Married to the Army » Northeast

Ft Drum Army Post Review

Site Visitor — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 02:20:13 +0000

1. Your name (as you would like it to appear): Ashley

2. Army Post Name: Ft Drum

3. Army Post Location: Watertown, NY

4. Dates When You Lived Here (please include year): Nov. 09- July 10

5. How is housing? On-post? Off-post? Housing off post is ridiculously expensive and the utilities are even worse so I would def. recommend getting on post if possible. The further away you go from post the cost goes down but you also have to consider that 30 min drive in several feet of snow. We lived about 20 min away in Philadelphia and paid $1015 for a small 3bdrm apt but our gas bill was $400 a month because of heating cost and no air or fans in summer and you still have other utilities to consider so it is very likely you will go over BAH.

6. Rate the PX and Commissary. The PX is very nice and the commissary was ok but they have odd hours.

7. Are there activities on post? Is there lodging on post? There is lodging on post but you have to book early. There are alot of activities on post.

8. What is there to do in the area? There are boat tours in Alexandria Bay, tours of castles, wineries, several water systems, ski hills, etc. There is plenty to do but you have limited months to do it in because of the weather.

9. Rate the school system. My kids didn’t go to school here.

10. Are there colleges in the area? Please list. SUNY

11. How is the job situation? What types of jobs are in the area for spouses? Very limited jobs both on and off post.

12. Favorite aspect of the post and surrounding area? I love the community feeling here.

13. Least favorite aspect? The very tempermental weather. It is snowy and cold ALOT. I have been in 30 degree weather one day and the next day it is 80+ and then back to 40.

14. List any local websites.

N/A

15. Any other tips or information? The spouses are very close knit here and there is plenty to do if you just get out and do it and socialize.

Ft Lee Army Post Review (2)

Site Visitor — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 02:17:12 +0000

1. Your name (as you would like it to appear): Ashley

2. Army Post Name: Ft Lee

3. Army Post Location: Petersburg, VA

4. Dates When You Lived Here (please include year): Oct 2008-November 2009

5. How is housing? On-post? Off-post? I was lucky to be in new housing. We were the very first tenants. The new housing is very spacious with lots of storage space and decent size rooms. The houses were put together quickly and you can tell. The stairs were seperating from the wall. Prince George is a good area, Colonial Heights is okay but of course has some rougher areas. I would flat out stay away from Petersburg.

6. Rate the PX and Commissary. PX is always crowded with AIT students and out of stuff and things were the same with the PXtra but they were renovating the PXtra when I left so things may have changed. Commissary was okay but not that big of a selection so you would save more by going off post and getting off brands.

7. Are there activities on post? Is there lodging on post? There is lodging on post but it was usually full of people coming to visit AIT students. There wasn’t alot as far as activities on post because AIT greatly outnumbers permanent party.

8. What is there to do in the area? I loved the area because you could drive a few hours in any direction and be at the beach, mountains, etc. I also loved the foilage in fall. The zoo was pretty pathetic given the size of Richmond. Alot of history related things to do in the area though.

9. Rate the school system. My kids weren’t school age yet.

10. Are there colleges in the area? Please list. N/A

11. How is the job situation? What types of jobs are in the area for spouses? It is all mainly retail and fast food and even still it is hard to get those.

12. Favorite aspect of the post and surrounding area? My favorite part was that there are 4 seasons and the foilage in fall is beautiful. There is so much to do if you are willing to drive an hour or two. My husband had a very family friendly schedule here and that is even being in 3 different units.

13. Least favorite aspect? The way things are run. The soldier will come home very unhappy and they treat all soldiers like they are AIT students regardless if they are permanent party or not.

14. List any local websites.

N/A

15. Any other tips or information? Enjoy the schedule while you can and take in all the history that surrounds you.

U.S. Military Academy at West Point Review

Site Visitor — Sun, 30 May 2010 01:07:02 +0000

Base Name:

United States Military Academy at West Point

Base Location:

New York

How long have you been here?

Summer 2001 – Summer 2005

What is housing like? On-post?

Instructors are required to live on post and the majority of the enlisted population elect to live there due to a very high cost of living off post. That being said, West Point has a fairly cut-throat housing assignment system based on a formula of bedroom requirements, date of rank and (for Academy grads) class rank that only the housing office truly understands. Every incoming Instructor is assigned housing at the draw and stories of people popping up to dispute a persons bedroom requirement are legendary. There is currently a housing shortage due to renovations that are due to be completed by winter. We lived on-post for 3 of our 4 years at West Point and thought it was pretty good. There are 2 main housing areas, “the hill”and “the plain.” Both areas have their good points. As of our departure this summer only the Stony I quarters for Company grade officers had yet to be renovated and rumor had it that they would be starting with those renovations as soon as they finished with New Brick.

Off-post?

Off post is horrible. Highland Falls (the town right outside the gate) has a rental market that seems to cater to groups of single soldiers willing to live in complete dumps. A few of our fiends that were dual military andtherefore had a double housing allowance rented decent housing, but thosewere few and far between and they all said that if they had school-aged kidsthey wouldn’t have done it because the Highland Falls schools are horrific. We bought an 1100 square foot house “over the mountain” in New Windsor pre-9/11 (an event which shot area housing prices through the roof) for $136,000 and sold it 9 months later for $164,000.

Any areas to stay away from?

Highland Falls is a dump. Cornwall-on-the-Hudson, New Windsor and Washingtonville are all nicer, but when it snows getting to post can be an issue as you have to go over Storm King Mountain.

Average price to rent or buy?

Decent house rentals with 2 bedrooms or more are going to run you $1200 or more a month. And the thing to watch out for is heating, many houses are oil heat which is VERY expensive (can run upwards of $300 a month in the winter) and looks to get even more expensive in the future. Buying a house in the area is an average of $160,000 for a 2-3 bedroom. Housing allowance is high, but being only an hour from NYC means housing prices are eve higher.

Rate the PX & Commissary.

The PX and Commissary are pretty good. Commissary is closed on Mondays and Highland Falls has only one (very small, very expensive) grocery store and one small “market.” However there are larger grocery stores over the mountain in Vail’s Gate that are great and a Super Wal-Mart in Central Valley that is open 24 hours.

Activities on base?

Lots! The main attraction being West Point sports, particularly football but hockey is also well attended. Many adult social activities are dependent on what academic department you are affiliated with and how social they are. Youth Services has soccer programs beginning at 4 years-old as well as hockey and ice skating, martial arts and youth t-ball/baseball as well as a GREAT Kindergym program for the 2-4 year old set. They have had a great dance program that starts at 3 years-old, however the past instructor PCS’ed so I’m not sure who they may have now. The only complaint people seem to have is that the year-round pools are off limits to anyone other than cadets and instructors and the “Pond” for summer swimming is pretty gross.

Active Spouses Club?
Very! Even if you have been turned off by spouses clubs in the past (I was) you have to give it a try! They have a wide variety of programs, I highly recommend the “Lunch Bunch” that meets once a month at a different area restaurant.

Things to do in area?

You are only an hour’s drive from Times Square so you have all of New York City at your disposal. In Central Valley (a 10 – 15 minute drive) there is a FANTASTIC outlet mall. Just over the Bear Mountain Bridge there is the village of Cold Springs which is totally cute and has some really darling boutiques, restaurants and antique stores. Boscobel is a restored mansion that has an outdoor Shakespeare festival in the summer. Bear Mountain State Park has great hiking and a very nice small zoo just right for the under 4 set. The options for activities are too numerous to list here, but if you can’t find something to do you just aren’t looking.

School System?

On post – it’s great. However the DOD commission just recommended that they merge with the Highland Falls school district which is, in the words of someone who student taught there, abominable. If the merger does go through I would seriously think about private school.

Any colleges in area?

Not as many as you would think. There are a number of colleges that have affiliation with the Continuing Ed department, but you have to be really pro-active about finding out about them because the information is not readily available.

Jobs? (on post and off)

Not great. Most spouses are stay-at-home moms but there is a booming “home party” (Longaberger, Southern Living, Tastefully Simple, Pampered Chef, etc.) industry.

Favorite aspect of this base/surrounding city?

West Point is a very tight community and interacting with the cadets (most people choose to “sponsor” a cadet or group of cadets, I recommend doing this your first year) is great. You are only an hour from all the “culture” you could possibly want, yet it’s a very suburban feel.

Least favorite aspect?

West Point has been described as Stepford more than once and can feel a bit like a fishbowl. Gossip is rampant. There seems to be a very vocal minority within the CWOC (Christian Women of the Chapel) that go out of their way to make those that do not belong to a bible study uncomfortable, they also seem to be the biggest gossips.

Local websites? (base, chamber, newspaper, schools, etc.)

http://www.usma.edu

Ft Lee Army Post Review

Site Visitor — Sun, 30 May 2010 00:12:05 +0000

Your Name (if you would like it to appear): Laura

Base Name: Fort Lee, Virginia

Base Location: Prince George County, Virginia

How long have you been here? (give years please, ex. 2003-present) 2009-present

What is housing like? On-post? (waiting list, conditions, etc.) Off-post? Any areas to stay away from? Average price to rent or buy?
When we came here, our wait time for on-post housing was approx 2 years. We rented a place off-post in Chester which was $979/month. The good thing about this place (Chester Village Greene) is that it has a partnership with Fort Lee in that you can break your lease when on-post housing becomes available. I’d stick to Chester and Colonial Heights because Petersburg is beyond sketchy.

We were able to move on-post early because we agreed to move into housing that was soon to be demolished (built in the 1970s, run-down, etc) with the understanding that we would be given a newer house on-post before the demolition date. While the 1970s house was certainly old, it was sturdy and served us well. We just moved into the new housing. It’s clear that it was built hastily and as cheaply as possible. The doors and windows are not properly sealed so that freezing cold air is rushing in, there are roaches in the kitchen, the faucets leak, the tubs don’t drain, and it’s obvious which parts of the house were recycled from the houses that were torn down (toilets that don’t match and rattle when you sit on them….it’s great, as well as very worn bathtubs). We didn’t have ANY of these problems in the house that’s being torn down. We’re extremely annoyed and upset about the conditions of the new housing, especially since all Pinnacle (the private housing company which has taken over) has done is brag about how amazing the housing is. We’re calling in work orders for these issues–I’m just annoyed that we have to do it at all. The housing is only 2 years old!

Rate the PX & Commissary.
The PX and Commissary are pathetic. Very small selection, grungy looking, always crowded because of AIT soldiers. The prices at the PX are no cheaper than Walmart, so I suggest you just go there. The commissary IS cheap, but it’s just not great.

Activities on base?
Nothing is EVER going on. There is a bowling alley, but it’s always full of drunken AIT soldiers. There’s a movie theater, but it’s been under renovation since we arrived.

Active Spouses Club?
none that I know of. If there are any, they’re certainly not active.

Things to do in area?
Fort Lee is surrounded by strip malls and plastic restaurants. If you want any kind of culture or good food, you have to drive the half hour to Richmond.

School System?
Not sure–I don’t have kids. But I’ve heard it’s bad.

Any colleges in area?
University of Virginia.

Jobs? (on post and off)
Off-post consists of food service and retail.

Favorite aspect of this base/surrounding city?
None, I seriously hate it here.

Least favorite aspect?
Where do I begin. All I hear when my husband gets home is him talking about how the leaders in his unit care only about appearances and that there’s no job to do but everyone is forced to make it look like they’re busy rather than training or maintaining as one should in Garrison. The units on this post are a mix of so many different commands that no one seems to know what they really should be doing. The presence of TRADOC clearly influences the permanent party on the post. The politics and drama that goes on here is beyond ridiculous, and so many people coming from other posts are stunned by how poorly things are run. To quote one, “Don’t judge the Army based on your experience at Fort Lee…”

Local websites? (base, chamber, newspaper, schools, etc.)
lee.army.mil

Any other tips?
Don’t come here. If you do, leave as soon as you can.

Fort Eustis Army Post Review

Site Visitor — Tue, 18 May 2010 22:29:02 +0000

Your Name (if you would like it to appear):

Laura Jackson

Base Location:

Newport News, Virginia

How long have you been here? (give years please, ex. 2003-present)

Feb. 2006-present

What is housing like? On-post? (waiting list, conditions, etc.) Off-post? Any areas to stay away from? Average price to rent or buy?

we were able to get into housing immediately. they have housing for enlisted and officers. the enlisted housing goes from 2-3 bedrooms and are built like townhouses. they’re kinda old. some of them have mold problems but mostly they’re pretty nice. over the last year, they’ve been building brand new housing. the square feet in the new homes is larger then the houses now. they also range from 3-4 bedrooms instead of the previous 2-3. eventually, they will be moving everyone out of the old housing into the new but of course, officers and higher enlisted get moved first. I have no opinion about off post housing because I don’t live off base. but, I do know that in newport news schools there are a lot of gangs which kinda worries me a bit.

Rate the PX & Commissary.

PX: on a scale from 1-10, I would give it a 6. they have a variety of things that, if I absolutely couldn’t leave base and I needed something (ie: diapers, milk, etc) I could go there and it would be available. their movie and music selection isn’t too great and the prices for movies are ridiculous. but most things aren’t too badly priced. there is also a small food court. luckily if you were to move to Fort Eustis, you are close enough to about 5 other bases that if necessary, have much larger PX’s or BX’s.

Commissary: on a scale from 1-10, I would say a 10. I love the commissary. their prices beat any of the grocery stores in the area. they’re usually open until 7 which is sometimes a little irritating but they do have good quality fresh food.

Activities on base? there are periodic concerts, marathons, an annual Fort Eustis day with rides and games, etc; they have bowling, go-carts, mini-golf, paint ball, full golf course, MWR with a full computer lab open to the military public, two inside gyms, indoor aquatic center with continuous swimming lessons, movie theater, The Fort Eustis Club(officers/NCO’s), The Lakeside Club (enlisted, host a DJ)

Active Spouses Club? yes. they meet once a month.

Things to do in area? newport news is in the historical triangle. you are within 30 min. of Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown-all of which are open year round and run tours. they offer anyone with a military id discounts. you are also with in 20 miles of Busch Gardens and Watercountry USA which offer discounts and ‘free days’ to military and their families. also, you are within 1 hour of Virginia Beach.

School System? Newport News School District

Any colleges in area? College of William and Mary, Christopher Newport University, ECPI College of Technology

Jobs? (on post and off) on post there is a waiting list for many jobs(ie: commissary, burger king, px) and off post there are fast food and some retail jobs available. unfortunately, many retailers don’t like giving jobs to military dependants because of the possibility of them leaving.

Favorite aspect of this base/surrounding city? my favorite aspect is that everything on base is about a 5-10 min. walk from all housing. local buses run on and off base all day to many nearby shopping areas including the mall, walmart and target, among others.

Local websites? (base, chamber, newspaper, schools, etc.) main Fort Eustis page; The Wheel(base paper); MWR

Fort Drum Army Post Review

Site Visitor — Tue, 18 May 2010 22:26:39 +0000

Your Name (if you would like it to appear):

Sara B

Base Location:

Jefferson County, North Country, Upstate NY

How long have you been here? (give years please, ex. 2003-present)

Oct 08-Present (and for the next 4 years)

What is housing like? On-post? (waiting list, conditions, etc.) Off-post? Any areas to stay away from? Average price to rent or buy?

They are building tons of new houses. We were on the list for almost a month and a half before we got offered, and with the weather on base is better than off. The off base housing ranges from a 2/1 for about 800 and up

Rate the PX & Commissary.

It’s all in the same building, along with a food court, game stop, barber shop, beauty shop, Clothing and Sales (open everyday which is nice). The commissary closes early without any notice, and if you are there after they close they make sure they don’t let you in.

Activities on base?

Lots of BOSS activities (Better Opp. for Single Soldiers, which isn’t just for single soldiers) and lots of stuff through the FMWR

Active Spouses Club?

I’m sure there are, however being new I haven’t found any yet

Things to do in area?

There is a new dog park on base and one in Watertown.

School System?

Lots of schools, however I don’t have school aged kids, but the buses pick up on base and drop back off on base.

Any colleges in area?

Jefferson Community College

Jobs? (on post and off)

AAFES is usually hiring

Favorite aspect of this base/surrounding city?

I love driving around and checking out the older buildings

Least favorite aspect?

The way the people drive and park here, plus coming from TX getting used to the weather is tricky

Any other tips?

Watch out for bad drivers and poor parking, watch out for the snow plows so that your car doesn’t get hit.

Fort Belvoir Army Post Review

Site Visitor — Tue, 18 May 2010 21:48:57 +0000

Base Name: Fort Belvoir

Base Location: VA

How long have you been here? (give years please, ex. 2003-present)
2009-present
What is housing like? On-post? (waiting list, conditions, etc.) Off-post? Any areas to stay away from? Average price to rent or buy
We live on post in new housing. Love it!! So worth it. I think living on post is a great option here since rent is so expensive and traffic is absolutely horrible! Off post, don’t know to much about. Just that rent is very expensive and will take you a long time to drive to post if you hit bad traffic, which is often.

Rate the PX & Commissary.
PX is small compared to where we came from. I don’t care for it much. There selection is not good. Commissary is pretty good size and yes lots of retirees around here and they do take up the aisles and slow you down.

Activities on base?
Don’t know too much about activities yet, we’re still learning. Post is right on the Potomac River though!! Even some of the housing backs right up to the banks!

Active Spouses Club?
not sure

Things to do in area?
Its Metro DC!!! Belvoir is about 15 miles from DC. Of course TONS to do there. You have all your monuments and sights to see of course. There’s a Six Flags America. Kings Dominion amusement park south towards Richmond. Potomac River is right here with a state park down the road you can rent boats and paddleboats, canoes, kayaks etc. Baltimore is about an hour away. Philly two hours. NYC 4 hours and Boston 8. Great vicinity to so much!!

School System?
Fairfax County schools are very good Any colleges in area?
oh yes many

Jobs? (on post and off)
good variety

Favorite aspect of this base/surrounding city?
So close to so much!!

Least favorite aspect?
Traffic. Traffic is a nightmare. But that’s any big city. Leave room and plenty of extra time to get anywhere you try to go!

Any other tips?
Enjoy this area as much as you can while here. I can’t say enough how much is around here. DC is full of things to do and explore!