The family friendly neighborhoods of Red Bay and Prospect lie just outside of George Town proper.
The two Main roads leaving George Town to the east, Crewe Road and South Sound Road, converge in Red Bay becoming Shamrock Road, the main artery for traffic to and from the eastern districts.
Red Bay and Prospect are a popular residential choice for business owners and the professional set who want to be close to the offices in George Town but a little farther away from the hub-bub of downtown. The residential neighborhoods in this area are larger and with wider streets than other Grand Cayman neighborhoods. Choice homes can be found in Patrick’s Island, Prospect Park and Prospect Point.
Prospect Point is a beautiful curved shoreline where large villa-style homes mingle with condominium units. The Montessori schools here is one of several Montessori schools in Cayman. Homes on the western side of the point have a beautiful views of South Sound and beach access to snorkeling and kayaking. Homes on the southern side of the point a tiny protective sound with views of the further surf, whitecaps and open water.
A little further along is Prospect Reef, a small cluster of West Indian cottages on a sprawling hillside overlooking the south shore. The layout and landscaping are reminiscent of the Jamaican countryside back when Jamaica was known as the jewel of the Caribbean. These homes do not come up for sale very often – the owners know a good thing when they have it.
The Grand Harbour shopping complex is the nexus of Red Bay. Grand Harbour is anchored by Hurley’s grocery store which has one of the best delis on the island. There are numerous restaurants as well as basic service operations such as pharmacy, bank, liquor store, dental clinic and more. Unique in the Caribbean is the Black Pearl Surf and Skate Park. (Cayman doesn’t produce any surfable waves, though there’s plenty of good body surfing when a tropical storm comes through.) The wave pool offers surf lessons and of course a perfect curl for hanging ten. And the skateboard park (“largest outdoor skate park in the Western Hemisphere” – !) has hosted no less than the likes of Tony Hawk himself.
Grand Harbour is also developing The Isles and The Estates on the free-form waterways behind the shopping plaza. These are large estate homes with boat slips and canal access to the North sound.
One of the largest palm trees in the Cayman Islands (perhaps The Largest, but we may not have seen them all) stands near the entry to this splendid community. The palm has 5 large trunks and rises some 15-20 feet, with a spreading crown. It is magnificent and worth a visit.
King Sports Centre is a large recreational sports complex with a gym, squash courts, bowling and roller hockey rink. Kids and adults converge here on Saturdays for classes. Kings also has the only rock climbing wall in the country.
The Cayman Islands Sailing Club is also located in Red Bay, offering a club house, classes, rentals and regular competition. The Easter Regatta, when viewed form the cliffs above the Blow Holes is East End, is a classic spectacle. Nearby is a large and full service marina. Harbour House Marina, which supplies, sells, houses and repairs boats up to 70 tons.
The biggest draw for visitors in this neighborhood is the Cayman Islands Brewery. The brewery makes several ales and lagers and offers tours and tastings. But even better, they donate 5 cents of every bottle of their Whitetip Lager sold to the Cayman Islands Department of Environment which co-operates a shark tagging and tracking program that collects invaluable information about threatened Caribbean shark species. How very cool.
