Moving to VA & considering HR area (Virginia Beach, Norfolk: apartment, to rent)

[ATLater]

Hi all, we're looking to relocate within the next year and wanted some feedback on VA. I will start the thread by answering these questions and then add more as I go along...any and all feedback is appreciated.

When are you moving? Most likely next summer when kids are out of school so June 2012
Where are you coming from? Franklin, NJ
Why are you moving? We just can't afford to keep living here. We want to buy a house eventually and with housing costs and taxes we don't think NJ is a owning option. Also the winters are a little much. We do want to live in an area that has seasons but not blizzards.
Where will you be working? I work from home, my partner is a high school teacher, who also tutors.
Have you been here yet? Not to HR area but to Richmond, which we are not interested in at all.

Will you buy or rent? Rent
If renting, are you looking for an apartment or a townhouse? How much can you spend? We are looking to rent before we buy that way we can know an area before committing. We will need a 2 bedroom; if possible around $1000. Not too big on the amenities, as long as its in a safe neighborhood and a decent size.


Are you married or single? Do you have children? In a long-term relationship. Our daughter will be moving with us; she'll be in 3rd grade at that time and has a learning disability but does well in her public school here.
Do you prefer a certain public or private schools? Good public schools
Do you have pets? No
Do you want or need a yard? would want a yard but near a park will work too
Are you keeping a car? yes we will have two cars
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? a mixture of both. I like a busy community that has lots to offer if I wanna go out but when I wanna stay in is not totally crowded and loud.

What do you want to be closest to?
Good schools/active community

Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? Diverse neighborhood would be great. We're a liberal, African-American, same sex couple.

Coke or Pepsi? Coke!

One thing that is a MUST for us is activities for my daughter. here she participates in a challenger little league team, a city basketball team and there's also various events at the local library and her school. We don't wanna move to an area that has little to offer outside of private things (like piano lessons) or that are really expensive. We paid $40 for the city basketball league and $35 for the baseball.

[point80]

Based on what you've posted I would say look at North Carolina...maybe the Raleigh Durham area. I lived in HR for 4 years, '02 to '06. The area has everything you would need I suppose: shopping, entertainment, education, all that. However for me the drawbacks were substantial. The HR peninsula is very congested and traffic can be very bad even for running short errands (I know, traffic is bad everywhere...but there is something extra frustrating about how traffic lights are sequenced in HR that I have not experienced elsewhere). Second thing is I would describe the overall mood of HR as the opposite of 'liberal'. The people who are native to the area are not terribly friendly and the overall mood is somewhat tense I would say. A related issue is race relations, which are the worst I've seen. And I've lived in Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida also. Not everyone...but lots of redneck types and, conversly, very visible gangsta types blaring rap music at every traffic light. There are lots of military in the area, and that's a good thing, but they move every few years so it makes the area seem even less like a community.

Back to a positive note...there are great diversions nearby. Willamsburg, Virginia Beach, and downtown Norfolk. But these things are at least a 25 minute drive away (at least!).

Sounds like your daugher has a pretty good routine going in NJ. I would certainly not abandon that to live in HR. I personally don't believe it will be worth whatever money you save.

[Coconut1]

Seeing as you're a same sex couple, PLEASE try DC or at the very least, Maryland. You have no rights as a gay couple in VA and seeing as you have a child, that could pose serious problems in the future.

[goofy328]

HR does have everything that you would need, but it may or may not have everything that you want. Virginia, in general, is a very practical state, and does not have everything a jaded big city person may be looking for. Housing is expensive in Virginia, even in the Southwest part of the state. Virginia has serious traffic problems and lacks good transportation infrastructure. You would just be hopping from one overpriced metropoliatain region from another; you may do better off looking at options outside of Philadelphia, from what I've heard it is a lot cheaper there than in your area, which isn't that far from New York.

[goodnightnora]

Originally Posted by mouzon

The HR peninsula is very congested and traffic can be very bad even for running short errands

Isn't that the truth! Every errand here seems like a chore. The area is just SO sprawling, you have to drive so far to get where you need to go. When I moved here, I looked forward to having more of a variety of places to shop. However, it's far more convenient and cost-effective to order online than drive considerable distances sitting in traffic. I know the same is true in most major cities, but from what I've seen many have a better variety of options in each neighborhood than VB.

It doesn't really help that so many commercial areas are peppered with unsightly car dealerships, payday and auto title loan dealers...a bit of a depressing drive.

Like the OP, I'm currently working from home so you would think I'd want to get out whenever possible. However, I'm finding that some days I don't even want to leave the house because it really takes so long to do anything. It really cuts into my work time/productivity.

I hate to sound like such a Negative Nancy here, but this is my one gripe so far so I felt I really had to sound off in agreement with mouzon.

[point80]

Originally Posted by goodnightnora

Isn't that the truth! Every errand here seems like a chore. The area is just SO sprawling, you have to drive so far to get where you need to go. When I moved here, I looked forward to having more of a variety of places to shop. However, it's far more convenient and cost-effective to order online than drive considerable distances sitting in traffic. I know the same is true in most major cities, but from what I've seen many have a better variety of options in each neighborhood than VB.

It doesn't really help that so many commercial areas are peppered with unsightly car dealerships, payday and auto title loan dealers...a bit of a depressing drive.

Like the OP, I'm currently working from home so you would think I'd want to get out whenever possible. However, I'm finding that some days I don't even want to leave the house because it really takes so long to do anything. It really cuts into my work time/productivity.

I hate to sound like such a Negative Nancy here, but this is my one gripe so far so I felt I really had to sound off in agreement with mouzon.

Yeah...just to expound on this... I would argue there is something uniquely bad about the way HR times/syncs it's traffic lights. The years I lived there it just seemed like the light sensers or whatever tech is in play were way too quick to go yellow when there was a gap in cars. Some beurocrat in HR must believe that cycling the light whenever there is a gap in cars (when the people who were waiting have all gone through) is a great way to keep people moving but it's not. All it does is eliminate the potential for people approaching the light to move through a steady green light. In other words, it guarantees that just about everyone that arrives at the intersection will wait.

Amazingly (if it's true) I heard while I lived there that Hampton actually won some national competition for sync'ing traffic lights using sensors. Yes, it's true. What a joke. Undoubtedly the award is sponsored by a company that sells the sensors. Haha.

This is in addition to the fact that HR seems to want to place a traffic lights EVERYWHERE. I mean you don't need a light in every place people are trying to make a right out of a strip mall.

[Coconut1]

Originally Posted by mouzon

Yeah...just to expound on this... I would argue there is something uniquely bad about the way HR times/syncs it's traffic lights. The years I lived there it just seemed like the light sensers or whatever tech is in play were way too quick to go yellow when there was a gap in cars. Some beurocrat in HR must believe that cycling the light whenever there is a gap in cars (when the people who were waiting have all gone through) is a great way to keep people moving but it's not. All it does is eliminate the potential for people approaching the light to move through a steady green light. In other words, it guarantees that just about everyone that arrives at the intersection will wait.

Amazingly (if it's true) I heard while I lived there that Hampton actually won some national competition for sync'ing traffic lights using sensors. Yes, it's true. What a joke. Undoubtedly the award is sponsored by a company that sells the sensors. Haha.

This is in addition to the fact that HR seems to want to place a traffic lights EVERYWHERE. I mean you don't need a light in every place people are trying to make a right out of a strip mall.

Portsmouth, Norfolk and some in Suffolk are the WORST lights ever. Really Portsmouth takes the cake for being the worst.

Hampton and Newport News really do have excellent light systems. If you hit one you rarely hit any more on the major roads like Jefferson or Mercury.

[point80]

Originally Posted by Coconut1

Hampton and Newport News really do have excellent light systems. If you hit one you rarely hit any more on the major roads like Jefferson or Mercury.

Wow, that was not my experience living on the penninsula for 4 years. But hey I'm glad it's working out for someone.

[goofy328]

I don't know about anyone else but Virginia Beach lights aggrevate the **** out of me

[twiggy1373]

wow ive been plannin to move to either virginia or north carolina this summer and now im a little hesitant after reading all the not so great posts ....I guess its better to find out now right....I have 4 girls and wanted to move from upstate new york to a better environment for my girls to grow up in...i'm the only income contributer in the household and i cannot find an apartment in my price range(650-750) for the life of me...if any one has any info or suggestions please feel free....I have up until the beginning of the new school year starts to move , kind of pressed for time...