TOTALLY enjoyed my visit to the Hampton-Rhodes area; very impressed! (Norfolk: crime, homes)

[Clayton white guy]

Just got off my flight here in Metro Atlanta from Norfolk/ Hampton! We had a great time! One of our church members have just took a pastor's position at Fellowship Baptist Church in Norfolk's quaint Glenrock Community. We stayed in Phoebus in the Hampton area. We found everyone warm and welcoming. We really enjoyed Fort Monroe, the beaches, and Downtown Norfolk. We visited the MacArthur Memorial, battleships, and the rather nice shopping center (MacArthur Center). We loved it all. We even rode the the little TIDE train (wonder if it will be extended? A tad further to the airport would make a HUGE difference in my opinion.) I personally really liked the Glen Rock Community of Norfolk; some people seemed a little down on it. There are many reasons why I admired it though:
1. Mostly well kept and tree shaded.
2. Quaint and cute homes with a "blue collar solidarity"
3. Ethnically diverse!
4. Really reminds me of the Forest Park area just south of Atlanta where I grew up, which I see with the most admiring eyes; some would disagree with me lol.

Y'all really have a great deal to be proud of as a community. I have just read other posts asking about "bad" areas. I know EVERYWHERE had higher crime neighborhoods, but it seems to me that Norfolk, for the most part seems to be filled with quiet, if working class, communities that most American cities would be proud to have within their borders. My family and I are looking forward to our next visit to Hampton/ Norfolk!

[QuietstormP]

Glad You enjoyed it. I am from Va Beach. The wages stink so I can't afford to be there.

[goofy328]

The TIDE SHOULD go to the airport. What the hell. There are plans for expansion. Several. The TIDE might even go out of Norfolk into the other cities one day. I got here during an interesting transition into the development of this place. As things go, I have a feeling the area will develop in other interesting ways when I leave. Nothing changes when you're looking, and everything changes when you stop paying attention and stop caring.

We have a microcosm of some of what you enjoy in Atlanta. It is what it is.

I'm not sure what you're looking for, as far as bad areas. The area used to look a lot worse when I first moved here, especially parts of Portsmouth. There is a little bit of money here so it is easier to just clean up those areas rather than allow them to look like slums. It doesn't change anything, it just looks better. The real issue is that we have a trickle of people coming in here, enough to offset whatever losses we take, but not enough to transform anything overnight. Plus it is a conservative area economically so they'll study something for 20 years before they decide to do anything. I'm probably going too far left of center so I'll quit while I'm ahead.

I guess a good first impression is better than nothing. Probably why people continue to move here.

[Lockdev]

Originally Posted by Clayton white guy

I have just read other posts asking about "bad" areas. I know EVERYWHERE had higher crime neighborhoods, but it seems to me that Norfolk, for the most part seems to be filled with quiet, if working class, communities that most American cities would be proud to have within their borders. My family and I are looking forward to our next visit to Hampton/ Norfolk!

Yeah, you didn't see most of Norfolk.

80%+ of Norfolk is not what you speak of.

This is the same city that has made the "Top 30 Most Dangerous Cities in America" list quite a few times.

[Poquoson7]

yea, Norfolk is armed and dangerous and you will surely be eviscerated upon arrival..give it a rest dude, you'll never reach the heights of Coconut1...

[QuietstormP]

Originally Posted by Lockdev

Yeah, you didn't see most of Norfolk.

80%+ of Norfolk is not what you speak of.

This is the same city that has made the "Top 30 Most Dangerous Cities in America" list quite a few times.

Norfolk dangerous well I guess maybe. I moved to Va Beach in 1997. I have spent time down in Norfolk to attend the Norva shows no problems. McArthur no problem. Walking around downtime as a teen no problems. ODU area no problems. Am I in the wrong area?

Richmond, VA many gunshots.

[goofy328]

Originally Posted by Poquoson7

yea, Norfolk is armed and dangerous and you will surely be eviscerated upon arrival..give it a rest dude, you'll never reach the heights of Coconut1...

[goofy328]

Originally Posted by QuietstormP

Norfolk dangerous well I guess maybe. I moved to Va Beach in 1997. I have spent time down in Norfolk to attend the Norva shows no problems. McArthur no problem. Walking around downtime as a teen no problems. ODU area no problems. Am I in the wrong area?

Richmond, VA many gunshots.

No you're not in the wrong area. Norfolk is a sneaky SOB. That is why people can just visit and say that Norfolk looks like a nice place to live. It definitely does. But that doesn't mean that nothing happens there.

You might have problems in the ODU area if you're off campus. Glad to hear that you did not.

For the record I never had any problems in Norfolk but that isn't saying much because I don't go anywhere I don't know anyone, if there isn't anything there, if that makes any sense. Nothing wrong with going places where there are actual businesses; the problem a lot of people run into is that they want to explore neighborhoods, for the hell of it, and then complain when they get taken advantage of. Some stuff is just for the local people that live in those neighborhoods. It is what it is.

[lovnova]

Originally Posted by goofy328

the problem a lot of people run into is that they want to explore neighborhoods, for the hell of it, and then complain when they get taken advantage of. Some stuff is just for the local people that live in those neighborhoods. It is what it is.

That's very interesting. Could you expand on that and explain exactly what that means?

[goofy328]

Originally Posted by lovnova

That's very interesting. Could you expand on that and explain exactly what that means?

If you don't have any business there then why are you there? For example. I live a few neighborhoods away from Ghent. I'll go all through Ghent. But the neighborhoods on the perimeter, going out towards the river I don't frequent any of the establishments in any of those neighborhoods. Not out of fear. But what do any of those establishments offer that I can't get in a commercial area. I might stop at that McDonalds out by the river, or the Subway. But none of those bodegas or the 7-11 or anything like that.

I am very, very, particular about what businesses I frequent. If I don't know the area, I'll stick with franchises or stuff I recognize. I still haven't checked out a lot of stuff on Granby Street. I don't do anything on Church Street. I used to check out that grocery store on Church Street next to the projects but the food was old and stale, way past the due date and very expensive, overpriced.

When I was in Ohio I made the mistake of going deep into a neighborhood to get my hair cut. I even took the bus over there. The bus went to the perimeter, but it didn't really go in there. If I had any problems I would be on my own, with it being miles to get out of the place; it was just a dumb thing to do but it is what it was. I knew the guy there, which was cool, he went to my church but I didn't know anyone in that neighborhood. I didn't have any problems but I got a lot of odd looks, like why am I over there. That went on for a while but after several months I just found somewhere else to get my hair cut.

Most areas, White or Black, if you come across as someone that should not be there, either because you carry yourself differently or you don't dress like the people in that area or whatever you may have problems. There were suburban areas I might have problems in.

Just common sense. That works for me 9 times out of 10.