McGuire info

[Guest C-21 Pilot]

Need some help...

Contemplating McgUire as a follow-on (C-17). Can't really find info about the housing situation (off base), except you have to drive about 30-45 minutes, and sometimes up to an hour to get to base from home, and then, you are forking $1500 bones on a mortgage.

Where are the places to live? And what/where exactly are the new communities around the base? Looking for a 4 BR, approx 175-225K...am I dreaming?

I've heard Mt Holly, Burlington, and Cherry Hill. Am I barking up the wrong tree, or are there different places locally that I should try to research.

Thanks

[Guest KC10Boomer]

Well, Jersey is many things, but cheap is not one of them. The average 4 bedroom is around 250 to 350K. What you heard about the commutes is true. Try searching in Mt. Laurel and Voorhees as well. Not sure about used near WRI, but as far as new builds I know of only one place nearby (5-10 minutes) that I'd consider putting my family in, and it'd cost around 450 to 500K clams for one of those. Realtor.com has got a decent search engine if you want to check there. On the other hand, if you're looking to only spend 175-225K, I'd seriously consider going to C-17s at CHS instead of WRI. Relatively inexpensive, small town atmosphere but still has alot of things to do. And the base itself has a better work environment and far better airspace. They don't call McGuire 'Quagmire' for nothing. Hope this helped

[Guest marykhall]

I would recommend living in Mt. Laurel. For a young, single guy, Mt. Laurel puts you near everything (bars, shopping, the works). There is a road named Larchmont that has about a million apartments/condos/townhomes on it. It is about a 30 minute drive from the base but well worth it to be near everything while you are here. Philly is about 20 mins straight down Route 38 and I-295 is 5 mins away.

There is not much in the way of housing near the base. Mt. Holly is an option but is not the safest of areas. You can usually find some of the guys in the squadrons who have rented a house together. They may always need another roommate. Just be warned, it is VERY difficult to find cheap housing (even apartments) in New Jersey.

Let me know if you need any more info...we've been stationed here for a total of 8 years during 2 assignments. I think we know the area pretty well.

PGW

[ViperStud]

I spent almost a year there and I grew up in the area too. The advice everyone has shot out is good, any place is a bit of a commute since there really is nowhere right outside base, and I think Mt. Holly would be the best place for someone new to there to live. I stayed with the 'rents and saved boku cash, which brings up a good suggestion IMHO...

If you are able to get someone else on board consider living by the shore. I live right by the beach and it was basically a 40 min commute (maybe 10-15 more than mt. holly or most other places you'd live anyway) and consider the upside. YOU ARE RIGHT BY THE BEACH. Offseason places are dirt cheap and you can get good deals on year round stuff. Only gets real expensive if you only want it for the summer. And the commute is a straight shot down 195 to 537 by Six Flags then straight onto base. Easy drive, never any traffic (seriously I did it almost every day) and remember your schedule as a casual LT should be pretty lax so no worries about the commute. There are even nice little airports in the area like Lakewood, Miller Airpark or Allaire Apt if you need to do IFT.

I loved McGuire cuz it was by my family and I made some good friends on base and we went to Philly all the time (South Street rules), it's a great casual assignment. I would highly reccomend living by the shore if you are at all into the beach and some good nightlife, it's well worth the extra 10-15 min drive.

[ 29. March 2005, 23:25: Message edited by: ViperStud ]

[Login Name]

McGuire is in NJ...A.K.A. The Armpit of America. Not too far from NYC and Philly but it's in the middle of nowhere NJ and there's a big Army base right next door.

[Sneedro]

All the above are true, McGuire is in the middle of nowhere and it is definitely not cheap to live out here. Philly is a short drive, NYC is only about 2 hours north or a short train ride so I have heard. You also have Atlantic City within an hour. The beaches are all close by though I wouldnt call them all that great. There is a lot close by. You can visit many cities easily over the weekend if you so wish. Any specific questions feel free to PM. I have been out here for the last couple of months so I will help you as much as I can.

[Guest sleepy]

From memories of a few years ago when living in the region... Sorry AirGuardian...I only know good places to eat in the area, not necessarily around McGuire. But for anyone else who cares...

-Iron Skillet at the truck stop in Bordentown, NJ

-Hoagie Haven on Nassau St. in Princeton (bypass all the swanky places on the way to this dump. Triumph Brewing Co. is good, also on Nassua St. PJ's Pancakes is the most overrated sh!thole I've ever been to.)

-Krispy Kreme in Wilmington, DE. I don't reccomend eating a whole box on the way back home just to win a bet.

-There was a great Carolina-style BBQ place on the east side of Manhattan. Uncle Sumthinanother's...one of the few places to get sweet tea. Don't know if it's still there.

-Cracker Barrel some place south of Philly of I-295 if you want vegetables and cornbread.

-Any place on the sidewalk in Brooklyn.

Of course, the places I remember most have the essentials. You know, doughnuts, beer, etc.

Speaking of beer, anyone up there ever been to Joe Canals? It's like freakin' Wal-Mart for booze. They even have shopping carts.

[JarheadBoom]

The AF base housing (Falcon Courts) is right under the visual pattern for 6/24. May not matter to you, but your family might not be crazy about -10s and -17s flying over all day long. It's also privatized. I haven't heard good or bad, but I'm AFRC and a homeowner in PA, so I don't really pay much attention to base housing issues.

As far as home ownership goes - NJ officially became the highest-taxing state in the Union this year. When my wife worked in NJ, she had a couple co-workers who were paying 5-digit property tax bills on modest-sized homes (under $250K).

[WeMeantWell]

Single-> Live down town Philly, rent, 40 minute commute, well worth it... Lots of pilots to commute with. Some pilots try to stay local at first, then realize what they are missing and move to philly...Plus with 4 month deployments every 2 years, you can pack everything up and bank BAH when you go. Trust me, there is nothing to do within 30 minutes of the base... occasionally you hear of someone living on the coast, which is about 45 minutes I would guess, and there are some nice areas out there...Do whatever you can to put the base in your rearview when you leave every day.

Married-> Burlington is a good option (Township, not city!!!), best schools, decent housing market... about the closest commute with 'nice' neighborhoods, 20 minutes top, no interstate/traffic. Prices have dropped from their peak (obviously...) of about 4 years ago, but still pricey. Good time to buy there, some houses are very undervalued.

I would rent somewhere well before I ever go back to base housing, it is crappy and they have done nothing to improve it, just keeps getting crappier everytime they tear something down and rebuild... decent homes for rent within 30 minutes... Although, I have heard some 'decent' words about Ft Dix housing, the Army does some good MWR and the like on their side (pool, go carts, putt putt, fireworks, etc..) puts the AF to shame; plus we are forbidden to fly over their housing, so noise is not as bad as the AF side.

I aint gonna lie, the leadership at McGuire is about the worse I have seen! the folks in the squadron make it grand, lots of great AD and reservists that are a hoot on the road, just get ready for joint base NJ, lots of fly away mobexes, mx first/ops second attitude, and the 'cando' way of life!

Bloom where you are planted! and you will enjoy it...

[Karl Hungus]

Thread revival

A bunch of the info in this thread is 4 or so years old.... anybody with recent McGuire experience have any opinions on where to live? Have the property values decreased like the rest of the country, or is it still astronomical? Do most rent or buy? I'm single, and like the idea of living in downtown Philly and commuting out... but then again 45 mins each way is a bit painful, gas won't always be $2 a gallon, and the toll on the turnpike sucks. Will I be gone so much that getting something nice is pointless (KC-10)? Where do the guidos live, so I can avoid that area?

[jango220]

Thread revival

Not stationed at McGuire, but I'm from the Philly area. Living on the good side of the river (aka not in Jersey...) has it's advantages & disadvantages. I'd stay away from downtown Philadelphia because the commute will kill you in the morning & evening. You can either do the Schuylkill expressway (parking lot) or Route 1 (slower parking lot) to the PA turnpike and then Turnpike bridge to the NJ turnpike (Indy 500). Once you are across the river, it's still a good 20+ minutes without traffic to the front gate. So all in all, considering traffic, you'll be pushing almost 60 min each way during rush hour. If you are still pushing for living in PA, then consider the Levittown area. Right over the bridge and a lot more upscale then Northeast Philadelphia, but not as pricey as the Langhorne/Newtown area can be. You can find a decent place to live there, but this is still a pretty expensive area, so keep that in mind since you're a single dude. Also, taxes and auto insurance are immensely cheaper in PA compared to NJ.

Jersey is getting nicer, especially the Mt. Holly area. Very up and coming. If you are more interested in living by the shore, I have known of some people living all the way in Toms River. It's all a great area, real close to Philly and NYC (less then an hour either direction) with DC being a couple hours away, and you can party it up down the shore in the summertime (expect a lot of cheap places to rent this summer too). And don't worry, the guidos are more towards Jersey City and Long Island. Shoot me a PM and I'll give you tons more gouge.

[Sneedro]

I left McGuire (KC-10s) about 6 months ago, but I knew of a few single guys living in Philly. If you are willing to deal with the traffic/tolls ($3 to leave NJ), then it's a great place to live. If you decide on not living there, as long as you live in a city that starts with "M" you should be ok. Granted some of those cities are better than others. I would recommend Mt. Laurel if you decide on NJ. A lot of pilots live in that area, both married and single. Most people rent (mainly the younger guys) but not all. A 2 bed 2 bath condo is going to run you close to $300K, ridiculous I know. The market, at least when I left, was taking a bit of a beeting as well, but that could of changed since then. NJ sucks, but there is a lot around there to go and do (NYC, Philly, DC, ect...). Plan on being gone A LOT!! The deployment schedule was pretty rough, and from what I hear is still the same. You will be busy that is for sure. Enjoy it though, the KC-10 is an awesome airplane!! If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

[JoeNJ]

And don't worry, the guidos are more towards Jersey City and Long Island. Shoot me a PM and I'll give you tons more gouge.

Jango is right, most of the guidos live in NE Jersey and Staten Island. The only time you'll really come in contact with them in central/south jersey is during the summer at the shore. Belmar and Seaside Heights in the summer is a popped collar parade. The locals hate them, but the locals don't really care for anybody from North Jersey, generally. There is a line between North/South Jersey, but no one can agree where it is. M2 mentioned www.city-data.com a while back and it's gold. Feel free to PM me if you'd like, I've been living here my entire life.