Where's this place??? (Virginia Beach, Chesapeake: low crime, safe area, theater)

[savvymom]

Which town has an old fashioned downtown "Main Street" look to it, and which "feels" and IS more safe Chesapeake or VA Beach? I've never been to either place.. and while I'm asking do either of these towns have multiple beaches you can go to, or only one "main" public beach. Which (if either) looks like a more quaint picture postcard? Either of them have a New England look? I miss the small beaches and the charming seaside villages, but want a medium sized town/city, where it is busy and doesn't fold up too early..
Is there a town or towns you could name in VA or MD with good size Main Street for shopping, also w/ a mall w/in 15-20 minutes, interesting restaurants (not just burger joints, but those are good too), a REAL bakery, coffee, card shop.. infrastructure, etc. up to but not more than 20 minutes from the beach. ---->>> OR a town in Delmarva maybe?? <<<------
I want to move somewhere that has a SAFE community with artists and museums, and theater, savvy, "colorful", creatively inspired. I like cooking ~ maybe even a "Fresh Market, or Whole Foods grocery Store" for a great ingredients. Still though,
want to walk on the beach, smell the salt air, hear the seagulls...
Sounds like heaven.. do you know of this town?

[rtandc]

Sorry but there is no place like you are looking for anywhere in VA

[stacylee926]

I have been up down the east coast and there is nothing I have seen that compares to say, the cute little towns on Maine's coast. Virginia actually has lots of main street towns, just none that includes the beach. Also our main street towns tend to be in more rural areas.

There are 'quaint' type seaside towns - Savannah specifically comes to mind, but overall Savannah does not rate real high as a safe area. Charleston might be another option, but I really just flew through Charleston the one and only time I was there. St Augustine is also a fun place.

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by savvymom

Which town has an old fashioned downtown "Main Street" look to it, and which "feels" and IS more safe Chesapeake or VA Beach? I've never been to either place.. and while I'm asking do either of these towns have multiple beaches you can go to, or only one "main" public beach. Which (if either) looks like a more quaint picture postcard? Either of them have a New England look? I miss the small beaches and the charming seaside villages, but want a medium sized town/city, where it is busy and doesn't fold up too early..
Is there a town or towns you could name in VA or MD with good size Main Street for shopping, also w/ a mall w/in 15-20 minutes, interesting restaurants (not just burger joints, but those are good too), a REAL bakery, coffee, card shop.. infrastructure, etc. up to but not more than 20 minutes from the beach. ---->>> OR a town in Delmarva maybe?? <<<------
I want to move somewhere that has a SAFE community with artists and museums, and theater, savvy, "colorful", creatively inspired. I like cooking ~ maybe even a "Fresh Market, or Whole Foods grocery Store" for a great ingredients. Still though,
want to walk on the beach, smell the salt air, hear the seagulls...
Sounds like heaven.. do you know of this town?

I think the biggest problem you have is that you are looking for decent sized city that has no crime, that is primarily higher income, yet still attracts the young and hip.

Several of those things conflict

1. The young and hip are not attracted to slow paced, high income snoody areas. Low crime rates are often a symptom of an older, wealthier, and slower paced demographic.

2. Medium sized cities or larger rarely have a low crime rate, and if you are looking for lower then Virginia Beach, you are kidding yourself.

I think your best option is to move maybe Newport, Rhode Island, or somewhere on western Long Island. They have infrastructure for the wealthy, lower end crime, Newport is on the smallish side (and has equivalent crime to VA Beach), and so are most of the towns in Western Long Island, but both are within a short commute of great museums, artists enclaves, and theatre.

However, the majority of housing here is well over even the Virginia Beach levels.

Good Luck.

[Erma]

Originally Posted by savvymom

want to walk on the beach, smell the salt air, hear the seagulls...
Sounds like heaven.. do you know of this town?

Heaven has a town like this...one day you'll be there!

[chesapeakesim]

Originally Posted by stacylee926

I have been up down the east coast and there is nothing I have seen that compares to say, the cute little towns on Maine's coast. Virginia actually has lots of main street towns, just none that includes the beach. Also our main street towns tend to be in more rural areas.

There are 'quaint' type seaside towns - Savannah specifically comes to mind, but overall Savannah does not rate real high as a safe area. Charleston might be another option, but I really just flew through Charleston the one and only time I was there. St Augustine is also a fun place.

Maine coastal towns is what I was thinking as well. The downside of those is that those towns are small and seasonal. But I don't know of any coastal towns in VA that come close to that, and VA Beach is probably the exact opposite of what you are looking for.

The only one that comes to mind is Willmington, NC. I have only visited once, but they are on the beach and have a historic, charming downtown type area. Not sure about the crime rate though.

[ChessieMom]

Agree with the others. Nothing like that anywhere in VA, or anywhere on the east coast that I have ever been.

[wjjbward]

Cape May, New Jersey is quaint.

I hear Knott's Island, NC is quaint, but it's not on the ocean.