Excellent introduction to Saint-Barth

[davesmom]

This was a very nice introduction for anyone going to Saint-Barth, with lots of easy to read tips and nice photos! (One petit erreur was saying ‘Orient’ Beach as opposed to Lorient but you could figure it out.). Well done and up to date, and pretty comprehensive for a personal article; would be a good trip report if one of our members were the author. Enjoy! Not sure if anyone already shared it, so if so, apologies .

Toujours, St. Barth | New York Social Diary

Barbara Hodes heads back down to St. Barth where the blue skies and warm waters beckoned and where there is always something new to savor.

www.newyorksocialdiary.com

 

[cassidain]

Question: I believe the previous administration had already set policy that the number of hotel rooms had reached its limit, but is there any new moratorium on the number or size of new private villas being constructucted???
Quibble: a Cessna Grand Caravan may be a "puddle jumper", but not sure I'd characterize a sexy Pilatus PC-12 in that way

 

[cec1]

Question: I believe the previous administration had already set policy that the number of hotel rooms had reached its limit, but is there any new moratorium on the number or size of new private villas being constructucted???
Quibble: a Cessna Grand Caravan may be a "puddle jumper", but not sure I'd characterize a sexy Pilatus PC-12 in that way

. . . not aware of any moratorium, Cass. In fact, I’ve been reliably told that the number of approved building permits since inception of the current administration is multi-fold higher than in the former administration’s last years. The big one yet to drop, of course, is for the much delayed & highly controversial hotel next to Eden Rock (tentative, “Emeraude St. Barth”).

With regard to issuance of building permits, I’d also hasten to add that a permit doesn’t necessarily mean a new villa. Permits, that is, also are issued for matters as simple as expansion of a deck or addition of a bathroom.

Bonne Sunday!

 

[cassidain]

. . . not aware of any moratorium, Cass.

plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

 

[noel]

"There are hundreds of small boutiques on the island."
???

 

[GramChop]

"There are hundreds of small boutiques on the island."
???

Maybe they meant “There are small boutiques on the island that charge hundreds.”

 

[bkeats]

Okay, I will more than quibble with the story. An excellent introduction if your primary reason to come to the island is shopping. I’ve never seen a story that was so focused on stores. I guess since the author shops for a living it makes sense for her to write about that but it misses so much of the island. Nothing about Saline or Colombier. Where is Orient Beach? I know the one on St Martin.

I live in NYC. The author supposedly does to. She claims it’s difficult to find bone marrow in the city. I guess she doesn’t get out much. No it’s not at every restaurant but it’s not difficult at all to find. I love the dish but it’s one of the most unhealthy things to eat when you are watching for that sort of stuff. Every time I see it I want to order it but I get that disapproving look from the lovely wife and instead order a salad.

 

[davesmom]

Okay, I will more than quibble with the story. An excellent introduction if your primary reason to come to the island is shopping. I’ve never seen a story that was so focused on stores. I guess since the author shops for a living it makes sense for her to write about that but it misses so much of the island. Nothing about Saline or Colombier. Where is Orient Beach? I know the one on St Martin.

I live in NYC. The author supposedly does to. She claims it’s difficult to find bone marrow in the city. I guess she doesn’t get out much. No it’s not at every restaurant but it’s not difficult at all to find. I love the dish but it’s one of the most unhealthy things to eat when you are watching for that sort of stuff. Every time I see it I want to order it but I get that disapproving look from the lovely wife and instead order a salad.

Well, what I did focus on was that she got around (we don‘t make it to every beach every time) and got outside of Gustavia to support some of the smaller businesses around the island. I didn’t see it as a guide to everything or anything more than her own experience; I think she was trying to give a little taste of her trip and not a “how to”. I did mention her little error on Lorient, and yes, Orient Beach is in SXM; I was there in 1980 (!).

As a native New Yorker myself, I am familiar with the incomparable choices of everything there, from shopping to restaurants to entertainment, but not everyone has those options when they don’t live in NY anymore, so for some of us, being able to buy French things in little boutiques is special on vacation, especially when you don’t live in France anymore either. So maybe she appreciated the availability of little things that made her happy to find, like little treasures?

 

[NancySC]

More of a shopping story. She needs to learn how to spell the beach name correctly, the one down the winding road from where Santa Fe was...our first & favorite beach of many visits.