What BestPlaces Users Say about Fayetteville
Fayetteville, North Carolina is a mid-sized city located in Cumberland County. It is home to Fort Bragg, one of the largest military bases in the United States. With a population of over 200,000, Fayetteville has a diverse community and offers a mix of urban and suburban living. It has a lower cost of living compared to other cities in the state, making it an attractive place to reside. In this context, let's take a look at what some users have to say about living in Fayetteville.
According to Sarah A., who has lived in Fayetteville for 5 years, the city is "a great place to raise a family." She appreciates the close-knit community and the variety of family-friendly activities available. On the other hand, Michael B., who has lived in Fayetteville for 2 years, mentions that the traffic can be quite hectic, especially during rush hour. He advises newcomers to be prepared for long commutes if they work in other parts of the city.
For James S., who has lived in Fayetteville for 10 years, the main downside is the crime rate. He says, "While there are some nice areas, it's hard to ignore the high crime rate and the presence of gangs in some neighborhoods." However, he also adds that the city is actively working to improve safety and security measures. Similarly, Karen W., a Fayetteville resident for 8 years, mentions that the education system needs improvement. She suggests that parents should carefully research schools before enrolling their children.
In general, most users agree that Fayetteville has a friendly and welcoming community, with affordable housing and a variety of job opportunities. However, there are concerns about traffic, crime, and the education system. As Chad M. puts it, "Fayetteville is a decent place to live, but it's not without its flaws. Do your research and consider your priorities before making the move."
based on 46 ReviewsGet to know Fayetteville with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Fayetteville
Things could be a little better... - 6/8/2008
When you hear on the news "highlights" that the town you're living in is literally the third worst place to raise a family, it makes you wonder why you yourself are here. There are many things that can be changed here. Instead of changing the way it "looks", change the way it
Read More
Start Your Review of Fayetteville
Nice City - 10/12/2007
Fayetteville is nice. The weather is mild compared to the rest of the south and there is plenty of shopping and friendly folks. Schools aren't great in Fayetteville, but if you live in Hope Mills (suburb of Fayetteville) the schools are excellent. There are a lot of taxes in North Carolina and it seems at times they are nicle and diming you to death. Otherwise, I like it
Read More
For those who love the Army mentality - 9/1/2007
Fayetteville is unique to most other normal cities and parallel to most other Army towns. What makes Army towns (not to be confused with Navy, Air Force etc.) unique is that the surrounding area has grown up to support the Army community. This means that low wage, no education jobs are abundant. There are plenty of strip clubs, bars, fast-food restaurants, tattoo parlors, pawn shops, sewing, dry-cleaning, etc. If you have not graduated high school and can't find a job, move to an Army town, there are plenty.
Also, think about who comprises the bulk of the manpower of the Army. It's the enlisted ranks E-5 and below. And those ranks are flooded with young men (and very few women) who typically come from lower income households and depressed education levels.
Additionally, this city is located in the south which nationally speaking lays claim to the lowest public education and highest number of obese people.
I will let you draw your own conclusions as to what a male
Read More
Quality of Life - Above Average - 6/17/2007
I have lived in or near Fayetteville for 20+ years. In fact, I just returned to Fayetteville in 2006 after living in Winston-Salem, NC (an absolutely wonderful city!). Fayetteville definitely has good points and some bad ones. Don't listen to the judgements of people who have lived just one year. That's not enough time to learn the entire metropolitan area which covers nearly 3 counties!
Fayetteville has made great strides in the past 5 years and it's outlook continues to improve. It has been mentioned in Forbes magazine and other financial magazines as an up and coming city. Unfortunately, most of the economy is tied up with the military. That means when the soldiers are deployed, many businesses are hurt terribly.
Living in Fayetteville puts you with 2 hours of the beach and 1.5 hours from Raleigh. You can enjoy lots of recreation nearby if you are willing to drive to it. You can be in Myrtle Beach or Wilmington w/o any problem at all. The
Read More
QUALITY OF LIFE - 11/21/2006
Fragmented social setting. Due to the low cost of housing and property disadvantaged are overwhelmed by the paradox of wealthy people located in pockets throughout the city where property values change dramatically. The selection of entertainment is very poor. No Interstates connect to this community and the airport is small. As a result of the small airport connections to metro airports add a great deal to flight costs. The Army population at Ft. Bragg is larger than the City. This place is isolated and cutoff from the mainstream. The city architects had no planning skills when they laid out the growth of this town. It is very difficult to navigate.
Overall the town is old and worn out, and lacks the necessities to breakdown barriers to the fragmented social
Read More
Lived There for a Year as Army Wife - 9/25/2006
I lived near Fayetteville, NC for one year (2003-2004), in nearby in Spring Lake, which is quiet and beautiful with nice neighbors. Husband was in the military, so the cost of living was pretty low. There are plenty of second-hand stores and flea markets, but pretty ghetto. We lived in an apartment in a ghetto and it was very unpleasant, so we moved to Spring Lake in the countryside. There are a lot of strip joints and military-oriented places, which is not very fun for an army wife. The weather is MAGNIFICANT and the people are very nice. LOVE the southern hospitality. I plan on moving back to North Carolina someday, or somewhere similar in the south because of the hospitible people and the weather, and the cultural diversity. The ice storms are annoying, but they don't last long. Southerners don't know how to drive on ice, though. They flip over on their vechicle roofs just because a little ice is on the road. Schools shut down at the sight of one snowflake! LOL! There's
Read More
Not a good place to live. - 7/2/2006
I recently moved to Fayetteville for a job thinking I could deal with living in a military town - I was wrong. And if you are a single male, you probably do not want to move here either. To my surprise there isn't too much to do when compared to Akron, Ohio. You may find a few movie theaters or bars here and there, but nothing special. There are a lot of chain restaurants and a pretty large shopping area for the size of the city. There seems to be a lack of culture and a bit of tension in this town. I always feel the need to travel out of the city to meet the people I want to meet or do the things I do. The next closest cities are Raleigh, which is about 70 miles, and Wilmington which is about 100 miles. The crime rate seems to be pretty high for the size of the city and driving in this town is pretty dangerous and confusing near Fort Bragg. I would never settle down or raise my kids in this town because there are a lot of gangs and druggies. And if you must live here do research and
Read More
fayetteville - 5/9/2006
I have lived in Fayetteville since high school, but left to go to college. I would honestly not consider moving back, but it is not such a bad place. It is definitely a military town, and has actually come a long way from what it used to be. Since my family moved there in 1997, the downtown has undergone such a dramatic transformation. Downtown now has a great independent movie theatre, some cute coffee shops and restaurants. I have met some amazing people here as well... of course there are certainly places that are worse off than others just like in any other city. All in all Fayetteville isn't so bad...and Raleigh is only an hour away
Read More
Can't live here again - 5/4/2006
I was born and raised in Fayetteville. I left for good in 1997. This is a dingy military town who's future hinges on Ft. Bragg. Unless you want to work in food or retail, don't expect a decent job. Good paying jobs are in very short supply. There's nothing here for young people. This is a town for baby boomers and older. It is also a bible belt town, churches are everywhere, along with people trying to get you to join. There is diversity to the population, but like another poster said, it is still unofficially segregated. Nightlife is a disappointment at best. Singles market, not here. The females here either have kids very early, overly religious, or are chasing after the GI Joes. The summers are hot and the humidity is stifling. Crime is high, especially for a place of this size. My favorite thing about Fayetteville is the fact I don't live there anymore!! Anyone thinking of moving here, don't think twice, think 3 times, then chose someplace
Read More