Can someone please describe location/condition of this housing area (for officers)? We are in a position of being on the wait list for San Mateo (6-12 months) or an immediate move in to this area. Specifically, am interested to know location on base (west side, middle, etc.) and approximate distance from hospital and beach area, along with any general info about the condition. Thank you! 

I can't tell you about condition but its by the back gate by college and 76. It's about 20 mins to naval hospital and about 5 mins from mainside. So i guess location is southeast. Distance to beach about 30 mins or so 

If I am not mistaken, they are new units there. They just built them recently. You are about 15-20 minutes from the beach and the commissary and about 10 minutes from the hospital. The closest gate is the San Luis Rey gate, which is the back gate. It gets super hot over there in that area during the summer, so I don't know if they have AC or not, but if not and you don't do well in heat you might not like it there. I've never seen the inside. I really only know about location. Hope that helped at least a little. It's close to Fallbrook. So if you need to check it out on a map or something. If your hubby is gonna work up north it might be a little bit of a commute. 

By the back gate on mainside. Hospital is close, commissary about 15 minutes away, exchange 5 minutes. Some of the housing there is brand spanking new and huge. The older stuff isn't bad, and will be for CGO. The new stuff is FGO I believe. 

New housing has AC. The older ones don't yet. 

San Mateo is GREAT! Its like a 20 min drive to the front gate, 40 mins to the hospital and air station area, and 45ish to main side. The housing wait really isn't going to be that long, once you move here you will be given a much earlier date, I know of 4 houses that are vacated or being vacated within the next week and all the new houses that are being finished will be available in a month or so. I was told the same time frame and I got a house in less then a month. As far as San Louis Ray the new houses are very nice and big but its 30mins from the beach and about 20 or so from the commissary. If you get a new house in San Louis Ray it will be really nice but if they give you one of the old ones I would consider waiting for San Mateo Point or Del Mar. Honestly though this base is huge and my recommendation would be moving to the area your hubby is stationed, main side - San Louis Ray, Front gate - Del mar, north end - San Mateo. Good luck with the move! 

I dont know much about the houses, but I agree with Rachel, depends where your husband is gonna be working. If you live on mainside, and hes gonna be working by san mateo that drive is going to suck. 

So it's inland, on the southeast/east side, by Fallbrook. Is that right? 

It's right by Oceanside, not Fallbrook. It's the closest housing to the golf course. I don't think it gets really hot there, but then I live further east of base. The housing looks very nice from the outside. 

Also, if you have kids you might want to consider going towards the Temecula/Murrieta area where schools are better. It only works well if the military member works in an area that would be an easy drive, however. 

The housing is divided into FG and CG. The CG get the one story homes (about 1600-1800 sqft) and the new, 2-story homes are FG houses (I've heard varying info on the actual sqft, but I believe they are about 2200-2400). I definitely agree with giving a good amount of consideration to being in proximity to where your husband works. We live off base, about 5 min from SLR housing, and when my husband worked in San Mateo, he had about a 45 min. commute, and that was if he didn't get stuck behind a convoy coming through the base or if something didn't happen on the 5 or 76, if he was going around the base. We own our house out here, so it was something we put up with, but if we were living on base, I think I would have more issue with it. Then again, after 2 yrs there, he moved to a unit on Camp Del Mar, so his commute dropped to 20 minutes, straight down the 76. Yes, it would be considered inland and you'd be about 10 min from the Fallbrook Wpns Station and maybe 15-20 min from Fallbrook itself- the base really, truly is huge. =) There are benefits to living by the back gate, as well as drawbacks. The commissary is a good 20 minute drive (which isn't horrible, but you're definitely not right next to it). You are 2 minutes from the Fisher Center, which has drop-in, hourly child care, as well as an enrichment program for 2 yr olds. For me personally, those are great reasons to live back this way. You are near the PX (which has a lovely new liquor store in it). The base theater is also back this way, as well as the large "family" pool (though the housing areas all have pools, too). 

Here is the map that shows the vicinity of housing areas. MAP 

One person said ten minutes to the hospital, one person said twenty.. and one said forty. LOL. 

Well, from where we live (about 1.5 miles from SLR housing, out the back gate), it takes me about 15 minutes to get to the NH. However, when I was in labor (about 0430), my husband was able to make it there in about 10 min, possibly just under. I will admit that he didn't necessarily wait for green lights- which was probably smart, since my water broke shortly after I got up to L&D. =) The stoplights can make a significant difference in the travel time, though- there are quite a few between here and there. 

Thank you for the map - that's something we've been looking for. He'll be working on the very north end with Fifth Marines. San Luis doesn't look too promising in that aspect! 

You could always look at places in Oceanside and he can drive up the 5 to work. We live in Stuart Mesa and my husband drives to San Mateo everyday. Or just look for places in San Clemente. 

If your hubby is working with Fifth Marines I would definitely look into San Mateo Point, my hubby works there and it takes under five mins for him to get to work. There is a small Commissary, PX,great daycare center, etc. like three mins away, also the schools are the best in the area. San Mateo is not actually on the main base, its a gated community but there is no gate guard, its a great area, people are super friendly and its a very close community. I can not say enough good things about this housing, it is by far my favorite military housing! It is worth a wait and if you call housing and ask for assignments they may be able to hold a house for you (make sure they give you an address), they held a house an entire month for me. Good luck! 

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