Fayetteville area question (Raleigh, Durham, Fort Bragg: job, house, violent crime)

[Portmoresby]

I had one of the scariest experiences in my life in Fayetteville. I was traveling by myself (with a friend, actually) for the first time and we had purchased a Greyhound pass that was valid for one month. We just took the bus wherever and traveled around the South/Midwest. Well, the Greyhound stop in Fayetteville is not in a good neighborhood (or was at that time, in 1989). We grabbed some food and boarded up in a seedy-looking motel in the area. En route to the KFC we got stared down by the occupants of several passing cars. We were probably pretty close to getting robbed or worse. Anyway, scary experience. One of the most run-down and depressing places I have ever seen. And I live in NY. Hope it's improved since then.

[jlwarren]

I have lived there my entire life (49 years old) and I would have to have had to agree with most of the derogatory comments stated a few years ago. As of the last 10 years the original downtown has nearly been completely restored with very nice shops, restaurants, and quaint boutiques and museums. There is a Fourth Friday open house on Hay Street and there are a good many people starting to live in the downtown area. The downtown transformation is really starting to come together. There is a soon to be completed 300 Hay Street condominium project that is lining up to be "the" place to live for the upwardly mobile.
There are still issues with the Cross Creek Mall area with it's urban feel and the Mall needs a serious refit as I've been there in the last 30 days and it felt more like a flea market than a nice up to date shopping mall. The patrons are very rude and the urban look has just runined the shopping there. It's hard to go in a restaurant or store and not hear Rap music and or really poorly trained assistants with an absolute "no care" attitude. The downtown is evolving back into the upscale market and the mall area is falling apart.
Please note that this is not aimed at any store in particular as there are lots of nice places to shop it's just an observation of someone who has lived there for nearly 50 years. A lot of this could be alleviated by managers being on duty to see that the businesses are run and operated properly.
Yes, Fayetteville has always been (in the past) a really ugly place to have called home. I'll have to say that it's not completely turned around but if you haven't been to Fayetteville in the last 5 years or so you should give it another look. I have seen the good and the bad and it's starting to look good again. I'd say Fayetteville is a great place to live nowadays.

[wsncfay]

wow, one of the first times i've read someone put a sort of positive post about fayetteville, and yes fayetteville is trying to fix itself up, read about a month ago, they are planning to build an new art museum downtown, that new development downtown on hay street is supposed to be real nice and the i think river bluffs or someone like that but housing near the cape fear river with nature walk, parks and such. if you go to urbanplanet.com and look up north carolina they have alot of post of the three big metro areas and other cities.

[faypolitico]

we got people posting 20 year recollections as impressions of a town...
nice

as an on and off again resident, I can say that like ANY town there are parts you should not venture in alone at night... how is this different from Houston, Detroit, Allentown, Sacremento?

People see what they want to see and as someone else suggested if you aren't going to make the most of it being here, assuming you HAVE to be here, then shut up and move on.

I have lived elsewhere and heard the same crap there.
Quit complaining, and move... or make the best of it

[NCbornandbred]

I used to teach in Cumberland Co. I'm not sure what it's like now because I left 15 years ago. I still have family there and visit frequently, but can't speak to the system. However, with living in the area, don't go near either the Murchison Rd or Ramsey St areas.

[Rophlmao]

I did three years at Pope and lived in Grays Creek. I only left because the F-16 unit closed. I recommend living either north of the base or south of interstate 95.

Fayetteville didn't matter to me because I only shopped there. The rest of NC is cool. and BAH is high enough to make buying a good investment.

[RuralCoastalGuy]

You may wish to start by trying this link: Discover Fayetteville
Fayetteville is a military town so you already know what to expect, but there are things to do there, many good places to eat and places to entertain yourselves (outside of what draws lonely soldiers away from home). I attended jump school there many years ago and Fayetteville was not anywhere as large and bustling as it is now. There are a number of smaller towns surrounding it but this will depend upon what distance you will wish to commute. Good luck and welcome to The Tarheel State!

[Deez Nuttz]

Originally Posted by kmway

Outsider here. Have to go there for business and just did so last week. I do not care for the area and I rarely feel safe there. Lots of seedy areas...I got turned around and ended up by Bragg and was shocked at the pawn shops, strip clubs, and massage parlors. Like any town, there are nice areas and nice people....but overall I just don't care for that town personally.

Ditto. The town is overcrowded, 97% of the clowns driving on the roads are bad drivers, out of that many 85% have a damn cell phone wedged in their ear.....and half that many would be the first to pull a gun on you if you looked at them wrong. Only a small handful are non discourteous.

Most folks who live here are Army or retired Army and a few Air Force. The rest are slime balls.

Yes there are lots of seedy areas....Murchinson Rd, Grove St, Bonnie Doone, part of Spring Lake, Southgate....

Yes there are pawn shops and strip clubs on literally every corner. There's also a bunch of car lots that will sell you a lemon at twice the value, loan sharks who will finance anyone at 30% interest. Did I mention you can pick up hookers at Powers-Swain Chevrolet and "take them for a test drive"?

But if you like to eat there's alot of restaurants here. We also have a water park in Hope Mills that has nice dark nasty water to play in. We have a coliseum that sometimes has good stuff to go and watch, and we have a mall, a few movie theaters, a putt putt course and a mediocre drag strip.

I almost forgot we have 4 Super Wal Marts. Stay away from the one on Skibo unless you like to be harassed by bums selling fake/stolen Rolex's.

I will agree with some of the others, don't live here if you can avoid it; there's nicer better areas around the 'nam" to live than here.

[xtin]

I lived there for a year in 2002-2003 and worked at Cape Fear, lived near downtown

Fayetteville is the most run down, ugly, depressing town Ive ever been and Ive been all over the world, including India and the poorest towns in Paraguay.

If you like pawn shops, gun shops, sleezy strip malls and rundown flea markets, Fayetteville is probably the place for you

[movingnahurry]

Originally Posted by xtin

I lived there for a year in 2002-2003 and worked at Cape Fear, lived near downtown

Fayetteville is the most run down, ugly, depressing town Ive ever been and Ive been all over the world, including India and the poorest towns in Paraguay.

If you like pawn shops, gun shops, sleezy strip malls and rundown flea markets, Fayetteville is probably the place for you

Wow. I would say the town is screwed up in some places but I don't think comparing it to a third world country would be very accurate. I won't lie though, its no middle ground when driving through Fayetteville. Either it looks really good or really bad. However I will say it looks like the city is actually working on beautifying the town and a fairly good job of it is being done.