Is Jacksonville, NC that bad? (Wilmington, Sneads Ferry: for sale, real estate, houses)
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May be taking an assignment in Jacksonville and curious what it's like out there? Small town living or decent size and activities? For those aged 35 and up, are we out of place since the demographics show its one of the youngest cities in US? Is this a hurricane prone hotspot? Would you recommend this town as a good place to raise a family?
My daughter lived there for a while, and hated it. The town is overrun with military personnel and tacky shops. If you’re in the military, you probably have no choice, but otherwise, it’s really not a very nice place to live, IMO. There’s always a hurricane risk, but not nearly as much as Florida or Louisiana.
It can be a good place to raise a family if you would like to be near ocean beaches. Look at Swansboro or Sneads Ferry as small town alternatives. Look at Richlands if you would like to be out in the country with acreage. Jacksonville itself is not bad. It is safe and has average or better schools. You can find friends in the 35 plus age group. However Jacksonville does suffer from a transient population. It does suffer by comparison to the larger city of Wilmington, which has charm and more amenities.
A few other positives. The real estate is more reasonably priced compared to Wilmington, the Triangle and northern states. Houses for sale do move quickly in Sneads Ferry, because the Marines are moving a large unit to the area. For a Jacksonville house, you might look at older places in Northwoods. Some of my friends have stayed there after their military retirement.
If you need to meet people, look for the civic groups like Elks, VFW, DAR. The city is also working to provide better amenitiies.
BTW, there are many tattoo shops, bar and "gentlemens clubs", but you can ignore them. The young Marines, for the most part, are well-behaved.
A few other positives. The real estate is more reasonably priced compared to Wilmington, the Triangle and northern states. Houses for sale do move quickly in Sneads Ferry, because the Marines are moving a large unit to the area. For a Jacksonville house, you might look at older places in Northwoods. Some of my friends have stayed there after their military retirement.
If you need to meet people, look for the civic groups like Elks, VFW, DAR. The city is also working to provide better amenitiies.
BTW, there are many tattoo shops, bar and "gentlemens clubs", but you can ignore them. The young Marines, for the most part, are well-behaved.
The tacky shops, bars, clubs, etc., are difficult to ignore because they’re everywhere. There’s lots of housing, but my impression is there’s little in terms of quality built housing, but I may have missed something. Jacksonville would be near the bottom of my list as a place to live. I’m not a fan of this area as a whole.
If the move would be an advancement for your career, don't let the negativity affect your decision. I have many friends satisfied with their lives in the Jacksonville area. I hope you have a chance to visit for yourself.
If the move would be an advancement for your career, don't let the negativity affect your decision. I have many friends satisfied with their lives in the Jacksonville area. I hope you have a chance to visit for yourself.
Absolutely, we have lived in undesirable areas before for career sake, but if you have other choices, I would seriously consider them. We are all different and value different things. Having said that, I would never move or accept a position there without visiting first.
I think the old adage "you get what you pay for" applies to Jacksonville.
Wages aren't bad and the cost of living is relatively low. Lots of folks commute to Jacksonville form Swansboro/Cape Carteret, Richlands, and Hampstead because all of the schools in those areas are better than in the city proper. New housing is being built in those three areas as well....Jacksonville itself is the commercial center, employment center (the Base) and has a declining housing condition. It is what it is.
In terms of Hurricanes, Jacksonville doesn't fare that bad because the Base covers all of the area nearest to the Ocean.
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