Is Virginia Beach a nice place to live? (Hampton: fit in, sales)

[kristine018]

I'm 21 & continuing on to get my Bachelor's Degree in Education & was wondering if this area is a good place to go to college & perhaps even start a career/life at? I know nothing about this place, but my parents/sister went last summer & spoke highly about it. Is it relatively safe (I'll be moving alone) & how is renting down there? I'm looking around 5-700 a month? I was looking at Myrtle Beach, but it doesn't look good as far as jobs go & is so overly crowded, but are all beaches the same? Should I look into the bigger cities instead? Always wanted to live near/on the beach. I'm laidback, so if Virginia Beach is a party place, maybe it's not for me. Any suggestions would help, thanks!

[Boxter01]

Va Beach really isnt a "party place" so you should do fine. Its more family friendly than anything. The job situation will depend on what kind of job you are seeking. I also find it "relatively safe" of course there are some rough areas here and there just like anyplace. Im not familiar with the rental climate but I hear its what many realty businesses work with as the housing sales market is still pretty barren.

[djchriscruz]

VA Beach isn't much of a party atmosphere except for the ocean front during peak summer season. The rest of the area is pretty laid back but you still have easy access to many fun activities.

There aren't really any bad areas in VA Beach there are just older areas. Older neighborhoods where some families have 6 cars cluttering the street and 2 of them dont even work. You dont have to worry about violence happening in VA Beach, it's pretty much a huge suburb except for the Ocean Front. You'll be lucky to find a 1 bedroom apt for $700 in VA Beach.

As a 20 something myself the job market is pretty weak unless you're in the medical field or military. It's a little better than Myrtle Beach but not by much. The area doesn't have a big network of young 20 something professionals. The ones that are here stick to their social circle of friends that they grew up with. Most people my age flock to DC or NY for better jobs. If you can find a good paying job VA Beach is a great place to live.

[xGrendelx]

Virginia Beach is definitely more safe than not, but that's not to say there isn't a few neighborhoods worth avoiding if you can. And yes, VB is mainly suburban, but crime happens in the suburbs too, so for djchriscuz to say you don't have to worry about violence happening there is a bit hasty. Violence happens everywhere - suburbs or no suburbs.

Anyway, VB is one of the safest cities of its size. You can use city-data's page on Virginia Beach and check out the crime stats for yourself to see if you think the rates are low:

//www.city-data.com/city/Virgin...-Virginia.html

The Oceanfront gets crowded and can have a party atmosphere in the Summer. That's the time of year when many locals will go to the non-tourist oriented beaches in the area, like Sandbridge, North End, and Chick's Beach.

It's easy to live a laid back lifestyle in VB. If you do decide to come, be sure to check out the Chick's Beach area and the North End.

[suffolkhr]

Kristine, like everyone's said, Virginia Beach is a nice area to live. The summer time attracts lots of visitors to the area, but other than that its got that laid back feel you're searching for. The area is family friendly and has a strong military presence. It's not a "party place," but if you ever get the urge there are plenty of hot spots scattered about to choose from, and different activities across the entire Hampton Roads area to keep you busy.

Hope you're happy with whatever you choose.

[vbbeachkid]

i loved living there throughout my life but i hate to say you will find a 1 bedroom apartment for probably 700$ a month in a not so hot area of town. i will say the hampton roads area is way overpriced and i cant see how people are still moving to the area. as far as safety goes, i felt safe the whole time i was here

[chrissy_rox2]

Hi Kristine018... here's my two cents... lol.

I think this is a good college town in the sense that there are good colleges here.

As for setting down roots, that depends greatly on what you're used to. Please keep in mind that Virginia Beach and surrounding towns are military towns. As a result, "civilian life" on the surface seems basic and normal enough until you start digging a bit deeper and working with and getting to know people. It's an aggressive place and not for the faint of heart. We've been at war now for a decade and military personnel are not getting the mental health access they need when they return. So... where does all of that pent up anger and frustration go? Towards those closest to them (e.g. spouses and children). In my travels (and that is all I can really give since everthing is relative), I've found some military people to be relatively nice and reserved in public. The spouse and children at home get the brunt of their legitimate frustration and anger and then guess what? You have to work with their spouses and your children must go to school with their children. If the military personnel aren't getting the mental health attention they need, it's probably not a stretch to say that their families aren't getting what they need either.

My experiences have been such that you either have to become the bully or submit to them and since I do neither it has become an almost intolerable situation where I've literally had to find a work from home job just to stay here (married and my husband grew up here) -- but again, that's me. If you're military, married to military or grew up with military you should fit in quite well. If you come from a bit more "genteel" (lol) environment, you may have some trouble.

Just my thoughts. I hope it helps paint a broader view of the typical "oh the weather's nice but the traffic is bad" posts... lol... which really don't give you a good feel for the culture. Hope this makes sense!!

[stva]

Hope you realize this thread is a year old.

[chrissy_rox2]

Originally Posted by stva

Hope you realize this thread is a year old.

lol - yes, but sometimes it can take that long for people to decide to move. Perhaps this poster hasn't moved yet?

[Serenity2019]

Virginia Beach is a nice place, laid back, and cool. I hope to move back one day. Remember, so us 'locals' that grew up in Va. beach were never in the military. Many people in Tidewater are not affiliated with the military.