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Good News From the East End!

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So lately we’ve had a lot of negative news about the East End – beaches being blocked, barbed wire being put up, trespassing signs, etc. Well we’re happy today to tell you about some good news coming out of the East End.

One group of property owners along Hansen Bay beach are opening up their land for public use. Most notably, they’ve invited Captain Peter of Angels Rest to anchor offshore. (Not sure what Angels Rest is? Click here to read about our Easter jaunt on the floating bar.) This stretch of beach along Hansen Bay will now be Angels Rest’s primary destination. Here’s what Captain Peter said about it on his Facebook page:

“(The owners of that stretch of beach) are so nice to me and are planning to make a fun beach to visit,” Captain Peter wrote. “They will be offering a lot of beach toys, such as paddleboards, kayaks, tri sailboats … There will also be a snack shop, cabanas and lots of free parking. And of course, Angels Rest bar (will be) a little closer to the beach.”

We reached out to the property owners Tuesday, and they are super excited to open their beach to the community.

“We want to enhance the community idea, to welcome businesses to a beautiful place,” one of the property owners said Tuesday. (She asked to keep her name out of today’s story, and we happily obliged.)” That is very difficult to do here on St. John, especially with the North Shore being mostly National Park. We’re opening up the shoreline as it should be opened, to those people who want to participate in that beach. We want to help the community. We are very community oriented.”

While they could not confirm Captain Peter’s statement about a possible snack shack, they did say they are welcoming Angels Rest with open arms. The owners are working on installing signs to let people know that Angels Rest is in the area and also to direct them where to park (across the street from the beach).

They did stress, however, that they do not want the beach to get overrun. They simply want people to come out, experience the beach and enjoy themselves while being respectful of the neighbors of course. They’ve also asked that all visitors pick up after themselves.

I’m not sure about you all, but I think this is amazing news! Kudos to these ladies!!


12 thoughts on “Good News From the East End!”

  1. This is great news! Finally a friendly place to visit in the East End. Wonder if there will be a $2.50 gate charge to access the public beach?

  2. Was over that way yesterday – gate was open. Three cars inside and people looked happy. Angel’s rest parked in the water!!

  3. Wow, what a horrible development at East End. Lived there when there was no electricity, no one came there. People who were born on the island never had been there. There was always the threat of Hansen Bay’s development into a resort…..just never thought it would really happen. It was a magical place, the Harley’ s, Anthony’s, Pops, and a small smattering of continentals….a collection of unique personalities….the Bocks, Warren, the Davidsons, the Meyers, Augie and Sylvia…..Everyone in StJ thought we were crazy for living there and not Chocolate Hole…..utter peace and quiet. Well, at least I know I was lucky as there will never be a place like it in the world again….

  4. Some day the first round of moon- or Mars-inhabitants will bemoan the same things. It was nice before the tourists all came.

    Guess what, though… freezing any place as you think you liked it, and as you think it should be, is not possible, aside from the occasional Disney-ification of a place like Colonial Williamsburg, but even that is obviously not real life – with a recreated physical world and actors playing the “inhabitants”.

    And even if you could, what’s to say your vision of perfection is the correct one? Maybe those same Harleys and Anthonys liked it better in the “older” old days, before that smattering of weird continentals. Perhaps the Tainos preferred it pre-colonial era better. Perhaps the people who live there now feel they belong just as much as you felt you belonged.

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