Smaller Crowds, Quieter Shores as St. John Slowly Recovers

We've been to St. John twice since the hurricanes and would encourage others to consider doing so. It's such a cool, laid-back place full of amazing views and welcoming people. The Longboard, pictured in the story, is a wonderful place to stop and have a frozen Painkiller and tacos. We also had world class dinners at Ocean 362 and Extra Virgin...we haven't been impressed with most island food on the whole but these were wonderful. Go!

My husband has attempted through multiple channels to meet with Stacey Plaskett in DC, with no response. We own land in St. John. Clearly, the USVI needs to explore new methods of building sustainable housing coupled with new communication technologies. Apparently, Congresswoman Plaskett is not interested in meeting with anyone who could move this forward.

I visited St. John last spring and was absolutely enchanted. This article reminds me that I need to figure out how to go back down there soon and volunteer to help restore this special piece of the United States.

Coming back in 3 weeks, for the 16th time. Give me a lobster at Lime Inn, a few Mango Tangos at Morgan's, and a clear path down to Salomon... and I'll be a very happy dude. Anything else will be a bonus. Seriously can't wait to come down and support you, Love City. Peace to all of you and see ya soon~

St John will always hold a special place in my heart. It goes far beyond the natural beauty of the Virgin Island chain. I feel a connection to the people who have always opened their hearts and shared a taste of Paradise with my wife and I. I look forward to stepping ashore and drinking a Painkiller at the Beach Bar in Cruz Bay.

After Katrina, I thought the US government would never again fail a population in distress. Trump makes GWBush's efforts on behalf of Katrina's victims seem positively laudable, efficient & comprehensive. Trump's inauguration redefined negligence, indifference & incompetence to heretofore unplumbed depths in American history.

The moorings were plentiful in Francis Bay, pristine as always, when we were in St John over Xmas holidays. Yes, the vegetation is a little beat up, and yes, one could see missing roofs scattered amongst the trees. Of the 50 or so moorings in Francis/Maho Bay maintained by the Park service, we only counted five boats, during what is normally high season on the bareboat circuit. The islands can only recover if tourists go and spend money. Every anchorage we visited we found food and drink, and we tried hard to be equitable consumers, by visiting most of the establishments and spending some dollars. If you are a sailor who loves the islands, you are needed!

I loved St. John, until I went to Anguilla. No comparison.

Thank you for this encouraging article

St. John was never my favorite. Too much "Ugly American," no foreign tourists showed interest, and locals (Afro Americans) poorly treated. Maybe some lessons learned but I doubt it.

I lived and worked on St John for a few years. Good times, good memories. I will return...very soon. The cost of construction materials were high when I lived there, cant imagine how expensive they are now. Also slow to arrive. And the labor pool, skills wise, was sketchy...which Im sure hasn't changed too much. Hope the rebuilds in Cruz Bay, etc, are not over done, and keep to the island aesthetic. There was some kitschy decor that needed to be blown away... All in all, the island was beautiful and it will be again...

First, a shout out to All Hands and Hearts, whose volunteers are working incredibly hard to help schools and homeowners in the USVI. Americorps crews, too, are doing the hard dirty work to ready homes for repair. Meanwhile, FEMA grants and insurance money needed to buy materials still haven’t arrived. The federal government, and specifically the Department of the Interior, needs to do much more to repair visitor facilities, esp. at the beaches. Tourism is the economic lifeblood of the community and must be restored, just like electricity. Bureaucratic impediments are everywhere. The Park Service hasn’t even replaced the staff who left. This lovely American territory is being treated shabbily by the Trump administration. You can bet that Florida, with its 29 electoral votes, is faring far better.

Sending love to Love City. Thanks to the NYT for keeping St. John in the news, so we all can participate in its continuing recovery. It's a very special place.

Look at the vegetation recovering on St. John. Nature is resilient, even in the face of monster hurricanes which have done similar damage to this beautiful island many times before. It is only because man has built fragile structures where they don't belong and that fall apart in a stiff wind that the mess on St. John will take longer to rebuild than nature does on its own.

One of the issues brought up by this article requires further investigation by the NYT; namely, the Caneel Bay bill pending before Congress. As currently proposed, the bill would allow the Caneel Bay corporation to operate under a retained use agreement for 60yrs, paying the federal government just 1.2%. In every other national park where hotels operate they do so under shorter, concessions agreements that pay the federal government a far larger amount (e.g. 8% in the Grand Canyon). Also, the bill allows Caneel Bay to continue to operate as an EDC (Economic Development Commission) which results in no taxes at all being paid to the USVI government, depriving the local government of any revenue. Before this bill proceeds further in Congress it should be re-examined as to whether it best serves the interests of the people of St. John or a single corporation.

My wife and I just got back from two weeks in St. Barths. It was not unlike conditions on St. John. We had an excellent time, but found that most of the resorts and restaurants on the north shore of the island were closed, some under restoration, some not yet. Things were quieter, but there was enough infra structure that one can still have an excellent time, even without a lot of people to view in skimpy or no attire on the beach. However, don't be fooled by the condition of things if you have to pass through St. Martin on your way to that island or one of the others. A lot of air traffic to this part of the Caribbean goes through the airport on St. Martin. To say the airport is "open" is only minimally correct. The terminal building is completely closed and immigration, customs, security, and ticketing are all operating in tents or temporary buildings on the perimeter. Things are just as they were in the bad old days before the new airport opened a few years ago--hot, noisy, crowded, and lacking all but the most basic amenities. It is still worth going, but don't expect to have a good time transferring or ending your trip at Queen Juliana International Airport.

St. John is by far my favorite island destination. Although devastated by the hurricanes it still has some huge advantages when compared to other islands. Thanks to Laurence Rockefeller the island is 2/3s U.S. National Park so it’s resistant to the over development that other islands suffer from. In addition and unlike some islands, crime is very low on St. John. I have always felt safe there, no matter the time of day or night. And finally, since the harbor cannot accept huge cruise boats access to St. John is limited to ferry boats, mostly from St. Thomas. I’ll miss the beach shade provided by the sea grape trees but am hopeful regrowth or replanting is not far away.

We used to go to Maho Bay regularly and were sad when it closed. Looking forward to going back to St John and are happy to see steady progress in recovery efforts.

WHY is it taking so long for our government to assist our territories, the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico? Really, the delay in cleanup and restoration of power is outrageous. We would not tolerate such long delays on the mainland. I hope every eligible voter with ties to USVI and Puerto Rico makes sure to register to vote this year, and helps put in place a US Congress that is more responsive to the basic needs of ordinary people.

So glad to read this encouraging update on one of our favorite places. My wife and I had already planned to visit again soon, and this only whetted our appetite. Gotta love the can-do spirit on display here.