Norfolk, VA Area Guide

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Norfolk, VA

Three hours south of Washington DC, nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Carolina border lies the city of Norfolk, Virginia. Home the largest naval base in the world, Naval Station Norfolk, and Headquarters of the Atlantic Fleet. In addition to this large base, the area also has several smaller military installations, including Naval Air Station Oceana and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard just to name a few. The area is a unique mixture of people who have made the area their long term home and those who are passing through with the military.

There is no large public transportation system, as the several tunnels in area present traffic challenges to large scale public transportation systems, but there are busses that operate regularly. The Norfolk Airport has grown significantly, and there are many flights in and out daily, to several destinations. The region is frequently referred to as the Tidewater area and Hampton Roads interchangeably, which also includes the cities of Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Newport News, Hampton and Virginia Beach.

The house prices in the Norfolk area have risen significantly in the past decade, but purchasing a home is still very affordable. Rent prices are also reasonable, and the cost of living, although a bit higher than other areas in the South, is still reasonable. There are several colleges in the area including Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, Regent University and Virginia Wesleyan University, but it is by no means a typical college town. Due to the student population, there are always reasonably priced apartments in the area, depending on proximity to schools and the downtown area.

One of the benefits of the Norfolk area is that there is always something interesting to do here! Virginia Beach is a popular tourist destination in the summer, but visiting is fun any time of year. The variety of restaurants mean there is always a new place to try. Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown are less than an hour away from Norfolk, which makes incorporating history into regular life easy to accomplish.

The downtown Norfolk area is called Waterside. It is home to Harbor Park, an NCAA basketball arena, a popular concert venue and also where the Norfolk Tides play AAA baseball as an affiliate for the Baltimore Orioles. Waterside is also home to many unique restaurants, and you can often find live music playing. The 10.5 mile Elizabeth River Trail runs along the Norfolk waterfront area, connecting Towne Point Park, Harbor Park and the historic Freemason district. The trail has interesting historical markers along the path that share facts and features about the environment and the area.

People from all over the world call Norfolk home, making it a unique and beautiful place to live.