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Early morning breakfast trend

There are three new options for getting an early start to the day. 

The Mojo Cafe at Wharfside, Satyamuna at the Marketplace, and Made From Scratch Bakery are serving breakfast.  They’re not the only ones, of course – just the newest. 

Satyamuna, a veggie place, offers eggs, oatmeal, granola and Belgian waffles.  The Mojo Cafe is serving up a traditional start-the-day menu.
Delrise Varlack’s new place, the Bakery, is where there used to be a pizzeria, between the Tamarind Inn and O’Connor’s Texaco.  The menu features local items including johnny cakes and pates but also has tried but doughnuts and other pastries.

Brangelina at Caneel, 2.0

The New York Post’s Page Six adds spice to the story:

"Spies at Caneel
… tell the New York Post that Brad and Angie have been living large
with their kids and nannies in a five-bedroom, $8,000-a-night beach
front villa. (One report says it used to be Laurance Rockefeller’s home.)

"They showed up with 97 pieces of luggage … have been seen having candlelit dinners on their veranda.

"Rumor has it – real estate alert!!! – Brangelina is considering
investing in a number of properties in the area owned by Donald Trump."

Trump?  Trump!  Who’s ever heard of Trump on St. John?  Anyone??

Another source says Brad and Angelina had dinner in Cruz Bay at Zozo’s.

Gotta admire their taste.

New Governor waits tables at Caneel

The annual Sprauve School benefit brought out the finest
table manners in the territory’s high and mighty over the weekend.
Waiters for the 10th annual benefit dinner included Gov. John deJongh,
as well as several VI Senators, and 1970’s graduates of the school.  In
remarks, deJongh said, " "I now have the fortunate opportunity to make
sure that education in St. John reaches heights that it never has
reached before," deJongh said, the Virgin Islands Daily News reported.
A member of the gala’s planning committee said the evening’s event and
auctions raised $100,000 for the school.  The funds will be used to
purchase electronic white boards, the newspaper said.

Better than karaoke at Sun Dog

Sundog
The Wednesday Night Jam invites locals and guests with a musical bent to sing for their supper at the Sun Dog, the outdoor cafe at Mongoose Two.  The music starts at 7 p.m., and the Sun Dog serves dinner until 10 p.m. It’s usually an 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. operation.  (Great lunches!)  Locals with a reputation may stop by and visitors are welcome to join in.  There’s no charge.

Island spice girl: snow bird to business owner

Spice
Ruth and Ron Ernst have called St. John home for almost 10 years.  Their successful St. John Spice business is one of the first things you see coming off the ferry, located close to the dock, offering hot sauces, coffees, teas, and Ruth’s hand-made Cruz Bay Grill Rub. 

Ruth is a New Englander, and still has some of that area’s stereotypical reluctance to talk about herself.  But she loves to talk about the island, and her business, despite its long hours and seven-day-a-week demands.  Doesn’t leave too much time for limin’, she said, in this week’s St. John podcast. Listen to the podcast by clicking the play button below.

You can download or hear the file, also, by clicking here.

You can also subscribe to News of St. John’s weekly podcast by going to the Apple iTunes Music Store and searching for "news of st. john," or you can copy the words feeds.feedburner.com.stjohn and paste them into the subscribe field under the iTunes software’s "Advanced" tab.  You can also use that Feedburner link to subscribe in other podcatching software.  If you’re having a problem, e-mail: [email protected].

Moving to St. John?

I get an e-mail like the one below every week or so.

Photo_3Dear Frank:

I have been doing extensive research on all things St. John.  My wife and I are trying to find a way to move down there. (We) were married on (island) last June and spent a week on St. John with our families. Needless to say, we also fell in love with the island and after dealing with the hassles of (the big city) another 6+ months, we are ready to strike out and pursue our dream of living on St. John.

The primary problem I see for us is that we have just paid off the wedding and have little capital for moving or starting a new business. We’re looking into how to make it happen, but if you have any advice for how to make it work in such an expensive locale, I’m listening. Cheers! (By the way … she is an attorney and I have a Ph.D. )

My reply.

Lemme see … No money … And you want to live on what has to be one of the most expensive places there is. Don’t get me wrong, I applaud your dream – but no one’s giving away businesses or dangling 6-figure jobs at the ferry dock.
If you want to work, there are jobs galore for sensible, reliable, ambitious people – jobs which can turn into careers. Housing is a very difficult issue.  The average standalone on the market is $1.7 million.  Condos start at about $400,000. A shack in Coral Bay is going for a little under $400,000. I know several successful business owners, with great reputations, who do not own their homes.  Even building contractors.

It’s hard work living on St. John. But there are rewards, and you’ve apparently recognized them.
If you and your wife are adventurous and want to start a life on island, more power to you. But bring strength, commitment, dedication, focus … And some money.

Read moreMoving to St. John?

St. John artists show ‘masterful’ works

Dozens of St. John artists have been ‘channeling the masters’ and put their inspired creations on sale over the weekend.  Some pieces are still available.

Aasj_1
The St. John Artists Association’s latest show drew about a hundred people to the group’s gallery on the second floor of the Marketplace.  There were dozens of paintings, jewelry pieces, and sculptures on display.  Aasj_2

Elaine Estern’s watercolor, "The Mermaid," was done in the style of Howard Pyle.  Lisa Etre’s "Purple Robe with Anemones," in oil, paid tribute to Henry Matisse, and Kristen Maize took inspiration from Edgar Degas for her oil, "Two Bathers on the Grass."

Items sold at auction included Deborah Macfarlane’s "Bather With Outstretched Arms,” in the spirit of Paul Cezanne, National Park Service archaeologist Ken Wild offered "Reclining Venus," an oil inspired by Turner, while Robert Howle showed three fine silver pieces in the spirit of the Tiano Indians.   The Marketplace’s marketing manager, Jennifer Dale, provided the photographs.

House prices still climbing, inventory too

The number of houses for sale on island is the highest it’s been since I’ve been keeping watch, about four years. 

The Multiple Listing Service has 126 residences on the market, priced from $12.25 million (it’s a Peter Bay house, pictured at left) to $365,000 for an "as is" concrete slab with apartment beneath in Coral Bay (pictured at right).

Since last January, the average price of a house listed for sale has increased almost 9%, from $2.05 million to $2.31 million.  The median price of a listed property is $1.7 million.  That is unchanged from last year. 

The fact is, however, that last year the most expensive listing was about $8.5 million.  This year, there are four properties at that price and higher.  That’s gotta be pulling the average higher.  Do the math, and it may account for all the rise in the average price.  Bottom line: prices appear to be steady, while a few more very expensive properties have come on the market. 

But, hey, with US real estate prices softening, "steady" on St. John is good.

Stay at Caneel, get a free book

Turtle
Adam Gopnik, a writer for the New Yorker, will be at Caneel Bay at the end of the month as part of a series of events called the Hot Type Author Series. 

The author of several books will be there Jan. 27-31, hosting a series of private dinners.  Guests will talk with Gopnik about his work, his experience while living in Paris, and his newest book, "Through the Children’s Gate: A Home in New York." If you book a room at Caneel for the end of the month, they’ll send you a copy of it.

New resort gets green light

Pondbay
A new luxury hotel/resort at Chocolate Hole has been approved by the island’s Coastal Zone Management Committee. The project, known as the Pond Bay Club, has been in development for several years.  The Committee’s approval came with about two-dozen conditions, some dealing with environmental issues, the St.. John Source said in its report of the decision.  (Click on the photo for a larger picture.)

During previous consideration of the project, there were concerns about a reverse osmosis plant the developers planned to build. It would have included a long pipe snaking out of the bay into the ocean.  This week, an architect for the developers said that idea is dead and, now, Pond Bay will connect with a planned undersea water line operated by the V.I. Water and Power Authority.  Any homeowner who lives between where the line comes ashore in Cruz Bay and Pond Bay’s location at Chocolate Hole could tap into it, the Source reported.

Robert Emmett, who heads up First American Development Group/Carib Limited Partnership, said construction will be complete by summer of 2009.  The project is planned to include 52 two- and three-bedroom units on its 13.55 acres.