Duty Station Spotlight: Fort Bragg, NC

 

 

Today I’m sharing the best of Fort Bragg.

 

I lived there for nine years (longer than anywhere else ever).  Granted, seven years were spent as a child and two were spent as an adult.

 

But during my adulting there, I definitely found it to be “home.”

 

I know everyone has a different experience when they PCS somewhere, but here is a quick overview of mine:

 

 

 

The Post:

 

It’s big.  I really liked it.  There are 4 regular-use gates.  Unlike many posts, there isn’t one big “hub” and then a bunch of outskirt streets.  It’s fairly evenly laid out.  There is shopping in some areas, training in others, housing sprinkled near and far. (Some are really far…like 20 minutes away).  That makes it kind of inconvenient for popping your kids in the stroller and walking around to run errands.  But it’s nice in the fact that it gives the post a “big” feel.  There is an Air Force base attached too, but it has since been merged with Fort Bragg.  It doesn’t feel like a West Side Story situation.

 

 

On-Post Shopping:

 

It has two commissaries.  TWO.  And two PX’s.  TWO.  The south commissary/PX is fairly new and very nice.  The two buildings are also connected to each other, meaning you can get Starbucks and then do your grocery shopping.  *mind blown*  Similarly, the UPS and Post Office share a parking lot, so you can bounce between the two to get better package rates.  The car rental place is in the same parking lot too…it’s all about space-saving.

 

 

Housing:

 

(I didn’t live on post).

 

Like any post, there are bad neighborhoods and good neighborhoods outside the military gate.  We lived off-post and I really loved it.  Some of the on-post housing is pretty far away from the actual headquarters and training areas, so living off-post can actually be faster commute-wise.  Housing options are also cheap and it’s very likely you can pocket some BAH if you live off-post!

 

 

 

Surrounding Town Layout:

 

While actual footprint of the town outside of post (called Fayetteville) is not huge,  everything is compactly offered so that you get the “full effect” of a suburban area without having to drive miles to experience it.

 

There’s a robust offering of stores, as well as a mall, restaurants, theaters, furniture galleries, car dealerships, dentists, etc.   And while this town doesn’t offer a lot when it comes to nature or sight-seeing, it does have some history opportunities if that’s your thing.  And Raleigh is only an hour and 15 minutes away.  So there’s that too.

 

People will say there is “nothing” to do in Fayetteville, and it might be because there is nothing *special* to do: mountain hikes, famous restaurants, celebrity sightings, and tourist attractions don’t exist here. However, if you want a “normal suburban type life” Fayetteville has it all. There is an endless amount of kids’ sports teams, neighborhoods, and grocery pick-up places to suit a normal, healthy family life.

 

Translation = It will all be okay in the end

 

 

Safety:

 

You can look up all the area statistics yourself.  I personally did not think it was the safest place I’ve lived.  The surrounding area (Fayetteville) has a high crime rate.  You will hear gunshots while you live there.  Your car might get broken into.  Mine got keyed three times. That being said, most posts have rough areas (see above) because it’s just the nature of the kind of land the military owns.  You can find nice housing off post, but you just may not want to walk around your neighborhood at night.  I’m only kind of joking.

 

 

North Carolina Quirks:

 

As with any post you move to, you have to embrace the state.  North Carolina gets crazy weather sometimes during hurricane season, but otherwise it has reasonable summers and mild winters.  (Reasonable meaning it gets hot but not too humid, and mild meaning it snows but only two or three times a year).  Be prepared to see a LOT of pine trees.  The wildlife is not excessive, but it’s there.  Take advantage of the beaches.  So many choices: Surf City, Emerald Island, Topsail Island, Edisto Beach, Wilmington, Whitesville, THE OBX, etc.  Truly, take advantage of some beach time.

 

YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.

 

 

Links for the Best of Fort Bragg:

 

Below I’m linking the best of Fort Bragg: (NONE of these are sponsored in any way)

 

Best Cup of Coffee – Dolce Aroma Coffee Bar

 

Best Slice of Pizza – Mellow Mushroom

 

Best Mexican Food – Mi Casita

 

Edited in 2021: She moved 🙁   Best Photographer – Johanna Dye Photography

 

Best Nature Trail – Cape Fear River Trail

 

Best Museum – Airborne & Special Operations Museum 

 

Best Hair Salon – Salon 360

 

Best Sew Shop and Dry Cleaning – Kim’s Sewing & Cleaning

 

Best Vetrinarian –Reilly Road Animal Hospital

 

Best Boarding for Dogs – Urban Dog Petcare

 

Best Dentist (that takes TriCare) – Richard R Barbaro & Associates

 

Favorite Church (I’m Catholic) – St. Michael the Archangel Maronite Church

 

*

 

All in all (and all the way), Fort Bragg was a great place for my family to call home.

 

It happens to be my birth place, which could also account for my soft spot towards it.  Really, it’s a good post!

 

It’s been nicknamed “the armpit of the Army” for no substantiated reason.  It’s also called the “center of the universe” and has the reputation for being the post you never end up leaving.  Again, not a lot of evidence behind that.  (Unless you’re SF, in which case you might be here a while haha).  So if you’re about to PCS there, be excited.  And if you’ve already lived there before, share your favorite thing about it in the comment section below!

 

As always, thanks for reading.

 

PS After you go to the beach, consider road-tripping 3 hours west to Nellie’s Southern Kitchen in Belmont, NC.  The Jonas Brothers’ PARENTS own it.  You’re welcome.

 

PPS  For anyone who is a One Tree Hill fan…well, then I probably don’t need to tell you where to visit while in NC.  But go there.