which island

STX, the most beautiful? Not sure where you heard that! But I'd suggest very strongly that the only way to decide is to know what's important to you and choose the island where you find the most of those items on your list.

Is a job important?
Scuba Diving?
Room to drive a straight divided highway?

Make up your list and repost some of that stuff and we'll be better able to help suggest which island is best with respect to meeting the biggest majority of your "needs", as we see things.

O.K. I will graduate in about three weeks. I'll book my ticket from the middle of december to the beginning of may for my graduate ceremony. Here are my two scenerios (did i spell that right?) :

1. If I have trouble finding a job, I'll only stay for these four and a half months. I guess I'll have to pay like $700/month for a temporary room.
2. If I get a decent job, I'll come back in May after the ceremony and basically live in the virgin islands from dec04 to sep05.

Since this is more of a experience for me I do not mind working a "lower" job if I'm not successful finding a office job.

Here is my list of some of the things that are important:
1. a job- although, if I stay at a nicer not as hectic place I do not care about getting a
worser job than I could get at a real busy place
2. transportation- it would be helpful to live somewhere close to the job so that I do not
have to buy a car for this limited amount of time
3. apartments- if I stay for 9 months hopefully at about $500/month
4. nice beaches- I LOOOOVe beaches. Exspecially when they not crowded with a lot of
tourist?

You are more assured of finding a job on STT and STJ than on STX - why? More tourists happen to visit.

Transportation - for the first 10 months of my new life here, I got around on foot and via the $1 ride safari vehicles. I was lucky to have found a place that was close to the safari route, and close enough to the grocery store and Red Hook to walk to them when needed.

Again, I was lucky in finding the apartment rental rate that I did, I would think it might be more realistic to plan on spending $600-650 per month. (Apartment rentals on STX are less than STT and often a little more on STJ.)

E-mail me if you'd like.

I can say a little about St. Croix. You could live and work in Christiansted or Frederiksted, the two towns, without a car. Some young people do. If you just want a temporary job waiting tables or selling merchandise, such jobs, I think, are pretty easy to get. Usually a couple to a few are advertised in the St. Croix Avis, our main paper, every day. I’ve noticed Help Wanted signs in some stores in Christiansted. Frederiksted will soon be getting four or five cruise ships a week, albeit mostly just for refueling in the evenings. Still, this should help boost demand for employees in the restaurants and shops.

The cost of living here is the lowest of the four main islands, although still above the national average. You can get a nice efficiency for $500 and a one-bedroom for $700. Some people start out by finding a roommate and getting a one-bedroom, with one person sleeping in the living room. This, of course, makes the rent very cheap.

Most of the beaches are empty or nearly empty. The ones that get crowds are mostly at the resorts, but there aren’t a lot of those relative to the number of beaches. We have tidal pools you can swim in, too. One pool at Wills Bay is deep enough to dive in. These, too, are generally empty.

Most of the island is open and rural, with undeveloped woods and savannah, or lightly developed, with cattle ranches and family farms. Life is generally pretty laid back and quiet. I was driving on our expressway earlier today (yes, we have one), which is posted 55 mph. Some people were going 40 to 45. I was one of them!

What are you getting your degree in? You might be able to use it on one island but not another. That might also influence your decision.

As it looks right now, I'll most likely go to st. croix. Can anyone tell me about the Good Hope Town Houses? Are they close to the bus line, are they close to the beach?

My degree is in hospitality management. I've been working at hotels as and admin assistant. I think I shouldn't have too many problems finding a job.

I, too, have a “which island” inquiry. I just got my Settler’s Handbook yesterday and read half of it last night in one sitting! I’m trying to decide upon which island to focus – STT or STX. Which island is more friendly to living aboard my own yacht? I’m unsure how I will fare living on a buoy because I’ve never done that. Right now, I have a covered slip in a marina with all the comforts of a land home - electric, water, pump out, satellite TV, etc. I suppose I’d prefer to have a slip rather than a mooring buoy (you see, I’m an “air conditioning junkie”, but suspect that will have to change a bit). Which island has more charter businesses? The charter business is my ultimate goal, but I need to learn the business a little more, as well as the islands, cays, routes, attractions, etc. before putting my own vessel into service. Assuming I can make ends meet working for a charter company to get dug into that business, that is the employment I would initially prefer to seek. I could fall back on the law practice, but I don’t really want to do that, unless I’m forced to do so. So, can anyone recommend which island would be more conducive to my goals?

stt

STJ is the prettiest, but i'm biased. 🙂 😀

Hello MGoBlue,

St. Thomas has a larger charter business both for day trips and for weekends/weekly trips.

You might visit http://www.vicl.org/
if you haven't already. Take a look at the boats already operating here, see what they offer. Get an idea of whats here presently and how many.

--Islander

I am thinking about possibly moving to St. T and wondered if anyone was familiar with The Home Depot location. I am currently employed with them and was thinking about looking into a transfer. Is it in an easily accessible area? Is it near a hospital? My cousin may move as well and she is a nurse. Neither one of us would have a vehicle for awhile so easy access to jobs would be great. Thanks for any input you may have.

Heather - The Home Depot and the Hospital here on St.Thomas are accessible via the $1 ride safari taxis until you get other transportation. HOWEVER: Home Depot is up a hill and across the huge parking lot from where you would get on and off a safari taxi.

One time when I was riding the safaris (during my first too many months on the island) 1 of them ventured up the hill to Home Depot. I had thought that a hopeful sign that others might soon follow and that might become the 'regular' route. I don't believe that has become a reality just yet.

Then again there might be a question as to any hours you might be working at Home Depot vs the hours that the safari taxis run - and your safety walking down the hill to get one to go home after it gets dark - around 6pm this time of year.