DLI - Presidio of Monterey: La Mesa Military Housing

While the houses may be convenient to NPS/DLI, dealing with the Parks is a nightmare. They lie, don’t return phone calls, and have zero consistency among how they choose to interpret their rules. They bully people by saying they only have one or two houses available when in reality there are way more (the house next to me have been vacant for almost a year). The only saving grace is my neighbors.

La Mesa military housing option. It's privatized housing managed by The Parks at Monterey. Talking with other military families I know, I hear a 50/50 mix on its benefits and disadvantages. The housing is new, attractive, and boasts a great neighborhood feel with loads of kids for your kids to play with. The negative aspect is the school situation. Its schools are under MPUSD and perform accordingly. I am often told of the overcrowding in classrooms. If you don’t have school age kids, prefer to home school, or want to pay for private education, La Mesa would be a great option providing you know the traditional ups and downs of living in ANY military housing neighborhood..

Monterey housing was beautiful. We loved the small town feel and how families would come together to help each other. The schools were great and my child really excelled. The only negative I have about monterey is, it’s cold all year long and gloomy. The aquarium is nice and we loved going on he weekends to the beaches.

For a short term tour this housing community is pleasant. It's privatized and managed by The Parks at Monterey Bay. It's centrally located on the outskirts of downtown Monterey. However it's very transient due to the nature of the college so expect neighbors to come and go rapidly (everybody is in the same boat). Beautiful views, lots of playgrounds for children, and pleasant neighbors. I feel very safe here and we have had no issues. Maintenance is responsive. I can't speak to the educational system here. There is a lack of daycare in the area and an extensive wait-list for the area, including CDC. College Babysitters/Nannies run $15-20 an hour. We moved from a rental in Pacific Grove (nearby community) to La Mesa. It is very cold here in the summer, so be prepared. It's a great area if you love hiking, outdoor activities (golfers paradise). Cost of groceries tend to be high as well as restaurants.

La Mesa is a privatized military housing community consisting of duplexes, town homes, and single family homes. Some of the houses and town homes are older but with renovations inside, and some of the single family homes and duplexes are newer. The community is walking distance to NPS and is in a central location on the Monterey peninsula.

Great neighborhood with housing from duplexes to larger homes (for larger families). Housing is based on rank, but exceptions are for families with more than 3 children.

Plenty of parks in each area of the housing, and the elementary school (La Mesa) is in housing as well! There is also the CDC (childcare) which is in housing and provides affordable (rank-based) childcare for toilet-trained toddlers for a social play/learn environment.

CDC also provides sports each season for the kids (4+).

Housing is less than 2 miles from the gates of NPS. You can walk or ride a bike in less than 20 minutes and save driving. There is also bus service that runs through housing for NPS/DLI.

Housing also has a GREAT community center. With a fitness aerobics room, and a weight room. Locker room/bathrooms, and a large indoor heated pool with separate kiddie pool. Accessible only to residents (now via fingerprint/personal code access). Rooms in the center are avail for FREE rental for parties, FCFS.

La Mesa Housing is great. Feel safe letting 10 yr old roam neighborhood and visit friends. School within walking distance. Great for taking walks with strollers.

Oh how I miss our Monterey days! We happened to live in the Foreign Military housing area of the La Mesa housing development. What a joy! I cannot say enough about how awesome it was. Not only were we in beautiful Monterey (by the way, it does get cold!) but we lived in an awesome area of La Mesa. The townhouse itself was really old and wasn't the greatest but the area was top notch. The house was pretty small and the backyard left much to be desired. We didn't spend much time there anyway so it really wasn't bad. We loved the diversity that the development and Monterey itself offered. Farmers markets were top notch, there are tons of playgrounds, many social groups, a gym right in the neighborhood, a convenience store, and it's less than two miles to NPS. There is a bus that comes through for NPS students as well. Big plus. I can't say anything about the school - our kids weren't school age. We had an awesome time in Monterey. Lots of great food, activities for families, and fun!