ProfessionalLurker
Reged: 03/15/03
Posts: 1825
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Although Vieques appears moving slowly towards development I can assure you it is approaching the top of the curve...wake up in 3-5 years and you won't recognize it. Why? US Territory and available land for development.
Wait, watch or wonder what happened. It will develop out about as quickly as anything we've ever seen. Development is always a work in progress in five year increments. The big boys have already seen, bought and have the plans on the drawing boards, but its not public yet. A PR real estate attorney specializing in Vieques could probably enlighten us all to the reality of its future.
I'm there.
Ric
PS~MikeR and IV (because we've talked about this in person), another one bites the dust! Just look around in our own lifetime, and think about another short 20-30 years...where will the people go? They are already buying .10 acre homesites on the marsh in certain southeastern states for over $1 million, and the rest are staying in metro areas and buying at astronomical prices for air space in condos. You either develop for the population horizontally or vertically, horizontally in areas where land is available or vertically where we push the envelope...either way, its difficult, but not on Vieques.
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JEK
Moderator
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 10224
Loc: Northern Virginia
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April 2, 2006
In Transit
Is Success Spoiling Vieques?
By MICHELLE HIGGINS
Vieques, the military bombing range turned beach resort just off Puerto Rico's southeastern shore, seems to be suffering some growing pains.
After the United States Navy stopped bombing the island's white sandy beaches in 2003, travelers tiptoed to its newly demilitarized coasts and found warm waters, wild horses and surprisingly good restaurants. Glossy magazine spreads soon followed, and a tourist hot spot was born. But is Vieques maturing too fast for a tiny island that still lacks a traffic light?
On a visit last month, the main waterfront strip in Esperanza, once a low-key village, was jammed with rental Jeeps and patrons spilling out of overbooked restaurants. At Chez Shack, a bohemian restaurant in the island's interior, some diners had to wait more than an hour for their barbecued chicken and fish. "My restaurant used to do 20 to 25 dinners a night," said Hugh Duffy, the owner. Now, it does 60 to 70 most nights, and as many as 260 dinners during its Grill Nights on Mondays.
A spot of sand is still easy to find, but the days of feeling all alone are gone. That's true even for secluded beaches like Blue Beach, a former bombing test site where beach chairs and fresh towels were laid out neatly every few yards.
The crowd has also changed. At Navio Beach, a mellow crescent at the end of a dirt road, sunbathers in their 30's shared the surf with rowdy college students playing touch football and drinking beer. Yes, spring breakers have found Vieques.
"We didn't get that type of tourist," said David West, who has visited the island for 15 years and opened Roy's Island Coffee House there in December. "It was mostly single people or couples, and mostly not teenage groups. Now you're getting a much more mainstream visitor."
And there is still more to come. The most anticipated new hotel is Starwood's W Retreat and Spa, expected to open in mid-2007.
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Carnaval 2009: Mardi 24 Février 2009!!!!
JEK
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TimH
Reged: 10/02/02
Posts: 64
Loc: Richmond
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Having been in Vieques at roughly the same time as the author, I find her report to be about as misleading as most travel articles. I am sure she may have seen springbreakers, but the impression of hordes of them was more likely one or two small groups. Restaurants were crowded, but mainly because there are very few restaurants. We definitely saw more tourists over 50 than under 30.
Of course, every week is different, but we observed a very low key island.
The one thing that everyone we talked to agreed on was the incredible amount of trash by the roads. Until the locals take more pride in the appearance of the island, I find it hard to believe Vieques will attract more and more of the "W" type visitors.
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JEK
Moderator
Reged: 01/20/04
Posts: 10224
Loc: Northern Virginia
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Thanks Tim.
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Carnaval 2009: Mardi 24 Février 2009!!!!
JEK
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