Two girls in late 20's looking to move

1.) Craigslist, classifieds from online local papers, job postings at career.vi Or do a PMV and pound the pavement, it's good to line up a job ahead of time so you can have some source of income and routine
2.) PMV (pre-move visit) It's important to see the place in person vs. on a website. The east end is safe, there's also some condo communities near town that seem safe
3.) Save money, cut your ties (but don't burn bridges), and make the leap. Buy a one-way ticket and once you get a physical address, have friends/family mail your belongings. This is a big question 🙂
4.) Pick an island, any island! St.John is smallest, mostly a protected park. St.Thomas is the busiest, with tons of cruise ships and tourists being dumped off every day. St.Croix is a mix of the two. Largest island, flatter, seems slower paced than St.Thomas
5.) Absolutely! Just save money and TRY to line up a job. It may be tough to find a job in your professional field. Can you serve/bartend? That's always a good fallback

I say give it a wing, but you're going to get a lot of more practical replies on here 🙂

Good luck!
Noah

I completely agree with "chefnoah" I moved to PR in my early 20's- went back to NY when my son started school, and am going to be in STX full time when my son enters college (I own a house in the west end but am only there part time) Post move visit is key- try to make it long enough that you can do some island hopping and try to find houses to rent/share rather than hotels- I think this gives a little more of a feel for things than a hotel. Good Luck!

career vi.com i think.

St. Croix....North or East side...... Rental should be in the thousand or less per month plus deposit...find one on this site...need car!!!....Stay left.... If st. John?.......tooooo expensive!!!! but truly a paradise location....island hop from ST Croix..... If you don't know what Caribbean life is like then YES it will be worth it!!!!! And u will be culture shocked and stress free!!!!

Thank you all so much for the input!!!

So, we are thinking of St. Thomas....good idea or bad idea?

Also, how would we go about meeting up with someone down there to help us through this process?

Thank you all!

WVUKers03, You have already done one of the very best things you can do - joining this forum and asking questions.

Depending on what you want from your VI experience, you may find a visit to St. Croix to be helpful in making your decision.

I first thought I would settle on St. Thomas but changed my mind once I got to St. Croix.

Good luck!

WVUKers03,

I did the PMV in July and other than the people I did not like St Croix one bit. I love living in St Thomas with all the stuff that people talk about on this St Croix dominate forum. If you are serious about moving then invest the time and money to visit all three islands and go from there. As a full disclosure thing I will say I never visited St John because I knew it was too pricey for me. A very nice place to visit.

visiting all 3 is defiantly a good idea- you will be amazed at how different they are. Only your personal reaction to each will be able to tell you what is best for you. Completely agree STJ way to pricey for most of us, although you never know- a great place to visit. I have family there since 1970 and have always felt claustrophobic by day 5 or 6 of my visit .

Also, how would we go about meeting up with someone down there to help us through this process?

Hehe, two single girls in their late 20's? I don't think you'll have any problem finding people willing to help you. 🙂

Oh, and BTW here is a quick summary of the three islands, hope it helps you decide:

Here is a quick general overview:

St Thomas (STT): The city island. Has the most tourists. Has the best shopping. Is cheaper than St John but more expensive than St. Croix. It's quite crowded, and crime can be a problem. However, it still has nice places and good beaches. A lot of fun can be had here if you have the right mentality. It also is the most accessible island as far as air travel goes.

St. John (STJ): The pristine jewel. By far the smallest, most crime free and quietest island. There is not one single traffic light on the entire island. 3/4 of the island is a national park, which is why it is so pristine, and has the best beaches overall. However, that means that the other 1/4 is where all the people have to live, so it is quite crowded in the inhabited areas. Finding a parking space in town is a real pain in the ass sometimes. STJ is also the most expensive island by far. Lots of rich people from the states have been building luxury second homes in the last 10 years, and as a result, property taxes, home prices, and basic goods and services have skyrocketed in price. STJ also has a large amount of tourists, although not as many as STT. A word about the crime thing: it can be misleading. While it's true that STJ has by far the least crime of the three islands, much of that is simply because it has LESS PEOPLE. There are 4,000 people on STJ and 60,000 in STT and 60,000 in STX. So naturally, STJ has less crime -- but it also has much less going on. You wouldnt compare the crime in NYC to the crime in a rural town in Pennsylvania without taking into consideration that NYC just MIGHT have a few more things to do and see. So it is with STJ.

St. Croix (STX): The country island. It's by far the largest island. It's three times bigger than STT and ten times bigger than STJ. It's large enough that you can live on the East end and drive to the Wast end and actually feel like you're "getting away". Because of the island's size, it has two distince climates. In the East, it is more arid and desert-like. In the West, it is rainer and greener. There are plenty of areas that are still untouched by development, yet there is plenty of nightlife and things to do. Crime can be a problem, just like STT. There are FAR fewer tourists on STX than on the other two islands. STX is more of a working island with more locals going about their lives. STX is also by FAR the cheapest island to live on. Property taxes, housing prices, basic goods and services are very affordable compared to the other islands. STX is by far the most isolated island. It's 40 miles away from STT and STJ, so you can't just hop over to the BVI's for a quick daytrip like you can on the other islands. STX also has a rainforest -- it's a very special place that doesn't exist on the other islands, and I have yet to see a newcomer who isn't touched by it. The beaches are not as nice as those on STJ, but there far, far more beaches on STX and a handful of them are outstanding. This island happens to be my favorite of the three. The people just seem a bit more down to earth there, at least to me. That could just be me, though.

"St. John (STJ): The pristine jewel."

I really like that to the point description, NugBlazer =)