Norfolk offers a lot of what bigger cities can 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 and any city in the US other than Portland OR. 

**Here's a local on the doggo situation here:** 
*There are tons of dog parks here in Norfolk. I can't speak for Virginia Beach because I never paid too much attention in that regard. PETA has a very large dog park that dogs can run around, play, and swim in. There's no strong association with PETA other than the dog park is right next to it. There's another good sized dog park in the Colonial Place neighborhood where dogs can play, but it definitely is mostly dirt.*

For more reviews of Norfolk from locals check out: [**The Buzz**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/norfolk?page=buzz)

Doggos!!!

The Best Thing About Norfolk?

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

**Here's a local on how you should live given the drag of the bridges/tunnels: **
*I actively avoid the HRBT if I can. What worries me most is just how antiquated the damn thing is. It way overexceeds the original daily capacity, it's failed load testing in the past two years, and it's literally got a 5 mile backup every day from Granby Street all the way to the Hampton Coliseum. It's an engineering disaster waiting to happen... which the Pilot has reported on before. As it stands, I recommend no one ever live and work on separate sides of the water if they can ever help it.*


Bridges/Tunnels

 The Worst Thing About Norfolk?

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/


Lifestyle of Norfolk 

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. 


Wildlife

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**The Best Thing About Norfolk?** 

Norfolk offers a lot of what bigger cities can 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!


**The Worst Thing About Norfolk?** 
All the bridges/tunnels can easily become bottlenecks and construction to relieve the problems have been funded with tolls. Summer means high humidity and temperatures. Minor rainstorms cause massive flooding and water levels are rising. 

**How You Living?** 
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.

**Why You Should Move Here Now?** 

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. 


Colonial Place is a hotspot for college students. It’s a great choice for anyone who likes a beautiful historic neighborhood with a chill vibe, but the youngsters love it for the walkability to a great social scene, affordable housing and safe streets all right next to Old Dominion University. Breweries, good cheap eats, and water play on the Lafayette River makes it ideal for a fun lifestyle. 
- Colonial Place


College Students

Colonial Place

As with many cities, Downtown is the place to be for young professionals. It is home to Town Point Park, where great festivals happen every year. It’s also home to Harbor Park, the ballpark for the AAA Baltimore Orioles’ team, and the Norfolk Scope Arena, an amazing complex which hosts the Norfolk Admirals hockey team, and also has Chrysler Hall, a performing arts theater, and a 10,000 sq-ft exhibition hall. In addition to all this action, you also get the center of the restaurant and bar scene in the city. All of this within walking distance for those who pick a downtown condo or apartment. 
- Downtown
- Colonial Place


Young Professionals

Downtown

Granby Street is an LGBTQ+ nightlife hotspot for Norfolk. Plenty of cool bars and clubs run by and for the community have made Granby Street the place to be since the 1970’s. Ghent is another good neighborhood option. The community is progressive and it features a number of LGBTQ+-owned businesses. The homes are older but proudly well-kept and beautiful.
- Granby Street
- Ghent
- Lafayette


LGBTQ+

Granby Street

Larchmont is a stunning place to start for families. Located on the Elizabeth River and bordering beautiful Old Dominion University. Huge historic homes, some dating back to the 1800s alongside bungalow options for younger/smaller families. Quiet, with tree-lined streets and water views it is close to Downtown for when you need some action or if someone in the family works there. Waters Edge and Larrymore Lawns are more suburban style neighborhoods, with smaller more affordable homes, but also filled with gardens for quiet play. 
- Larchmont
- Waters Edge/Larrymore Lawns
- North Shore


Families

Larchmont

Norfolk

**Thinking of moving to Norfolk but hesitant!**

Gardens are a thing everywhere. You just have to rent a place that will have the balcony or yard for you to create your garden.

There are tons of dog parks here in Norfolk. I can't speak for Virginia Beach because I never paid too much attention in that regard. PETA has a very large dog park that dogs can run around, play, and swim in. There's no strong association with PETA other than the dog park is right next to it. There's another good sized dog park in the Colonial Place neighborhood where dogs can play, but it definitely is mostly dirt.

The forested area in Virginia Beach is First Landing, like you discovered, and it's huge! Love it there. As for Norfolk, we have some areas (there's a bird sanctuary that will likely suit what you're looking for) and then there is Botanical Gardens. I can't imagine we don't have some forested area to walk around in...

Surfing is a fun thing to learn and to pick up, but unless you plan on making that your life nearly daily for several weeks, you might want to rethink your investment. We have the perfect 'waves' to learn on as a beginner, but even then, it's certainly a time investment in terms of learning and waiting for good water. It's just tough to do. I held onto it for 2 summers and honestly haven't gone since. There's other water activities that still give you a good workout that I picked up: kayaking (plenty of spots here), SUPing, sailing (you could likely find a group to join), etc.

As for hiking, camping, trail running, and outdoor stuff: It's really not that far to travel from here to get all that done. Plenty of people I work with leave for weekend camping/hiking trips. You will have absolutely no problem meeting people in this area who love to do those things, too; myself included.

I'm guessing with the RN graduation, you're looking at Norfolk General? I work there, so I can help if you have any questions with that as well. There's a few ER RNs who love going hiking, camping, and rock climbing. So like I said, you won't be in short supply of finding people with the same interests.



**What is it like to live in Norfolk, VA?**

Norfolk has milder winters than the Northeast ( while still having distinct seasons), more temperate summers than the south, fantastic water sports opportunities of every kind, a good balance of cost of living and wages. The city's neighborhoods are varied and lively, from the beach front living of Willoughby Spit to the urban downtown to the boho neighborhood of Ghent.

The military presence in the region means that one's neighbors may come from all over the USA and the world, and adds a certain cosmopolitan air to living here.

Norfolk also has more Dog Parks per capita than any other City in the USA except Portland OR.

Unfortunately, we also place second on the list of cities most threatened by rising sea level, right after New Orleans, which makes getting around the city challenging when high tide and heavy rain coincide.



**What is it like to live in Norfolk, VA?**

It’s pretty good.

low cost of living in a city compared to other metro areas
has all the stuff you’d normally want in a city — music, art, theater, restaurants, public transit / light rail, a legit (but small) downtown area
not a lot of traffic. (anyone whining about traffic has never spent time in DC, Manhattan, or anywhere in California)
near the water, if you care about that sort of thing. traveling is pretty easy: quick 45-minute flights to DC or NY. 90 minutes to Charlotte and Atlanta. 2 hours to Detroit, Chicago, Orlando.
Norfolk is actually quite large, geographically, so I’m mainly talking about downtown Norfolk and Ghent. There are other areas that are less nice that might as well be separate towns, so don’t live there.

**How is Norfolk, VA as a place to work and live? Which are some major corporates there? Is there an Indian community?**

I am from India and graduated from Old Dominion University. I also worked in Norfolk for over 6 years.

As mentioned in earlier answers, Norfolk is part of the Hampton Roads Metropolitan area. The metro area is by the east coast and is well connected by roads. It recently got lightrail which adds to connectivity.

Norfolk

Norfolk is considered the cultural and economic centre of Hampton Roads because of of the presence of military, large corporates or their regional centers, hospitals and universities. It's also the second largest city in the metro area.

Among corporates, to name a few there is Norfolk Southern (one of the largest rail freight companies), Dominion Enterprises (a large publication company), regional offices of Bank of America and Wells Fargo.

Old Dominion University is a large public university with excellent STEM credentials and a good sporting history. EVMS is well known medical school and considered to be among the leading institutions in reproductive medicine.

Most importantly though, Norfolk is home to the worlds largest Naval base. Norfolk also has one of the largest ports in the east coast and is a major logistics centre for Target and Walmart.

The waterfront festivals is celebrated with a lot of pomp and is great place to spend with family. The centre of the city around McArthur mall, historic Ghent are great places to spend an evening shopping, going to theatre or to the movies. The museum has some of finest collections of crystals in the US and the naval museum is a must see. My wife and I enjoyed these places.

Old Dominion University (ODU) has a substantial Indian Student population and faculty especially in STEM. The Indian festival hosted annually at ODU brings together most families in the Hampton Roads area. EVMS also has several doctors and students of Indian origin. There is also a substantial technical staff of Indian origin working at Bank of America (at least that was the case 10 years ago).

Norfolk, Virginia

The Waterfront City For Lovers

Looklyloo Score: 73

We're on it!