Hampton Roads Vs. Richmond (Virginia Beach, Norfolk: best city, real estate, live in)

[cdw1084]

The HR area does feel like a surburban area, however I would much rather live there if I had to choose Richmond.

[cityboi757]

Hey guys, just a queestion, when you say HR feels like a suburban area, is that including or excluding norfolk?

[cdw1084]

The entire area. Norfolk feels like the largest city in the HR area, but it's very similar to Birmingham AL in terms of city feel. Also, Virginia Beach is the largest city in VA and it feels like a smaller version of Jacksonville AL. I think Norfolk would be the city in the area and the rest of surburbs. But overall you have 6 cities that feels like surburbs and 1 that feels sort of like a city and thats what most people mean.

[cityboi757]

Yeah I got you. You have a point. We're doing the best we can lol. downtown Norfolk is growing every day, virginia beach is working on lifting height restrictions to build taller buildings at the oceanfront, it's all good. I'm done with the debate.It seems like most people feel like it's better to live in HR, but Richmond is more urban. I've made my points clear ha, keep the vote going though. With light rail, mixed use high rises under construction, densifying downtown, and newfound momentum, I feel like HR is the better place to be. If you haven't visited in a while, I think you should.

[cdw1084]

Originally Posted by cityboi757

Yeah I got you. You have a point. We're doing the best we can lol. downtown Norfolk is growing every day, virginia beach is working on lifting height restrictions to build taller buildings at the oceanfront, it's all good. I'm done with the debate.It seems like most people feel like it's better to live in HR, but Richmond is more urban. I've made my points clear ha, keep the vote going though. With light rail, mixed use high rises under construction, densifying downtown, and newfound momentum, I feel like HR is the better place to be. If you haven't visited in a while, I think you should.

I use to be stationed in Virginia in Hampton. Left the area last yr in June. I got friends up there who I wouldn't mind seeing.

[lammius]

Originally Posted by cityboi757

Hey guys, just a queestion, when you say HR feels like a suburban area, is that including or excluding norfolk?

Just speaking from my own experiences (I grew up in Norfolk and Portsmouth), despite being the "urban core" of the region, Norfolk lacks a lot of the urban atmosphere many cities its size have. Look at the city's premier "urban neighborhood," Ghent. Ghent is nice, lots of beautiful homes. It's probably the most walkable, posh in-town urban nabe Norfolk has. But compare it to Carytown or the Fan in Richmond. Those neighborhoods have lots more rowhouses, more activity and storefronts on the street, and therefore have more of an urban "vibe" or feeling, while 21st street in Ghent is pretty automobile oriented (parking strips in front of the stores, Drive-thru banks and walgreens, etc.

21st Street, Ghent

Cary Street, Carytown


To me, Richmond's biggest strength is that it preserved many of its historic buildings. Norfolk destroyed most of its history in the middle of the 20th century in an effort to be more modern (suburban). Norfolk received some of the biggest federal grants for urban renewal projects in the 1950s. In the 1950s, "urban renewal" meant tear everything down and maybe someone will want to develop something there sometime later. A lot of neighborhoods were razed and replaced with nothing but parking lots for decades.

Spend some time on google streetview looking at "urban" neighborhoods in Norfolk compared to "urban" neighborhoods in Richmond or other cities. You'll see a lot of homes on large leafy lots, wide boulevards with shopping centers and a few Wal-Mart Supercenters. Much of the city looks and feels like a 1960s suburb, because that's when the city was reinventing itself. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it could be what people are trying to say when they say Norfolk (and HR overall) feels more "suburban."

[urbancharlotte]

neither

[nycricanpapi]

Originally Posted by urbancharlotte

neither

I agree neither. I live in Va beach and I want to move out from here as soon as possible.

[Boston14]

Hampton Roads by far

[cityboi757]

The vote is 79% to 21% in favor of HR