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Hampton Roads is a great place to live but you have to get past the naysayers and the small town mentality. First, instead of there being one big city, there are five medium sized cities. Each city wants their own "downtown" so each city has a different feel.There is plenty to do, lots of museums and art galleries. Do they compare with the Met or the Louvre? No. There is traffic. Is it as bad as New York or Chicago? No.There is a large military presence, but it makes up a very small percentage of the 1.7 million people living here. There are a lot of former military and retired military here, but there are also many many people who were born and raised here. I doubt you'll feel 'left out' if you're not military.There are several professional sports teams here, two that are at the top of the minor league level, the Norfolk Tides (baseball), and the Hampton Roads Admirals (hockey). Harbor Park, where the Tides play, was chosen by Baseball America as the best minor league park in the country shortly after it opened. The Admirals routinely sell out, and its fans are among the most rabid I've ever seen? Is it Major league? No, but then you don't pay major league prices either. There are also three Division I universities that all field competitive sports teams.If you are into the outdoors, there are numerous biking and hiking trails around here and within a short drive. There is also very good hunting (Virginia has a Whitetail Deer population of 1,000,000) and world class fishing.I could go on, but...
Hehe, as you can see, if you ask two different people you get two different answers . SFT, you mentioned you were looking for some place a little cheaper than NH. A couple of points:
1. You will need to take into account what you make here as well. If you look at COL indexes, VA Beach may not seem real high. But if you factor in average salary, it makes it very high. In fact, here is an article that rates VA Beach as one of the most unaffordable cities based on household income and expenses, putting it in the same class as cities like Los Angeles and New York.In Depth: America's Most And Least Family-Friendly Cities - Forbes.com.
2. I think NH has no sales tax and no state income tax, so you will need to factor that in when comparing cities. We have high personal property tax here which is another tax expense.
As far as the military making up a "small" percentage of our overall population, I am not sure what the exact numbers are and it depends on what you consider small. But I would say that nearly half of the people I know are in the military or connected to the military somehow. Trust me, this is the largest military based area in the world and what this area is primarily about.
There are some minor league teams here, but for a population of 1.7 million it is sad that there are no major league teams. The Tides are fun to watch, but most people here don't follow them. The last game I went to had more fans for the opposing team. I will take frogbiscuits word about the Admirals having rabid fans. Although I am surprised hockey is so big down here. The prices are cheaper which is cool.
Much of a place is what you make of it. But if you had a choice I think Raleigh is the much better alternative. If you look at any rankings, Raleigh usually beats out VA Beach. Here are some more articles:
Best Cities For Jobs http://www.forbes.com/2007/02/15/bes...hisSpeed=15000
I don't remember ever seeing VA Beach on any top city lists unless it was for something negative. You will find on this board that most people that say HR is a great place to live are either in the military or are older. I don't know anyone in their 20s or early 30s that likes living here.
BUT . . . in the end it is your decision and the only way to really know is to visit both places and decide for yourself. Luckily they are close by each other so you can hit both (or whatever other cities you want to visit) easily. I would say come down for a week and split your time between the two and find out which one feels right. Let us know if you have any more specific questions and good luck .
Last edited by chesapeakesim; 06-23-2009 at 10:45 AM..
Reason: Formatting
1. You will need to take into account what you make here as well. If you
I don't remember ever seeing VA Beach on any top city lists unless it was for something negative. You will find on this board that most people that say HR is a great place to live are either in the military or are older. I don't know anyone in their 20s or early 30s that likes living here.
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I'm 25, born and raised in Chesapeake until I was 18, now in Va Beach, and I love it.
Hehe, as you can see, if you ask two different people you get two different answers . SFT, you mentioned you were looking for some place a little cheaper than NH. A couple of points:
1. You will need to take into account what you make here as well. If you look at COL indexes, VA Beach may not seem real high. But if you factor in average salary, it makes it very high. In fact, here is an article that rates VA Beach as one of the most unaffordable cities based on household income and expenses, putting it in the same class as cities like Los Angeles and New York.In Depth: America's Most And Least Family-Friendly Cities - Forbes.com.
2. I think NH has no sales tax and no state income tax, so you will need to factor that in when comparing cities. We have high personal property tax here which is another tax expense.
As far as the military making up a "small" percentage of our overall population, I am not sure what the exact numbers are and it depends on what you consider small. But I would say that nearly half of the people I know are in the military or connected to the military somehow. Trust me, this is the largest military based area in the world and what this area is primarily about.
There are some minor league teams here, but for a population of 1.7 million it is sad that there are no major league teams. The Tides are fun to watch, but most people here don't follow them. The last game I went to had more fans for the opposing team. I will take frogbiscuits word about the Admirals having rabid fans. Although I am surprised hockey is so big down here. The prices are cheaper which is cool.
Much of a place is what you make of it. But if you had a choice I think Raleigh is the much better alternative. If you look at any rankings, Raleigh usually beats out VA Beach. Here are some more articles:
Best Cities For Jobs By The Numbers: The 25 Best U.S. Cities For Jobs - Forbes.com
I don't remember ever seeing VA Beach on any top city lists unless it was for something negative. You will find on this board that most people that say HR is a great place to live are either in the military or are older. I don't know anyone in their 20s or early 30s that likes living here.
BUT . . . in the end it is your decision and the only way to really know is to visit both places and decide for yourself. Luckily they are close by each other so you can hit both (or whatever other cities you want to visit) easily. I would say come down for a week and split your time between the two and find out which one feels right. Let us know if you have any more specific questions and good luck .
Oh come on, just state your bias up front. A list was recently posted that ranked VB among the best cities for young, hip individuals. Look at the VBgov website and you will see that it has been rated as one of the best places to raise a family, and there are a lot more.
This guy disses Hampton Roads every time he gets a chance. Add a nice "but its your choice" at the end to make the comment seem reasonable. That's crap. Some people don't like it here. Wow, that's news. Don't let some opinionated (blank) who has too much time on his hands sway your vote.
Oh come on, just state your bias up front. A list was recently posted that ranked VB among the best cities for young, hip individuals. Look at the VBgov website and you will see that it has been rated as one of the best places to raise a family, and there are a lot more.
This guy disses Hampton Roads every time he gets a chance. Add a nice "but its your choice" at the end to make the comment seem reasonable. That's crap. Some people don't like it here. Wow, that's news. Don't let some opinionated (blank) who has too much time on his hands sway your vote.
I have to agree. If you were forced to come here due to economic downslide where you came from, I say "don't complain and be grateful." Bashing an area you don't like, but live off it's fruits is just not right.
Oh come on, just state your bias up front. A list was recently posted that ranked VB among the best cities for young, hip individuals. Look at the VBgov website and you will see that it has been rated as one of the best places to raise a family, and there are a lot more.
This guy disses Hampton Roads every time he gets a chance. Add a nice "but its your choice" at the end to make the comment seem reasonable. That's crap. Some people don't like it here. Wow, that's news. Don't let some opinionated (blank) who has too much time on his hands sway your vote.
The OP wanted some comments on this area and some sites to check out to help in his decision on where to move. I am not bashing HR just for the fun of it. I have moved to a good number of different cities and know what it is like to choose one that you are not happy in, so if I can provide my opinion what is wrong with that?
Also, my comment about coming down here to check it out for himself was not trying to make my post seem "reasonable". Basing your decision to move to a city or not on one persons perspective makes no sense so the only real way to tell if you like it is to visit it yourself. He may come down here and absolutely love it and that will make the decision an easy one. Why is that crap?
Whether you agree or not with a post and whether it is helpful or not is up to the person reading it, but at least I tried to provide some useful advice and stats. I don't just reference some unnamed article from some unnamed source that says VA Beach is a good place to live. And I don't have to resort to name calling in my posts.
You obviously like living here so why not give the OP something useful, like reasons why VA Beach is better than Raleigh or why you like living here, or reference some of the countless articles you mentioned about VA Beach being a great place to raise a family. I promise I won't even call you an opinionated #%$&. Or if you don't care then you don't have to post. But don't bash someone for giving an opinion when the OP asked for opinions.
The OP wanted some comments on this area and some sites to check out to help in his decision on where to move. I am not bashing HR just for the fun of it. I have moved to a good number of different cities and know what it is like to choose one that you are not happy in, so if I can provide my opinion what is wrong with that?
Also, my comment about coming down here to check it out for himself was not trying to make my post seem "reasonable". Basing your decision to move to a city or not on one persons perspective makes no sense so the only real way to tell if you like it is to visit it yourself. He may come down here and absolutely love it and that will make the decision an easy one. Why is that crap?
Whether you agree or not with a post and whether it is helpful or not is up to the person reading it, but at least I tried to provide some useful advice and stats. I don't just reference some unnamed article from some unnamed source that says VA Beach is a good place to live. And I don't have to resort to name calling in my posts.
You obviously like living here so why not give the OP something useful, like reasons why VA Beach is better than Raleigh or why you like living here, or reference some of the countless articles you mentioned about VA Beach being a great place to raise a family. I promise I won't even call you an opinionated #%$&. Or if you don't care then you don't have to post. But don't bash someone for giving an opinion when the OP asked for opinions.
C'mon man, use your freaking brain. Maybe you don't like it here but facts clearly indicate that this is a decent place to live.
Most reasonable people would suggest that opinions are based upon facts. You point out negatives about the beach by listing three surveys (I haven't looked at them) and casually forget to recognize that there are dozens of rankings that counter and in many instances directly contradict what you have provided.
Just today, Forbes ranked Virginia as the best state in the nation for business. It has been in the top 3 for 5 years. Um, VB is in Va. We must be doing something right.
Check out the VBGov website and other sources - there are probably 100 rankings where VB is rated higher than most similarly sized cities in America. Here are a few:
2008 U.S. Municipalities E-Governance Report
VBgov.com has been ranked #16 out of 100 municipal Web sites that were evaluated in the 2008 U.S. Municipalities E-Governance Report.
Virginia Beach is Most Technology Advanced City in America
The City of Virginia Beach is the most technology advanced city government in the nation
SAVVY Award
In September 2003, the City-County Communications and Marketing ...
MuniNet Guide & Review: Top Pick for 2000
In January 2001, VBgov.com was recognized by MuniNet Guide and Review as a Top Pick
We also have the lowest crime rate of ANY city > 250k.
I don't have the time or care enough to post more rankings as it has been done MANY TIMES on this site. The problem with this website is that one person like you states a biased opinion and ignores fact leaving new visitors thinking that you know what the hell you are talking about. Don't like it here/haven't found success here? Cool. But don't let OPINION override TRUTH which is based upon fact.
C'mon man, use your freaking brain. Maybe you don't like it here but facts clearly indicate that this is a decent place to live.
Most reasonable people would suggest that opinions are based upon facts. You point out negatives about the beach by listing three surveys (I haven't looked at them) and casually forget to recognize that there are dozens of rankings that counter and in many instances directly contradict what you have provided.
Just today, Forbes ranked Virginia as the best state in the nation for business. It has been in the top 3 for 5 years. Um, VB is in Va. We must be doing something right.
Check out the VBGov website and other sources - there are probably 100 rankings where VB is rated higher than most similarly sized cities in America. Here are a few:
2008 U.S. Municipalities E-Governance Report
VBgov.com has been ranked #16 out of 100 municipal Web sites that were evaluated in the 2008 U.S. Municipalities E-Governance Report.
Virginia Beach is Most Technology Advanced City in America
The City of Virginia Beach is the most technology advanced city government in the nation
SAVVY Award
In September 2003, the City-County Communications and Marketing ...
MuniNet Guide & Review: Top Pick for 2000
In January 2001, VBgov.com was recognized by MuniNet Guide and Review as a Top Pick
We also have the lowest crime rate of ANY city > 250k.
I don't have the time or care enough to post more rankings as it has been done MANY TIMES on this site. The problem with this website is that one person like you states a biased opinion and ignores fact leaving new visitors thinking that you know what the hell you are talking about. Don't like it here/haven't found success here? Cool. But don't let OPINION override TRUTH which is based upon fact.
Dude, no offense, but those awards have almost nothing to do with whether VA Beach is a great place to live or not. It sounds like they all have to do with the vbgov.com website or the city government itself. One of them was for 2000, which in tech years might as well be 20 years ago. I don't know anyone that would base their decision to move to a city on the quality of the city's website. You reference 100's of rankings on the site, surely you can do better than this.
The crime stat is at least useful to the poster. Not sure if it is the lowest of ANY city >250K, probably depends on how it is measured. But surprisingly, the crime rate is very low for a city this size, I do agree with that.
As far as the Forbes ranking of Virginia as the best state in the nation for business, that also has a little more relevance, but just cause VB is "in" Virginia, does not necessarily mean the ranking applies to VB as well. Virginia is a big state with many different cities.
We could argue all day whether VA Beach is a great place to live or not. I admit that it is not the worst place to live, especially if you are older or in the military. If you are young and are relying on the civilian job market it is a much different story.
The OP mentioned interest in moving to Raleigh or VA Beach. I posted 5 articles and each rated Raleigh over VB, don't you think that these articles are based on FACTS, or do you think that the authors of the articles are biased too?
If you are saying that these 5 are not enough, there are plenty more out there.
That's great that you like living here and there are others that love living here too, so I won't argue with you about whether this is a decent place to live. But when you look at the two cities and the facts surrounding them, I can not see VA Beach as the better city for this poster. If you disagree, please tell us/him why?
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. SFT, you mentioned you were looking for some place a little cheaper than NH. A couple of points:
