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As a kid, we vacationed in Virginia Beach. It was great. When Stationed in Norfolk years later (Late '70s) I rented a beach house (bay side, Compte De Grossi Freeway IIRC) which was remarkably cheap in the winter. I found it to be a very pleasant area. I kissed a girl for the first time on that beach and I learned to sail there. I remember getting freaked out the first time I saw those horseshoe crabs that wash up. It looked like some sort of giant alien monster. When I think back on my childhood, the memories of that place stand out.
I've lived in CA for over 20 years and find myself wishing I were back on the right coast again. I have no real complaints with CA and the place has been good to me but it never really felt like home.
Is that area the way I remember it? Was it ever the way I remember it? It seems no place stays the same and every place seems to only get worse but is it possible that just one place might have stayed the same?
How are the schools? The usual questions.
Today I was in the Post Office and a little vacation flyer was caught by a breeze and flew from a table and landed at my feet. It read "Come Home To Virginia."
If you were to visit Virginia Beach today you might not even recognize it. I grew up and lived there from 1960- 1980. It is amazing how much it has grown through the years. I remember when Pembroke Mall opened and Independence Blvd was built. Is it better or worse now ? Traffic is definitely much worse. There is a much greater variety of places to shop. Home prices are up but no where near that of California. Selected schools seem better than when I lived there with more emphasis on advanced courses. It's still a great place to live and raise a family if you can tolerate the traffic. There are some areas that have declined but that seems to be true everywhere. Take a trip back and see if you like it. Like you I moved away for 20+ years but something about Virginia drew me and my family home. Although we moved to Williamsburg instead of Va Beach. We still visit all the time. We own the home my father had built in 1960. The neighborhood is just like it was when I grew up amazingly all of the homes and yards are well maintained. Be prepared I'm sure you will see some negative responses to your question. Everyone has their own views and opinions.
If you were to visit Virginia Beach today you might not even recognize it. I grew up and lived there from 1960- 1980. It is amazing how much it has grown through the years. I remember when Pembroke Mall opened and Independence Blvd was built. Is it better or worse now ? Traffic is definitely much worse. There is a much greater variety of places to shop. Home prices are up but no where near that of California. Selected schools seem better than when I lived there with more emphasis on advanced courses. It's still a great place to live and raise a family if you can tolerate the traffic. There are some areas that have declined but that seems to be true everywhere. Take a trip back and see if you like it. Like you I moved away for 20+ years but something about Virginia drew me and my family home. Although we moved to Williamsburg instead of Va Beach. We still visit all the time. We own the home my father had built in 1960. The neighborhood is just like it was when I grew up amazingly all of the homes and yards are well maintained. Be prepared I'm sure you will see some negative responses to your question. Everyone has their own views and opinions.
Virginia Beach is a good place to live and raise a family if you can afford to get in the right neighborhood, and are lucky enough to find a position that pays enough to be comfortable.
Other then that, its not really a great place to be. The only affordable housing in the area is located in terrible neighborhoods, which are not remotely family friendly. If you arent in a cushy government job, or government contracted job, likely you will be working for lower then national level wages in almost any career field, and chances are you will be significantly underemployed, especially if you have a college education.
The best places of Virginia Beach are great, as an area. The weather isnt bad, there is a large range of shops ranging from Walmart to very high end, and the whole city has a suburban feel, rather then the average large city with its burnt down, boarded up, downtown blight (see Norfolks downtown area if you want a taste). There are no major league sports teams, nor is there a venue that has a high enough quality and capacity to attract the best entertainment acts, but there are a couple minor league teams in the area, and Virginia Beach is sitting so close to Washington DC, Charlotte and Raleigh, that they are able to snag a couple higher end acts passing through and looking for another gig.
The problem is, average Hampton Roads resident cant afford to enjoy any of what Virginia Beach offers.
What do you mean about Comte De Grossi freeway ? I've never heard of it ?
Looking at the map, it's shore drive. It was a long time ago so I could be mistaken but I seem to recall signs on the road with that name. The only reason it sticks out in my memory is that on our second trip out there, my mom had noticed the signs and said "They must be renaming the road." That struck me as an odd name, particulalry for a road that runs so close to a beach.
I could be way off too. I've never been able to remember names of people or streets. Fortunately I live in an area where all the streets are numbered.
I remember the roads themselves vividly and could find the places in my sleep. Looking at the map, the roads are generally the same. I remember a bicycle path about a block over. It led to a small strip mall with an ice cream shop. The shop installed a Pac-Man game and a Capitan Fantastic pinball machine. It was a very popular place for teens. The Area is on the Beach between Lynnhaven Colony and Cape Story By the Sea.
Joe - I vacationed here in the 70's (moved her permanently 4 years ago) and yes it has changed. The biggest difference is just more growth - more shopping, restaurants. However, overall I always get the feel that the area is about 20 years behind. I moved from the DC area which has the best of everything and the suburbs are new construction.
Personally, I like the laid back feel of the area. Housing costs compared to Cali are probably much more realistic, but of course the market is overpriced in most of the country. I can say that the area is definitely less expensive than Cali (it is definitely less expensive than the DC area). You will find a 1960's ranch style home for sale from $275+ - maybe a little less now because prices are dropping a bit to get them sold.
It sounds as if you need to take little trip over to our coast to walk down memory lane and see what you think!!! Check those airfares and come on over!
20 years behind sounds about right! The '80s were fun and profitable!
We actually lived in Houston, TX. The gulf coast is ok most of the year but summers are unbearable. My mom was from the area and my dad would take a couple weeks off each year but my mom and me stayed the summers. I was the youngest and my siblings were already grown and gone.
When my son gets out of school, we plan to explore the East coast all the way from Miami to Maine. Florida is of interest but after living in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 20 years, I don't know if I could adapt to the heat, among other things. I know the main thing I dislike about LA is the Heat so I tend to find excuses not to attend weddings and such in summer months. There's about 8 months of summer in LA! Besides, the tap water in LA smells funny and it's like showering with sand.
Schools in CA aren't particularly good. My son is in private school but in some ways I think public schools might be better. If they offer decent curriculum and a safe environment, I'd like to at least try them out. I understand VA public schools are pretty good overall.
I've been looking at housing prices in VA beach and they seem quite affordable from my point of view. I bought my home here in the '80s and thought it was pretty outrageous then. In the late '80s and through the '90s, housing costs shot through the roof. I really don't see how new people can even survive here. CA has a unique tax structure so even though the resale value of my house is nearly 10 times what I paid, my property tax has risen very little. Many years ago the voters had to put caps on the taxes (in most counties at least) because if they were taxed on the skyrocketing assessment values, the taxes would have exceeded the payments on older loans and many people would have lost their homes. Old folks on fixed incomes who'd paid off loans years before were being forced to move because they couldn't afford the taxes. They were living on pensions based on 1960's wages or worse. Back in the '60's, a $50K house was where rich folks lived even in CA. They found other ways to tax the crap out of us eventually. They always do.
I plan to rent in VA Beach since it's about midway on the right coast and would serve as a great "base of operations.” I have fond memories of the area so I think it might be a good choice. It would be insane to sell my place here and just move because if it didn't work out and I found myself running back to the left coast with my tail between my legs, I'd have to deal with property tax based on today's values...OUCH!
We will probably drive out. I don't fly any more. I had a very embarrassing ordeal with airport security when the steel rod in my leg set a series of annoying events into motion. I'll need a car there anyway and renting a car for more than a few days would be a huge expense.
I'm also very concerned about my son's education. CA has a culture of sorts but there's really no history to speak of. Even private schools here seem to have very narrow scopes as if they are training hordes of mindless robots that are exceptional in a single skill but fail to broaden their horizons. America is unique land with great history but it seems to be getting lost.
My boy wants to see the Library of congress, lighthouses, Philadelphia, DC. He's a very bright kid. That's not parental pride speaking either. He's at the top in every area. He got his brains from his mom. That's good for him because I'm certainly not the brightest bulb on the shelf. She was doing calculus at 10. I just feel the East Coast would offer him so much more. And I like it myself, so...
Wages in my field are slightly lower but costs are significantly lower. I've always lived well within my means and am not prone to buy the latest and greatest electronic gizmo just because the TV told me to so we should do ok just about anywhere. My son discovered that a dirt bike was loads more fun than a video game and actually a lot cheaper in the long run so I kind of lucked out on that one. Dirt bikes hold resale value but last month's $50 video game cartridge is a worthless dust collecting trinket.
Two old military buddies have reitired and each moved to Cities in VA and love it. They say the produce isn't quite as good but that's about the only down side. I can deal with that. They were both Navy transitioned to Coast Guard. One of them found himself a wife from there and retired in Suffolk. He talked the other into a visit and he ended up moving into a Hi-rise condo in Newport News. I personally didn't think Newport News was all that wonderful but to each his own. Both of them have been telling me how great it is. I chose civilian life but we all stayed in touch since we all lived in this area. I'm closing in on retirement age and raising a young child alone so I have to be very careful. I can't just sell it all and head out, it has to be right. I can't base my decision on their word alone or even childhood memories. They are both fine upstanding citizens but I knew them back in the day and remember many poorly thought out plans.
Two old military buddies have reitired and each moved to Cities in VA and love it. They say the produce isn't quite as good but that's about the only down side. I can deal with that. They were both Navy transitioned to Coast Guard. One of them found himself a wife from there and retired in Suffolk. He talked the other into a visit and he ended up moving into a Hi-rise condo in Newport News. I personally didn't think Newport News was all that wonderful but to each his own. Both of them have been telling me how great it is. I chose civilian life but we all stayed in touch since we all lived in this area. I'm closing in on retirement age and raising a young child alone so I have to be very careful. I can't just sell it all and head out, it has to be right. I can't base my decision on their word alone or even childhood memories. They are both fine upstanding citizens but I knew them back in the day and remember many poorly thought out plans.
I think that Newport News and the Seven Cities (hampton roads) in general have improved greatly in the past two decades. There are more amenities, shopping, restaraunts etc.
Joe,
As far as the schools go, Virginia schools do tend to be very good. You will find lots of mixed reviews here on the schools though. You would probably find more choices of good schools in Va Beach vs our other cities. There are plenty of private schools too. I attended a wresting tournament at Cape Henry Collegiate over the weekend and the school (specifically the sports facilities) were quite nice. There is also a good private school in Suffolk - but that area is definitely more 'country'. Still alot of farms out in Suffolk and Isle of Wight.
My brother in law is retired Air Force and has settled in nicely at Northrup Grummon (sp?) - lots of retired military make the transition to NG.
Now is definitely not the time to sell, so it sounds like you already have a little plan of action! Come on over!
Location: Uniquely Individual Villages of the Megalopolis
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe_Ryder
Looking at the map, it's shore drive. It was a long time ago so I could be mistaken but I seem to recall signs on the road with that name. The only reason it sticks out in my memory is that on our second trip out there, my mom had noticed the signs and said "They must be renaming the road." That struck me as an odd name, particulalry for a road that runs so close to a beach.
I could be way off too. I've never been able to remember names of people or streets. Fortunately I live in an area where all the streets are numbered.
I remember the roads themselves vividly and could find the places in my sleep. Looking at the map, the roads are generally the same. I remember a bicycle path about a block over. It led to a small strip mall with an ice cream shop. The shop installed a Pac-Man game and a Capitan Fantastic pinball machine. It was a very popular place for teens. The Area is on the Beach between Lynnhaven Colony and Cape Story By the Sea.
I too have lived in Va Beach before and Hampton Rds, and moved away 15 years ago. I am looking forward to moving back soon.
I was last there in May, the area was growing when I left but really grew since. The Downtown has become a reality and they are expanding that after they designated Pembroke area a long time ago as such. It's going to be different with the new skyscrapers and new office towers going up there, not so laid back as before. However, the beach areas themselves are still a distance apart so that that environment won't be so spoiled for relaxation.
Of most of the large metro areas in the country I've lived in, this one has the best of both worlds, not too big, not so small either with the combined metro. I'll bet they do snag an NFL or MLB team before too long there is more and more move toward regionalism. Now light rail, the formation of HRT etc.
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