moving to Chesapeake .. (Norfolk, Hampton, Williamsburg: renting, home, job market)

[brooklynnes_mommy]

Hello,

I am from Maine and my daughter and I are moving to Chesapeake. She is 3 years old and is actively involved in Cheerleading and Dance. I am a single mom and I was wondering what kind of jobs there are in this area. I have heard some wonderful things from friends who live down there. Is it easy to find a good paying job?

What kind of recreation is there and is it affordable?

We have a place to stay so there is no worry there. How about things to do for singles? No, I do not mean a bar, just places to meet other people. We are very much into football, so are there any local teams?

We just want to be able to get out into the community and meet some new/nice people. My worst fear is to move to the area and not meet anyone. I am a very big people person, and my family is back in Maine. I want to be able to give my daughter some good friends and make it as easy as possible.

Any suggestions? Are the people in the Hampton Roads area nice?

[chesapeakesim]

Hi brooklynnes_mommy, what part of Maine are you from? I am from up there originally so can probably relate to your situation. What made you choose Chesapeake?

Depending on what part of Maine you are from, this area is much different. To answer some of your questions:

1. Is it easy to find a good paying job? Largely depends on what field you are in. For such a big city and the high cost of living, the wages are very low here. This is one of the big things that shocked me. There are not a lot of good paying corporate jobs, this area is more focused on service/retail jobs. Compared to Maine, the opportunities/pay will be better, but the overall cost of living index is probably more favorable up there. That is $40k/year up there goes a long way (assuming you are north of Portland), whereas $40k/year here is hard to live on as a single mom.

2. What kind of recreation is there and is it affordable? This area is new to you so there will be a lot to do. There is Busch Gardens, Colonial Williamsburg, the beach, museums, the zoo, a couple of state parks, etc. Some is expensive, (Colonial Williamsburg is like $70/person for the premium package), other things are free like the Northwest River State Park. Depends if you like indoor or outdoor recreation. Indoors this area probably has Maine beat as it is a big city (e.g. indoor malls, lots of museums, etc.). As far as outdoor stuff, Maine has this area beat.

3. Stuff for singles? As a single women you will be in heaven here. The large military presence means very favorable ratios. In general, this area is more family oriented so not a huge singles scene compared to other cities, but there are places out there.

4. Football? Closest major league team is DC and I don't know of any minor league teams. There are college teams here, but no big ones. This area sucks for football fans. I get my football fix from DirectTV football package. Being from Maine, are you a Pats fan?

5. Friendliness of the area? This is a tough one, really depends on what you are used to. Some say this area is fine, others not. Personally, I don't really think this area is that friendly. The area I live in no one really knows their neighbors or waves to you in the street and it is supposed to be a family friendly area. But maybe people keep to themselves nowadays. IMO Maine seems much friendlier overall. It largely depends on where you live down here, what area of Chesapeake will you be staying? It sounds like you already have friends down here so they could probably introduce you to new people.

Not sure if you have ever been to Chesapeake or not, but two other things that really stood out coming from Maine:

1. This area is heavily military. A good percentage of people I have met here are in the military, have a relative in the military, or work for a military contractor.

2. Maine towns are "older" and have more character. Chesapeake is very, very suburban. Not sure which you prefer, it is nice that things are newer in Chesapeake, but there is a line. You only need so many strip malls before it starts to get tacky.

As you can tell, I am not a huge fan of Chesapeake, but that is just me. You may really like it here. Either way, there are lots of nice people on this board that can help you with suggestions and where to live/go. Let us know if you have anymore questions.

[Hokie]

Unless you are a professional, I do not think this is an easy place for people to get by. Even if you are a professional, salaries are low.

What do you do?

There are nice parks, like Seashore State Park, now called First Landing (ugh). Schools are a mixed bag. Some are fine; others terrible. They vary here due to population and site based management.

[stacylee926]

I traveled to Maine this summer for the first time and we loved ME - but as a tourist! You will love the winter's here. We have 4 seasons, but winter is rather mild. We get into the 30's sometimes, but very rarely ever get snow.

There will be plenty to do. Maybe you could join the YMCA? I am not sure how to meet singles since I am married, but I am sure there are plenty of groups to join to meet other singles.

There are plenty of jobs, but maybe not the big corporate jobs. I think Norfolk is similar to Portland - mid sized job market with the area being heavy in blue collar. I really think that cost of living is not that bad - being a single parent would be difficult in any area.

Welcome to the area (soon) and enjoy what Hampton Roads has to offer.

[Griffin8r]

Originally Posted by stacylee926

We get into the 30's sometimes, but very rarely ever get snow.

Being a native New Englander, I find this to be the part I miss the most - no snow.

[brooklynnes_mommy]

I am from piscataquis county, you know, in the sticks. I have never actually been to Chesapeake, but I am sure I will do just fine. I have looked online for some things to do with my daughter. My ex-husband is helping us move sometime in October. I was very happy to figure out that my Tarheels are only 3 hours away =) That really stinks that there is not much football. This is just something new for us. We are not making any advancements up here, so we just want something different.

[Masshiker]

Being a native New Englander, I find this to be the part I miss the most - no snow.


I am from Massachusetts. If I ever do make the move to VA, the snow would be the LAST thing that I miss. LOL


Dee

[tylersmom1964]

Hi Broklynnes mommy! I just wanted to welcome you to Chesapeake. Are you here yet? We live in the 23323 zip code. I have a new baby boy and a teenager. I think you'll like it here. Cheerleading seems to be big here. Do you have a myspace? I'm not infor football but I like to go to places like Busch Gardens, the movies, shopping, the library, the zoo, the beach, etc. etc.

[dilemma76]

My husband and I are moving to Hampton Roads area with our two daughters, age 10 and 1. He will be working with the Naval Shipyard. I have heard about several neighborhoods to stay away from, the ones that seem the nicest are out of our pricerange at the moment. We are not looking to buy...simply renting a single family home in a decent school district with community sports such as soccer and basketball are all we really require. Any tips for our trip up there in 3 weeks to 'adventure about'?

[FL Beaches]

Have you tried the city's website? I know in the past I was impressed with all they have going on for kids with sports, etc. Here's a start for keeping you busy.

City of Chesapeake, Virginia (http://www.chesapeake.va.us/thisweek/calendar.shtml - broken link)