What is Chesapeake like especially for retirement

[goofy328]

Chesapeake Crossings has a washer and dryer included. $700 a month. The Courtyards at Chesapeake, same thing.

Now Chester Village Senior Apartments have hookups. You have a few options in Chesapeake.

This is my resource, there are plenty more at that link.

[ChessieMom]

You say you have found a place in Chesapeake, but you don't say where. Chesapeake is HUGE. Unless you want to drive through horrible Battlefield BLvd traffic, and you don't sound like you enjoy traffic, I would suggest the outskirts of the area. As for parks, there are plenty, and certainly you can walk your dog.

[goofy328]

OP, the Southern part of the city is more exurban/rural. Same with Virginia Beach, Portsmouth and Suffolk. Areas closer to Norfolk are more urban.

Basically the urban core of Hampton Roads is Norfolk/Portsmouth on the Southside, and Newport News/Hampton on the Peninsula.

[jillybean720]

I grew up in a small town in CT on the MA border. My parents both lived in that same small town their entire lives until my sister had a baby in Virginia Beach - grandchildren will make grandparents do crazy things, right? My parents moved their lives to Virginia Beach and never looked back. Yes, it's busier and more crowded, but they don't live anywhere near the "skyscrapers" (all two or three tall buildings there are at Town Center). While you may think you're afraid of a "bigger" area, my mother is so happy to have real stores (Walmart, Target, grocery chains, Kohl's, craft stores...) less than 10 minutes from her home compared to having to drive nearly 40 minutes to the nearest Walmart where I grew up. Her neighborhood is quiet and friendly, and her neighbors have become some of her closest friends.

Virginia Beach and Chesapeake are both large, and both have some more rural areas and some busier areas, and both have lots of public parks (where you are welcome to walk your dog on a leash). We live in Virginia Beach but rarely venture near Town Center, Hilltop, or other busier areas. Find a home you like near the people you care about. The rest of the "scary" stuff likely won't even matter to you after a brief transition period. We went from being about 4.5 hours to just 15 minutes away from my mom when we moved here, and it's been so worth it even though we didn't get the exact type of home in the exact type of neighborhood we wanted.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by jillybean720

I grew up in a small town in CT on the MA border. My parents both lived in that same small town their entire lives until my sister had a baby in Virginia Beach - grandchildren will make grandparents do crazy things, right? My parents moved their lives to Virginia Beach and never looked back. Yes, it's busier and more crowded, but they don't live anywhere near the "skyscrapers" (all two or three tall buildings there are at Town Center). While you may think you're afraid of a "bigger" area, my mother is so happy to have real stores (Walmart, Target, grocery chains, Kohl's, craft stores...) less than 10 minutes from her home compared to having to drive nearly 40 minutes to the nearest Walmart where I grew up. Her neighborhood is quiet and friendly, and her neighbors have become some of her closest friends.

Virginia Beach and Chesapeake are both large, and both have some more rural areas and some busier areas, and both have lots of public parks (where you are welcome to walk your dog on a leash). We live in Virginia Beach but rarely venture near Town Center, Hilltop, or other busier areas. Find a home you like near the people you care about. The rest of the "scary" stuff likely won't even matter to you after a brief transition period. We went from being about 4.5 hours to just 15 minutes away from my mom when we moved here, and it's been so worth it even though we didn't get the exact type of home in the exact type of neighborhood we wanted.

Thank you. The apartments we are moving to are close to where my sister lives. She also works at the other end of Chesapeake and all we want is to be near her and my nieces. Anything else was gravy. It was the gravy that I wanted to know about and I think my questions have been answered.

[loveautumn]

In-Newengland...I've followed your posts for a long time, surprised to hear you are moving out of New England! But glad you found a place that suits you ..I love Virginia and still hope to find my "retirement" place somewhere in that state. It would be great if you keep us posted on your new home and your "adjustment period", etc. Best of luck to you.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by loveautumn

In-Newengland...I've followed your posts for a long time, surprised to hear you are moving out of New England! But glad you found a place that suits you ..I love Virginia and still hope to find my "retirement" place somewhere in that state. It would be great if you keep us posted on your new home and your "adjustment period", etc. Best of luck to you.

Thank you so much for your kind words. There are a lot of beautiful areas in VA but in retirement I want to be near family and keep costs down so I took Chesapeake. The move won't be happening for a while--there's an overseas trip planned for fall and then after that, I hope the apartment complex I like will have an opening. What will my new name be, lol. outof_newengland? from_newengland?

I'll keep you posted. In a way I hate to leave the state I've lived in for my entire life--and I still haven't seen all that there is to see. But it will be the start of a new life. I hope you can move there sometime too.

[countryswan]

For sure I thought you'd say your new name would be "in_chesapeake".
I loved how you rationized through the traffic, the w/d hook up and the high rises.
DH and I both fron NE too, and I soooo understand how you were hoping that maybe down the next block it would resemble some small farm or turn in the road with a stone wall and a stream, just a small nugget that gave a reflection of New England. We had visited VB looking, hoping for it to be a little like a New England shore town, but it has it own complete and unique personality.
Best point though, your decision to live nearby someone you love and to break bread with.
Second best point is the Virginia winters will be a cakewalk and you'll be redeeming the time from November to April no longer suspended under three feet of snow. You might just hit your forehead for a V-8!

[07 Stang]

My parents moved into the Great Bridge area back in 1962 so I can tell you our little area has grown so much over the years. Many roads back then were dirt and not many street or traffic lights. If you like to walk in the park, you can take hikes on the trails off of route 17. They are paved so you can ride your bikes.....but be cautious sometimes black bears can be seen. You can also venture down to the Northwest River Park off of Indian Creek Rd. From their website, "Located on the banks of the Northwest River in Southeastern Chesapeake, VA, this 763-acre park is the perfect blend of natural beauty and recreational activities. Year-round boating, fishing, hiking, and programs are just the beginning. We have our own putt-putt course, horse shoes, volleyball nets and so much more. The park has 66 campsites and 2 rental cabins." Northwest River Park and Campground
As far as Restaurants, there are plenty of non food chains that will keep you satisfied. Grocery Stores are plentiful so you should have no problem finding one near you. If you like riding around on country roads, there are plenty of those south of Great Bridge. Hope you find this helpful. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.