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I promise this is not a troll post, I'm genuinely looking for some help.
Moved here about a year ago for a great job. Not military. Not religious. Wife and two kids. We've lived in alot a places around the US (except west coast and deep south). We've been trying to make a go at it around here, but recently I've began looking to relocate out (even though it will mean a substantial pay cut).
We've been looking religiously for close to year for a place to live, and the only thing close is Ghent / West Ghent (which is very expensive and a far commute). We haven't looked in VA beach since it would be too far to commute to NN.
We are a young professional couple, looking for things that I didn't think were so unusual until I moved here: walkable community, semi-decent public schools, local shops/stores (aka not another walmart), nice parks to walk to, other families around for our kids to play with.
When we relocated here my wife expressed concern but I reassured her thinking that even if the area is small or expensive, we will find it. We have not. It seems like most of the country has understood that endless low density suburban sprawl coupled with strip mall after strip mall is not a good way to move forward... except NN. We would be looking to spend quite a big chunk on a house, but I find it insane to spend 500+ for a McMansion in such a cultural wasteland. NN and the Hampton Roads area in general seems like a very upscale trailer park, where everyone is concerned about their own house and completely oblivious to the surrounding community. The area I live doesn't even have sidewalks, you have to drive EVERYWHERE. I attempted to commute on my bicycle into work once and have never been in a place so intolerant of bikes (got yelled at twice).
In addition, seriously, whats up with the racism in NN? I'm white but feel like there should be a warning when you enter the city, I feel like I stepped into the worst parts of the 1950s.
Finally, where are the young people? It seems like there are a bunch of people in their 20s and then retired folks. At this point we pretty much know everyone 30-40s in our entire subdivision because we cling to each other like oxygen. Everyone keeps telling me that "its not a big city, young people move away" I can attest, living in many smaller places, I have not seen a brain drain like this anywhere else.
I'm sorry this came off so negatively. I'm really not trying to start some sort of flame war. I live here, I'm not throwing rocks from a distance. I would really like to be set straight. What am I doing wrong?
I'm sure you'll get a few regulars on here that will agree with everything you said. I do myself, to an extent, especially when talking about the Peninsula.
To be honest, your description pretty much sums up most of NN and a lot HR in general. It is suburban, car centered, and blue collar. It is a lot like the suburbs of Chicago, St. Louis, or any other city... without the big city in the middle. Aside from someplace near City Center, Port Warwick, or down by CNU there really aren't a lot of options on the Peninsula for what you are looking for. Downtown Norfolk/Ghent/Freemason area would probably be your best bet for walkable, young, and culturally vibrant but traffic would suck unless you have a lot of flexibility in your hours. There are also some options in VB but the commute from there would be bad too.
The area isn't for everyone, and NN isn't the best of this area, so if those are the things that are important to you then it may be best to look elsewhere or deal with the commute and move down to the Southside (which still may not be what you want). I personally don't care for many areas on the Peninsula, that is why I live in VB and commute to Hampton every day. For the record my wife and I are in our early/mid 30's and both do very well here... but I am from the area and still hang out with people I knew in grade school so it is not exactly apples to apples. Good luck! Like I said, Oyster Point City Center or near CNU are the closest you would get. Noland trail is nice and that area is pretty bike friendly. Wish I could offer more advice but NN is what it is. haha
Thanks for the honest reply. That is what I presumed (unfortunately). At this point I think we are going to have to bite the bullet and try to move to the Ghent area which is shockingly expensive and commute through the tunnels.
Thanks for the honest reply. That is what I presumed (unfortunately). At this point I think we are going to have to bite the bullet and try to move to the Ghent area which is shockingly expensive and commute through the tunnels.
You know, if you are able to have some flexibility in your hours then it is not that bad of a commute. Living on the peninsula and working on the southside is much worse in terms of HRBT traffic compared to living on the southside and working on the peninsula. As long as I get to work before 700 and leave before 330 I really don't have any issues except for the rare accident or on Fridays in the summer. Good luck, the Ghent area is fun and it sounds like your best bet for the kind of neighborhood you are looking for... there is just no easy/quick way to get there that is the only issue.
Just a suggestion for the OP, have you looked at Hilton Village in Newport News? It likely is not exactly what you have in mind, but maybe it would have a little of what you are looking for.
We're transplants who've lived in NN for almost four years now, and we've actually come to like it quite a lot. I'll admit, if you've got your heart set on a community like Ghent, you're probably going to be frustrated here. We lived in Chapel Hill, NC for a short time, and you would probably love it there (we did). Newport News is not Chapel Hill.
But, like I said, we've come to like it despite its limitations. We love out neighborhood (Hidenwood), and I have to say, our neighbors are AWESOME. It's a very diverse, accepting area. Everyone is very nice, keeps up their property, etc. The kids can play outside and there are other kids around to play with. I can honestly say (as a born and bred white girl) I have experienced NO racism whatsoever, and I've never felt unsafe here. I like that we're close to the Noland Trail, VLM, etc. Do I wish that I could walk to these places? Absolutely. Have I come to accept that I can't? Pretty much.
I'm not sure exactly where you're living, but I'm wondering if you've looked into Hilton Village? I know some people there who LOVE it. Our doctor (best doctor in the world John Brady, The Village Doctor!!) is there. A little more hip, a little more walkable than CNU. The surrounding area is maybe a little sketchy, but the neighborhood, itself, is great.
Like I said, we've come to like it here and to look at the plusses instead of the minuses. We wanted safety, a short commute for my husband, a pretty setting--and we got it. We always joke that NN's motto should be "Newport News: Close to Places You Want to Be." We like that it's close to several beaches. We like that it's a short drive to a decent zoo and a really nice botanical garden. We like that we can drive up to Colonial W'burg and walk around for free (still haven't paid to see the real deal). We like Jamestown. We think it's cool that we can go to Yorktown on the Fourth of July and the kids can wave their goofy little flags around in a place they've heard about on their Schoolhouse Rock cd. If we focussed on the sprawl or the lack of walkability or the pitiful lack of good pizza, we'd probably be pretty miserable, but we've made the best of it, and I can honestly say we really like it here now.
If I can help you AT ALL, please feel free to message me. I could also hook you up with our realtor if you're interested--I totally blame her for finding us a good place in NN. I kept telling her it couldn't be done then she actually went and did it. Damn her.
Yes, we have looked at Hilton Village. That is where we first tried to find a rental but were unable to on short notice. That is exactly what we are looking for, unfortunately its just a bit small. We have friends there and spend time in Hilton, but I just don't think there is enough community there to push back the less savory surroundings.
All things being equal we would have been very happy there, and our experience in NN would likely be better overall if we lived there from the get go. If we can't afford to move to Ghent, we will likely settle down in Hilton.
This has been a very positive discussion! I feel like a rube for coming off so negative initially.
What I don't understand is if there are like minded people like us in the Hampton Roads area, why are things so screwy here? Chapel Hill, NC is a great contrast. If the area just came together and decided to have a downtown (VA Beach or Norfolk, definitely not that fake mess in Oyster Pt.), preferably anchored by a university, we would quickly build a small urban core.
My overarching point in these discussion is that the HR area is uniquely dysfunctional. Its has a shockingly large population base (based of the MSA) but there is no "city" anywhere to be found. Its weird.
Dunno if you've ever heard the phrase "7 Cities" to describe here, but that's more or less it. I think most, if not all 7 have populations over 100K, and 3 of them have 225K or more (Chesapeake, Norfolk, Va. Beach). Everyone wants to be the primary city instead of merging into a true metropolitan.
With so many (pardon my French) pissing matches, it's difficult to accomplish any regional projects (roadwork, pro sports, etc.) because each city has their own individual projects to make their area stand out. It's unique and frustrating all at the same time. I really wish VB and Ches. had become part of Norfolk in the early-60s, as opposed to being independent cities...
The problem with Hilton Village and Ghent is that they're so incredibly small. People on this forum preach Ghent like it is the epicenter of culture, and urban life (which I guess in HR it is) and that is IMO a big problem. If we're thinking big city, urban is Ghent, that's scary.
Downtown Norfolk is another area that is tremendously overrated. Look around any street besides Granby (and even Granby sometimes) and it's nothing but desolate, vacant store fronts.
Any of the city/town center developments, whether that's Newport News, Hampton, VA Beach, Suffolk, etc. are just fancy names for more strip malls.
I used to be active in advocacy groups in the area but the majority were nothing but a waste of time. Everything is talk, talk, talk, no action because nobody has any authority.
Part of the problem is there's no county government here, each city is free to parade around and do what they want.
Transit is paltry because HRT has no authority- they're directed by each city. Each city is responsible for making their own routes and those are heavily influenced by politicians who either want to "protect" their constituents from the evil undesirables that ride public transit, or make up silly routes that nobody rides but they have to run because they've got grant money to operate it (which they then grandstand about saying how they're hard at work for the people.)
Sprawl is rampant because it's much cheaper to buy larger tracts that are available as opposed to redeveloping old areas. NIMBYs oppose commercial development being by their McMansions so that's why you have to drive to everything.
You could take public transit to the Wal-Mart, but remember, they've already squashed transit coming by your house (unless of course you live in one of the many undesirable areas which it does go through but in that case you have to worry more about bullets coming through your window than making sure you have a gallon of milk in the fridge.)
So the vicious circle continues. One day when there is no more land to develop things will hopefully turn around, but that won't be for a few more decades.
I will say that Newport News is one of the more urban cities in the area, so if you're unhappy there unless you do move to Ghent you won't really be moving to a place that is any better.
Rest assure that you are not doing anything wrong, though. Some people enjoy it here, that's good for them. If you want something out of life though I suggest you look at moving out of the area, otherwise you're just wasting time.
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