Accepted job with defense contractor at Hill AFB (Ogden, Layton: real estate, houses)

[Hill AFB Bound]

Greetings,

My husband and I are empty nesters relocating to Hill AFB for employment. Since we have no children at home, schools do not rank high on wish list any longer. We are looking for an area to live that is within a 30 minute commute to Hill. We are looking for easy access to entertainment, shopping, restaurants, movies, etc... walking distance to coffee shops would be great also. Safety is a main concern of mine, since we were just broken into two weeks ago, even with a security system. Inversion concerns??? Looking for place to retire, can spend up to $400K, although, would prefer to stay lower. Great views would be nice too, areas you could recommend, and why? South Ogden, Layton, Holladay??? Any help much appreciated!

[Geo-Aggie]

Were it me I'd live in Layton. It's pretty safe and well developed. You likely won't find the "walking distance to coffee shops" that you're looking for there, but you'd pretty much eliminate any commute and if you don't mind the jets blasting you awake on occasion it's a really nice city.

[elcee499]

I'd go for South Ogden or the communities south of the Base and closer to Hwy 89 such as Fruit Heights, Kaysville, Farmington and the east side of Layton. (In Layton, I'd avoid being directly east of the base, and I'd also look for a map - I've seen them online - that show where the noise corridors are.) You would be car-dependent in most neighborhoods, but there are a few scattered coffee places and easy access to shopping, restaurants, and movies. You will find very nice homes in your price range, safe and attractive neighborhoods, and the potential for great views of the lake to the west and the mountains to the east.

I wouldn't commute from Holladay or elsewhere in the Salt Lake metro area - housing costs are quite a bit higher, the air quality is worse, and why spend 90 minutes or more on the road each day if you don't have to?

[beckalees]

There are a lot of little communities you can look into. Roy, Clearfield, Layton, Sunset... They are all around the base and offer similar communities. You're best best is just looking for a house that you like instead of a neighborhood. Just type your requirements into a real estate website and use the map to look at areas around the base. It would be easier I think. And it's what I did when I lived there myself. With that price range, you should have a lot to code from. I wouldn't go south of Kaysville or up too far into Ogden or the commute will be too long.

[lucy1965]

I lived down the hill from the base in Layton years ago, and while it's built up it's not what I'd consider walkable: you're going to need a car. Lots of good-sized houses out towards the benches along 89, and I definitely wouldn't live south of Farmington if you're going to Hill regularly -- why spend more time in traffic than absolutely necessary?