My husband is retiring from the Army, and we will be moving to Heidelberg soon as civilians. We are hoping to find a neighborhood near Campbell Barracks. Any suggestions? My husband is hoping to walk or bike to his work, and we would like to be able to walk to restaurants, grocers, and cafes.
no info.. but just a good luck wish... hope it all works out wonderful....
Hello,
Unless your husband already has a job there you may want to reconsider.
The announcements just came out about what will be closing and the time frame that it will be closed by. Everything in the Heidelberg/Mannheim area is planned to be closed within 2-5 years.
Even with the restructuring in the process, there will probably be a lot of shifts in personnel until the closures are completed. There will be a lot of US and LN positions closed leaving a lot of people unemployed.
You can find the information online under the USAREUR web page, I am not sure of the actual www address but you can search under USAREUR, Heidelberg, Mannheim, Closing or something of that nature to find it.
If you are looking to stay near the Heidelberg area, you may look toward Ramstein, Kaiserslautern and even Sembach. I understand that Sembach will transfer to being under Army control, if it has not already happened, but it will remain. I heard yesterday that even Gruenstadt will be shifting to be under Kaiserslautern in the near future. There will be other changes in the area of Mainz-Weisbaden also so it would be a good idea to be informed if you are looking toward longer term plans.
Granted that Kaiserslautern may be 100km away but if the job is an important part of your financial plans, Heidelberg is not looking good for a future. Even if commuting is an option, driving with the gas prices the way they are with no outlook of getting better it may get expensive. The distance/time needed for the commute along with the gas prices may also be factors. There is consistantly stau reports for this area and there has been some consideration by the politians about starting a maut charge for cars. It has been quieted but eventually they will impliment it.
Sorry if this is a bleak outlook but I have been living between Mannheim and Kaiserslautern for the past 25 years and it is a reality I see facing people I know who are also looking toward what they need to do in order to support their families.
If you are just looking to live in the area and the job is not a predominant factor, there is always the option of the occasional trip to Ramstein for the BX/PX and Commisary. One good effect in this case is that without the military remaining in the area, there is a probability that housing prices may drop. This often happens as the military draws down so over the next few years it will probably be noticable.
Sorry I cannot give an actual area but with the current standing you may be asking for something different once you are fully informed and have time to consider the military information.
Good luck for the future.
Tom
S.,
The neighborhoods closest to Campbell Barracks are Rohrbach and Kirchheim. There are good bike/walking trails all around Heidelberg. The website is http://www.bw.eur.army.mil/ If he will be a civilian contractor or government worker, you can look at housing under "Newcomer Information" on the website. Best wishes for your move!
J.
PS The USAREUR website is http://www.hqusareur.army.mil/
I have Famliy near there... I am assuming you are talking about Mississippi??? Send me a message and I can find out for you. Good luck!
