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Military Families
Looking to Retire in NC but close to a base
What cities should we be looking into? We are thinking of moving within the next 3yrs and would like to start looking at neighborhoods close to bases, good schools and just overall a pretty place. I've heard grat things about NC and can't wait to see it in person.
TIA
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Re: Looking to Retire in NC but close to a base
Thank you for your input. I posted in the NC baby board and while I got 47 views nobody offered any help. I knew I could always count on my fellow Military Wives.
Another poster mentioned the Jacksonville area. I'd recommend looking at a bit wider circle around Jacksonville, which is sort of a typcical-military-town-dump IMO. If you like tattoo parlors, pawn shops and chain stores/restaurants, then you may not mind Jacksonville/Lejeune.
Other areas nearby that you might want to consider:
Wilmington, NC area: Close to the beach, a decent airport (ILM), on an interstate with many amenities of a medium sized city. Wilmington is about 1hr from Camp Lejeune.
Carteret County (Morehead City, Cape Carteret, Emerald Isle, Atlantic Beach, Beaufort): I don't know much about the schools but have heard good things. Of the nearby counties (Onslow and Craven), supposedly Carteret has the best schools. This area is a bit more rural (no interstate, small regional airports are an hour away) than Wilmington, but it is right on the beach and has decent amenities in terms of stores. Depending on what part of the county you are in, you aren't more than 20-45 min from a base (Camp Lejeune and Cherry Point MCAS).
Baby Turtle - November 2014
I definitely wouldn't recommend moving to Fayetteville... But there are a lot of great cities within just a couple hours. I've lived in NC all my life, minus two years, and have experience in a few cities.
If you're looking for the 1-1.5 hour drive range to Bragg, Raleigh and the surrounding areas aren't too bad. Raleigh has a decent amount of things to do, especially family oriented. The school system isn't too bad. I spent most of my elementary-secondary education in Wake County Public schools, and I think I turned out alright! There are also a ton of private options if you so choose. If you go a little bit north to Franklinton or Louisburg you don't have as much of the cluster home feel that Raleigh does.
I personally would recommend Charlotte, which is about 2-2.5 hrs from Bragg. (I've done this drive A LOT, not so bad, very scenic!). I just spend four years there at UNCC, and LOVED it. I miss it every day. It is the largest city in NC, and being so has a lot to do. I'm a big fan because of the arts culture that is developing down there, but there are many other attractions such as sports (Bobcats/Checkers/NASCAR). If you didn't want to be in Charlotte proper, towns such as Davidson and Concord are really nice. They are close enough that you can enjoy Charlotte when you like, but still maintain a little bit less of the big town feel and have a community for your family to enjoy. I can't really speak about the school systems, but you have pretty decent options as far as public and private go.
Two other places I would consider would be Wilmington and Greensboro.
Wilmington is great because of the beach.
And it is literally 2 hours from Bragg. I love it there! It's so beautiful! I can't say much of anything about the school systems there, having no personal experience. There is a wealth of things to do. The only down side is the tourism that reigns during the summer... But it is the price you pay.
Greensboro is also 2 hours from Bragg. I haven't spent too much time there, but I think it is a lovely city, in the right areas. Some parts of Greensboro are definitely to be avoided, but that comes with most cities. There are some fantastic historic areas, and they host a lot of events and concerts giving you plenty of things to do. Greensboro is almost exactly in the middle of Raleigh and Charlotte, making it really easy for you to go to either for the day or for a weekend trip with little to no stress.
I hope this is at all helpful! Good luck with your move!
It seems like Seymour Johnson AFB located in Goldsboro is always forgot about (not that it is special or something). There is not much to do in the immediate area. But Raleigh is an hour, the beach is 1.5 hours and Fayetteville is 2 hours. If you like the quiet lifestyle then i think little towns in between Raleigh and Goldsboro would be nice. Bottom line, no matter what area you choose to retire to, there is a base within reasonable driving distance.
You're brave to be willing to retire to a place you've never been!