About St. Croix, VI

Interested in keeping up with what's happening in St Croix?

Well, in addition to subscribing to my newsletter (thanks if you're already subscribed), you can also get the feed to a couple of local papers: www.onepaper.com/stcroixvi  and www.virginislandsdailynews.com

If you're thinking of relocating to St. Croix, you might want to subscribe to www.vimovingcenter.com.

Other good sites to keep up with what's going on throughout our beautiful island: www.gotostcroix.com and www.stcroixtourism.com. These sites are loaded with information to help you learn about the St. Croix and connect with folks here.

Not sure where St. Croix is?  Visit the map page on my web site.

And, I'm just an email away to answer any questions you might have about St. Croix real estate!

Kim Lucas, REALTOR
kim@coldwellbankervi.com
www.kimlucasvi.com
www.retireinthevi.com
340-626-3758

In our last installment, we left off with Chris Columbus meeting the Indians at Salt River Bay in 1493. Skipping forward a bit -

In the early 1640s, England and Holland were sparring over St Croix, and a bit later, the French and Spanish got into the mix. From 1655 - 1665, the French leased the islands to the French chapter of the Knights of Malta, and the island produced cotton, indigo, tobacco, sugar and tropical foods. In the late 17th century, the French were forced to abandon the island, and eventually English woodcutters from Tortola moved in and engaged in lumbering.

France sold St Croix to the Danish West India and Guinea Company in 1733. Denmark took over as a Crown Colony in 1755 and began to expand the sugar plantations and control the African slave trade. The Danes established the towns of Christiansted (named for King Christian VI of Denmark) in 1735, and Frederiksted (named for King Frederik V) in 1752. Friederich Moth, governor of the West India Company, designed the town layout for Christiansted and had the island surveyed into 150 acre estates, the names of which we still use today! Moth encouraged settlers by offering tax benefits and reasonable prices on the land (sound familiar? We're still doing it!!). The tolerance of the Danes regarding ethnicity and religion made our island a cultural melting pot, which it still is. English eventually became the common language, but most people spoke a Dutch Creole, a blend of Dutch and African languages, and later a dialect of English - which I believe still influences the native language here. Our locals speak their own brand of "English," which is charming and lovely, although a bit difficult for us "mainlanders" to understand, at least initially. "All ah we tink dis is ah good ting, to ah talk Crucian...."

The sugar-based prosperity of St Croix reached its peak in the mid 1700's with exports of sugar, molasses, rum, hardwoods, and cotton. At one point, our island was called the "garden of the West Indies," which I think even captures our culture, although our new "branding" is labeling St Croix as "the Port of Solace." Today, you can see the ruins of over 80 sugar mills here on our beautiful island. They stand as a reminder to embrace our diversity and cherish our freedom, for it was on the backs of the African slaves that these mills were built and the sugar was produced - and our island prospered.

Members of our community still sit on the steps of our government house in protest of our government's lack of attention to the issue of reparation. They seek more and better education of our youth about the savage history of slavery, and seek to engage those nations who benefitted from the institution in helping to mitigate its devastating consequences. ACRRA (the African Caribbean Reparations and Resettlement Alliance) seeks to bring to the table all avenues of the topic of slavery and its repercussions so that healing - on both sides of the issue - can happen. But I digress.....

Join me next week for the final installment of my series on the history of St. Croix. Better yet, sign up to receive my blog posts through the RSS feed shown on the right.

Kim Lucas, REALTOR
www.retireinthevi.com
www.kimlucasvi.com
kim@coldwellbankervi.com
340-626-3758

If you are like me, and just can't wait till you're 65 to "retire" to the virgin islands, but are SO READY to quit your current job and start a new life, then this post is designed specifically for you!  I started a new career here, and many other folks have done the same.  Some have turned former "hobbies" into paying jobs.  It's quite possible that you'll be served a fine meal by a former CEO of a large company!

Moving here or "retiring"  here does not mean that you can't be productive or have a full or part time job to bring in some extra money and/or contribute in a meaningful way.  There are numerous places to do volunteer work as well, and also plenty of job opportunities.

Your job research should start before your arrival on the island.  Checking local job websites and newspapers will give you an idea of what the job market on St. Croix has to offer. It is also a good idea to check the job opening/career pages of local and federal agency web sites, especially if your experience and training are in the areas of social work, business administration or project management. It is not likely that you will secure more than the prospect of an interview before your arrival, unless your area of expertise is in a specific industry, such as many of the positions utilized in the island's resident oil refinery. Check the links below for more information on local employment opportunities.

www.vidol.gov/Units/JobService/Job_Seekers.html:  Virgin Islands Department of Labor, Division of Job Services.  Registration with the Department of Labor is recommended shortly after you arrive, especially if you plan to work full time. It must be done in person, and you must submit identification (birth certificate, driver's license or state ID for copying) and an up-to- date resume with your application. You are given a copy of most recent job listings to review while you wait to see a representative. St. Croix locations: Frederiksted - 302 King St., (340) 772-2312; Christiansted - Sunny Isle Store #7, (340) 773-1440.

http://www.dlca.gov.vi/boardcertifications.htm :  Department of Licensing & Consumer Affairs. The Department of Licensing & Consumer Affairs is a necessary stop if you are interested in one of the fields that require passing an examination for board certification to be employed in the territory. Social worker, architect, and electrician are among the job titles for which this is a must.

http://www.dopusvi.org/careers.aspx : Division of Personnel.

http://www.viirb.com/: Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue.

http://www.vivote.gov/index.htm: Election Systems of the U.S.  Virgin Islands. Poll workers are needed for primaries and general elections. Call (340) 773-1021 for information or applications are accepted in-person, Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., across from the K Mart annex at the Sunny Isle Annex #4, 93A.

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/about/jobs.htm: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs.

This agency lists job openings through USAJOBS, the official job site of the U.S. Federal Government, www.usajobs.gov .

http://www.vipd.gov.vi/work_with_us/work_with_us.aspx: U.S. Virgin Islands Police Department.

http://www.viport.com/employment.html: Virgin Islands Port Authority. To file an application for employment at the Port Authority, contact VIPA's Personnel Department at (340) 774-1629, ext. 677; please mail your applications to: Virgin Islands Port Authority Attention: Personnel Department P. O. Box 301707 St. Thomas, VI 00803-1707

www.dpnr.gov.vi: Department of Planning & Natural Resources. Job openings are listed on the Division of Personnel's site, http://www.dopusvi.org/careers.aspx.

www.vid.uscourts.gov/pages/Body_employment/htm: U.S District Court of the Virgin Islands.

http://www.viig.org/careers.html: The Office of the Virgin Islands Inspector General.

http://www.viwapa.vi/jobs_ext_list.asp: U.S. Virgin Islands Water & Power Authority.

http://hrweb.uvi.edu: University of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix Campus (jobs on St. Croix are denoted with STX.

http://stx.onepaper.com/: St. Croix Source, online newspaper. Check the Classifieds page for employment opportunities.

http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/: Virgin Islands Daily News, online version. Check the Classifieds under the Employment link for job openings.

http://www.career.vi:  website dedicated to job openings in St. Croix.

http://www.caribbeanmonster.com - Caribbean-focused version of the popular job website.

I'm a Realtor now, sold my business and moved here a few years ago and have no regrets!  Our economy is very strong, and real estate prices are poised to do nothing but go up.

Contact me with any questions about relocation or retirement in St. Croix, and for real estate market information.  I'm livin' my dream - are you?

Kim Lucas, REALTOR
www.kimlucasvi.com
www.retireinthevi.com
kim@coldwellbankervi.com
340-626-3758

St. Croix has a rich and interesting history. I've provided a very encapsulated version here - taken mostly from a wonderful resource that those of you who are considering moving here MUST have - and that's the Settler's Handbook for the US Virgin Islands (you can order your copy from www.gotostcroix.com).  

This book covers many topics of interest to anyone interested in St. Croix, and is also a great resource, guide, and source of valuable information about the island.  I've excerpted some of the key historical events from the overview of this book to give you a thumbnail sketch of our history.

For a good map of St. Croix and points of interest, visit the map page on my web site, www.retireinthevi.com.

Evidence suggests that the lovely island of St Croix has been inhabited since around 2500 BC. There have been three known pottery-making tribes who inhabited the island, starting with the Igneri (or Ancient Ones) , the Taino or Arawak, and the Caribs, who were here until the late 16th century.  Christopher Columbus and his crew were the first Europeans to visit us in 1493, and anchored near Salt RIver bay. They were met by some of these Indians and as a result, 'Ol Chris named the site  "Cape of Arrows," which is a testimony to the less than warm welcome he received!

Check in next week for Part II of our history or sign up to subscribe to this blog.

Kim Lucas, REALTOR
kim@coldwellbankervi.com
www.kimlucasvi.com
www.retireinthevi.com
340-626-3758

As we enter the dog days of summer, I am falling even more in love with this beautiful island. The days are hot, but the water feels oh so good! Nothing better than slipping into the pool or ocean on a hot summer day! And the evenings are so pleasant! I couldn't sleep last night and just stood on my gallery feeling the warm tropical tradewinds blow and smelling the lovely jasmine that is just starting to bloom in my yard.

If that's not enough, more announcements about new developments coming that were in today's paper got me all excited and made me want to rush out and buy buy buy more real estate here!

Contact me for a copy of my monthly newsletter - the August issue has info about the return of cruise ships to Frederiksted, more Delta flights scheduled to our island, and a new initiative to bury the power lines in Christiansted, which will make our town even more lovely and facilitate the restoration of power should we have a hurricane. You can also read the continuing saga of our water and power authority woes, and learn about our amazing athletes currently competing in the Olympics.

St. Croix is a busy place, bustling with economic vitality, growth, and a real sense that we are going somewhere! Let me help you invest in St. Croix, and live your dream in our paradise - I'm living mine!

Kim Lucas, REALTOR
340-626-3758
www.kimlucasvi.com
www.retireinthevi.com
kim@coldwellbankervi.com