Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk offers a lot of what bigger cities can do while still feeling like a smaller town. People are friendly but transitory due to so many being in the military - friends you make today may not live here next year. Norfolk is a fairly solid second tier for concert tours, etc. No major league teams, but you can see just about any sport if you don't mind minor league or college teams. Richmond, Washington DC, North Carolina's Triangle, and the Outer Banks are all easily accessible.

There’s BBQ, homemade ice cream, she-crab soup, in-town breweries, an urban winery, and The Hampton Roads Pridefest. And duck races! Maybe most important to some of you: Norfolk has more Dog Parks per capita than any city in the US other than Portland, OR.

Final note: All the bridges/tunnels can easily become bottlenecks. Construction to relieve the problems has been funded with tolls. Summer means high humidity and temperatures. Minor rainstorms cause massive flooding, and water levels are rising.

We highly recommend visiting Norfolk and staying in the community in a VRBO rather than a hotel to get a feel for what it's like to live among the locals. You can receive discounted fares on travel via our partnership with Expedia as well.

Military is really big here and a huge percentage of people here are either in the military or connected to it somehow. Military culture is pervasive. Young professionals flock to and rave about the neighborhood called Ghent. It’s walkable (or bikeable) to Sentaro RMH Medical Center and great indie boutique shopping. Downtown is similar and the young professionals also like Chelsea.

Colonial Place has a similar feel from what you'll find in Ghent (slightly less expensive) but It is a peninsula surrounded on three sides by the Lafayette River. It is a relatively racially mixed area that includes mostly single family homes and a few apartment buildings.
Other neighborhoods of note; The Larrymore Lawns neighborhood, parts of Ocean View (beware of flooding), North Meadowbrook and Larchmont (Both are close to Sentaro.) Camellia Gardens is safe, but you’re fewer apartments to rent (more homes to rent.)

A less expensive alternative is Ward's Corner which is attempting a revitalization but it is going in fits and starts. Talbot Park is further from Downtown but a nice, quiet neighborhood. Old Towne Portsmouth is a ferry ride across the river.

If you want to know what is happening in Norfolk check out the calendar of events: https://www.downtownnorfolk.org/

Big skies, rolling hills, swathes of green fields, and plenty of wildlife to watch.
It’s great for military families, the cost of living is decent and the food is yummy. Lots of local businesses and pride.