Mongoose Junction Shopping Center
- Todd W.
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
- 3
- Reviews
Wonderful Experience
- July 20, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
MDGirl from Waldorf, Maryland
Gecko Gazebo - I can only describe it as a hidden oasis. This was my favorite bar in St. John, and I think it had a lot to do with Gary, the bartender. If you want to enjoy cold drinks in a relaxed atmosphere, then you have to check out the Gecko Gazebo.
Sugar Birds - This store has great artwork of St. John, and really nice home goods. The staff was very friendly as well.
Ocean Grill - Best food, hands down! The staff was attentive and very friendly. Go for dinner, you'll be so glad you did. You don't want to miss it!
Editor Pick
The Shops at Mongoose Junction
- March 26, 2006
- Rated 4 of 5 by
brianestadt from McKeesport, Pennsylvania
The uniqueness of St. John carries over into its retail community. The Mongoose Junction complex is a beautiful shopping area in Cruz Bay that features many shops that sell the work of local (and not-so-local) artisans. If you're on the island for an extended period, be sure to stop by on a rainy day, or when you're recovering from a little bit too much sun.
Here are some of our favorites:
CARAVAN GALLERY: By far our favorite, this eclectic shop features several items from around the world, from African masks to ornate mirrored boxes from Asia, to beautiful gourd containers to really neat jewelry from around the world to... well, pretty much anything you could imagine. You could easily spend an hour marvelling at the pieces in this tiny store. We always end up buying something from here—we have one of the aforementioned mirrored boxes, a neat bronze pot from India, a carved bracelet made of bone (um, no... we didn't ask what kind of bone), and added to our collection of Kenyan soapstone pieces here as well. Way cool, way friendly—be sure to stop in if only to see all the neat stuff they have. The store usually has some items in the $10-$30 range, with many fo the cooler pieces ranging from $70-$250 or so.
GECKO GAZEBO: Nothing says island vacation like a frozen drink that involves either strawberries or banana—or maybe both. Located in the center area of Mongoose Junction, the gazebo is a small bar (it has only six or eight stools) that serves up nice drinks and tasty food. The food is cooked at the nearby Sun Dog Cafe. We've ordered the daily specials each time we've visited, and found them to be consistently delicious. Drink prices are moderate for the island. Not a destination unto itself, but a good place to grab lunch and a drink while shopping. Named for the island's ubiquitous lizards, you're sure to see a few scampering up and down the nearby walls.
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS: A neat gallery next to Gecko Gazebo with lots of stuff to tempt you to part with your cash. The day we visited, the owner was in a wonderful mood because that morning she got to watch dolphins in the sea. Boy, these St. Johnians sure have a tough life, don't they? Anyway, she was very friendly and we had a nice chat before checking out all of the stuff in the store. We were particularly tempted by beautiful brushed stainless steel/copper wall clocks, that would go perfectly with our living room furniture... one of these days I'm gonna get around to ordering it and having it shipped up here.
From journal Villa Living in the Hills of St. John
Mongoose Junction
- November 20, 2000
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Todd W. from Atlanta, Georgia
This shopping area, just a short walk from the St. Thomas ferry in downtown Cruz Bay, offers better shopping in a nicer atmosphere than Charlotte Amalie. The design is beautiful, with stone walls and high-ceilinged small buildings connected by staircases. The stores are almost all unique to the island, with the exception of a jewelry store or two. You’ll find nice, high-end stores with camping gear (at Big Planet, a great store), ceramics and pottery, clothes (mostly for women), jewelry, old maps, original artwork, fine leather items, and phenomenal margaritas (made at the Gecko Gazebo in the middle of the center – get one on the rocks). You can also get a great burger with extremely friendly service at the Mongoose Restaurant, where they were kind enough to give me a free beer just because I was unlucky enough to be sitting outside when it started raining. For more info, see this site: http://www.stjohnusvi.com/mongoosejct.html.
From journal The best of the USVI