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Hello everyone, and happy Friday! There are so many great villas here in St. John, so I’ve decided to share some of my favorites with you. Remember last month’s power outages that were happening way too often? I hit my breaking point one day – let’s be honest, all of our nerves were completely frazzled by it – and I was lucky enough to receive an offer from a friend to spend the weekend at a beautiful villa that happened to have solar power and backup batteries. It look me all of five seconds to accept the offer, and I quickly started packing an overnight bag! So with that, I would like to formally introduce you to Cay Syrah villa. 

Cay Syrah is a stunning six-bedroom villa that can easily sleep 12 people comfortably. The vacation rental is set up perfectly for multi-generational family and multi-family vacations, or single-family vacations. Cay Syrah is quite large – the home has four levels – but it is also amazingly comfortable.

Cay Syrah is located in Cruz Bay and has amazing views of Pillsbury Sound, the Caribbean Sea, St. Thomas and the surrounding cays. Entry to the house is off a wide driveway, which has ample space to park four cars and includes a turnaround spot for easy maneuvering. Two additional cars can park on the street directly in front of the house. The site has been beautifully landscaped and includes several fruit-beating trees like bananas, mangoes, papayas, limes, and starfruit. You are more than welcome to help yourself to any when they are ripe to pick. Yum!

Even the front door at Cay Syrah is cool. The beautiful stained-glass door was once the entry to a gallery on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, CA. How neat is that?!

The Space

The air conditioned top level of Cay Syrah includes an open floor plan with great room, dining room and chef’s kitchen. A full 12-foot wide pocketing sliding door system brings the indoor and outdoor living spaces together with separate comfortable seating and dining areas on the covered outdoor deck.

The chef’s kitchen features custom mahogany cabinets, granite counter tops, a separate full-sized refrigerator and full-sized freezer, a double oven, five burner gas cooktop, and two full-sized dishwashers. This house is designed as a space to have fun. It can also accommodate a small wedding or other such party if prior approval has been granted.

The upstairs master has a king bed, large under-bed safe, and en-suite bathroom with a large, no-curb shower and double sink vanity. The bathroom is wheelchair accessible and includes several well positioned grab bars and a full seat in the shower.

A uniquely designed interior stairway, covered exterior stairs from the deck, and a graciously sloped exterior ramp all lead to the mid-level which has three more en-suite bedrooms, pool, outdoor kitchen/café, and laundry room. Two of these bedrooms are set up with king-sized beds with the third set up with two twins which can be converted to a king as needed. Each bathroom has a no-curb shower, again for ease of entry should additional guests require handicap accessibility. The outdoor kitchen has an outdoor television for viewing – even while in the saltwater pool. The pool also has gates installed, so that the pool can be made off limits for younger guests.

​The lower level of the house, the garden apartment, is not handicap accessible. Access to this level is by exterior stairs either from the driveway or the pool deck. The garden level apartment has one king bedroom with a small bunk room, a great room, full kitchen, and one bathroom. One bedroom is set up with a king-sized bed and the other, smaller bedroom, has a twin bunk bed, which is great for children. This level also boasts a Tiki Hut bar with cover seating and a lawn for yard games.

Accessibility

Cay Syrah is perfect for a multi-generational vacation as it is a handicap accessible house with a grand, and gracious ramp connecting the top two levels. The villa was designed to accommodate the mobility challenged, and features accessible bathrooms with easy entry no-curb showers that also have seats, grab bars, and both a fixed head and hand-held shower, comfort height toilets, and 36” entry doors to all rooms. While not fully ADA compliant, very few villas (if any) on St. John can compare with Cay Syrah’s accessibility.

Available for use while renting:

• Wheelchair
• Walker
• Stand-alone toilet safety rail

Rates & How to Book

Rates for Cay Syrah villa start at $749 a night and vary based on the time of year and number of guests. Please contact Caribbean Soul Vacations at www.caribbeansoulvacations.com to learn more.

Thank You!

I would like to thank Dave and Julie, owners of Caribbean Soul Vacations, for giving my family a little reprieve during last month’s outages. You two are the best!

Earlier this year, I told you that a brand new ferry is currently being built to transport passengers between Cruz Bay and Red Hook. That ferry will hold 300 people, more than the current ferries, and it is expected to arrive later this year or in early 2025. It will even have a dedicated space for luggage, so no more stressing over your bags getting soaked during the island rains.

One cool aspect regarding this new ferry was the fact that the Port Authority was asking for our help to name it. Well, after receiving more than 300 suggestions, they finally settled on a name – Spirit of 1733.

Spirit of 1733 – The Historical Connection 

Denmark settled St. John in 1718 and brought enslaved people from Africa’s Guinea Coast for the purposes of working the sugar plantations. A large number of those enslaved people came from the Akwamu tribe, a tribe that ruled present-day Ghana for decades. The Akwamu often traded with the Danes, selling their fellow Africans into slavery. Eventually the Akwamu was defeated and was sold into slavery themselves. Many were subsequently brought to St. John.

The Akwamu was a tribe that had numerous strong warriors, and those warriors eventually planned a revolt here in St. John. Led by King Kanta, King Claes, King Juni and Queen Breffu, the Akwamu entered a fort in Coral Bay carrying bales of wood. (This occurred at Fortsberg, which is the area of land on the east side of Coral Bay harbor.) The warriors acted as if they were initiating a normal delivery of wood, but once they were inside the mostly-unmanned fort, they branded cane knives and killed the soldiers who were present. The tribe moved plantation to plantation, killing colonists until they held most of the island. The 1733 Slave Insurrection was the first time that enslaved people took control of a colony. This was a major historical event, and it is remarkable that it took place in St. John.

The insurrection lasted nearly six months. The Danes eventually made a deal with the French, and troops from Martinique arrived to quell the uprising. The Akwamu fought, but could not hold off the forces, so they were left with few options. Rather than be recaptured and tortured, many chose suicide. In April 1734, a number of freedom fighters ritualistically took their own lives on Ram Head. A plaque now sits there to honor this integral part of St. John’s rich history.

There is more to St. John than beautiful beaches. Our history is rich. Our culture is incredible.

If you would like to learn more about St. John, please consider taking a tour with me. You can learn more at www.explorestj.com/tour or feel free to email me at jenn@explorestj.com.

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Hello everyone, and happy Sunday! I am so excited to share that an Explore STJ reader checked out my new listings post last week, and made an offer on a property here on St. John! So exciting! Maybe my next client will be you! I would love to help you own a piece of St. John whether it be a home, condo, timeshare, or a piece of land to build your dream home. Please contact me to jenn@explorestj.com or at 203-376-3786 for more info.

And if you are looking for something specific, but do not see it listed below, please reach out to me. I would love to help you own a piece of St. John. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made!

The following properties have been listed for sale over the past week on the St. John Board of Realtor’s Multiple Listing Service:

Homes for Sale

What a view! Check out this well-priced, five bedroom home that has gorgeous, panoramic water views that stretch all the way out to the British Virgin Islands. The home, which has three bathrooms, large windows throughout, and indoor/outdoor showers even overlooks a protected coral reef. Please give me a call or text me at 203-376-3786 if you’d like to see it in person.

List Price: $1.4 million

Listing Agency: Islandia Real Estate

Land for Sale 

Build your dream home close to Cruz Bay on this half-acre parcel. This parcel has southerly views of Chocolate Hole and Hart Bay.

List Price: $395,000

Listing Agency: Islandia Real Estate

*****

It’s all about the view! And does it get better than this one? Build your dream home here, and wake up to this incredible view every day!

List Price: $135,000

Listing Agency: American Paradise Real Estate

*****

Views and breezes! This half-acre parcel is nestled atop Bordeaux Mountain.

List Price: $185,000

Listing Agency: American Paradise Real Estate

Price Reductions

Typically I do not include price reductions in my new listings post, but there were two this past week that may pique someone’s interest. You can own weeks one and two (beginning of January) at the Westin for just $4,000. If you prefer just one week, each were just reduced to $2,500 apiece. This is for Unit 3126, which is a one bedroom, two bathroom unit up on the hill.

Listing Agency: Island Paradise Realtors

Looking for additional information on any of these properties? Please contact me to jenn@explorestj.com or at 203-376-3786 for more info.