St. John: Can You Afford a Piece of Paradise? by Courtney Ronan In the spirit of escapism, we're turning our compasses to the island of St. John this week. Sure, only a select few homeowners can afford to pay for such extravagant real estate. But timeshare properties and hotel package deals make the dream attainable for others, if only on a temporary basis. The smallest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John is postcard-perfect. In contrast to neighboring St. Thomas, an island revered for its wealth of shopping and entertainment, St. John marches to a slower beat. Visitors come here to unwind, period. And St. John has gone to great lengths to accommodate our national quest for relaxation. Its natural scenery, of course, is enough to de-stress even the most wired tourist. Surrounded by waters clear enough that the ocean floor is visible, and covered with gently rolling hills of velvet green, St. John is worthy of the name "paradise." Although the island is a mere 9 miles long and 3 miles wide, two-thirds of it have been designated part of the Virgin Islands National Park. That distinction protects the vast majority of the land on St. John, ensuring that its idyllic beaches and lush forests will remain pristine and unscathed by development. That leaves the remaining one-third of St. John for the developers, and creates an exclusivity that has sent residential real estate prices soaring. St. John is so staunchly anti-commercialism, in fact, that it doesn't have an airport; visitors and residents fly to St. Thomas and then sail to St. John, less than 30 minutes away by ferry. The profile of the St. John tourist or resident, full- or part-time, is one who defines relaxation by the opportunity to commune with nature, rather than the number of entertainment venues, retail shops or other commercial outlets. Despite its small size, St. John is endowed with a multitude of white-sand beaches and scenic bays in which exotic fish mingle with snorkelers and strikingly colorful corals provide fabulous photo opportunities for the underwater photography enthusiast. Just because the majority of its land is protected by the National Park Service doesn't mean you can't experience its untouched beauty. Local park rangers lead tours, both on foot and by Jeep, and talk to visitors about the island's native plant species. Hiking enthusiasts will be in heaven on St. John. In addition to combing the trails protected by the National Park Service, hikers can explore the island's historic ruins by foot. Local tourism companies offer donkey rides along groomed trails, as well as scuba diving and snorkeling expeditions, rock climbing and guided horseback rides. This isn't to imply that St. John doesn't have opportunities for the shopper. After all, spending money is something of a sport here. The island has three primary shopping centers offering distinctive arts and crafts (St. John has a thriving artist community), as well as fine handcrafted jewelry, clothing and other quality goods. In fact, most visitors to St. John notice a lack of kitchy tourist retail shops here. So if it's shot glasses and campy sunglasses you're looking for, you're out of luck. St. John is expensive; there's no debating about that. But you don't have to be independently wealthy to enjoy its beauty as a tourist. Bed-and-breakfast accommodations allow visitors experience St. John and remain within a reasonable budget. If you're a bit more adventurous, you could try camping in one of the sites reserved by the National Park. Timeshare opportunities include condominiums of various levels of extravagance, as well as single-family homes with spectacular bay views. If your budget can afford you the ultimate, no-holds-barred St. Johns experience, find yourself a villa with a full-time waitstaff (the price tag for such luxury is astounding, commanding such prices as $35,000 and up per week); the island offers plenty of them. Or select a single-family home for weekly or monthly rental minus the staff. And, of course, if you'd prefer to be waited on at a resort, St. John will accommodate you. The island currently offers two world-class resort hotels. The real estate market on St. John is quite active despite the high prices. From condominiums (ranging from studios to three-bedrooms, and starting in the $130,000 range for the smallest units) to single-family homes (most of which range from the lower $200,000s all the way up to the multimillions), the island has a significant inventory. And although much of the island is protected from development, there remains on St. John available land for house-building. So if money is no object, you can hire yourself a local builder and an architect and build the home of your dreams. Whether your fantasy is attainable on a full-time, part-time or even one-time basis, a visit to St. John is an experience of a lifetime. Development on St. John takes second place to nature, and this fierce commitment by islanders is virtually guaranteed to keep the tourists coming -- and spending. For those who can afford to live on St. John, a piece of paradise may come with a high price tag, but property values are sure to remain high at such a spectacular destination. |
