small town on the coast

[Emrak]

I live in Newport News currently and have lived in York County, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach.

I would personally steer clear of Surry (nuclear power plant! call me old fashioned but something about that is a turn-off to me) and Smithfield (factories embroiled in lawsuits due to possible contamination issues). Also, unless you have $$ they're both pretty run-down. If you DO have $$ then there are some fantastic areas.

But if you have money, then honestly your best bet is going to be Williamsburg or Yorktown (York County). Both have Targets nearby, have that small-town vibe, and are just all-around fantastic areas.

If you do not have money, your best bet is Gloucester or Mathews County (in that order). Both are fantastic areas, have good schools, and are definitely small-town America right near the coast. Of course the weather is better than where you're coming from, but not the best for VA. But I don't think there's a Target near there...darn it!

OK, best all-around is Yorktown or Poquoson (next door to Yorktown). Personally, I think Poquoson is a mosquito-ridden hell-hole, but it's definitely a terrific small-town on the coast near a Target.

Try 4-Seasons Apt complex in Yorktown. I've lived there before. Behind it is a small forest (or there was, at any rate).

[BrianLMA]

Another vote for Poquoson if you are looking for a place with a small town feel. They are also known for great schools, low crime yet easy access to Hampton, Newport News, and York County. There are Targets in both Newport News and Hampton. Not all of Poquoson is plagued with mosquitos. The first house I owned in Poquoson did have a mosquito problem because it backed up to a marsh (had a wonderful view and no back door neighbors, though). Where I live now in Poquoson doesn't have any more mosquitos than the surrounding areas. Here's a link to a short video prepared by the city (not sure why the link has such a strange title):

ell_vp6_brain

[sheets332]

thank you so much!

[Colorado_Caroline]

Virginia Beach is nice, it's not technically small but the Kempsville area is nice.

[rtandc]

There is really no place with a small town feel close to the ocean in this area.......Everything in this area is based off of providing for the tourist...Va Bch has close to a half a million people.....To get the small town feel you would have to look at either the Eastern Shore of Va or further south along the NC coastline, but finding a Target store would be difficult.

Also be prepared to pay top dollar for a location that is close to the ocean and also has great schools....

[Emrak]

Originally Posted by rtandc

There is really no place with a small town feel close to the ocean in this area.......Everything in this area is based off of providing for the tourist...

I think it's fair to say that there's nowhere on the southside that fits the bill. Virginia Beach is the only city really geared towards tourism.

I stick with my initial thoughts. Poquoson, Yorktown (though Yorktown is the most un-small of these...it almost shouldn't be on the list), Mathews County, and definitely Gloucester all fit the bill.

[Geraldo Pontiac]

Originally Posted by Emrak

....... If you do not have money, your best bet is Gloucester or Mathews County (in that order). Both are fantastic areas, have good schools, and are definitely small-town America right near the coast. Of course the weather is better than where you're coming from, but not the best for VA. But I don't think there's a Target near there...darn it!......

There is a target on the north side of I-64 at exit 242 (Just east of the Williamsburg 238 exit). If someone purchased a home in southern Gloucester County (like Gloucester Point), they could be at work in as little as 15 minutes driving along the bank of the York River on one of the prettiest and least-congested roads in the area: the Colonial Parkway.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by Emrak

If you do not have money, your best bet is Gloucester or Mathews County (in that order). Both are fantastic areas, have good schools, and are definitely small-town America right near the coast. Of course the weather is better than where you're coming from, but not the best for VA.

My apologies for bumping an old thread but I'm trying to learn as much as I can about Gloucester Point area (Hayes) and came across the comment above. Any thoughts on the weather there? Is Gloucester more prone to storms than other parts of VA?

Weather-wise, how is it compared to the Williamsburg area? (In other words is it smarter to live in Williamsburg than Gloucester due to weather concerns?)

[Mr Williamsburg]

Caladium,
My in laws live in Gloucester on the Ware River , past the courthouse area. There weather isn't really that much different than Williamsburg but they are way up the river and sort of protected as compared to some who live directly on the York or on Mobjack Bay. The only thing to watch out for is flood zones. Quite a bit of Hayes, Guinea and the southern parts of Gloucester are very low. That would be my only concern. To check a property put an address in the flood risk profile section of Floodsmart.gov If it says HIGH RISK, you then have to worry...

[Caladium]

Thanks so much Mr. Williamsburg. Sadly, the Dockside Condos seem to be in a high risk flood zone. Bummer! That place looked like a good fit for us but I certainly do not want to deal with flood risks. Oh well, back to the drawing board. We've only just begun this search. Thanks for this site, it's going to be quite valuable I can see.