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I just found an exciting tool, using censusreporter.org, which will let you type in your address to show you what your census tract demography is!
In July, I moved to Virginia Beach-Norfolk (I claim both because my home address is in Va Beach, but my work address is in Norfolk). Virginia Beach has a reputation as being bland and suburban and while there are many areas of town that fit this description, I think we lucked up and moved to one of, if not the, most dynamic and urban parts of town. Certainly, Virginia Beach is more urban than given credit for, in parts...
I live in the Thalia neighborhood, specifically on the southern side (south of VB Blvd), in census tract 456.04. There is a northern portion of the neighborhood as well, but my tract also covers a southern portion of Town Center, which is downtown Virginia Beach. The tracts I frequent most are 456.03 and 456.01, besides the one in which I stay. The data is very revealing; I'm linking the tracts in order of my usage:
So, I'm an urbanist. I grew up in suburban DC but in a very urban part of the suburbs, then later lived in more typical suburbia in suburban Richmond. I've always been attracted to urban locations, but I also think I have a good balance in knowledge of both urban and suburban. So moving here, knowing Virginia Beach's reputation, it was instantly noticeable to the eye that this area is not the VB stereotype...
According to censusreporter, my neighborhood has a population density of ~7700 ppsm (456.04) and ~5600 (456.03), with multi-unit structures of 69% and ~74%. This multi-unit is very diverse--there are townhomes, duplexes, sunbelt-style apartments (think the new looks found in Charlotte or Raleigh), garden style apartments, modern day rows. This isn't urban to the level of what you can find in Richmond or even larger cities, but this is definitely a walkable area and people do walk, jog, bike. Restaurants galore, a walking trail, library, grocery store, pharmacies, urgent cares, convenient stores, mom-and-pops. One of the biggest surprises was how much I enjoy Virginia Beach, even though I'm 95% sure I'm leaving in a year. I think it's the area I live in that's so atypical of the city, which without question does not operate as a suburb of Norfolk (Another stereotype), and is urban (not on a large scale) but is certainly not suburban. And has a higher diversity index (more Blacks, more Latinos, more ESL speakers) than Virginia Beach as a city has...
Anyway, it just got me in the mood to ask what do you guys' neighborhoods look like? If your tract covers an adjacent neighborhood that's interwoven into yours, link that, too!
Your neighborhood is lacking the level of diversity I prefer, but hell, so is mine...
When I was in Pittsburgh in May, I spent some time around Carnegie Mellon, but that's the furthest I went to Shadyside. I will say that I love the fabric of Pittsburgh. Amongst other differences, the biggest differences between my current neighborhood and yours are the public transit usage (which is not only horrible, but outside of our little bubble, VB is very much car-oriented; so is Norfolk), and the structural density and style. The only mid- and high-rises in Virginia Beach are waterfront condos, unless you count the new Sunbelt style apartments as mid-rise? Like this:
It's funny how things work--in a vacuum, I enjoy areas with high levels of urbanity. You go somewhere expecting something, so you're prepared for that something. This experience has been much different than advertised. I think my satisfaction with Virginia Beach is that it has blown away the image of this lifeless, suburban, touristy wasteland. Maybe that describes most of the city, but this area debunks that image, and I'm okay with that, I'm okay with it not being (insert city here)-levels of urbanity...
This is where I work, which is absolutely suburban and served by light rail, and in Norfolk, the supposed "city" of the two (they are more alike than not, and this is not an unusual type neighborhood in Norfolk):
Your neighborhood is lacking the level of diversity I prefer, but hell, so is mine...
When I was in Pittsburgh in May, I spent some time around Carnegie Mellon, but that's the furthest I went to Shadyside. I will say that I love the fabric of Pittsburgh. Amongst other differences, the biggest differences between my current neighborhood and yours are the public transit usage (which is not only horrible, but outside of our little bubble, VB is very much car-oriented; so is Norfolk), and the structural density and style. The only mid- and high-rises in Virginia Beach are waterfront condos, unless you count the new Sunbelt style apartments as mid-rise? Like this:
It's funny how things work--in a vacuum, I enjoy areas with high levels of urbanity. You go somewhere expecting something, so you're prepared for that something. This experience has been much different than advertised. I think my satisfaction with Virginia Beach is that it has blown away the image of this lifeless, suburban, touristy wasteland. Maybe that describes most of the city, but this area debunks that image, and I'm okay with that, I'm okay with it not being (insert city here)-levels of urbanity...
This is where I work, which is absolutely suburban and served by light rail, and in Norfolk, the supposed "city" of the two (they are more alike than not, and this is not an unusual type neighborhood in Norfolk):
We have almost no Latino population, but I feel that my area is really diverse. My census tract has a very small black population but it borders one that's 64% Black.
Median age - 30.9
57% male
65% White, 9% Black, 3% Asian, 2% Native, 9% Hispanic
Median household income - $51,302
80% drive to work, 5% walk, 3% bike
73% single
75% multi-unit structures
41.4% Bachelor's degree or higher
11,561 people per square mile
41.2 median age
58% white, 25% black, only a few percent of other races
$97,250 median household income
64.2% have a bachelor's degree or higher
6.8% foreign-born
4.6% veterans
Basically, a bunch of rich, educated, middle-aged white people crammed into cute little bungalows and apartments. Sounds about right.
1497 population, 4.3 sq. mi., 347.6 people per square mile
51.1 median age
98% white
$61,633 median household income
0% below poverty line
2.3 people per household
$147,900 median value of owner occupied housing units (86% single unit)
91.4% high school graduate or higher
19.9% Bachelor's degree or higher
0% foreign born or speaking language other than English at home
No data on mean travel time to work or means of transportation to work. Since I retired, it probably takes 10 minutes for my part-time job instead of 6 minutes previously.
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