St. John...giddy
 

Just booked our flight using FF miles - we'll be in St. John for one week at the end of June. One big step toward making our trip "official"! I feel giddy! :)

We have our condo choice narrowed to either Cruz Views or Serendip. I got some comments before on Cruz Views. Does anyone have any experience with Serendip?

Thanks for all the input so far - I'll have many more questions in the following months, I'm sure!

Congrats on stepping closer to your dreams. Serendip is a decent condo complex close to Cruz Bay. There are a good number of folks who live in to condos full time. They are not the poshest but they are conveniently located and usually owned by people who care about safety and good maintenance. Have you looked at Coconut Coast Villas and Lavenderhill? Those are also two condo complexes close to Cruz Bay.

Thanks, Tuxedocat. What do you know about Coconut Coast?

gechter- can't help you on your condo choices- but i can tell you have choosen a magnificent island to explore! Hope you enjoy!

We stayed at Coconut Coast (the 2-bedroom unit) a couple of years ago and were happy with it. It was not upscale but was clean and adequate. I don't know the cost now, but at that time, it was quite reasonable. We did not use the pool, but some of the other guests did and seemed to enjoy it. We did love sitting on our balcony, especially because of the proximity to the sea. All in all, we thought that Coconut Coast was a bargain.

Serendip is NOT conveniently located... it is at the top of a very steep hill called jacob's ladder that really requires a rental car...it is also located in a questionable neighborhood in my opinion...
it is upthe hill from recent attack on a tourist...
http://cbs2chicago.com/seenon/local_...255230953.html

Coconut Coast is owned by a local artist and is safe and secure and MUCH MORE convenient to a walk to cruz bay---no rental car needed...

You should also check out a resort at gallows Point that is nearby to coconut coast and has great villas.......book now because at end of june...st john festival is in full swing and nearly all accommodations get booked many months ahead...

Next june---st john will be over its latest rash of craziness :-)

Gechter: Hhmmh... "Serendip is not in a convenient location..." It does involve some hilly driving, but dearheart, about half of STJ involves some stiff driving. Coconut Coast is closer to the Cruz Bay, but if you have a rental car, that will not matter as much. Do look into Lavenderhill. While I have not stayed there, I've spoken with several folks who have and have said that it is very nice. There is some construction going on in that area, but no at night, and you won't be lolligagging around the place during the day! Do look at www.caribbeandays.com I have seen some interesting offerings on that site. Please ask any questions that pop into your mind. This board just loves to answer STJ questions.

Thanks for all the comments so far! My husband is looking forward to the "extreme driving" on STJ so actually I bet Jacob's Ladder would be a plus for him! LOL

I'm still looking at the condos & we'll consider Coconut Coast in addition to Serendip & Cruz Views. It's pricier but maybe it's worth it. So far Serendip is the only one that's responded to my emails - very timely! In the end, I think our choice will come down to price, comfort/cleanliness and a fair cancelation policy. And my husband's thinking he wants a place with a pool - like going beach-hopping every day won't be pool enough! :) (Just when will my bathing suit have time to dry?) Anyway, each place has its own set of pros & cons.

I have good common sense when it comes to safety - I think it's important to be aware of the tensions on the island but I don't feel paranoid about it. I think a little extra mindfulness goes a long way. And really, who knows what the situation will look like in June - might be better, might be worse, might be exactly the same.

I plan on having a great time no matter what!

When I stayed at Coconut Coast, the rooster woke me every morning at dawn. not pleasant. I would recommend Gallows Point. Great sunsets. Or, check out www.bookitvi.com and look at some of the B&Bs or their one bedrooms. I've used them for 10 years.