Virginia Beach where to live Poll (Norfolk, Hampton: oceanfront, house, neighborhood)

[fmac]

Sailesia, I agree with rtandc. The neighborhoods I referred to near the Bay are close to Chick's Beach. The neighborhoods I mentioned south of Dam neck would allow you the tourist area beach or Sandbridge. Some of these neighborhoods will also have the jet noise. If you are working from home, traffic should not be an issue although there are some areas in Virginia Beach that will test your patience while driving during rush hour. As for flooding, your Realtor or your insurance agent will be able to tell you if a particular house that you consider purchasing requires flood insurance.

[sailelsa]

It looks like I have been narrowing in on the areas you all have mentioned... Chick's Beach or just north of Sandbridge (but south of Ocean Front) - looks like Damn Neck and Woodhouse Corner. Could you guys compare the "culture" of the two?

I briefly considered Ocean Front area, but decided it would feel too busy/congested for me during the summer.

Looking at Great Neck too, as it is convenient to alot of shopping/facilities I would use.

[fmac]

Here is a link to tell you about Woodhouse Corner:
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed


Dam Neck is a Military Base. There are a number of developments off/near Dam Neck Road to include Woodhouse Corner. In general, in that section of Virginia Beach, you have a large number of current or retired military as you have several military bases very close by. The area has a beach vibe in the sense that there are restaurants, but not necessarily "upscale" restaurants. Nearby golf courses and parks. Outdoor venue for concerts is maybe 15/20 min. drive. New Hospital about the same drive. Also about the same drive time, depending on time of day to pick up the expressway to go to other areas in Hampton Roads.

[sailelsa]

fmac, to clarify, are you saying that to get to 264 from near the damn neck/woodhouse corner neighborhoods, it is 15-20 minutes? Are you talking about take 165 (through Princess Anne) or 615 (between Oceana and the ocean front area) to get to 264?

[fmac]

I am talking about General Booth to Oceana Blvd to First Colonial. I just showed a house in Upton Estates (by the Base at Dam Neck). And no traffic (mid afternoon) took almost 10 minutes. When I have gone a similar route in rush hour, it has taken longer. Again, depending on traffic, picking the expressway up at Birdneck may be a little quicker. I never go that way.

[jobber123rd]

Originally Posted by fmac

I am talking about General Booth to Oceana Blvd to First Colonial. I just showed a house in Upton Estates (by the Base at Dam Neck). And no traffic (mid afternoon) took almost 10 minutes. When I have gone a similar route in rush hour, it has taken longer. Again, depending on traffic, picking the expressway up at Birdneck may be a little quicker. I never go that way.

Going up to Birdneck is almost never worth it; the speed limit is lower for a longer stretch of road, plus the entry point on 264 is further east. It's hard to argue against the Oceana to First Colonial route, but if you're starting out far enough south (Woodhouse Corner/Strawbridge/Red Mill area rather than right along Dam Neck Road), then either of these can be good alternatives:

(1) London Bridge Road. This goes around the other side of NAS Oceana; you have the option of following London Bridge Road north of Dam Neck Road (which includes some slower and more narrow areas near Oceana Gate 2), or turning left on Dam Neck and right on Drakesmile, which becomes London Bridge after a short distance.

(2) Nimmo Parkway to Princess Anne Road to Ferrell Parkway to Indian River Road to I-64. Good for traveling from Chesapeake/Suffolk/etc, but only during non-rush hours, due to traffic lights on Princess Anne and heavy traffic around Kempsville.

I live near the corner of Upton and Nimmo, and it takes just about 15 minutes for me to get to 264 via General Booth and First Colonial. With light traffic and traffic light luck, I can make it to the Hilltop shopping areas just north of there in 15.

[Statz2k10]

Make sure you're aware that flood insurance is required for some areas and can get expensive. I'm not sure how true it is but apparently it will be increasing a high % over the next several years.

[rtandc]

Also remember the jet noise from Oceana, many neighborhoods in that area are directly effected by the noise. Go to the virginia beach government home page and do a search on "jet patterns" and it will bring up all the different jet noise maps and studies. If you do decide on a certain neighborhood, go to the Oceana jet base homepage to get their estimated flight times and spend a bunch of time in that neighborhood deciding if you can handle the noise because based on operations, world events, what squadrons are in/out etc they could fly constantly

[citydweller]

I echo the comments on flood insurance. I own a home near a creek and my insurance company would no longer would ensure me because I lived in a 'flood zone'. I had to really shop around to find someone to cover my property.

[fmac]

With respect to flood insurance, technically we are all in a flood zone, it just depends on the area and primarily the elevation as to if insurance will be required. As I said in a previous post, an insurance agent or OP's realtor will be able to determine if a house requires flood insurance. For example, I was in a home on the ocean in Croatan that did not require flood insurance because of the elevation. And as citydweller correctly suggests, FEMA and/or mortgage lenders and by extension insurance companies can change the criteria. FEMA has redrawn our flood areas several times that I can think of.