Worst Cities/Areas of VA

[Anders15]

Well I guess it is easier to name the worst cities in this state than it is to name the better ones.

[Franklin1030]

Ghettos are bad

[cityboi757]

If we are talking about crime, sorry but Newport News/ Norfolk have the title.. IF we are just talking about impoverised and dirty I would have to go with the entire eastern shore.

[Nebat]

I think every single city and town in Virginia has it's good and bad parts. It's nearly impossible to rate a whole city on one particular neighborhood or incident. As far as large cities in the state I think Richmond gets unfairly beat up on. It has some great neighborhoods and a dense walkable downtown with old established buildings. Ditto on Norfolk. If I had a gun to my head I would say that the southside VA cities are the worst. Danville, Martinsville, South Boston etc. But even Danville has a neat downtown so it's hard to say. Was just in Va Beach over the weekend and the place just doesn't appeal to me. It has all the typical things you could ever want in a city, but it doesn't feel like a city, more like a suburb. Town center is basically a shopping mall designed to look like a city. Funny that the states tallest building is there. Norfolk is the complete opposite to me, it feels like a real city. Best thing to do is to determine what you personally like and don't like about cities in general and find the one that fits you the best.

[cityboi757]

Nebat I couldn't have said it better myself. Norfolk is a real city. Virginia Beach is a wildly overgrown, overpopulated suburban tourist trap.. Town Center does have potential to become a real city downtown, but at this time it's just a fabricated downtown in the middle of suburbia.. I think neighborhoods in Norfolk and the east end of Newport News are the most dangerous in the state..The hampton roads metro is prob. the most dangerous as well.

[Danvillegone]

I lived in Danville for 19 years of my life. The public schools are so bad, you have to attend a private school, and the selection of a private education is very limited.
Most of the tax base has either left for the surrounding county or NC.
There's a great deal of historic houses in Danville, but most of the population isn't interested in renovating. There's an area around the dtn. museum that folks have been trying desperately to get restored. It's one of the most beautiful parts of the city, but very few people are interested in bringing the area back to life. And some of these same people have been trying to bring this area back to life for over 30 years.
The only real positive to living in the city is the cost of living is very low. However, it's because Danville is dying. I love the town, but the truth is the truth. Dan River closed, Goodyear has layed off over 400 workers the list continues.
There was a time during my childhood when shopping dtn. was grand. It was so wonderful, Talhimers, Belk Legget, Rippies, Woolworths, etc. However, the mall was built, and all of the stores left or closed. I think Rippies might still be haning on.
It is a great town for small town living, but it's not growing. My cousin teaches middle school there, and she says every year the children are wrose.
If you're forced to live in the area, move to the county or the Shady Grove Rd. in Caswell County NC. The Shady Grove Rd. is a great place to live, and it's only minutes from Danville.

[tigmet]

I had my first job out of college in Danville 30 years ago, and it was solid, but no beauty. However, I did enjoy my time there and maintained affection for it. I went through Danville at the end of last year, and it was so depressing I could barely stand it. It is a city in twilight, and I don't know what they are going to need to turn things around. Just a miserable place now.

[kattwoman2]

I'm sort of shocked that no one has mentioned SW Virginia. Or is this more focused on the east?