How is VA Beach for single working people? (Virginia Beach, Norfolk: cliquey, oceanfront)

[JSnFla]

What is va beach like for single people? Is it a fun place? How is the job market for accounting? i've searched online for jobs and it doesnt seem great but not terrible either. I have family that lives on the bay in shore drive area and am currently looking to move out of florida, the economy is non existant down here. So how would VaB life be for a single active guy in 30s, really into fitness, golf, nice bars/restaurants, attractive women, decent climate, layed back environment, solid economy with career growth available, etc? Would Vab be a good place? thnx

[Lyn.zzzz]

I too have the same questions. I am 28- single female moving to VB in July from Denver..

[Spazkat9696]

VAB is a tough place to live if you're single because the COL is high when you look at pay. That said there is never a shortage of things to do.

[UHgrad]

Originally Posted by JSnFla

What is va beach like for single people? Is it a fun place? How is the job market for accounting? i've searched online for jobs and it doesnt seem great but not terrible either. I have family that lives on the bay in shore drive area and am currently looking to move out of florida, the economy is non existant down here. So how would VaB life be for a single active guy in 30s, really into fitness, golf, nice bars/restaurants, attractive women, decent climate, layed back environment, solid economy with career growth available, etc? Would Vab be a good place? thnx

Great for fitness, golf courses (cheaper munis and more expensive private clubs), decent climate, and laid back environment.

Mediocre for women (plenty of hotties but lots of competition), restaurants/bars (spread out and not overly trendy), solid economy (stable but government focused).

Not so hot for career growth generally speaking unless you are a federal employee or government contractor.

[poloi3eai2]

Activity wise, VA Beach has everything you described. Like UHGrad said, there's not much career growth in VA Beach outside of the Federal Gov't. The local economy is supported mainly by military and federal Gov't. That's what really separates VA Beach from other east coast beach towns like Myrtle Beach and Nags Head which are beautiful but lack jobs and a local economy outside of summer tourism.

The one negative about the VA Beach social scene is that crowds are cliquey and tend to stick with the people they grew up with and went to school with. I think this is because young professionals don't flock to VA Beach for work. It's more like the other way around, young professionals flock out of VA Beach for better careers and the ones that stay in the area stick together.

If you can secure a good job in VA Beach, it's a great place to live. There's no shortage of things to do and it's far from being "the sticks." There's really no bad areas in VA Beach.

[xGrendelx]

I think VB is a decent place for young singles/professionals. And if you include Norfolk's social scene I think the area has plenty to offer. In VB, the Oceanfront is ground zero for the bar/club crowds. The Shore Drive/Chick's Beach area is a fun place to go too, as well Town Center if you're looking for more upscale places. In Norfolk, the best clubs seem to be on Granby St in Downtown. However, Ghent always has a lot going on too.

Of course, there's a never-ending supply of dive bars and "locals only" type of hang outs too. Some are really hidden gems.

I think Hampton Roads is underrated as far as women. Lots of hotties in my opinion. Everything from rough-and-tumble 'hood girls (which all hold a special place in my heart) to laid back surfer chicks.

There's also lots to do for active folks. Hiking and trail running at First Landing is nice. Lots of inlets and small waterways good for kayaking. Great fishing in the Bay and ocean. Plenty of beaches and surf spots. Also, you're pretty close to the mountains so camping and backpacking, as well as skiing during winter, is easy to set up.

Overall, you could do worse than Hampton Roads for sure.

[JSnFla]

cost of living seems fine and is lower than here, i'm just not sure about the job market. i have some very successfull relatives in VaB that have been unemployed for some time and even with many contacts and great experience they havent found work in almost a year. Seems like a lot of people are tied to the navy, work for govt contractors or are entrepenuers of some type. Traditional corporate type job market seems questionable. Its dead here in Florida but not sure about moving to VaB, have free place to stay for awhile but dont want to waste time if job market is really bleak

[teeej]

I'm considering Virginia Beach too. I can't believe how much cheaper it is than the coastal cities here in California. It appears there are a LOT of government civilian job opportunities in that region.....

[goofy328]

Originally Posted by JSnFla

What is va beach like for single people? Is it a fun place? How is the job market for accounting? i've searched online for jobs and it doesnt seem great but not terrible either. I have family that lives on the bay in shore drive area and am currently looking to move out of florida, the economy is non existant down here. So how would VaB life be for a single active guy in 30s, really into fitness, golf, nice bars/restaurants, attractive women, decent climate, layed back environment, solid economy with career growth available, etc? Would Vab be a good place? thnx

I never had a job in Virginia Beach. Every time I find a job it is in Chesapeake. One good thing about Virginia Beach, as far as work, are the other six cities. Virginia Beach is probably a great place to work if you are in the military or work for the federal government, but I don't see much else outside of tourism and retail. I continue to look though.

COL, as much as people complain about it here, is probably half what it is if you're in DC and a quarter of what it would be if you were in NY or Boston. The people who complain, may have moved from places like the Midwest or the Southwest that continue to have a lower COL than the rest of the nation. Realistically, it would help if you had a job paying $15 an hour or more.

The short answer is that I would not recommend anyone without a college degree to move here.

Start your own business, telecommute, write a play or sell a script. You have to get creative here, the jobs alone are not enough for a single person IMHO.

[Katherineramos]

Im also planning to move to virginia beach from florida. I do have a college degree and im interested in the hospitality and tourism field. Im very experienced for my young age (21). ill be moving alone to find a different experience a new adventure. ill check whats good and if it work hey, i might stay longer than what i expect; if not ill move on to another state and so on like a gypsy. (im not a gypsy) just a bit tired of miami