Considering move-your thoughts? (Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake: best neighborhoods, how much, townhome)

[Xowil]

Considering move to the area for a job in Norfolk. We will be moving from Atlanta. Family of 4 with 2 small children. I am looking for a few things... affordability (house/townhome 2+bedroom with backyard) for under $1650, safe area, very diverse (multiple races) and good/great schools. Any suggestions on where we should start looking? I’m not sold on this move being the right move just yet.

[Isabella Tiger Moth]

Virginia Beach or Chesapeake would be your best bet for schools (they're good, though they can vary somewhat by neighborhood) and also safety. You should be okay within your budget for housing (which can be pricey) although you might have to look around a bit. Plan to live on the Southside. You might find better pricing on the peninsula but you do. not. want. that commute.

[Statz2k10]

If the job is in Norfolk make sure you're looking for houses on that side of the water. Avoid Chesapeake areas that would require you to go over the high rise or gilmerton/jordan bridges.

That budget should be able to get you in a neighborhood house in a relatively good area.

Depending on where in Norfolk could also help with a decision on neighborhoods. Norfolk borders both VB & Chesapeake and you could have a relatively nice neighborhood near certain parts of Norfolk with that budget.

[goofy328]

You should be looking as close to the job as possible. Our train system is not as extensive as Atlanta's, and it only covers a few neighborhoods in Norfolk. You'll find people of color, minorities, etc everywhere in Hampton Roads income levels may vary but this region is not homogeneous.

Unless you want to drive more than 30 minutes just find something in Norfolk. When you get into commuting from one city to another a 20 or 30 minute commute turns into an hour or more.

If you do end up having to go with a neighborhood that borders Virginia Beach and Chesapeake the Virginia Beach border is nicer. The Chesapeake border will be the neighborhood of South Norfolk on the Chesapeake side, and probably a neighborhood like Berkeley, or Campostella, on the Norfolk side. The homes will be affordable but those won't be the best neighborhoods.

The Virginia Beach border will include neighborhoods next to the airport, the Janaf shopping area or Military Circle Mall. Still sketchy neighborhoods but your shopping is far better than it is on the Chesapeake border. Technically the Chesapeake border is closer to downtown Norfolk though, which you reach once you go over the Elizabeth River. The Virginia Beach border you can just walk over into Norfolk.

I've been on the Chesapeake/Norfolk border, on both sides. Do not do it! I don't even like the Chesapeake border on the Portsmouth side. Only Chesapeake borders I'll do is where it meets Virginia Beach and, technically is not a border, but North Chesapeake turns into South Chesapeake (Great Bridge). That's about it.

[Lockdev]

I would not move to Norfolk with small children unless you're planning on putting them in one of the private schools.

Research the affordability of those schools.

You'd be better off living in one of the surrounding areas(Virginia Beach or Chesapeake). Just know that your commute is going to be absolute hell.

Please leave your "diversity" requirement at the door. Hampton Roads has very little racial tension and bringing up the word implies that we have hateful groups of people that are not inclusive.

It doesn't matter if a neighborhood is 0%, 50%, or 100% white, black, Asian, or extraterrestrial: Focus on finding a safe neighborhood. That in itself can be a challenge in Norfolk.

[goofy328]

Second what Lockdev said about the need to put the children in public schools. How much time do you want to spend tutoring the children and making sure that they are actually learning the material. How much time do you want to spend talking to the teachers, or with the principal, etc? How hands on do you need to be?

If you can afford it, the public schools in better neighborhoods aren't that bad though. I'm thinking Ghent, Larchmont, Lafayette, etc. These are the neighborhoods you want to live in, if you have to move into Norfolk, anyway.

If you have to deal with Virginia Beach or Chesapeake, go towards the center. Avoid the areas that border Norfolk. It isn't the worst commute if you stay off of 286, annoying, but not as bad as having to go to the Peninsula. Drive through town. You can set up your GPS to avoid highways. I would recommend doing this. You should know that when we say Virginia Beach or Chesapeake, we're talking about Northern Virginia Beach and Northern Chesapeake. The Southern portions of those cities are quite rural, and the commute may be untenable. No real dividing line, but Pungo in Virginia Beach and Great Bridge in Chesapeake is a good rule of thumb. These cities are much larger than Atlanta proper, physically. Atlanta Metro, in general, is 2 1/4 times larger than Hampton Roads.

As far as diversity, you don't have the problems here that you may encounter in other metropolitan regions. A lot of people assume that there would be because this is Virginia. That isn't really the case.

Even when I was in the Western part of the state out in Harrisonburg which is only like 7% Black it honestly was not that bad. My discontent was more about the fact that was a small town. Also, Blacks I did run into, felt like more of an assimilation type of thing which I wasn't that interested in doing myself. I did not know who lived in the neighborhood, and some of the people I got along with at work, and some I did not, and I was the only Black there. It is what it is. But I wouldn't lose a lot of sleep over that as Virginia is very diverse, for a number of reasons, and it won't be much of an issue. I am not saying that the issue simply does not exist, that isn't the case anywhere in this world, but as with most things, sometimes the issue is being different, more so than race (if race was an issue at all). And this is a large enough area you'll find like minded individuals anyway, so, whatever.