Mar 16, 2021 | Island News
Keeping Traditions Alive With Art Thursday in Downtown Christiansted
St. Croix strives to adapt to a “new normal” while keeping its long standing traditions alive. For almost 25 years, Art Thursday has been one of the island’s most cherished events. Local and visiting artists, store owners, restaurateurs and the general public would come together to celebrate the arts from 5pm to 8pm every third Thursday of each month between November and May. For the 2020-2021 season, downtown Christiansted merchants were challenged to discover new ways to offer the community a memorable Art Thursday experience safely. The answer was to expand the three-hour event to a FULL DAY affair, allowing attendees to appreciate the beauty of Art Thursday’s offerings while practicing social distancing.
Art Thursday remains true to its original goal – providing a fun meeting place where friends and family can get together safely for an enjoyable time. This adjusted timeframe helps to limit the numbers of patrons that can enter the various establishments, making it a safe experience for all. One of the ways that store owners are attracting increased foot traffic during Art Thursday is by showcasing the work of local and visiting artists in their stores.
Rosa Morales of Wildflower Boutique in Caravelle Arcade regularly hosts popup shops at her boutique with local vendors and artisans. “With Art Thursday, the idea is the same – to do my part to support local or even visiting artists however I can.” As a lover of art herself, Morales appreciates the energy and community aspect of Art Thursday. “I am happy to see people out and about again, looking at the art and shopping in all the stores.” Three more Art Thursdays remain for the 2020-2021 season – March 18th, April 15th and May 20th. Be sure to stop by and visit the multitude of art galleries, jewelry stores, boutiques and restaurants while exploring the streets of downtown Christiansted from 10am to 8pm. For more information, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ArtThursday.
Written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
#StCroix #USVI #Caribbean #art #shopping
Mar 1, 2021 | Island News
From our February 2021 St Croix Newsletter
Question: “Where should I buy on island to have a great vacation rental?”
Christie’s Answer:
For real estate, the old saying is, “Location, location, location!” When thinking of a vacation rental, it’s “View, view, view!” The number one thing guests want in a vacation rental is a VIEW!
Buy a property in the area of the island which pleases you the most, or is close to the kind of activities you prefer. For example, do you love to dive the pier and ship wrecks on the west end? Do you enjoy hiking to Jack and Issac’s Bays on the east end? Would being in the middle of the island be more convenient for getting around? Do you like being right on a beach, or do you like having the wider view from up on a hill?
By buying what appeals to you, it will help you to market your vacation rental to potential guests who have the same preferences.
Contact us and we will be happy help you!
Photo: 76A Seven Hills, St Croix
#StCroix #Realtor #Buying #Selling #IslandLiving #Caribbean #Investment
Mar 1, 2021 | Island News
From our February 2021 St Croix Newsletter
Question: “I want to buy a property and rent it part of the year as a vacation rental. Should I buy a house or a condo?”
Chris’s Answer:
Houses provide indoor and outdoor space and privacy for you and your guests. They will generally be more expensive to buy than condos. To maintain and care for a house, and possibly a pool, you need to factor in the on-going costs of hiring professionals, or the costs of services like cable TV, internet, etc.
With a condo, exterior maintenance, landscaping, and pool maintenance are usually built into the HOA fees. The HOA fees may also include windstorm insurance or other amenities. Condos are a smaller space, and can have restrictions on the number of guests.
Both houses and condos make great vacation rentals. An important question to ask yourself is, “Would I want to stay there as a guest?” Look at the property with being a guest in mind. Go on different vacation rental web sites, and see how listings are presented. What attracts you to those listings? Where would you want to stay – in a house or a condo?
Contact us and we will be happy help you!
Photo: 103 B Golden Rock Condo
#StCroix #Realtor #Buying #Selling #IslandLiving #Caribbean #Investment
Feb 17, 2021 | Island News
In 2014, Virginia Clairmont of Clean Sweep Frederiksted was brought back to her roots to make an impact in the Frederiksted community. Her commitment to the historic city that raised her is simple: change the mindset of how trash is disposed of in Frederiksted and use art to beautify public spaces in the area. After a successful launch of her art beautification project in collaboration with Pangeaseed Foundation, Clairmont knew she wanted to do even more. The global pandemic COVID-19 put a pause on her family events and community projects and that was when the Frederiksted Art Trail was born. This self-guided outdoor public art tour features a variety of artwork and sculptures created by local and visiting artists and muralists. Clairmont stated, “With the trail, we are creating small spaces throughout the city that residents and visitors can enjoy.” Local artist Waldemar Brodhurst uses reclaimed aluminum roofing, upcycled fans, tire planters and screen wire to create sculptures depicting mocko jumbies, cultural dancers, turtles and more.
As the F’sted Art Trail adds to the beautification of the city, the other large goal in these improvement efforts is the reopening of Frederiksted Public Library. Athalie Petersen Public Library has been closed to the public since 2016. “Much like the trail lends to adding pockets of joy to the community and beautifying the historic district, Frederiksted’s public library would do the same thing,” said Clairmont. Earlier this month, Clairmont hosted a community paint and spruce up event in the library garden in hopes to further highlight the need for this space in Frederiksted. “This event was focused on engaging the community in the economic development and revitalization of Frederiksted.” “When people that live and work in a city or town get involved, you tend to see more ownership in the growth of the community.”
To learn more about the Frederiksted Art Trail, follow their social media pages on Facebook at @frederikstedpublicarttrail and Instagram at @frederikstedpublicart.
Written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
#StCroix #USVI #Caribbean #art
Feb 17, 2021 | Island News
See the majestic beauty of St. Croix from a different point of view – under the sea! Scuba diving St. Croix is a must for any diver, or anyone interested in giving diving a try. The island is known for its world-class scuba diving surrounded by the longest continuous living reef in all of the Caribbean. There are over 70 moored dive sites to choose from ranging from reefs and wrecks to walls and piers.
Some of the best diving on island takes place in these popular locales: off the North Shore, at Salt River and in Frederiksted near the pier. One of the most recognized diving sites on St. Croix is The Wall at Cane Bay that runs almost the entire length of the North Shore. With an approximate depth of 3,200 feet, it is a great site for deep diving, tech diving and regular recreational diving. The best part about this site is that it can be accessed by shore or by boat at a number of dive sites along the North Shore of the island. The other well-known diving site lives in Frederiksted with six sunken ships to explore and pier, which offers one of the best night dives on island.
If you’ve always been intrigued by diving and ready to give it a try, St. Croix is the perfect place to do it. Each local dive operator offers Discover SCUBA classes allowing you to try scuba first to see if you like it. During this one-day introductory class, you’ll learn how to operate the scuba equipment in shallow water and receive a quick, comfortable introduction to what it takes to explore the world under the sea.
Whether you are an experienced PADI-certified diver, a novice or first-time diver, St. Croix is the perfect place to get familiar with the beauty of the island’s underwater world.
Written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
#StCroix #USVI #Caribbean #scuba
Feb 17, 2021 | Island News
When one of Christiansted’s most iconic and historic buildings went on the market, Mo Anselmi and Matthew Leonard, owners of the well-known The Bombay Club, knew that they had to create a special place that would highlight the historical significance of the island. Enter St. Croix’s newest restaurant, Hamilton’s! Named for the two Hamiltons of St. Croix – Alexander Hamilton and David Hamilton Jackson – these men were public servants in every sense of the word, putting the public before themselves. This mindset and way of serving speaks to Hamilton’s philosophy, “Service First.”
Opened in mid-December 2020, general manager Gary Tupper shared that the strain of the global pandemic didn’t cause too many roadblocks for them. “The pandemic forced us to limit the number of tables and people allowed to dine in.” Luckily, this limited setup was part of their initial plan. “Our way of operating is a bit unorthodox compared to your typical restaurant.” What Tupper is referring to is Hamilton’s overall service and operations.
For starters, there’s no Facebook page or website nor does the restaurant have a published phone number. Reservations are made via their Instagram page or by leaving a message on their voicemail where someone will return your call. Secondly, they focus on taking care of a limited number of people at a time which allows them to focus solely on the customers wants and needs during their dining experience. This means there are no to-go orders. “We could certainly have more customers and turn over more tables each night, but we want to make sure that we never miss a beat when taking care of our guests.”
Customers can expect a solid menu that features fresh ingredients and a bounty of flavor. Executive Chef Ken Robinson has trained and traveled extensively throughout the world, making him great in the kitchen but great with people also. Tupper pointed out that they’re not here to sell food, wine or cocktails. “We want to create emotion that makes our guests get excited about dining with us.”
Hamilton’s is open 7 days a week from 5pm to 9pm. For more information, follow them on Instagram at @hamiltonsvi or call 340.773.5393 to leave a message to make a reservation.
Written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
#StCroix #USVI #Caribbean #foodie #NewRestaurants
