Things I hate about Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach, Norfolk: foreclosure, sex offender, buying a house)

[tvpirate05]

Originally Posted by VA7cities

A few things come to mind when reading your post but I will refrain from commenting.... but I hope you get to enjoy some of the positive things that HR has to offer.

Wouldn't hold my breath.

[froggin4colorado]

How did this thread resurface?! I thought it was dead. Is this all a result of the other thread? Wow...
Yes, lots dislike the area...the good thing, there is a such thing as moving/transfering.

[tvpirate05]

Originally Posted by froggin4colorado

How did this thread resurface?! I thought it was dead. Is this all a result of the other thread? Wow...
Yes, lots dislike the area...the good thing, there is a such thing as moving/transfering.

Yes, but just like any other metro, lots like the area as well. Unfortunately, a majority of the posts on this board (not just this thread) trash the area as if it's the worst place in the world. Oftentimes, it's folks who are bitter and refuse to even keep an open mind and give the area a chance, like the New Orleans poster.

[Alicia Bradley]

I've heard so many bad reports about Hampton Roads in the Northern Virginia sub-forum (mind you, I can't stand NoVA) that I had to check it out via Google Street View just for fun. My reaction to the little bit of Norfolk I saw (near Old Dominion University... Ghent?) is "Wow!!!' It's absolutely lovely and looks a lot better than the 'elite,' trash- and weeds-bedecked hellhole where I live.

[froggin4colorado]

It is very green and the cities themselves are attractive.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by Alicia Bradley

I've heard so many bad reports about Hampton Roads in the Northern Virginia sub-forum (mind you, I can't stand NoVA) that I had to check it out via Google Street View just for fun. My reaction to the little bit of Norfolk I saw (near Old Dominion University... Ghent?) is "Wow!!!' It's absolutely lovely and looks a lot better than the 'elite,' trash- and weeds-bedecked hellhole where I live.

Those bad reports were probably referring to me (or addressing me) since I was raised in Hampton Roads before moving to NoVA and made no secret of my overall positive view of HR as opposed to NoVA. Not all of HR is like Ghent, in fact a townhome in Hampton I used to live in is a trash and weed filled roach motel, but it's decent and underrated nationally.

[ShadowBat]

Originally Posted by kathybanks

Virginia is a place where you can relocate to die , the people here is not friendly Im from new orleans and I have never seen people who can't mind their own business, these people here wants to know every thing about you in order to get a job here you have to sign over your rights to them to go into your credit report, you can't even smile on your ID they try to suck any kind of happiness out of you. The housing here is so small they cram you in an appartment and the rent here sucks , people ride bikes in the street. They don't know what season is food is their food is bland like eating bread and blood I hate this place when I awake in the morning I can't believe im still in virginia It's like I' In a NIGHTMARE!!!!! I lost more than I gained moving here if your ready to die come here. It's just that dead. the people here always have a stressed look on their face, their a group of stupid ******s and poor white trash, the people in virginia think their living but their a group of people that seem uneducated and very very poor and back of the woods people

People in VA are uneducated??? Did you even read your own post?

BTW, outside of the tourist areas of New Orleans, that place is pretty much a trash can too. Before Katrina mind you. I don't even want to know what it might be like now. Haven't heard many good things as far as progress being made in rebuilding the vast majority of the city. Louisiana is one of the poorest and uneducated states in the entire country, it's the pot calling the kettle black you coming on here claiming people in VA are uneducated, poor, backwoods people. You should check your facts before making blanket statements that are entirely untrue. Sheesh

Hampton Roads is far from perfect, but it is far, far, far from being the worst place in the world. Even the US!

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by kathybanks

Virginia is a place where you can relocate to die , the people here is not friendly Im from new orleans and I have never seen people who can't mind their own business, these people here wants to know every thing about you in order to get a job here you have to sign over your rights to them to go into your credit report, you can't even smile on your ID they try to suck any kind of happiness out of you. The housing here is so small they cram you in an appartment and the rent here sucks , people ride bikes in the street. They don't know what season is food is their food is bland like eating bread and blood I hate this place when I awake in the morning I can't believe im still in virginia It's like I' In a NIGHTMARE!!!!! I lost more than I gained moving here if your ready to die come here. It's just that dead. the people here always have a stressed look on their face, their a group of stupid ******s and poor white trash, the people in virginia think their living but their a group of people that seem uneducated and very very poor and back of the woods people

Virginia is 4th in education and Louisana is 27th in education according to this table. Louisiana ranked 48th in the chance for success which is even worse than my current state of Kentucky 40th.

http://www.edweek.org/media/ew/qc/20...essRelease.pdf

Pre-Katrina, New Orleans only had one school system in the country that was more futile which was Washington DC. Now the locals don't think highly of Norfolk's public schools but they are miles ahead of New Orleans.

BTW, I lived from age 2 to 22 in Virginia and I'm still alive.

[emeraldgirl]

Originally Posted by kathybanks

Virginia is a place where you can relocate to die , the people here is not friendly Im from new orleans and I have never seen people who can't mind their own business, these people here wants to know every thing about you in order to get a job here you have to sign over your rights to them to go into your credit report, you can't even smile on your ID they try to suck any kind of happiness out of you. The housing here is so small they cram you in an appartment and the rent here sucks , people ride bikes in the street. They don't know what season is food is their food is bland like eating bread and blood I hate this place when I awake in the morning I can't believe im still in virginia It's like I' In a NIGHTMARE!!!!! I lost more than I gained moving here if your ready to die come here. It's just that dead. the people here always have a stressed look on their face, their a group of stupid ******s and poor white trash, the people in virginia think their living but their a group of people that seem uneducated and very very poor and back of the woods people

Sorry, I can hardly read your post. What's up with the run-on sentences??

[froggin4colorado]

What I would like to remind everyone though about being placed 4th in the country is that each state uses thier own standardized testing methods. I have learned that the schools here teach the SOL. When I was briefed/trained as a SOL facilitator, it was very laid back, testing materials were not under lock and key, and the testing booklet was not read word for word. Additionally, the kids are taught the test. What do I mean? I mean, typically the kids are taught the skills and then they must apply them during a test on items they have not seen yet. So they should not have seen any of those questions before. Additionally, the SOL has grade material tests and nothing below or above grade level. So, if your child is performing above grade level, you would still expect a years growth in a year but that is harder to determine with the current SOL tests. Same with below grade level, if a student is performing 1.3 yrs behind grade level and then when took the test could be performing .7 below grade level- what success! That's growth but it won't show it on the current SOL. Now, it isn't great that the student is still not on grade level, but we must measure growth period. How would we now that the student wasn't now 1.7 yrs behind when the SOL was taken?
Another point, in other states, a collection of teachers, administrators, etc gathers yearly to grade standardized testing- so it is not graded by the school district. If the school district grades their own tests, what do you think the results will be??? It threatens the validity big time.
And remember the story this last school year on the superintendent in the area who told his HS principals to have the students cheat on the SAT and the story about the principal who coerced teachers to assist students with their work to help with accreditation? Report: School faculty told to cheat, whistle-blower rebuked | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
I know VA isn't the only state with these issues, that isn't my total point. However, I wanted to point out that we should always question the type of article you present. Now, I admit I am always guilty to quickly cite and point out articles that promote my own personal interests without critically looking.
But this is one of our problems with education- the standards aren't normed across the nation- this has pros and cons, depending how you look at it.