Housing options for working in Lejuene (Wilmington, Jacksonville: house, transfer, neighborhoods)

[o_renerene]

My husband is about to get transferred to Camp Lejuene.

We read couple of postings on Jacksonville that are not too pleasing and really nervous about this relocation. What are the options on accomodations that give not too much a hassle for commuting in the morning.

I am urban by habitat and living in mostly big cities for my life. So hopefully, we can find a place that is close to most amenities.

Thank you.

[Ellise]

Jacksonville ain't exactly picturesque, although there may be some decent residential neighborhoods there.

You're going to have to give up some of the big city amenities living around here.

Hampstead, Sneads Ferry, or Holly Ridge are all decent places to live within commuting distance of Jacksonville, and you could drive down to Wilmington for shopping and restaurants, etc.

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by o_renerene

My husband is about to get transferred to Camp Lejuene.

We read couple of postings on Jacksonville that are not too pleasing and really nervous about this relocation. What are the options on accomodations that give not too much a hassle for commuting in the morning.

I am urban by habitat and living in mostly big cities for my life. So hopefully, we can find a place that is close to most amenities.

Thank you.

Lots of folks that work at Lejeune live near Swansboro or the western side of Carteret County. A popular subdivision for people at Lejeune on the the west side of Carteret County is Starhill.

The commute would be very short, and there are lots of choices in Swansboro area.

[o_renerene]

Thanks for input. Yeah, I know it may not be like most big cities. But from other previous posting, there seems to be some concerns over safety too.

Is Swansboro a good neighbourhood to live in? My husband also has great concern if he gets deploy to middle-east, it will only be me living there half the time.

[T_Schulz]

renerene,

We will eventually go to Lejeune as well. We visited the area in the fall and looked for a house. The Swansboro area was very nice as was Emerald Island.
Ultimately, we bought in Sneads Ferry. We were able to get a lot more house for the money there. It's very close to topsail beach/Surf city and is an easy commute to the base. There is not a lot to do aside from outdoor activities but it is close to Wilmington. We don't have kids but have been told that it is a great area to raise a family. Some of the guys my husband works with own homes in that area and they just love it there.

I'm an urban girl myself so I found it to be a bit of a trade off. The Carteret/Swansboro area is great and I think there is more in the way of shopping/dining over there but the nearest "big city" is Jacksonville.
On the Sneads Ferry/Hampstead side you have less amenities but you can go to Wilmington which IMO is much better than Jacksonville.
Hope this was more helpful than confusing.

[dsobotta]

Originally Posted by o_renerene

Thanks for input. Yeah, I know it may not be like most big cities. But from other previous posting, there seems to be some concerns over safety too.

Is Swansboro a good neighbourhood to live in? My husband also has great concern if he gets deploy to middle-east, it will only be me living there half the time.

There are always families in the area who have someone who has been deployed. I think it is an area that really cares about military families and is very supportive of them. You will find that all through the area, Cape Carteret, Cedar Point, and Emerald Isle.

About the only reason we go to Jacksonville is Target, and we find it full of young military families. Other than making me feel old, I don't mind it at all.

The only reason we tend to avoid Jacksonville is the traffic. All the stores are on West Blvd and on a Saturday it slows to a crawl. The new by-pass has helped.

Wilmington is definitely nicer than Jacksonville, but we haven't found the need to go there in over a year. Almost all of our shopping is in Morehead City which is under twenty minutes from us.

We are in our fifties so we don't shop as much as younger folks. Most guys find all the extra fishing tackle and boat shops out weigh the lack of big department stores.

There is a new mall going up in Morehead, it is going to have a TJ Maxx, a Pets Smart, Starbucks, Panera Bread, Ross, Michaels, and a Bed, Bath & Beyond. They just got a new Best Buy, and there were already a number of stores like Belks, Pier I Imports, and Sears along with many of the chain eateries like Outback, Ruby Tuesday, Cold Stone Creamery and Texas Steak House. Of course there are plenty of really good local places to eat.

There are quite a few small shops in Emerald Isle, Beaufort, and Swansboro.

The churches are very strong in the area. Our Presbyterian one has a luncheon one Sunday a month after church services in the winter so new people can meet church members.

There is also something to do most weekends. There is a theater with four screens in Emerald Isle, a few museums around, and the aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores.

Most folks don't realize how close together Swansboro, Cedar Point, Cape Carteret, and Emerald Isle are. You can visit all of them in about ten minutes.

Here is a map that will give you and idea of the area and some of the services.

This is a link to the spring Swansboro Oyster Roast, Pig Out, and Cotillion.

This is another one to the Emerald Isle Saint Patrick's Day Festival.

Finally here are pictures of Swansboro's October Mullet Festival.

You find a lot out about communities by how they have fun.

You will find more home for the dollar on the mainland than over on the beach.

I would suggest that you carefully pick your area to make sure that it is a year around area. There are spots on the coast where most of the people disappear during the winter.

That's one of the reasons we picked where we are. We wanted neighbors, and we have one who just returned from a deployment. One of the guys that I work with is being deployed at the end of the month. Our office just had a dinner for him.

[Sleestak]

It's been a few years, but I remember some decent looking new subdivisions going up near Piney Green Rd. and in the Commons Dr. area of Jacksonville. Both locations should make for a short commute. Good luck with the search.

[o_renerene]

Thanks Dsobotta, your info have made our searches easier and certainly learnt a lot more on these area.

[marc515]

My wife and I looked at JV last summer for retirement. We spent about 4 hours riding around with a good realtor, and there are some really nice developments/areas in JV. Of course there are some that are not so nice, but best bet would be to have a realtor give you a nice tour of the area.

[ncfbagnt]

I have been in Jacksonville all my life, and I agree you do need to pick a good realtor. The areas that have been listed are nice, and i will list some areas for you. All these would depend on the price you are looking to spend on a home. Sneads Ferry--nice, 15 to 30 min drive to Camp Lejeune depending on where he will work. Swansboro--- nice and quiet, driving is same as above. In Jacksonville here are some nice subdivisions, Northwoods(old and newer) Evansbrook, Rock Creek, Homesteads, Winchester Estates, Ect.... If you need anymore info let me know. Welcome to the area and I thank you and your family for defending my freedom!

Brent