is of no concern for me (if there is one sweet). What about safety? Gun Laws? I did come from the military so I do have guns and I understand I need to register them, how is safety on the island (crime areas)?

Basically just getting out of Maine is what I want, this winter killed it for me my home state turned against me lol.

As for the bandwidth I think that is plenty ha! I am also looking at room share. See how things play out the ticket is bought now just to finalize things over the next 10 months.

Crime is part and parcel of the human condition...it exists here and everywhere that people live.

There are thousands of ex-military here, including myself. Our NG troops have been deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, etc.

There are no "crime areas", IMHO...unless you only consider it a crime when some guy gets shot in William's Delight (a supposed "crime area" where my wife has been getting her hair and nails done safely for decades), but not a crime when some rich guy in Shoys (rich, spiffy neighborhood on the East side of the island) beats the crap out of his wife and she doesn't report it.

Touche native son, just like anywhere else its like I get horror stories but have friends who said, its a small town. your bound to know of something which makes it seem much worse then it is.

One of my good friends is transferring from Germany to the VI NG now, and another who retires in a few years also wants to move.

I may post a wanted add for room/apt soon that would be available in March of 2015 (far off but I like to have my ducks in a row).

One more Maine winter......

Touche native son, just like anywhere else its like I get horror stories but have friends who said, its a small town. your bound to know of something which makes it seem much worse then it is.

One of my good friends is transferring from Germany to the VI NG now, and another who retires in a few years also wants to move.

I may post a wanted add for room/apt soon that would be available in March of 2015 (far off but I like to have my ducks in a row).

One more Maine winter......

Hang in there!

I was stationed in Zweibrucken and Bamberg (7th ACR)...loved Germany.

I was stationed no where, reserves for 6 years. That is where my friend is he seems to love it. Every other picture is of him drinking lol.

I was born and raised in Germany and Poland, military brat. 🙂

And yes, bpendleton, bad things happen everywhere - I notice them here in Florida now. The main difference is I don't know who the people are personally. It does make a difference when you know the person, it feels closer to home. But having the right attitude and perspective is important. I see it as one of those make-it-or-break-it things for moving to the VI, honestly.

I was stationed no where, reserves for 6 years. That is where my friend is he seems to love it. Every other picture is of him drinking lol.

Great beers...seemed like every town had its own brauerei...and there was the Deutsche Weinstrasse for the wine lovers.

Glad they never sent us there for training.... that is all I would have done. Hell its all we did anyway all the time