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FYI I raised my kids in VA Bch but they were lucky enough to travel allot and see many different areas....they enjoyed growing up here and they all graduated high school in VA Bch but they all knew there was much more out there waiting for them then what Hampton Roads could offer. They took off out of state to their colleges of choice and in doing so they all now have careers in various locations across the US that they could only dream of if they would of stayed in Hampton Roads....so what I'm saying is sure only being 3 hours away from your daughter is convenient for you but if your daughter really has her heart set on living by the ocean and not just close to you then there are allot better choices she could make then Hampton Roads and I think she needs to explore those options before settling on the Hampton Roads area
Very good advice.
From today's Pilot:
Quote:
Nearly 65 percent of Hampton Roads millennials say they are thinking about moving in the next five years, according to the Wason Center for Public Policy. A quarter want to move out of state; about 38 percent said they will move within Virginia, with Northern Virginia as the top destination. Only 14 percent of those who said they would move in-state say they would think about moving to another Hampton Roads community.
randomlikeme- You're lucky you made it, because one accident or misstep would have been disastrous. The OP's daughter should move some place without stress like that. It ain't fun living pay check to pay check, and that's unfortunately how many in HR survive.
I do not understand the light rail dispute in Virginia Beach. Some type of efficient public transit is needed throughout the area. The HRT here is a joke. And my post is a veer off from the OP's question -- it is in response to LM117's post.
None of the media write about what I sense is an undercurrent. And Atkinson's comments come the closest.A couple of John Atkinson excerpts from the Pilot article where Atkinson who after the reporter noted that Atkinson had been the city treasurer since 1978 and said that the Beach was "better poised to attract people that want good schools, recreation and the ocean." Then Atkinson is quoted: “The populations are different,” . . . “The city of Virginia Beach offers something to those willing to pay for it. “Those that want a freebie (of subsidized public transportation) can move to Norfolk.”
Several of the jurisdiction in this region owe their growth to the flight of the middle class from what have come to be viewed as less desirable locations. Work in Norfolk, but live in Virginia Beach. Work in Newport News or Hampton, but live in Isle of Wight Co. or York County. And from watching tv and reading on this forum, I have no idea why anyone would willingly live in Portsmouth --- it sounds like it's in the same league of poorly run cities as Petersburg & Danville.
I gather that the real underlying issue is that those who oppose the light rail do not want a different population (using Atkinson's phrase) to have easy, fast, inexpensive access to Va. Beach.
I do not understand the light rail dispute in Virginia Beach. Some type of efficient public transit is needed throughout the area. The HRT here is a joke. And my post is a veer off from the OP's question -- it is in response to LM117's post.
None of the media write about what I sense is an undercurrent. And Atkinson's comments come the closest.
I gather that the real underlying issue is that those who oppose the light rail do not want a different population (using Atkinson's phrase) to have easy, fast, inexpensive access to Va. Beach.
I think it's pretty obvious to everyone. Virginia Beach was built so white folks could get away from black folks, and it's no different today.
People on this board like to pretend everything is hunky dory, wonderful, integrated, and we all hold hands and sing Kumbaya, but those of us with the blinders off see what reality actually is; Hampton Roads is a very segregated area.
randomlikeme- You're lucky you made it, because one accident or misstep would have been disastrous. The OP's daughter should move some place without stress like that. It ain't fun living pay check to pay check, and that's unfortunately how many in HR survive.
Honestly, I am not lucky that I made it. I made very smart, calculated moves the whole way through. I looked at jobs in the area and what skills were in demand and then I made sure that I got those skills. A lot of the people that whine about being paycheck to paycheck don't have their degrees yet or they don't have the skills that employers of the area want. They want the job and the income without having to do that level of work. I do agree, though, that the rent in Virginia Beach and the price of housing is too high for civilian wages, but I am lucky and opted to move to Norfolk where we could live on one income while my husband completes his degree in biology.
Heck, if this girl got her master's degree in psych or social work, the lines for Military One Source are in Chesapeake and they hire a lot of social workers. Anthem is here and they hire a lot of social workers, too, or autism services behavioral analysts.
She could also look into industries here that require any degree. Apartment leasing is pretty big here and they usually offer a rent discount, which is helpful.
With any areas, there are pros and cons. I left for a while for Northern VA and just couldn't do it anymore. I like a lot of the outdoorsy stuff that you can do here and I just didn't like most of the women up there, because it was like a constant competition for men, who had better credentials, etc and it was weird! I am not sure if we will end up here permanently, since my husband will probably be going to Physician Assistant school in North Carolina as opposed to EVMS and I could see us liking the Raleigh area a lot, but we both have parents/siblings who have settled in Hampton Roads and sometimes, life is just as much about who is in the area, or within a short drive of the area, than the area itself.
If I wanted to live by the ocean, I would try to live the closest I could to my parents as well or something where I could drive there for a weekend trip if I wanted to, so maybe Hampton Roads is a good option for her. And believe it or not, there are worse places to live.
Last edited by randomlikeme; 03-07-2016 at 06:26 AM..
I think it's pretty obvious to everyone. Virginia Beach was built so white folks could get away from black folks, and it's no different today.
Funny, I see plenty of black people in Virginia Beach every day. I guess they didn't get the memo.
I'm in a safe, suburban neighborhood in Virginia Beach. My neighbors on one side are Hispanic, and my neighbors across the street are black. I'm white. I should probably inform them they're supposed to be in Norfolk.
There are people of all races, religions and ethnic backgrounds in each of the HR jurisdictions. But the demographics of the school systems vary greatly.
For example: http://www.vbschools.com/school_data...cteristics.pdf
and NORFOLK Public Schools - Norfolk City Schools, VA
I cannot find the same info on the Norfolk City Public School website, hence a non-governmental webiste. That right there says something.
You can find racial demographics on the VA. DOE website for Norfolk public schools, but putting a link here that will work is difficult. Many of the Virginia Beach public schools have excellent academic reputations. The same cannot be said for Norfolk public schools.
There is a huge difference in the demographics between Newport News & Hampton versus York County. There seems to be an "unofficial memo" out there about which jurisdictions have the better public schools.
Thank you everyone for your comments and advice. I wanted to sit back for a little bit and hear people that are familiar with the area interact with what each other had to say, instead of comment on posts and get slammed for not "cutting the cord" or paralyzing my daughter by just trying to be cautious.
When I move to Roanoke, my daughter will still be in school in a dorm in Michigan for about 6-8 months before coming to move in with myself and husband. She is actually pretty independent already - she has her own job, pays for her own cellphone, car, and gas and pays for her own school. So I don't think it is a matter of cutting any cord, and I want to make clear I am not making any decisions for her - I just wanted to do a little looking ahead of time, advise her of what I found so it would help *her* make an informed decision.
When she finishes school, she will be moving in with me to be closer to the area she will be looking to live. Once she familiarizes herself with the area and can secure a job, then she will get an apartment and have her friend come here to move in with her. That is their plan at least. I know her friend will be looking for a job here as well before she moves here.
I made the mistake fresh out of high school to follow my sweetheart down to NC with only a few bags of clothes and a car. I hung on for about 2 years before having to move back to Mi. I learned the hard way not to move across states unless securing some employment. What can I say, I was a young and stupid kid that had parents that did everything for me but were strict as hell and I could not wait to get away. My daughter is smarter than I was, and if I can lend her any advice to the situation that would be great. She wants to be close to the ocean, but also close to me so that is why she has chosen Virginia Beach.
I don't think she is looking to get into social work but does want to be some kind of counselor, and will be looking to get her Master's Degree in Virginia. I just know she will be on a budget even with her friend's income and I also know that the higher crime areas tend to be the cheapest to live in (at least they are here) and Virginia Beach is a huge area. I was kind of just looking for a starting point. She is not going to move there without having a job or a much better idea of the area after many trips to visit. She is quickly learning that actually on Virginia Beach is expensive and is open to living in nearby areas.
I want to thank everyone for their input, knowledge of the area, and advice. This thread has given me a few great ideas of where to start already, and it is appreciated!!!
Thank you everyone for your comments and advice. I wanted to sit back for a little bit and hear people that are familiar with the area interact with what each other had to say, instead of comment on posts and get slammed for not "cutting the cord" or paralyzing my daughter by just trying to be cautious.
When I move to Roanoke, my daughter will still be in school in a dorm in Michigan for about 6-8 months before coming to move in with myself and husband. She is actually pretty independent already - she has her own job, pays for her own cellphone, car, and gas and pays for her own school. So I don't think it is a matter of cutting any cord, and I want to make clear I am not making any decisions for her - I just wanted to do a little looking ahead of time, advise her of what I found so it would help *her* make an informed decision.
When she finishes school, she will be moving in with me to be closer to the area she will be looking to live. Once she familiarizes herself with the area and can secure a job, then she will get an apartment and have her friend come here to move in with her. That is their plan at least. I know her friend will be looking for a job here as well before she moves here.
I made the mistake fresh out of high school to follow my sweetheart down to NC with only a few bags of clothes and a car. I hung on for about 2 years before having to move back to Mi. I learned the hard way not to move across states unless securing some employment. What can I say, I was a young and stupid kid that had parents that did everything for me but were strict as hell and I could not wait to get away. My daughter is smarter than I was, and if I can lend her any advice to the situation that would be great. She wants to be close to the ocean, but also close to me so that is why she has chosen Virginia Beach.
I don't think she is looking to get into social work but does want to be some kind of counselor, and will be looking to get her Master's Degree in Virginia. I just know she will be on a budget even with her friend's income and I also know that the higher crime areas tend to be the cheapest to live in (at least they are here) and Virginia Beach is a huge area. I was kind of just looking for a starting point. She is not going to move there without having a job or a much better idea of the area after many trips to visit. She is quickly learning that actually on Virginia Beach is expensive and is open to living in nearby areas.
I want to thank everyone for their input, knowledge of the area, and advice. This thread has given me a few great ideas of where to start already, and it is appreciated!!!
You're a welcome addition to Virginia Anita, good luck to you and your family.
My husband and I are moving to VA next year near the Roanoke area. Soon after my daughter will be following, and looking for somewhere to reside in VA Beach. I love the mountains, and she loves the ocean so it seems like a perfect fit with us being about 3-4 hours apart. However, although I have done extensive searches on Roanoke - I know NOTHING about Virginia Beach other than it is HUGE!!
My daughter will be 21 with her Bachelor's degree in Psychology, and will be looking for apartments or townhouses with a girlfriend. Can you please advise to which areas she will be most likely to find a job with the least amount of crime? Other than living in a dorm this will be her first experience living away from me.
She will be staying with me in Roanoke for a while until she can find a job and move there, but any other advice would be appreciated!
You should tell her to go to Richmond instead of VA. Beach. VA. Beach is crowded, traffic is a nightmare and it has terrible jet noise from the military. VA Beach is also only full of military people, very large families living in rental houses, which brings down the value after a while. There are many drunks on the road after midnight here because of the young military people drinking all night (I assume because there were accidents and that is what caused it). You will wait at least 30 minutes to sit in a restaurant here in this area because everyone is going out to eat with their 5 kids in tow. Terrible! I am disappointed of what VA Beach has become over the past 3 years and I will move to northern VA soon. Good Luck!
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And believe it or not, there are worse places to live.
You will wait at least 30 minutes to sit in a restaurant here in this area because everyone is going out to eat with their 5 kids in tow. Terrible! I am disappointed of what VA Beach has become over the past 3 years and I will move to northern VA soon. Good Luck!
