Where would you go if it weren't the USVI?

Love hearing all these responses! I feel like it would be hard to go back to the states after living in the Caribbean. I noticed no one said the west coast -- as ocean lovers, why doesn't that appeal to anyone? I LOVE the central cost of California and feel like that could be a reasonable alternative for us even though it isn't my first choice. Outside of that, I feel like we'd just need to be wanderers for a while until we came across a place that felt like home haha. Fingers cross STT just suits us so it doesn't come to that point!

I noticed no one said the west coast -- as ocean lovers, why doesn't that appeal to anyone? I LOVE the central cost of California...

I've been up and down the east coast from Canada to the VI, and my family is located in MA, NC, and FL... I've only been out to the west coast once, for a weekend to see my brother when he was going to college.

California has always just felt too crowded and overpriced to me.

We loved CA but it is way further from family for us than even STX and STT.
If we decide to go back to the states it will be somewhere along the East Coast. I grew up in NE, so a place like Providence (small city, more mild climate being close to the water) appeals to me.
After living here, my husband thinks he would never go further North of Philly.
We have family in South Fl all the way up to CT - with several spots in between.

someone asked if any place weather wise equals or comes close to stx, i would say the keys are as close as you can get. but not the same. it does get hotter in the summer but you can afford air and the winters can get a bit chilly but no heater needed.

NO!

We tried the mountains of North Carolina once for a month in October contemplating a move there. But 28 days out of 31 days of gloomy cold weather with only a couple of hours of actual sun shine during 3 days in the afternoon ran this Florida boy back home. That kind of weather would make me want to put a bullet in my head.

The main reason why going back to the VI to live is really not an option for us is that I have a heart condition and where I live now, I'm 2 minutes from ambulance service and less than 10 minutes to a hospital that has a heart surgical unit.

Moving to north or South Carolina . On the coast
For sure. Florida seemed to crowded for us.
Know alot who have moved to the Carolina's
From here. Hope to have a big get together.

I was born and raised in California. If/when I leave the VI, I want to go somewhere where there is no state income tax. Among other things...

Wilmington, NC, Tampa area (where I'm from), possibly the panhandle...

Regarding poisonous snakes, sharks, etc- your risk of dying from one there is nowhere near your risk of death by "human" here in the VI. Emphasis on the ".

Wilmington, NC, Tampa area (where I'm from), possibly the panhandle...

Regarding poisonous snakes, sharks, etc- your risk of dying from one there is nowhere near your risk of death by "human" here in the VI. Emphasis on the ".

oh yeah? whens the last time you were shot at here? or came close to dieing?

do you just subscribe to the fear porn?

don't buy crack at 3 am in the ghetto, you'll be fine.

liquid, you know that is not the only way people get murdered or become a victim of crime here.

I personally know two people shot on St. Croix in the last three years, one a good friend. Neither of them were buying crack at 3am in the ghetto; my good friend was actually out at a restaurant enjoying a local musician when it was robbed and he was shot by one of the perpetrators (he didn't die).

I personally was assaulted inside of Sunny Isles Kmart at 3 in the afternoon for money. Fortunately the young man wasn't serious enough to make more noise when I resisted him, but for a long time I couldn't go back to Kmart to shop, and even then I stayed in the main aisles.

I'm not saying these things as part of "fear porn" - just that this stuff does happen on St. Croix. People need to make their own decisions about what they are comfortable with and the level of risk they choose to take, no matter where they live. It isn't as simple as, "don't go places/do certain things and you'll be fine."

Edited to add: I am very happy, as well as many of my friends still on St. Croix, that the crime rate went down last year though, and hopefully it is a trend that will continue.

Wilmington, NC, Tampa area (where I'm from), possibly the panhandle...

Regarding poisonous snakes, sharks, etc- your risk of dying from one there is nowhere near your risk of death by "human" here in the VI. Emphasis on the ".

oh yeah? whens the last time you were shot at here? or came close to dieing?

do you just subscribe to the fear porn?

don't buy crack at 3 am in the ghetto, you'll be fine.

I've had a gun pulled on me twice on STT, and I was not in the ghetto. Been in the ghetto and never had a problem. I look like a Frenchi heh =)

I split my time between STX and Ohio... I appreciate both places... Ohio was a very nice surprise... Life in the VIs is like having a jewel in the rough.. No matter how much you try to polish it, the dang thing remains rough... Yet, it remains PRICELESS..

nicely said rowdy

Wilmington, NC, Tampa area (where I'm from), possibly the panhandle...

Regarding poisonous snakes, sharks, etc- your risk of dying from one there is nowhere near your risk of death by "human" here in the VI. Emphasis on the ".

oh yeah? whens the last time you were shot at here? or came close to dieing?

do you just subscribe to the fear porn?

don't buy crack at 3 am in the ghetto, you'll be fine.

This attitude is absolute bullshit. Yes, there are people who exaggerate the danger more often than not, but it objectively is more dangerous living here due to people.

I've seen more shootings, seen more people killed, known more people murdered, and known more people robbed here in the past 3-4 years than in the past 26 years in the states combined.

How many of your nicer stateside restaurants have been stormed by people with AK47s? I can think of two places I frequent that this has happened. How many of your neighborhood Kmarts/stores have had shootings?

For the love of God, James Malfetti, stabbed on STJ 2 months ago and the ensuing clusterfuck with the police...

While crime is often exaggerated, pretending that "there's crime everywhere, this isn't much different" leads to the mentality that it's a borderline acceptable situation.

you forgot to ask, how many hospitals have people get shot too

I want to live on my boat and home would be where ever the boat is.

+1 !

you forgot to ask, how many hospitals have people get shot too

Yeah even I was surprised by that. They hunted the guy down.

After STX went to the SW Floriduh. It is not STX but it is not bad!

I'd go back to Oregon, my original and only other home. My Mom & Dad, brother and many/most of my family and friends are there. I still have a house there and expect to go back to live some day, no idea when.
After living in Oregon, I never EVER expected to love rain, but I truly love the rain here. 12+ years of living here, and I still love it here ... most of the time.
It's hard to imagine moving back to that former world, so much has changed. I'm always shocked when I go back to visit and see how busy and crowded it has become and so much traffic, compared to when I left. And the drivers don't let you in at an intersection or say good morning even though they don't know you ... I still love that about STX. I love going back to Oregon every year to visit, and also love coming back to STX and feeling instant calm and happiness to be back.
I've not been a direct victim of crime here on St. Croix and feel fortunate for that and truly very sorry for those that have. It seems to be so random, who knows?

I noticed no one said the west coast -- as ocean lovers, why doesn't that appeal to anyone? I LOVE the central cost of California...

I've been up and down the east coast from Canada to the VI, and my family is located in MA, NC, and FL... I've only been out to the west coast once, for a weekend to see my brother when he was going to college.

I was born and lived on the northern California coast most of my life. We decided to leave because it was too overcrowded and expensive. It is a beautiful place. I lived on the Monterey bay and the views are among the most beautiful in the world. The bay is teaming with an amazing variety of sea life. The water is very cold. The land temperature is more moderate, in some ways nicer than the USVI.

Because the Alaska current feeds it, the winter water temperature is usually down around the 45 degree f. range, and not much warmer in the summer. When I did my first scuba open water qualifying dive near Carmel (Monastery Beach), the temperature was 47 degrees. As a kid surfing at Santa Cruz during the late 1950's Jack O'Neil had not yet invented the wet suit. It was cold, but we were too dumb to notice. As I got older, I noticed. It is still a wonderful place, but has become too expensive and crowded and is not tropical. I still have family there and return often.

Oh yea, I forgot to say California has great white sharks too...lots of them... Because of the sea lions and other food opportunities they are drawn to the area and occasionally mistake a surfer or diver for a seal...

nicely said rowdy

😉

New Zealand is an Amazing place if it were not so darned far away and they did not have a 3 month quarantine for bringing animals in to their country. (plus the water is pretty chilly even in their Dec, summer months) So many different climate zones, no poisonous spiders or snakes and incredibly Eco and user friendly and Green/Clean. I was fortunate enough to travel around and be on both North and South Islands as well as thru out the Bay Islands, Gorgeous, friendly and inexpensive. WOW!