It was once revered as one of Bermuda's most close-knit communities where everyone knew each other.

But now, overcrowding, crime and drugs dominate concerns of St. David's residents.

In the last General Election well-known ZBM TV personality Suzann Roberts-Holshouser was the first to capture the newly designated constituency for the United Bermuda Party — by just 15 votes.

With the December 18 General Election rapidly approaching, political pundits are struggling to make a prediction on who will win the seat this time and concede it's just too close to call.

This election will see an added 3,000 eligible voters on the registers Island wide and according to a report in the Bermuda Sun, the largest portion of new voters reside in St. David's.

As of November 18, St. David's had 1,404 registered voters — an increase of 339 people since the 2003 election.

Mrs. Roberts-Holshouser is banking on her record of speaking up in the House of Assembly for St. David's, particularly on calling for it to become Bermuda's tenth Parish, as a retainer for the seat.

PLP challenger Lovitta Foggo, a teacher for 25 years, currently at The Berkeley Institute, cited the area's recent influx of who she believes are mostly PLP supporters as the winning formula combined with her feel for national issues.

Residents appeared somewhat shy and reticent when The Royal Gazette turned up in the neighbourhood.

Any detection of political mania sweeping the rest of the country was hard to come by.

At the St. David's Laundromat at Southside, voters were asked what they thought of Mrs. Holshouser and Ms Foggo.

Jack O'Connor, 78, a lifetime St. David's Islander and a fisherman, voted in the last election and planned to vote this time, although he hadn't made a decision on who he will vote for.

He told this paper: "I haven't made up my mind yet¿ there's so much happening right now, I've got to see what's happening before the election.

"I do think we've got to stress something about fishing — that's one of my concerns. I've been fishing all of my life."

However, he believed Mrs. Roberts-Holshouser has represented the area well: "Suzann is a good friend of ours, she fights hard.

"With Suzann, anything you tell her, she tries to help you or anybody else. If she can help you she'll do it. Otherwise, it's pretty good in St. David's."

Overcrowding in the once reclusive quarter is of particular concern to Mr. O'Connor.

"Once a time you use to know all of your neighbours down here," he added.

"You could be personal with a lot of people. Now it's like a hotel down here, like a city¿ it's pitiful. They had nice buildings here but they knocked down most of them and I don't know why.

"It's overcrowded but what can you do? The people have got to have somewhere to live."

For 47-year-old Suzanne Thomas, who lives at the BHC-run women's compound at Southside, crime and low-cost housing topped the list.

She's been living in St. David's for two years, having previously lived in Pembroke.

Ms Thomas works as a housekeeper at a Pembroke guesthouse and declared she'll be voting on party lines — for the PLP.

"My issues are low-cost housing and the crime rate. It's getting kind of congested at this time. They had so much land here and every time you look there's an office building going up.

"But the price of housing is going up for those that really need it. The prices are outrageous; a one-bedroom place costs $3,000 a month and that's crazy! Who can afford that?

"We can't. It's like hand to mouth. I'm also concerned about crime not just here but all around Bermuda. Here people have said they've found their cars and bikes have been tampered with.

"Also seniors. They don't have much protection either. I love it here and I'm from Town where it is fast-paced unlike here where it's slow-paced."

Although she hadn't seen or heard from Ms Foggo, her commitment to her party and Premier Ewart Brown was unwavering: "So far Dr. Brown has done good and if he's re-elected we just have to see what he's going to do.

"We always say if you give someone enough rope you'll see if they hang themselves. We think we'll give Dr. Brown a chance."

One man, who would not be named, seen walking to his job at the airport, believed: "The old St. David's is gone."

He was also angry about the state of affordable housing on the Island.

"What's affordable in this country? You've got one paycheck, three children, what's affordable? Nothing.

"The UBP have done nothing for me and Lovitta Foggo had a lot to say when she came by, but they always do ¿ around election time."

Ms Foggo, who is on record as describing her opponent as "aloof" stated: "(Mrs. Roberts-Holshouser) seems like a very nice person.

"However, her national profile and performance in Parliament on national and parochial matters has been lacklustre and somewhat unremarkable and ineffective."

When asked to respond to the comment, Mrs. Roberts-Holshouser refused to be drawn into a "dog fight."

She stated: "I am comfortable with my representation in the House of Assembly on behalf of the people of St. David's and all issues pertaining to my portfolio of Social Rehabilitation."