is hampton roads an area for retirees...??? (Virginia Beach, Chesapeake: fit in, real estate)

[goforit]

ok, here goes..... i did the hotspots questionnaire and hampton, va. was one of the picks for me. i am searching for a good place to retire and just enjoy life. i want a safe, quiet convenient urban environment w/ all the amenities of a big city; nice walking trails and beautiful parks; oh, and i LOVE the water--i want to walk and/or drive and be able to see water; ready for a place with all 4 seasons (i live in florida); plan to rent initially and can afford up to $1200/month--want something nice; a little snow is ok, not too much. do you see the beautiful autumn leaves in this area? i've heard about the tunnel bridge in that area; are there any other entry/exit routes? anyone retired there, pls provide me some input. planning to visit the area in september. i guess what i really need to know is what SPECIFIC area would a retiree fit in in the HR area. the carolinas was another pick for me.......wondering??? please help. thanks!

[anpadas]

You won't get all four seasons here. But hey, I lived in Asheville, NC for a while, they had all four seasons! Try there. That's just my opinion, and I'm not retired, so someone else my think otherwise.

[irisheyes13]

You do get 4 seasons in Hampton Roads but the winter is not a snowy winter. We do have beautiful leaves in the fall but this has been a very dry winter so the colors may not be as vibrant as normal. There are lots of retirees around this area so I would say it is pretty popular for that demographic. Have you looked at Williamsburg VA at all?

[goforit]

Originally Posted by anpadas

You won't get all four seasons here. But hey, I lived in Asheville, NC for a while, they had all four seasons! Try there. That's just my opinion, and I'm not retired, so someone else my think otherwise.

thanks for your response; more snow in asheville, nc than the HR area, right?

[goforit]

Originally Posted by irisheyes13

You do get 4 seasons in Hampton Roads but the winter is not a snowy winter. We do have beautiful leaves in the fall but this has been a very dry winter so the colors may not be as vibrant as normal. There are lots of retirees around this area so I would say it is pretty popular for that demographic. Have you looked at Williamsburg VA at all?

thanks for the feedback; haven't checked Williamsburg yet, but i will. for now i was concentrating on the HR area and parts of the carolinas. i do like the "winter is not a snowy winter" in HR.....blurrrr -- just can't deal with the snow! was there anything in particular that stood out in your mind about williamsburg based on what i'm looking for??

[vasinger]

Va doesn't see heavy snows except for the mountain areas. Va Beach rarely ever gets snow and its not bitterly cold during the winter. With the average January temp just about 50.

Most of Virginia has a humid sub-tropical climate, much like northern Florida.

Of course Miami and southern Florida are tropical.

[shellyf]

Hampton Roads is a great retirement area..weather, cost of living, diversity,etc. Virginia Beach has many retirement communities. A great location to start looking would be in the northern area along the Chesapeake Bay if you like the water/beachy scene(this is more of the locals area). My parents are moving down from WI in Sept and found a wonderful new 55 and up community in Chesapeake which has a slower pace than Virginia Beach. Contact me and I can give you more detailed info on where to start looking.

[jdarden]

I am also looking to retire in the Newports News area and I would appreciate all the info I can get on the subject.

[eddieb323]

Great area for military retirees. Great area for any retiree 4 or 5 yrs ago when real estate prices were still relatively cheap here. Too bad you couldn't come down here back then!