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Does anyone know how many entry points there are to Fort Bliss and where they are located (off of what highway exits)?
Also, is the East Side of EP particularly "rough" or worse off than the West? I keep hearing that it is and that I should avoid it. Interested in hearing from people that are in the area.
Personally, I believe it's a little rougher out east, many more junior Soldiers living out that way. There seem to be more traffic accidents out that way and DUIs as well.
There are many ECPs at Bliss. Off the top of my head:
-2 off of US 54
-at least 2 off of Spur 601
-1 at the eastern end of 601
-1 off of 375
Knowing what I know now, I would do a 6 month lease and use those 6 months to learn the area and commute times to where you want to go. I'm biased but I think the west side is the side to be. My personal preference is that when I'm off, I don't want to be around other military. It's very much suburbia over here on the west side.
I lived there twice before and after deploying. Very pet friendly, no breed restrictions. A little pricey with the pet deposit though, $350 non-refundable + $350 refundable and $25/month. But they have pet specific areas with grass and provide poop bags. 24 hour laundry facility though there are hookups in each apartment. 24 hour workout facility, they just have the basic stuff such as treadmills, bikes, some dumb bells and machine weights. Pool area is nice. There are grills spread throughout the property. It's quiet there and 99% of the people are quite friendly. Before we left, we did notice that there seemed to be quite a high number of vacancies but we suspect it might have been because of the high rent. We were paying almost $1,000 for a 2 bed, 1 bath unit with a dog.
I also have a great realtor if you need her contact information. Her biggest positive is communication. If she says she's going to contact you, she will contact you. She's upfront and honest. We had saw a house online and she showed up the house. We looked it over and she said, "For what they're asking, I can get you more house for your money" and she followed through on what she said.
It's located on Resler and Helen of Troy and that's where a walking/running trail starts, goes about 4.5 miles north and east to the Tom Mays park entrance. The trail is used a lot. Cimarron Park is less than a mile away just east of Resler between Northern Pass and Paseo Del Norte. There's a dog park at the west side gym at Resler and High Ridge, less than 2 miles away from Puerta Villa. Tons of areas to ride a bike if you're into bike riding. You can exercise outdoor year round here, you'll have certain days where the weather is bad enough to where you can't but overall it's year round here.
You'll have quick access to a grocery store (Wal Mart Neighborhood Market, they only have groceries) less than a 5 minute drive. Across from Puerta Villa is a Chevron, Dollar General, Chinese Restaurant, Subway, pizza place, dry cleaners and oil change place. You'll be about 15 minutes away from Sunland Park Mall, Target, Marshalls, Best Buy and a few chain restaurants (Red Lobster, Olive Garden, etc.). Outlet Mall is only 10 minutes away. Other local spots are Lowe's, Home Depot, Wal Mart, Sam's Club, etc.
Getting to Fort Bliss is easy as well. If he goes for PT in the mornings, taking I-10 would be the quickest route. He can take either I-10 or Transmountain but Transmountain might be quicker going to the 1AD area while I-10 might be quicker going to main post. Bliss is a very large post, far west of main post to far east on East Bliss is about 12 miles. Army hospital is Beaumont, they're actually off post, just a few miles west of main Bliss. If you plan on having a kid here, do yourself a favor and switch from Tricare Prime to Tricare Standard because Beaumont just plan sucks for having a kid. We went through Providence Memorial on the west side by UTEP and the difference in care is night and day.
Gas is currently $2.49/regular on post. Facilities on Bliss are very new with the 1AD area having been constructed around the 2009 timeframe or so. Freedom Crossing, the PX, is the nicest I've seen on a military installation.
Again, I'm biased but I wouldn't live anywhere else but the west side.
PS., I assume your husband has driven in the middle east. He'll be prepared.
Wow! So much helpful information! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
I'll check out the apartments you linked. Another thing we are considering is just living in on post housing for a few months until we settle in and then buy something off post. So many things to take into consideration. I sure hope that there are more local options in terms of groceries (any farmer's markets, whole foods or trader Joe's around?) and restaurants. I prefer supporting local businesses (but am flexible when it comes to groceries).
We don't have any plans to have children while there but I am already on tricare Standard so thanks for the info on the army hospital. I've never actually been to one (have always been standard) and don't know that I'd want to be on prime unless absolutely necessary )
My husband hasn't been in very long so he's only a Jr NCO and has never had to drive in the Middle East but I'd imagine it's similar to driving in New York City where no one obeys traffic laws and people just jump in front of your car instead of using the cross walk.
Thank you for the info on the East Side. I heard Horizon City was a good place to look though. That considered the East Side?
If he's a junior NCO, you might be stretching his BAH by living in a house on the west side. I have a SSG who lived off post but not on the west side and it was stretching his finances. However, their family is a single income family. Home rentals on the west side are typically $1400
$1250-1380 is what I show as the E5 and E6 BAH. As you can see, a typical west side home rent would already engulf all of his BAH. Throw in utilities, cable/internet and he's going to be in the red very quickly. I know you plan on working but I still wouldn't stretch my budget that thin so soon after moving to a new area.
I would rent an apartment and discover the area.
The Horizon City commute would sway me away from there. That drive up 375 is going to be packed in the morning for PT formation.
I'm originally from Chicago, been to NYC and I would consider the drivers there better than here. LOL.
I heard Horizon City was a good place to look though. That considered the East Side?
It's considered the "far east" side, and is a separate municipality with it's own government. If I were working daily anywhere on base, I would not want to make that commute. Much better to look at NE area where there is the most recent development of both single family homes and apartment complexes, plus a lot of much needed new shopping centers.
If he's a junior NCO, you might be stretching his BAH by living in a house on the west side. I have a SSG who lived off post but not on the west side and it was stretching his finances. However, their family is a single income family. Home rentals on the west side are typically $1400
$1250-1380 is what I show as the E5 and E6 BAH. As you can see, a typical west side home rent would already engulf all of his BAH. Throw in utilities, cable/internet and he's going to be in the red very quickly. I know you plan on working but I still wouldn't stretch my budget that thin so soon after moving to a new area.
I would rent an apartment and discover the area.
The Horizon City commute would sway me away from there. That drive up 375 is going to be packed in the morning for PT formation.
I'm originally from Chicago, been to NYC and I would consider the drivers there better than here. LOL.
Army_Guy rented for a few months to assess what area he wanted to live in. Once he made a decision he moved! I suggest you also do the same. Don't get locked into a long term lease and find out a few months in you'd rather live somewhere else.
More specifically about getting on base and travel times:
If he's going to be working in the 1AD and gets to the gates after 0545, he's going to be waiting for quite a while because of traffic. If it were main post, he'd be fine. My commute from the west side taking either Transmountain or I-10 was like this:
1. Working in the 1AD area: I would have to leave no later than 0520 in order to beat the 0545 lines at the ECP. If he gets to the gate after 0545, he's going to be waiting in line for 15-20+ minutes and have the possibility of being late to PT formation.
2. Working on main post: I would leave at 0545 and arrive in my parking lot (near the housing office, you'll end up going there when you get here) at 0610.
Traffic from 375 to the IBCT south gate isn't bad. Traffic from the 375 to SGM north gate will get very bad, it's more of like a "back gate" and doesn't have the capacity so traffic will back up onto 375 and I've seen it stretch on 375 for almost a mile.
Throw in random vehicle inspections and it can make commuting a job in itself. As for random vehicle inspections: ID, DL, insurance card, open hood, trunk, doors, glove box and center console. It doesn't take long but if you're already behind, the few minutes it takes for them to inspect can mean the difference between being late or later.
If he ends up working at McGregor base camp, that's in New Mexico and it's a 40 minute drive from the corner of Transmountain and Resler to the MBC ECP.
I've been talking to an agent at Palo Verde Homes because I think we are going to eventually end up buying. I heard Texas has their own home loan option available (like the VA loan, specific to homes in TX) and their interest rates can be potentially lower than the standard VA loan.
I have narrowed the home styles we are interested in to three and most seem to be in that Horizon City area. Fear not, as we won't start on anything until we know for sure that we are going to Fort Bliss or before I've had time to go down there on my own for a couple of days to explore (strongly considering this). The reason I'm looking in that area is because it looks to be an easier commute to "downtown" El Paso than if we lived in the NE. I want my husband to have a relatively easy commute to work but I don't want to be solely surrounded by other Military families or have a 20+ minute drive to get to the mall.
I will certainly keep everyone updated. I appreciate your ongoing feedback more than you know.
I've been talking to an agent at Palo Verde Homes because I think we are going to eventually end up buying. I heard Texas has their own home loan option available (like the VA loan, specific to homes in TX) and their interest rates can be potentially lower than the standard VA loan.
I have narrowed the home styles we are interested in to three and most seem to be in that Horizon City area. Fear not, as we won't start on anything until we know for sure that we are going to Fort Bliss or before I've had time to go down there on my own for a couple of days to explore (strongly considering this). The reason I'm looking in that area is because it looks to be an easier commute to "downtown" El Paso than if we lived in the NE. I want my husband to have a relatively easy commute to work but I don't want to be solely surrounded by other Military families or have a 20+ minute drive to get to the mall.
I will certainly keep everyone updated. I appreciate your ongoing feedback more than you know.
- Jo
With the traffic and constant road construction on I-10, I actually think living on the west side would be an easier commute than coming in from Horizon City going downtown. I believe downtown is about exit 22 and I live off exit 11. If you go downtown from the west side, you can actually take Mesa all the way downtown.
There are not that many military families on the west side, most military I have seen here are officers.
Unless you are working at the mall, why would a 20+ minute commute be a factor? You mentioned hospitality as potential work in your first post.
Horizon City will not even be a relatively easy commute. It will basically prevent him from coming home after PT and coming home for lunch because traffic is awful, it's not unusual to have traffic get bad starting as far south as Montana when going north on 375 towards Bliss.
what about over where I am (down Artcraft) -- tons of new homes being built, and the terms direct from the builders are very favorable. I think the commute would be so much better than from Horizon City?
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