Shopping, Crime and Cruise Ships
Being Safe in the Main Spot on St. Thomas
Things are not as warm as they seem in and around Charlotte Amaile.
The main city on St. Thomas is Charlotte Amaile, a romantic-sounding place if ever there was one.
In trust, Charlotte Amalie is hardly a city. It's really just a town and a very touristy one at that, for it's where the island's legendary shopping district is located (jewelry and rum, primarily) and where thousands of cruise ship day trippers spend their shore leave.
The streets of Charlotte Amalie are lined with shops – and cruise ship tourists.
It features the kinds of duty-free shops one would expect for an area that caters to cruise ship passengers. The stores stay open only as long as the cruise ship passengers are around, and they leave at 5.
After that, the doors are shut and the workers get the heck out of there, for there is trouble in paradise.
St. Thomas is not a safe place in many places. Oddly, Charlotte Amalie is one of them. Don't be there after dark, plain and simple.
It's a shame, because the streets are narrow and pirate-looking, there's a bar with a high level of fun potential called the Green House (although the bartenders are handicapped by the "corporate pour") and about a dozen years ago the place was jumping with bars and restaurants that created a street party atmosphere.
Instead, it's advisable to retreat back to the hotel or a safer area such as Red Hook or Frenchtown.
The Holiday Inn, located across from the ferry terminal, could instead be called the Green Zone. Inside, it's like a compound. It has a gate around the entire property and the elevator only works by inserting a room key. On the plus side, the outside bar is a pretty good place to meet other travelers.
A similar situation exists at the Marriott. It has one of the island's best pools and is located in the intoxicating-sounding Frenchman's Reef. Its bar is also a good place to encounter island encounters with other visitors. But don't go beyond its boundaries at night.
When in St. Thomas, use common sense in these areas. Down in this Banana Republic, things are not always as warm as they seem.
The cruise ships actually dock to the east of Charlotte Amalie in a place called Havensight. There are duty-free shops here, too; the upscale Yacht Heaven Grand shopping area and Buccaneer Mall.
A safe place for shopping and dining well into the night is in Frenchtown (between the airport and Charlotte Amalie, at the Crown Bay Marina).
|
