Geography Lesson #3

OK – so first decision was – I MUST be somewhere warm and tropical.  Then the decision was WHICH ISLAND. After deciding on St Croix, the next choice was WHERE on St Croix?  True, the island is only 26 miles long and 8 miles wide, but after living here for 8 years, I can tell you that there’s a world of difference between an “east end” experience and a “west end” experience.  And both are different from a “North Shore” experience or a “South Shore” experience. There’s “gated community” vs. “no neighborhood.”  There’s rainforest vs. dry, arid climate. There’s “convenient to everything” vs. a very private location.  There’s elevated view vs proximity to the beach. There are parts of the island that have big waves, and parts where the water is typically calm and flat.  There’s everything from condos to huge plantations.  As you can see, there were a lot of geographical decisions to be made even after selecting St Croix as the island I wanted to live on.

My initial choice was a home with an elevated view, in a gated community, that was mid-island and close to everything.  Great initial choice for me.  I loved living in Judith’s Fancy!  I felt safe, it was easy to go places, and the views and breezes were incredible.  After my divorce, I found that it was just too much house for me to take care of on my own.  And, I did long for an “up close and personal” relationship with the sea.  So, I purchased a beach front condo on the west end of the island.  I had found Nirvana!   The water on the west end is just incredible.  It’s turquoise and gin-clear.  The snorkeling is fantastic. I could throw a rock from my dining room table and hit the water.  The little town of Frederiksted had some great restaurants and bars, and was home to lots of really nice and friendly people.  But…..doing what I do for a living….I was constantly driving to Christiansted and the east end.  So Frederiksted was not a great choice for me while I’m still working.  So I’m renting that condo now on the vacation rental market, and still get to enjoy it when it’s not rented.  And it is truly Nirvana….I feel so at peace there!

For the last few years, I’ve been living on the East end of the island, in a home on a hillside with an absolutely fantastic view.  It’s very quiet on the east end, and even though our home is elevated, it’s so quiet that you can still hear the sea.  I like that.  There are several nice restaurants and bars out east that offer a great community feel.  It’s really nice to stop in and  catch up with friends over an impromptu adult beverage!  This happens even at our gas station (there’s only one on the east end, and it also is a “Libation Station!”).  It’s very “small town” out east….and it’s only 15 minutes to Christiansted, where most of my business is conducted.  However, it’s still a haul to get groceries!  A whole 30 minutes to a grocery store!  I know it seems silly, but when you live on a small island, your world shrinks, and driving half an hour to get groceries feels like a major ordeal!  In Atlanta, I drove a minimum of 30 minutes to get anywhere, and never thought a thing about it.

People always ask me, “where on the island should I live?”  That is really a question that each person needs to discover for themselves.  I can certainly help by asking questions and learning more about what kind of experience is desired, and then suggesting places that would be the best match, but different parts of the island call out to different people.  It’s a fun and interesting puzzle to solve….and I thoroughly enjoy learning about what appeals to different people, and then helping them find just the right spot here!   Geography is important, even more so at the “micro” level, like finding yourself just the right spot on this little rock!