On its west coast, St. John´s largest settlement is Cruz Bay (above pop. around 4,200), where Mongoose Junction and Wharfside Village are a pair of popular shopping/dining complexes (King Street and Main Street are also home to some nice shops), and the town’s historic district is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, with some 20 points of interest dating back to 1720, such as the mid-18th-century Enighed Great House (now home to the town library and cultural center), the Emmaus Moravian Church (1750-1782), and the ruins of the Danish Fortsberg fort (1760). There´s also a nice town beach as well as even a small casino-bar called the Parrot Club. And of course there are a variety of lodging options to use as a base to explore the island, from bed and breakfasts up to full-scale resorts.
Meanwhile, over on the east side, Coral Bay (pop. around 650) – which incidentally was the site of the island´s first permanent settlement, founded by Danish planters in the 1720s – is an even more laid back, less touristy affair, with a dash of bohemian charm and an assortment of nice shops, bars, and restaurants.
Read more in my post St. John, the USA's Dreamiest Caribbean Paradise..
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