moving to St. John...any tips?

You should really use the forum on this site that is dedicated to relocating/general - click on forum list above - it is very helpful and viewed by many more respondents - it has search features and a huge amount of useful info in the headers - this particular 'classified' forum is much more dedicated to buying/selling/renting on island. I am sure you would be welcomed and get some varied responses on the relocation forum and much more quickly.

September is smack dab in the middle of Hurrican season - keep that in mind. Also, if you're looking for a job in the hospitality industry, this is the slowest time and most won't be hiring. I know of several hotels throughout the USVI that are closing for September and October. Most landlords won't rent to those who are not on island yet, and you shouldn't rent anything unseen. Pictures and reality can be quite different.

St. John is beautiful - i think you'll really enjoy it. I do believe it is the most expensive of the US Virgin Islands to live on but it is gorgeous.

Good afternoon, nbrogan1,

As ExitZero mentioned, you will receive more replies if you post this message in the moving forum, not the classifieds.

I moved to St. John around the beginning of September last year. It is true that things on the island pretty much come to a standstill during that month -- it's the time when a lot of ex-pats go back where they came from for a little while, closing their restaurants and shops for the month. If there are no hurricanes, September is one of the most beautiful times of year to be in the island, IMO. If there's a hurricane, all bets are off.

It's very realistic to expect to find a long-term one-bedroom rental; the question is how much you are able to pay for it. A super-cheap 1-bedroom on STJ runs $900/month.

I'm not sure what you mean by "regular" apartment. A number of island houses have "cistern-level" apartments, where you rent the lower portion of the house with separate entrance while the homeowner lives upstairs.

It's quite common to come and stay short-term at a guest house or inn while seeking a permanent place to live. It is possible to line up accommodations from off-island, but you will be renting sight-unseen, which doesn't always work out well. If something seems like a really good deal, there's probably a reason behind that -- with island housing, nine times out of ten you will get what you pay for.

If you really plan on enjoying all the island has to offer, it's more important to have a car on St. John than on STX or STT. I do know people who live without cars, and if all you want to do is hang out in Cruz Bay and hike to a few of the beaches, it's easy enough. The VITran bus does run out to Salt Pond, but I wouldn't rely on it for transport -- hitchhiking (riding in the back of somebody's truck) would actually be more reliable.

If you have never been to St. John before, a pre-move visit is a very good idea and money well spent.

Good luck!

Whoops sorry for this misplaced post! thank you for your feedback!

DO A PMV and learn about the island. Not its beauty but what it is to live down here.

St. John is the most expensive place to live. St. Croix is the least. St. Thomas is in the middle.

Yes you will need a car unless you live in Cruz bay or Coral bay. But there will be times when you want to go and to rely on a taxi is noy very good.

Living on any of these islands is not like Gillian's island. You just don't sit under a tree and have life just fall into place.

Read the posts under the moving section. Open your mind and see what is here. BUT DO A PMV.

Billd

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