Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Best Buys & Where to Find Them
The best buys on St. Thomas include china, crystal, perfumes, jewelry (especially
emeralds), Haitian art, clothing, watches, and items made of wood. St. Thomas is also
the best place in the Caribbean for discounts in porcelain, but remember that U.S.
brands may often be purchased for 25% off the retail price on the mainland. Look for
imported patterns for the biggest savings. Cameras and electronic items, based on our
experience, are not the good buys they're reputed to be.
Nearly all the major shopping in St. Thomas is along the harbor of Charlotte Ama-
lie. Cruise-ship passengers mainly shop at the Havensight Mall, at the eastern edge
of Charlotte Amalie, where they disembark. The principal shopping street is Main
Street or Dronningens Gade (the old
Danish name). Some of the shops
occupy former pirate warehouses. To
the north is another merchandise-
loaded street called Back Street or
Vimmelskaft. Many shops are also
spread along the Waterfront High-
way (also called Kyst Vejen). Between
these major streets is a series of side
streets, walkways, and alleys—each one filled with shops. Other shopping streets are
Tolbod Gade, Raadets Gade, Royal Dane Mall, Palm Passage, Storetvaer Gade, and
Strand Gade.
It is illegal for most street vendors (food vendors are about the only exception) to
ply their trades outside of the designated area called Vendors Plaza, at the corner
of Veterans Drive and Tolbod Gade. Hundreds of vendors converge here Monday
through Saturday at 7:30am; they usually pack up around 5:30pm. (Very few hawk
their wares on Sun, unless a cruise ship is scheduled to arrive.)
When you tire of French perfumes and Swiss watches, head for Market Square,
as it's called locally, or more formally, Rothschild Francis Square. Here, on the site of
a former slave market and under a Victorian tin roof, locals with machetes slice open
fresh coconuts so you can drink the milk, and women sell ackee, cassava, and bread-
fruit.
Other noteworthy shopping districts include Tillett Gardens, a virtual oasis of
arts and crafts—pottery, silk-screened fabrics, candles, watercolors, jewelry, and
more—located on the highway across from Four Winds Shopping Center. The Jim
Tillett Gallery here is a major island attraction in itself.
All the major stores in St. Thomas are located by number on an excellent map in
the center of the publication St. Thomas This Week, distributed free to all arriving
plane and boat passengers, and available at the visitor center. A lot of the stores on the
island don't have street numbers or don't display them, so look for their signs instead.
3
Shopping Tip
Friday is the biggest cruise-ship visit-
ing day at Charlotte Amalie (one time
we counted eight ships at once), so try
to avoid shopping then.
Don't Be Shy About Bargaining
Theoretically, bargaining is not the rule
on the islands, but over the years we
have found merchant after merchant will-
ing to do so, particularly on expensive
items such as jewelry and perfume. The
slow late spring, summer, and fall sea-
sons are the best times to try to make
deals with local vendors.
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