Help, Need Info Kings Bay Area (Macon, Brunswick: housing, travel, work)

[jenypeny]

Hi Everyone,

We may be re-locating to the Kings Bay Submarine base....looking to get info on the Kings Bay/Saint Mary's/Kingsland/Woodbine area....

The housing cost seems drastically lower than here in VA. Can anyone help tell us about this area (schools, crime, etc) or the base itself? How has it faired during hurricane season? Also, how close is it to the beach, and is it a nice beach?


Thanks,

Jen

[Sage113]

Well,

I'll try to offer some info since no one else has.

I lived on St. Simons Island for 13 years and was in the military all that time. I went to King's Bay numerous times to do various things and I've been to St. Mary's quite a few times for 4th of July celebrations and other things. I've even considered moving back and starting a business in that area of St. Mary's or Fernandina Beach.

First off, don't know if you have a family or if you do, how old your kids are. If they're teenagers, they're gonna be bored. Georgia schools aren't all that great. My kids went to middle school and high school in Brunswick and, even though they turned out allright, I wouldn't recommend the school system if you were to ask. Just be sure to keep them into their school work, keep them involved in sports and stay involved in their lives. The dropout rate is one of the highest in the country when we lived there. It was about 51%. You can overcome that by doing the things I just mentioned and you'll be ok. The military will move you again in another 3 years more than likely.

Hurricanes: For some reason I just have to describe it as a "Force-Field" around that whole area. We braced for 2 - 4 hurricanes a year and not one of them hit that area in 13 years, even though some came close enough to cause tropical storm force winds in the area. They all turned north to go schwack North Carolina for sticking so far out into the Atlantic. The only one that caused trouble was Alberto and it came up from the Gulf and stalled over Macon causing massive flooding in other parts of GA. I will say that there is an antique picture in the Brunswick Chamber of Commerce (I think) that showed a 1931 hurricane with the streets underwater. It's not totally immune, just mostly immune.

As for crime, I didn't check the stats for this one but there's just not much there to get criminal over. People are nice and the base is pretty self-sufficient. There's not much for beaches in that area unless you take the ferry over to Cumberland Is, drive to Fernandina, Jekyll Is, St Simons or down to Jacksonville. The scenery over the marshes is nice but the water is brown because it's in a tributary. If you want a blue-water, white sand beach, drive down to Jacksonville.

As for shopping, dining, things to do: drive down to Jacksonville. You're close to the Jax Intl airport if you want to travel.

Housing is pretty affordable. Overall, not a bad place.

Good luck and try to make the most of it!

[jenypeny]

Thanks Sage113

Sorry its taken so long to respond....I've been having trouble logging into the site and posting...not sure why?

We do have children, they are young, will be starting school in the next 3 yrs. The schools in our area seem to be failing for the most part. Do all of the kids in that area go to the same Camden County schools?

We are on the coast in Virginia so we have had a similar experience lately as far as hurricanes...they seem to just miss us. Is the area very rural there in your opinion?

Thanks again for any help that you can offer. You mentioned you were in the military...were you stationed at Kings Bay?

[jenn2412]

i replied to your most recent post about the area, so check it out.

i see that you're from Virginia?? I am looking to possibly move to the alexandria va area in the next 6 months. Got any suggestions?? I don't want to live IN the city. I'm more of a small town girl. I would like to live 15-30 min outside the area, that isn't sooooo patriotic and old!! got any suggestions?