Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Havensight Mall
and
Port of Sale
, just east of downtown,
are adjacent to the West Indies Dock (cruise ships). These
have expanded greatly in recent years and there are now
over 100 shops - many of them branches of downtown shops,
but a few that are unique. Clustered in block-long, one-story
buildings, their location is identified by building numbers
rather than addresses. Buildings 1-7 are at Havensight and
number 8 is Port of Sale. There is a nice mix of shops, restau-
rants, banks and local businesses. Pick up a site map at the
information kiosk. The area is so bustling that other shops
and fast-food eateries have opened across the road near the
Paradise Point Tramway and Al Cohen's Plaza. A big plus
here is the ample parking.
a
You can walk from downtown to
Havensight (daylight only), but it's
quite a hike if you have packages, so
you can hop the
shuttle bus
that
operates from 9 am-5 pm.
American Yacht Harbor
and
Red Hook Plaza
near the
Red Hook Ferry Dock have a few shops you might want to
explore and there are others at
Mountain Top
and
Para-
dise Point
. The
Ritz Carlton
and
Marriott French-
man's Reef
are two of the resort hotels that have shopping
arcades.
Why Shop Here?
Although the Virgin Islands are part of the United States,
prices are lower here than on the mainland. Why? Thank the
Danes! In 1764, King Frederick V declared St. Thomas a free
port and, when the Danes sold the island to the United
States in 1917, they insisted that the free port status con-
tinue. Therefore, the maximum duty on goods imported into
the Virgin Islands is 6%, far less than the tax paid else-
where. Merchants here can sell for much less than their fel-
low retailers on the mainland and still make a profit.
Further savings are realized because there is no sales tax in
