Hampton Roads Vs. Richmond (Virginia Beach, Norfolk: amusement park, credit, theater)

[johnatl]

Hampton Roads/Tidewater for me.

Just the simple fact that it is the furthest from the DC area would be reason enough, but I think the Military presence is a positive in that the area feels much more cosmopolitan than Richmond.

[cityboi757]

I agree completely

[lammius]

Originally Posted by KeyserSoze

Norfolk is part of a metro. Chesapeake is not a suburb of Norfolk -- it's a city of the Hampton Roads metro. Outside of the Richmond city limits it's suburban, then it becomes rural -- mostly in exurban counties. But it's hardly one of the more rural areas of Virginia -- especially since it's right on 95. Hampton Roads has more rural areas than Richmond. Outside of the city limits, it becomes rural fairly quickly. I like Tidewater, and I could see myself living in Norfolk. But given the choice between the two metros, I prefer going with Richmond.

But even the "city" of Chesapeake is largely rural. It's 200,000 people in over 300 square miles. It's larger than NYC. Chesapeake is a lot of malls and burger kings along I64 and then miles and miles of farmland and swampy wilderness. It doesn't contribute much to the "urbanness" of Hampton Roads. But Chesapeake gave us David Wright so I'm not mad at it.

[KeyserSoze]

Originally Posted by cityboi757

I can't agree with more rural areas in hr than richmond metro. Suffolk is the only rural part of the metro and even that city has 80,000 residents. Other than Suffolk and Smithfield the rest of hampton roads is urbanized. Richmond MSA has:Charles City
Chesterfield
Dinwiddie
Goochland
Hanover
Henrico
New Kent
Powhatan
Prince George
Gloucester County, Virginia

All of those are country!

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...lation_map.png

Chesterfield is a mix of suburban/rural. Henrico's urban/suburban. Hanover's fairly rural, but there's a dense population near Henrico.

Gloucester County goes with Hampton Roads. (Largely) rural areas in Hampton Roads include Currituck County in North Carolina, Isle of Wight County, Matthews County, Surry County, Franklin City, Poquoson, Claremont, Dendron and Windsor. It's rural outside of the city limits.

[cityboi757]

Ha yeah that's why I didn't include them in my rant about the urbanity of HR. Chesapeake is a nice place to raise a family though. The urban center of HR goes from downtown portsmouth to norfolk to the center of virginia beach down vb. blvd. to northern chesapeake and up to newport news. That's where the population density is the highest. You can see that on a night time satelitte image of the region.

[cityboi757]

Originally Posted by KeyserSoze

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...lation_map.png

Chesterfield is a mix of suburban/rural. Henrico's urban/suburban. Hanover's fairly rural, but there's a dense population near Henrico.

Gloucester County goes with Hampton Roads. (Largely) rural areas in Hampton Roads include Currituck County in North Carolina, Isle of Wight County, Matthews County, Surry County, Franklin City, Poquoson, Claremont, Dendron and Windsor. It's rural outside of the city limits.

That map should show you that HR is more urban than Richmond- Petersburg

[KeyserSoze]

Yea but that was almost ten years ago. Things have changed.

Mapping the Quality of Life in the US | NumbersUSA - For Lower Immigration Levels

The Richmond metro is getting bigger -- the population is growing in these once exurban counties. It gives you the choice of urban, suburban, or rural. Plus it's in a good location from Tidewater, to the DC area, to other points west.

Hampton Roads on the other hand only grows mostly in the urban areas. It only gives you city or country. And I prefer living in the suburbs of a metro. Plus the area draws too many tourists for my liking.

[cityboi757]

Both areas are growing. One day the HR metro is going to physically touch the richmond metro. Actually the urban areas of HR have maintained there population while the suburban cities of chesapeake and virginia beach have grown quite substantially. But I've made my opinion known lol. Let's see what some other people think.

[PrinceTheo]

Originally Posted by cityboi757

What metropolitan area is better? Virginia Beach- Norfolk- Newport News or Richmond- Fredericksburg- Petersburg? Which one is more urban? Better Downtown (Norfolk or Richmond)? More things to do? Better sporting events? Concerts? Density? Etc.?

Cool, I'll bite.

I don't know which one would be "better" but Richmond & Petersburg is more urban than Hampton Roads.

Richmond has the more impressive skyline. It has a lot of old established neighborhoods and architecture. Unfortunately, Richmond was known for high crime in some areas, but it has improved recently. The largest college in Va is near downtown.

Minor league baseball *may* be back in Richmond by next season. There are numerous festivals,concerts, parades, etc. throughout the year which draws thousands. A partially new/renovated performing arts complex will open in downtown Richmond this fall.

Fort Lee near Petersburg is expanding. The Short Pump area in Henrico County has its own "downtown" in progress.

As said before don't necesarily think one metro is a lot better than the other, but each metro has its own vibe.

I'm suprised this is in the US forum

[cityboi757]

Haha good answer I guess. Every thing you said I could counter with something equal to or greater in Norfolk/ Va Beach, but whatever. Minor league baseball "may" be back and it would only be AA. We have an established AAA team. Richmond has VCU, Norfolk has Old Dominion. Numerous festivals, concerts, parades, etc. Norfolk has plenty and probably more than Richmond. Norfolk has about 15 downtown concert venues and performing art centers. Fort Leee in Petersburg, Norfolk has the largest installation in the world. Short Pump in Henrio, Virginia Beach Town Center in VB.