29 Palms Marine Base: Ocotillo Heights Base Housing

We moved on base from an off-base residence once my husband and his roommate got dates for deployment. The primary factors were safety and social. If you have young children and are stationed in 29 Palms I would recommend living in Ocotillo Heights every single time. The sense of safety, amenities, and community is unparalleled when you compare what is outside the gates.

However, if you are single without kids and your spouse will be deployed, I'd consider renting off base in Yucca Valley or near Joshua Tree's tiny (but growing) "downtown". As a single person it was difficult to find anyone in my life stage in Ocotillo Heights, most of them having stayed behind in hometowns for their spouse's deployment. Yucca Valley and JT are closer to some nightlife, dining, or cultural options, as well as closer in general to Palm Springs.

As for the housing itself, decorating was somewhat of a challenge. Ugly large linoleum in a giant brown tile pattern dominated the first floor. Area rugs help diffuse some of the ugliness but it's a lot of space to cover. The walls were textured, making painting a huge pain in the rear (we paid the $250 penalty fee not to repaint ourselves). The worst was the kitchen layout shaped in a tiny U. It was incredibly cramped and you couldn't open the dishwasher and the fridge at the same time (making cleaning up after meals or parties inconvenient when one person is trying to load and the other is trying to put away leftovers).

Still, it was nice to have access to a pool and there was plenty of space in the house. Being close to the back gate is a huge plus as well, especially if you travel out east near JT/Yucca often enough.

This was a fantastic neighborhood on the base. The only caveat to this neighborhood is that your children will attend the elementary school out in town (29 Palms Elementary) or the JR High or High School. The elementary school is great, but the JR High and HS are terrible. Most people with kids end up homeschooling at that age. There is another elementary school on base (Condor) but your kids won't go there due to the boundaries. The family life aboard 29 Palms is great and neighbors are friendly and available. There are a ton of parks in the neighborhood and a really great community center with pool within walking distance.