TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Disappointment??

I used to travel to SXM for years and stayed a number of times at Mont Vernon, Nettle Bay and Mercure Simpson with side trips to Saba and Anguilla. We tried to visit all the beaches while there in SXM. Night time window shopping in town wasn't an issue, but now I read it's best not to be alone at night wandering the streets. I stopped going the year of Hurricane Luis. I would like to return to the island but have concerns that the island has changed and over-developed so much that we might be disappointed. Should we continue on elsewhere instead? Any comments pro or con are welcome.