If you could leave HR, where would you go and why? (Virginia Beach: apartments, rent)

[symptomatic]

I just wanted to know where people would like to live since I see so many people complaining about hampton roads.

[FL Beaches]

I've been here 5 years. Not much time compared to when we lived in FL 15 years...our stop prior to this. I'm more than ready for a move. Anywhere between the Richmond area (not in the city itself) and Northern VA would suit me just fine! Glen Allen, Fredericksburg, Fairfax would top my list in no particular order.

Why? We've found most people here to not be overly friendly (trying to be nice) and clickish. And sometimes there are just nicer areas to live.

[telemonster]

The two areas I think of are Northern Virginia and Raleigh-Durham.

Northern Virginia has horrible traffic, but is close to DC. There is quite a bit of tech activity in Northern Virginia. The company I work for now, we've got our better servers in a rack in Northern Virginia because there is no high quality datacenter space with good internet connectivity in Hampton Roads.

Raleigh-Durham has a decent tech industry as well. There are more layoff swings there when things turn down. I've got friends that live in both places, and both like it. I see that the people that have moved away from Hampton Roads are now in opportunities that are better than what they would find here (in I.T.).

My hobbies that aren't nerdy is pretty much scuba diving, and people I dive with now travel from DC and other areas to go diving. So it's not that either one of those places would hurt that hobby.

I would miss friends. And we are getting ready to launch a tech "lab" space in Hampton Roads. But those already exist in DC and Raleigh. Most of my best friends use a means of communications called IRC or internet relay chat. So I if I was in Raleigh or DC I'd know what they are up to all day anyways. We all use it at work all day, and it's great.


I'm not sure how much venture capitol money there is in those areas, or how many startups. I'm sure there is more than here.


I'm also really outgoing. It's a mix here. Doesn't seem like a lot of independent thinkers. Maybe everyone relies on their church to tell everything.

[Alanboy395]

Originally Posted by symptomatic

I just wanted to know where people would like to live since I see so many people complaining about hampton roads.

I left Hampton Roads in 04 went to Northern Virginia. Right decision to leave HR wrong decision to go to NoVA. For the previous two posters, if you do come to DC and vicinity be prepared for SERIOUS changes.

[ToughLuv]

Like others have stated DC Metro basically...DC itself (Dupont Circle) or PG County, MD(Upper Marlboro)..Probably making this move in the next year and a half..

And those for those of you saying NoVA..I think the Maryland side of DC metro is better in my opinion (very similar tho)..Im talking like Montgomey County, MD (Silver Springs area)..I know most of you would have problems with PG for reasons I will not say..

[desertsun41]

I left Great Bridge, Chesapeake in 1998 to take a year off from work and life to spend in Canada for a year. From there I ended up in Las Vegas for the construction boom. My moving continued but I miss Chesapeake and the entire Hampton Roads quite a lot. I think about it often and really hope to return.

I am sure Hampton Roads has changed some in the past 10 years. My memories are strong of a whole lot of good times there.

Stop complaining. You dont know what you got till it's gone.

[telemonster]

Originally Posted by desertsun41

I left Great Bridge, Chesapeake in 1998 to take a year off from work and life to spend in Canada for a year. From there I ended up in Las Vegas for the construction boom. My moving continued but I miss Chesapeake and the entire Hampton Roads quite a lot. I think about it often and really hope to return.

I am sure Hampton Roads has changed some in the past 10 years. My memories are strong of a whole lot of good times there.

Stop complaining. You dont know what you got till it's gone.

It's changed a bunch. All through Great Bridge are $700K+ McMansions. I grew up in Great Bridge as well. Across the street from where I grew up is a neighborhood of $700K+ homes where all the woods used to be. Down the street is high $600K+ neighborhood. The other open field is a mixed housing development (high priced townhomes, then the $500K to multimillion dollar homes).

Virginia Beach is pretty much all filled in. Where independence is, is this kinda fake downtown. It's working though. At the current rate Virginia Beach will beat Norfolk in terms of tall buildings. They are mostly filled with Law Offices and perhaps financial types I think.

Traffic has picked up a good bit. The tunnels back up. Norfolk has a bunch of construction going on downtown for a new light rail line, which is neat except for the fact that HRT is running it. HRT has a history of poorly managing things (Someone spilled a bunch of beans about them a while ago on Pilot's Talknet, haven't looked at them the same since).

There are a few new buildings in downtown Norfolk. Harbor Heights (Condos, $400K studio to multimillions for the bigger ones IIRC, 30% unsold) and a business building for Dominion Enterprises. Not to be confused with the power company, they are part of what was trader publishing. Used to be a very high turnover place, not sure about now.

Some 1000+ new apartments coming online in downtown Norfolk and Ghent. Be prepared to drop around $1600-$1700 a month for a two bedroom unit. Totally retarded, you can rent a much much MUCH bigger full house with two car garage in VaBeach for the same price. Greedy elite looks to stick it to the people once again. I'm all for young people protesting the cost of housing in Hampton Roads by the way, and I'm not talking about looking for gov't handouts I'm talking about exposing the fraud that led to driving up the prices to where they are now.

I can't think of any really impressive job gains. Stuff like Dominion is just them reshuffling jobs from Virginia Beach, and the Cox half of Trader is moving or moved to Atlanta. Gov't contractors of course, but that's just wealth redistribution (taxes used to fund silly DOD waste that winds up in the hands of contractors that pay people and take a huuuuuge cut), and often the projects could be done with less people that are better.

*Shrug*

Vegas has a Fry's electronics. Vegas has a Ham Radio Outlet (or similar). Vegas probably has music stores where you can get more than school band instrument stuff. Vegas has more than 3 arcades (they have a pinball museum even!). Granted, Vegas is a sweltering desert that was one of the top sites of the housing bubble, but oh well. I'd say ground zero. BTW, the Smithsonian Atomic Bomb museum there in Vegas is nice. Quite a fancy place.

[hurley89]

I'd move to Jacksonville, Florida. It reminds me a lot of HR bc of the military bases, the beaches..etc.
the Jax area is a pretty good size like here except its ONE city and not seven. The rent is definetely more affordable, and the weather is better IMO than HR. Love the heat and the humidity and the winters are pretty mild and not so bone chilling like HR.
Oh! and you cant forget the palm trees! They just add this relaxing feeling to a place. I totally felt at home in Jax and that's probably the biggest reason i'd move there if i could

[hurley89]

I'm also really outgoing. It's a mix here. Doesn't seem like a lot of independent thinkers. Maybe everyone relies on their church to tell everything.[/quote]


There arent many independent thinkers around here! I'm glad someone else noticed that! Mainly the bible humper types who live their life dictated by a god that they dont know for sure even exists! Not only that but they take the bible so literally. I don't think people knew how to even wipe their *** back when the bible was written. Gotta love em.

Believe in whatever you want to, but think freely at the same time. C'mon do we even stone women anymore ?

just my, well $0.10!


thanks for letting me rant

[Alanboy395]

Originally Posted by hurley89

I'd move to Jacksonville, Florida. It reminds me a lot of HR bc of the military bases, the beaches..etc.
the Jax area is a pretty good size like here except its ONE city and not seven. The rent is definetely more affordable, and the weather is better IMO than HR. Love the heat and the humidity and the winters are pretty mild and not so bone chilling like HR.
Oh! and you cant forget the palm trees! They just add this relaxing feeling to a place. I totally felt at home in Jax and that's probably the biggest reason i'd move there if i could

That may not be a bad idea. Jacksonville always stood out to me for some reason. It looks like a nice city.