Your Name (if you would like it to appear):

  Sandi G.

Base Name:

  Fort Riley

Base Location:

  Fort Riley KS

How long have you been here? (give years please, ex. 2003-present)

  July 2007-Current

What is housing like? On-post? (waiting list, conditions, etc.) Off-post? Any areas to stay away from? Average price to rent or buy?

  Housing off base isn't too bad. Manhattan has better houses and shops than Junctions City. There are lots of houses for rent and tons of small one building apartments scattered throughout town. Visit the off base housing office for help finding a place or there is a place just outside of the Ogden Gate that helps find houses.

I just got a house on base after being on the list for about 5 months for an E1-E3 2 bedroom. Before that I lived in Manhattan in a rental house.

Rate the PX & Commissary.

  PX is kinda hard to get into, traffic is busy and there is a roundabout to figure out (I hate roundabouts!) but once you there its ok. Not much clothes that I can see. The Commissary is further away from most of the on base housing but it's decent. It's clean and has pretty good deals, but there are also Walmart all around and Dillard's (grocery store).

Activities on base?

  There is a bowling alley and other stuff. I always go to Manhattan for stuff so I wouldn't know.

Active Spouses Club?

  Yes, but I don't go to mine. The woman is hyper at 6 in the afternoon and I can't take that after working all day.

Things to do in area?

  There is tons to do. In Manhattan there is a zoo, mall, library with storytimes (very cool library), swimming pool, ice skating rink, and tons of parks. There is also the Konza Prairie which you can hike thru and take pictures of and there is a state park in Manhattan. In Wamego (23 miles away) there is the Wizard of Oz museum and the main street there looks like Emerald city. You also aren't too far from Topeka (65 miles) which has a big mall and all the stores that Manhattan doesn't have.

School System?

  I don't have kids, but there are pretty good schools both on base and off base. I know that there is a catholic school in Manhattan that I pass on the way to work.

Any colleges in area?

  Kansas State University

Jobs? (on post and off)

  There are jobs available off base but they aren't corporate level high money jobs. They are waitressing, working part time at the library, sales clerk that sort of thing. I'm sure that there are jobs open on base.

Favorite aspect of this base/surrounding city?

  I love the low humidity here in the summer. I'm from Virginia and its amazing what a difference humidity makes on temperatures.

Least favorite aspect?

  I dislike being so far away from what I know. 23 years in Virginia means I know east coast stores and businesses and had to learn what was in the midwest. Also I miss seafood restaurants and sushi.

Local websites? (base, chamber, newspaper, schools, etc.)

Any other tips?

Buy a warm jacket you'll need it in the winter and also invest in a good ice scraper. When the tornado siren goes off and it's not a test, run!