Heidelberg Army Post Review

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

Elizabeth Patchen

Base Name:

Patrick Henry Village, Heidelberg

Base Location:

Germany

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

We got here March 29, 2005 to present

What is housing like? On-post? (waiting list, conditions, etc.) Off-post?

On post housing is pretty good. They are stairwell apartments with 6 apts. in each stairwell. We also got into housing pretty quickly. I think the average waiting time is about 2-3 weeks. Most of the outlets are 220v instead of 110v so it is typically easier to get most of your kitchen appliances over here. You will also have to get a new phone because the phones over here are different and also your clocks will run slow–even if you use a transformer.  Off post I’m not really too sure about.

Rate the PX & Commissary.

The commissary is pretty much the same as it is anywhere, except they also have things from the German economy and they don’t carry a big variety of brands from the states. The PX is pretty good although they don’t carry a variety of brands so you may have to switch brands of things or have someone from the states mail you a supply every once in a while.

Activities on base?

There is a lot of things that you can do on base. The base is split up all over Heidelberg though so you have different things on each part. Patrick Henry Village (PHV) has bowling, miniature golf, tennis, thrift store, TGI Fridays, and a nice new park. Patton Barracks has a craft shop and the education center.

Active Spouses Club?

I am starting to get involved with our unit’s FRG, but I haven’t seen anything about the Enlisted Spouses Club or Officer’s Wives Club.

Things to do in area?

There is a lot to do around Heidelberg–just exploring where everything is at is fun. There are castles and old churches all over. There is also the Hauptstrausse (which is like main street) which has lots of shops, restaurants, and other things on it–the catch is that you don’t drive down this street you can only walk.

School System?

I don’t know much about the school system because both of my kids are under 5.

Any colleges in area?

Through the Education Center you have the University of Maryland, University of Oklahoma, and Texas Technical College.

Jobs? (on post and off)

There is always the jobs with the Commissary and PX. There is also a lot of places to volunteer at. I’m not to sure about off post jobs.

Favorite aspect of this base/surrounding city?

The atmosphere is so beautiful (we have a view of the mountains from out bedroom window). There is so many things to experience with the different shops, foods, and even the way people drive.

Least favorite aspect?

Many of the soldiers and their families over here seem to not respect the Germans and their way they do things, which I think is very wrong. We are here as guests and should act that way instead of being rude or impatient when out and about.

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

http://www.heidelberg.army.mil/sites/local/

Hospital–

http://www.heidelberg.healthcare.hqusareur.army.mil/hmeddac.htm

MWR– http://www.mwrgermany.com/Flash.htm

Schools– http://www.eu.dodea.edu/

Any other tips? If you know you are coming over here–LEARN THE BASICS OF THE LANGUAGE! You can normally find someone who speaks English when you are out in Heidelberg, but you should still learn some of the basic phrases (like thank you and your welcome) and numbers at least to 10. You also may want to buy a book about Germany that includes the little things–like conversion charts from US to Metric. You will also want to pay attention in the Head Start class as the teacher will usually talk about phone rates. In the states you have the 10-10-220 numbers–they have the same thing over here and we pay less to call back to Kansas from here than it was at Fort Knox–for a call to KS that lasts about 2 hours we pay about 2 Euro (which is about $2.50). Most places over here also do not take checks and when you use your bank card to pay for something it comes out of your account immediately instead of a day or even two later. My last tip would be to travel and see as much as you can while you are here!