Single mom possibly moving to the surrounding Hampton, VA area

[spencer114]

Tidewater is a pretty great place. I think that a move from FL to VA would be good for any school aged child because the schools in general are better and VA is closer to the financial and government centers of the country. Even if Hampton doesn't have everything you want, you are never far away from a place that meets your needs.

I live in Richmond but grew up in that area and visit family and the beaches often. There are many different lifestyle choices there. it is impossible to recommend any area because personal taste plays such a big part. I personally like the old town Hampton area. Newport News (which I grew up hating but it has grown on me and really changed over the past 15 years) has really nice places too and has the better retail and employment options on the Peninsula. The Southside (Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach) is the more interesting part of Tidewater but for daily life the Peninsula seems to work better. traffic is much better and the grid street system makes it much easier to get around. I like the quick access to points west and north from there too. The tunnels really are painful and make what is just an extra 15 miles seem unbearable.

Socially it shouldn't feel that much different than central FL. In a few miles you can go from very urban to middle of nowhere country which is nice because you can live how you want while still being close to work, amenities and wilderness.

[Coconut1]

Can you define "good pay" and whether you'd still have a job if you didn't make the move?