Not sure where your friend got that impression. Certainly there are elements and locations to be wary as with any town/city but to say either STT or STJ are a problem is just not true. There are places in my home town I don't feel 'comfortable' in but I always promote it as a great place to live. You do not seem to be a couple who "looks for adventure" down back alleys or ventures into unknown areas late at night so I would not give a second thought to visiting.
I am not famiiar with a Coral Beach so perhaps you meant Coral Bay, which is the village on the East end of STJ and still referred to as the old island feel. More will certainly add comment but Skinny Legs a great burger and Sweet Plantains is more local flare. Miss Lucy's along they way to Salt Pond Bay is great for jazz brunch and the view.

Go and enjoy.

ahh..thank you. No, we won't be looking for trouble - just a quiet vacation with sun and beautiful places to explore.

yes, I meant Coral Bay - sorry about that. Thanks for the tips. I'm writing down everything I find out..I'm so looking forward to this trip! Our first by ourselves in years and years!

I am not sure if the person that you spoke to has ever been to STJ, but I would doubt it.
Crime is likely? That has to be the oddest thing I have ever heard.

STJ is a very safe island, not that it has no crime, but it is not unsafe for tourists or locals.
Use common sense as you would at home. Don't leave your wallet or purse in the car or sitting out on your beach towel. Don't get drunk and roam the streets after midnight. Pretty much the same as you would at home.
When we stayed in Jamaica we were told to no go out after dark outside of the resort. I can guarantee that no one has ever told anyone that on STJ. As a former resident, I would get out of work at 2am and walk home, as a single woman.

Do you mean Coral Bay? That is the quiet side of the island and there are some great houses to rent with beautiful views. You will need to rent a car if you are staying on that side of the island. What is your budget for a house and what must you have? Pool? etc?

budget for house would be ideally $1000 to $1200 - which I think is reasonable. Must haves? Pool would be nice or jacuzzi but certainly not necessary. More wishful for a house with lots of windows to open to catch the breezes - I have dreams (during this terrible Philadelphia winter) of waking up to the birds, the sun and cool breezes floating over the bed.... Of course, I'd love a short walk in the morning to get coffee and breakfast sitting outdoors at a pleasant restaurant and enjoying the breeze, but want to be in a private house...(can you tell I've been dreaming about this during the worst of the storms we've had?)

Certainly we will rent a jeep - we've traveled to the British Isles and driving on the left is not a problem.

another question - the price of food - we found on our last trip to England that food was more than twice as expensive there are here - what might we expect in STJ?

Thanks so much for your help!

Xislandgirl raises the right questions for us to assist. What do you want to do? Relax. explore, snorkel, hike, shop? I suggest you consider purchasing either St John Off the Beaten Track or St John Feet, Fins & Four Wheel Drives. Links are available at the top of this page. Ours are well worn and we still refer to them after numerous trips.
The USVI has much to offer, the best of which is nothing. "Nothing" lets us recharge the soul every time we visit. Listen to the water, smell the breezes, watch the people. Enjoy.

Thanks for the tip. Just ordered Feet and Fins.

Yes to all of the above. But mostly want a laid back vacation, privacy, with sites to see if we are so moved - stopping at beaches, forests, etc when we are inclined and see something that interests us. Sounds like we've picked the perfect place.

Not really shoppers - but sounds like if we get antsy for people and buying things, we can hop over to Saint Thomas relatively easily.

We're used to driving in the British Isles so left sided driving is not a problem. Will definitely rent a jeep - can't imagine being there without being able to explore the beautiful beaches I've been reading about.

My concern right now (since you've all laid to rest my questions about safety) is the choice of house and what we can expect in the price of food... there are so many houses to choose from...

I should also mention that we have not snorkeled before, but are both very excited to try this.

If you are looking in Coral Bay, you should have some good options for a place to stay, but on that budget, you will not likely find one with a pool.
I did a quick search on VRBO and found some good options in your price range
http://www.vrbo.com/264053
http://www.vrbo.com/107852
http://www.vrbo.com/146033
http://www.vrbo.com/155914

There is a posting from another forum that has a grocery receipt from a few years ago, I will try and find it to post for you

I hope this works
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2412640650028562117LoMPtc

You can make the pic bigger by clicking on it

I agree, on St. John and for the things you're planning to do...no worries, my wife and I are very adventurous and have always felt safe exploring the off the beaten track areas, hiking, snorkeling etc. The people are terrific and friendly.

My personal favorite is St. John Off the Beaten Path book which gives you great trails, areas of interest and hidden beaches to explore. Some versions come with a very handy and detailed geologic survey type map! Relax and enjoy.

One further piece of advice, invest in a small waterproof container so you can swim and snorkel with your wallet, car keys, cell phone, etc so you don't have to leave them on the beach! Check www.scuba.com search "dry bag" or "dry box"

Your budget is a bit light for villa...if you can do more I'd suggest a very private and romantic Coral Bay villa http://www.vi-villas.com/siempre-azul/index.htm

Have Fun

Koen

You have come to the right place. You can find a wealth of info on this forum. You can search any topic and usually find what you need!

Villa: homeaway.com and vrbo.com are great resources to find the perfect villa!

RE: safety, I agree with what everyone else has said.

If you are a first time snorkeler, I would start out at Trunk Bay or do a snorkel trip early on in your vacation. Then as you get comfortable try a new place!

Food: That can be as pricey or cheap as you want it to be. We usually have a kitchen so we can eat our breakfast and some dinners at the villa. There are a lot of great places to eat that won't break the bank. Be sure to scope out the good Happy Hours. Woody's has $1 beers from 3-6. Several places also have reduced bar food during their happy hour too.

Take time to relax. Pick the few things you REALLY want to do and have a list of things you would like to do if not stressed for time. There is always next time! Because more than likely there WILL BE a next time! Try to make yourself step out of your comfort zone to try something new, be it hiking or a new food. Those are usually some of your greatest memories is trying new things because it can be an adventure!

Please let this be your WARNING! You will be addicted and find that you will do just about anything to get back to this great place we all like to call our home away from home! Welcome! 🙂

We spent our 30th anniversary on STJ at Luna Vista

http://www.mylunavista.com/index.html

In your price range.
Just off Centerline Road toward the Coral Bay side but more centrally located. Quick trip to the North Shore beaches.

Agree with all about safety concerns--not a big issue.

Reef Bay guided trail hike (all downhill) is great fun.

Arawak Expeditions--did a 1/2 day kayak/snorkel trip with them. The 1/2 day was just the right length for us--never kayaked before. Also great fun.

As others said, plan some time to do "nothing."

Have been coming to STJ since 1978, I was a victim of crime there once in the 80's while staying at Maho Bay, I had a shoe stolen from my deck at one of the tent sites.

After investigation by employees the thief was caught and apprehended, and I got my shoe back.

It was a local wayward dog.

So be very careful.

In my experience the visitors to the island are a much larger threat to your safety than anyone who lives here.

LOL @ rm!

i hope they threw the book at the d@mn dog.

We recently returned from our 5th time to STJ and we hiked the entire island, explored every nook and crany and not once had issues or concerns w/ safety. We love the island and will continue to go there yearly until we retire there!

I happen to have some receipts from food purchased at Starfish here's a sampling:

6 pk of english muffins Thomas $5.99
loaf of tucan italian bread $6.65
olive oil $8.69
helman's mayo $5.89
lb of land o lakes butter $6.65
individual yogurts $0.95
wraps $3.69
head of lettuce $1.89
box of sprouts $2.49
red grapefruits $1.89 each
1/2 gallon of milk $3.79
apples $2.62 a lb
carnation vanilla coffee creamer $3.05

From Dolphin Gourmet market:
avocados $1.95 each
6 pk of corona $9.95
bottle of beringer est merlot $12.95
bottle of champagne $17.95

Hope this gives you some idea as to what things costs.