cooldala, I use to be a plumbing cont. in N.J. I went to St. Croix seeking what you seek. When to move is a decision only you can make.
Do a pre-move visit to STT. with moving there in mind. In other words don't hang out at tourist spots. Find out where the locals hang and network thru them. although I'am not on island right now (medical reasons) from my visits I have no doubt there is plenty of work as, skilled labor is at a premium. Move your thread over to the relocation board and you will find lots of help. Relocation board is at the right top corner of this board. Good luck. Any thing I can help with PM me

Go to www.allconstructionvi.com and contact Andy Heath thru the site. He owns the company and is currently looking for employees. 340-643-4051. Feel free to use my name. Marty Fredericks.

If you DO end up coming for a PMV, like Ironman said, DON'T act like you're on vacation...go stand in some lines...go to the Post Office, WAPA, Grocery Store, Bank, IRB, Innovative, etc. Act like you are already living here and see how long it takes to drive from one place to another during certain times of the day, find out what standing in line to pick up that one little box that just BARELY didn't fit in your Post Office Box is like, go to the grocery store and buy a weeks worth of food, hang out with locals, ask questions, ask questions, ask questions! S-L-O-W down! ~ When school lets out, traffic is a FACT! Deal with it. Find out what it's like waiting in line at the bank for 45 minutes, just so you can pay your WAPA bill (yeah, you can pay some bills at some banks here). Try to drive thru Havensight on a 3 ship day at, say 8 am...try it again at 4:30...you get very used to burning gas while sitting in one spot....heck try to drive down Main Street in the day time...smile and say "Good afternoon" to all you meet...S-L-O-W D-O-W-N. Forget about getting anything done quickly, soon come, mon! Re-prioritize things. Heck, in ten years here, now that I'm driving a car instead of my bikes, I'm re-learning that whole 'patience' thing! On a bike I can go where I want, when I want, at the speed I want....kinda stuck in a cage (car), ya know? So ya just kinda go with the flow....gonna be late? Yep! Can ya do anything about it? Nope! Breathe in -breathe out...you'll get there....eventually! Any questions, feel free to contact me...

michael,
thank you for your responce.did u eventually move to STX ? r u going back? were u reluctant to give up ur business? so ur from nj ,im in burlington , i guess you understand why we would want to go to stt! doesnt sound much differant from nj as far as traffic,ignorance,and cost of things on the rise.did u take a huge pay cut on stx?i would pm u but not sure how.thanks for ur time,and enjoy the weekend.
justin

coolda'la,
I have not moved to STX yet but will as soon as I stop beating myself up. I gave up my business and never looked back. I don't mind working but the pace of life here just became too much, even though I don't work here (Va.Beach) I can't stand even the everyday pace.
My first day I got real lucky in that a plumber showed up at the place where I was staying to fix a minor leak in my unit. I got to pick his brain and determined things here were not much different than in the states, except the pace. The pay scale seems to be about the same and from reading these boards it seems as though people are in dire need of skilled people who for the most part show up when they say they will.
As for traffic, you may get some during drive time, coming and going to work but nothing remotely close to N.J. I never had any problem with people all were just as nice as could be and very helpful. As for the cost of living, sure things are more expensive if you want to maintain a stateside standard but I found if you live as the island people do it's not much different. After living on an island (I lived in Grenada for ten years) you soon discover how much you don't need to have good quality of life.

One love ironman

Michael
have you ever been to stt ? ive never been to croix but heard its more laid back.your currently in v beach plannng on moving soon?do you plan to one day start a business there or just work for someone?im still in my planning stages,maybe 10 to 12 months away.thanks for any info.
justin

collda'la,
No, never been to St. Thomas. I may visit sometime but don't want to live there. I understand there is alot of delelopement going on there. You should understand most if not all the building on all the islands is concrete, few if any stick. As for work I'll except a job until I get a good foothold then, ideally buy a storm damaged house and start flipping.

One Love Ironman

ironman
how did u like grenada? who controls it. i suggest you try stt it is such a great place! and stj is also amazing.i recommend it to everyone i talk to.
justin

I strongly suggest that you do a PMV. And as said before DONT come as a tourest but as an islander. Life is pretty different down here. And it may be nice be here on vacation but you might not be able to stand it if you were here 365 days a year. Things cost more but you don't need a lot to live. Lodging is expensive and utilities are pretty high. A one bedroom is about 1200-1300 and electric is about 35 cents a K watt, and going up. Food costs about 50% more, or less. Gas is higher but not out of the ball park. The beaches and water are simply wonderful and if you don't like it then it will be a tough sell.

It would be real nice if you could take a trip (I think about 8-10 days) and look around., but not quit your job. You will need to spend a few thousand dollars but it will be worth it to see if you really like it. And if you don't have the few thousand to spend then forget it. You will need about 10,000 to get started. You will need to rent a place and it will probably require first, last and a month. That could be as high as 4000. Then you will need a car. You can get a good one for about 5,000. You will need insurance for the car. About 400. If you are shipping your tools you will need another thousand or so. So it adds up.

I can point you to a PMV place to stay. PM if you want more info.

billd

billd
thanks for ur reply,i was down in march for 2 weeks.my girlfriend and i stayed with a great family (Petris&O'nika) on santa maria bay,they have a sudio they rent out for a reasonable rate.what do islanders do for leisure? my girlfriend and i are not big drinkers.i kind of worry a/b my girlfriends safety when im not around.is that a big concern?I do have a bulldog i will be bringing.how much is a gallon of gas these days?i would pm you but not sure how ! thank you for any info you could give me.
Justin(nj)

Justin: Try visiting the Relocation Message Board (check above on the right.) Regular gas is $4.18 and up. The PM someone, you have to be registered. 😉