Hey there. We're PCS'ing at the end of September from the MSG program, so we've been overseas a long time. We've never been sent to NC before, and I've never seen Cherry Point.

Do they allow vegetable gardening in the base housing backyards? I couldn't find anything about it in the housing manual. I like to till up a back yard and grow vegetables and berry bushes and such. We'll be placed in the E6-E9 housing somewhere.

Any advice on what to ask for? We have a daughter going into 5th grade, so if there is a definite quality difference in schools, that would be something I'd like to know. Also, proximity to a dog park would be awesome. Anything you guys know would be most appreciated. I've only ever lived on base in Camp Pendleton and Oki, so I'm not really sure how CP will be different. 

Welcome welcome!! I bet it must feel good to be coming back stateside. NC is what you make it, as with any place. The area is small but there is enough to make you not go crazy. 20 min in each direction from the base will get you more restaurants, a Target, Lowes, Ulta, and mis shopping. It is a beach area so summer time is great if you like to be outside ans winter is a little more trying when figuring out things to do.

I do believe that vegetable gardens are allowed,in small form, as I have known quite a few people to do them, but give Atlantic Marine Corps Communities a call just to double check.

There are two SNCO housing areas: Grants Landing (older but remodeled) and Nugent Cove (Newer and WAY longer wait). GL has Havelock elementary with Havelock Middle and NC has Arthur Edwards elementary and Tucker Creek middle (I think). Nugent cove would be your better option school wise, but they are doing a district overhaul with the schools in hopes to make all of them on a level playing field. Thats a whole different topic.

All of the housing areas have dog parks in them, so that wont be much of an issue.

CP is much smaller than Pendleton, but still a nice base. Camp Lejeune is about an hour away and much bigger, so their PX has more options and many like to head over there, but it is often more crowded 

I would highly, highly recommend renting a place off base.

We currently live in Grant's Landing and the house we're getting for the amount of BAH we are paying to Atlantic Marine Corps Communities is absurd.

We get about $1400/month give or take a bit for BAH, and could have a much, much nicer, larger, newer, more up to date, house with a fenced in yard, and still have money left over for utilities.

However, shortly after arriving here, we found out we already have orders to leave. So there was no need to move off base. 

Gurganus Elementary is the best. Id enrol kid there for sure. 

Thanks very much, All. I've been looking at rentals, especially because if we got a house halfway between ECU and the base, that would be nice. I don't want the husband to have a horrible commute, but cutting even 15-20 minutes off of driving time would make my hour and a half commute to ECU less draining. Plus, it seems like there are a lot of really nice homes for rent. Seems difficult to find one that will allow a dog, but some of them do.