Interested In Moving (Norfolk, Richmond, Newport News: appointed, fit in, real estate)

[P.Lewis]

Hey maybe somebody can help me out. I currently live in Phila. Pa but I want to move to VA. Recently I have heard a lot about the Hamptons Roads area and now I'm curious. I'm looking for a career as a Police officer/real estate and i want to attend college. All my life I have grown up in the city and used to love my summers when i would visit my family in VA, a mixed neighborhood is important but nothing deep in the city or too much in a rural area. I'm single, in my early 20's, Christian, looking for an apartment,and ready to start life I guess you can say. Would anybody recommend this area for me? And if yes where and why?

[Alanboy395]

I think you may have struck gold in HR. I really would recommend this area. I'd take a look at a couple of parts of Hampton (Falcon Creek or Hampton Woods) or Newport News (Stoney Run and Port Warwick), mainly b/c you dont have any kids to worry about for schools, and they are not that expensive when compared to the rest of HR. Everybody will try to scare you away from HR b/c of crime, but when you compare Hampton Roads to Philly or in my neck of the woods DC youll find that crime is pretty moderate in HR compared to DC/Philly. this area is a little expensive but i'm pretty sure you can live good on a cop's salary. I think you'll fit in well in Hampton Roads.

[i_is_tiger_woods]

Once you come here, you will then realize that the "gold" you just found was nothing more than pyrite (I like the Gold Rush metaphors). This place is deplorable...and it isn't because of the crime, contrary to what most people may say. You've given us a small idea of what you are looking for, and if you are not picky, then you may find this area "acceptable." Remember, occasional visits are much different than picking up and starting a new life. Furthermore, from what I've heard, this area was much more tolerable 10-15 years ago. I've been here for two years and I have hated every minute of it. One of the things most people try to escape the big city for is traffic...you'll get no relief down here, and because of that you'll find yourself even more stressed out because it will become very difficult to conceive how a place so much smaller than Philadelphia can have traffic conditions as bad as those in Philadelphia.
I have my reasons for hating it so much down here. The cost of living here is extraordinarily high considering the crappy wages...people are rude and generally stupid...not just ignorant, but really, really stupid. The highway infrastructure is pathetically organized. There is absolutely NO aesthetic value in the area whatsoever! My friend, if you want to get away from the big city and relax, I have an ideal suggestion for you that does NOT include Virginia: Charleston, South Carolina. It's smaller, cheaper, more relaxed, the people are much more courteous (TRUE Southern hospitality), and the landscape is SOOOO gorgeous. Walking down the streets of downtown Charleston almost makes you feel as if you have gone back in time to the days during the Civil War. And, if you ever do get bored, there is a great deal of good, clean fun you can get yourself involved in.

So, if I were you, I would take the time to study both areas...and once you find that most people would prefer Charleston over Hampton Roads, well, you'll be the one to make the ultimate decision. Best of luck to you, and if there is anything you need to know about, well, anywhere, then just let me know.

[shellytc]

P.Lewis, check out a couple of the police dept's they are always looking for officers. Va. Beach / chesapeake / Norfolk. We have a great community college, Tidewater Community College, that you can get some college under your belt and then transfer to ODU if you want. There is a lot to offer here, don't like tiger wannabee scare you off : )

Shelly

[i_is_tiger_woods]

Originally Posted by shellytc

P.Lewis, check out a couple of the police dept's they are always looking for officers. Va. Beach / chesapeake / Norfolk. We have a great community college, Tidewater Community College, that you can get some college under your belt and then transfer to ODU if you want. There is a lot to offer here, don't like tiger wannabee scare you off : )

Shelly

Well, P.Lewis, I hope you don't think that I'm trying to "scare you off." I am just giving you a personal overview on what I think of the area. Making an informed decision involves being, well, informed, which encompasses both positive and negative opinions. Based on what I have experienced here, I would not even recommend this area to Osama bin Laden, but that's just my opinion. Here's what I suggest you consider doing: Write down all of the things you desire in a place to live and be detailed about it. Once you have done that, visit this website: Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed and click on the link take the "find your best place" quiz. Answer all of the questions based on your wants and needs, and an algorithm will be used to compile and compute all of the data that you enter and present you with a list of cities, ranked from your best match to your worst match.
If that doesn't tickle your fancy, then check out CNNMoney.com's "Best Places to Live." Regardless of where you go, the Law Enforcement industry will always be in need of able-bodied individuals who seek to right the wrongs of society, so you shouldn't have a problem finding work as a police officer. Also, when making the decision on which school you would like to attend, your choice of major should play a big role. If you come to this area and you find that not one of the universities around here offers your choice of major, or they do, but the curriculum is lackluster in comparison to other universities that offer the same major, then you will not be able to get the most of your education. Of course, you may arrive and find that ODU or W&M has your choice of major ranked in the top ten of universities throughout the country.

Research, research, research, my friend!! Asking opinions of the locals is a good idea; it gives you a basic outline of what people think of the quality of living. Who else knows better than the people who have been there, right? But you have to remember to take everything you hear with a grain of salt, because personal opinions are usually very biased. My personal opinion of the area is one of bias, which is confirmed through scientific polls (you'll see what I'm talking about when you visit Business, financial, personal finance news - CNNMoney). So, I reiterate, I am not trying to scare you away, on the contrary, I am merely ensuring that your decision will not be one that you end up regretting in the long run. When you live in a positive area, meaning you like a vast majority of what the area has to offer, you will find that it has a profound psychological effect on you. You will find your job more satisfying, you will take time out of your day to enjoy nature's splendor, you will feel more refreshed and content. Living somewhere that you hate has the complete opposite effect. If you find that the Hampton Roads area is what you desire, then by all means, pack up and head south...the decision is solely yours. But, if you find that this is not the area for you, then once again, you have the power to decide for yourself. Regardless of which decision you make, I am glad that I was there to assist you, and I hope that you do find the ideal place to start your new life. Again, I wish you luck and I will be happy to further assist you in any way, shape or form...just say the word.

Theo, alias: the "tiger wannabee."

And, shouldn't it be "There is a lot to offer here; don't let the tiger wannabee scare you off?" I realize that I am not an English teacher and that I also place an occasional grammatical faux paus in my posts, but that sentence was atrociously constructed.

[shellytc]

Tiger said:

And, shouldn't it be "There is a lot to offer here; don't let the tiger wannabee scare you off?" I realize that I am not an English teacher and that I also place an occasional grammatical faux paus in my posts, but that sentence was atrociously constructed.


Tiger, I was re-naming you: tiger wannabe. When you read it as a nickname, not so bad : ) I was teasing with you and I hope you aren't upset with me. You took a lot of time in constucting your last post with a lot of detail for the poster. You are to be commended for caring.

So many times I see folks on these boards come in and just trash without forethought. I am a firm believer that wherever you go, there you are!! A place is what you make it to be. That being said, there are better fits for some folks, and your recommendations above are spot on!!

Thanks, Shelly

[i_is_tiger_woods]

Originally Posted by shellytc

Tiger said:

And, shouldn't it be "There is a lot to offer here; don't let the tiger wannabee scare you off?" I realize that I am not an English teacher and that I also place an occasional grammatical faux paus in my posts, but that sentence was atrociously constructed.


Tiger, I was re-naming you: tiger wannabe. When you read it as a nickname, not so bad : ) I was teasing with you and I hope you aren't upset with me. You took a lot of time in constucting your last post with a lot of detail for the poster. You are to be commended for caring.

So many times I see folks on these boards come in and just trash without forethought. I am a firm believer that wherever you go, there you are!! A place is what you make it to be. That being said, there are better fits for some folks, and your recommendations above are spot on!!

Thanks, Shelly

No I wasn't upset. I appreciate good satire as much as the next person. I actually got quite a laugh out of it. I hope you were not offended;I was just busting your chops, that's all. Based on your posts, you are clearly very well educated.
Anyway, I agree with you completely. You seem to have taken a liking to the area, and the region (especially recently) has had a profound impact on your career. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but more often than not, people form these opinions based on their own personal beliefs...and that's it. Opinions are formed from not just personal convictions, but on what something actually portrays. For example, housing is super inexpensive back in my hometown, so to come here and find that a three bedroom home will cost around $200,000 is quite a shock and it makes me a bit angry. On the other hand, if I were born and raised in NYC and I made a journey down here, I would discover that housing here is about a quarter of the cost of what it is in NYC, and as a result my opinion of the area would be somewhat positive. I just try to ensure that people see all facets of what they will encounter. It's only fair, I think. Time and time again people are misled into believing that something may work out for them...that it's the best option...that nothing can beat it...only to be disappointed when they find that whatever it is was not worth the hype (prime example: the U.S. Navy).
So, yes I still hate it here, and I have my reasons. But, I am not here to tell everyone else that they should hate it here, too. Home is what you make of it, and every place has its positives and negatives...it's up to the individual to determine what they will view as positive and negative.

Just know this, Shelly...whichever post you go to proclaiming the laurels of the Hampton Roads region, I won't be far behind wielding numbers and statistics (and the occasional "Norfolk sucks!" ). You also have a genuine need to help people make sound relocation decisions, and for that I must give you kudos (not the granola bar, the commendation).

[damian]

Its not so bad here...i rather like it; things to do, many attractions....went to Buckroe beach twice this weekend, relaxed at City Center Friday evening and listened to the Symphony, then went to Poquoson today to fish...

Tiger can spout off statistics, I can give you a more personal touch

[shellytc]

I was a Navy brat, and we got orders to come back here, I thought my father was going to take off the detailers head!! He wasn't happy : ) But we came. I was 12, and my family has lived here ever since!! I moved away at 22, moved to Richmond. I loved it. Thought I would never, ever come back. But times change and people change. I have son, I'm in my 40's. My husband sold his business in Richmond, and we realized we wanted to be back by the family. We love the beach, always have. The schools are good. So we came back.

I have been back over a year now. It surprises me that there are so many neat things to do that I haven't done for years, and there are so many new things. There are some good things and some things I wish were different.

I feel that the area offers a little for every type of person, Beach or City, Young or Old, Family or Single. I love to work with folks that are relocating, and help them find their niche in this area. I hope you don't take that as advertising, because it is just meant to say that I will tell the good and the not so good. I am happy : )

thanks tiger, I appreciate your comments as well. I hope folks will look at all sides before making such a drastic decision to move. And thanks damian for your comments as well.

Shelly

[i_is_tiger_woods]

Originally Posted by damian

Its not so bad here...i rather like it; things to do, many attractions....went to Buckroe beach twice this weekend, relaxed at City Center Friday evening and listened to the Symphony, then went to Poquoson today to fish...

Tiger can spout off statistics, I can give you a more personal touch

Okayyy...well I took my wife shopping at the MacArthur Center on Saturday after eighteen holes at Kiln Creek, then yesterday we visited friends in Suffolk, and today involved another round of golf at The Woodlands. Occasionally, we take road trips to the Eastern Shore and Washington. Sometimes, we just sit outside and listen to the crickets at night. I may not like it here, but I'm not going to let it hijack my life. However, those statistics are the difference between whether or not we get shot sitting outside listening to the crickets. Statistics show trends. They show exactly how things are. True, stats are not all-inclusive, but they give you an idea of what to expect. You can take your lifestyle anywhere in the world, but if you take it to an area ridden with crime, it would be nice to know that the odds of being affected by that are greater than if you go to an area with considerably lower crime rates. Life is what you make of it...but circumstances beyond your control can change that rather abruptly. This is why I spout off statistics, because although personal touches are nice and they do make things a little easier to swallow, my personal touches will never be the same as yours or anyone else's. Statistics eliminate bias. Point blank. But, your comments do assist in P.Lewis' decision, so keep it up.