If you’re getting stationed at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, here are some of the most sought after areas to live in near base. If you are PCS’ing to this area or need help moving near Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, consider reaching out to us. We are an experienced real estate team with agents who served in the military and were stationed in this area. Here are the most highly sought after places to live near JEB- Little Creek/Fort Story. Here are the top 4 best places to live near little creek naval base. If you are getting stationed at Oceana Naval Base, check out our the Best Places to live near Oceana Naval Base.
1. Chic’s Beach area (1-3 miles from base)
Chic’s Beach is perhaps the best place to live in Virginia Beach if you want to be walking distance to the beach. With the exception of Oceanview Beach, Chic’s Beach is the most affordable beachfront community. The oceanfront and North End are great places to go to the beach, but can be more crowded and are much more expensive. Besides going to the beach, there are local seafood restaurants (some of the best in Virginia Beach).
The Porch and Chicks Oyster Bar are among the local favorites. Many of them even allow you to pull your boat right up to the dock to eat. Another Unique aspect of Chic’s Beach is it’s distance to First Landing State Park. First Landing State park is just north of Chic’s Beach and offers over 20 miles of biking and hiking trails. There is also a campground, and First Landing Beachfront. This is a great place to utilize if you enjoy nature trails or exercising outdoors.
If you are getting stationed at Fort Story, Chic’s beach is one of the closer communities to base. The community is positioned between Fort Story and JEB Little Creek, making it an ideal place to live. Overall, this community is an amazing place to live if you are a beachgoer and want to make it down for a swim after work.
2. Ocean View (1-3 miles from base)
Ocean View is similar to Chic’s beach in that they are both located on the bay and are close to Little Creek. One key difference is Ocean View is located in Norfolk. You will have to decide whether you want to live in Norfolk or Virginia Beach. Norfolk is a growing city, with opportunities to find beachfront properties for much cheaper than in Virginia Beach. If you are getting stationed at Little Creek, Oceanview can be an investors gold mine.
In recent years, developers have come in and started to buy up properties, tear them down, and turn them into duplexes. Most of the development has come to the south portion of Oceanview, there are still great properties popping up for sale but they go quickly. This is why it is important to work with a real estate team like ours that knows the area and works with local lenders.
Ocean View also has some new breweries, and even a local farmers market in East Beach. East beach is a newly developed community on the south side of Ocean View. Ocean View Beach Park hosts summer bands and festivals right on the beach. This area is a great place to live if you want a short drive to Little Creek Base and want to find an affordable home with beach access.
3. Lake Smith Area (3-6 miles from base)
Is the beach life not for you? How about lake life? Lake Smith is one of the only natural lakefront communities in Hampton Roads. It’s a quiet community with many homes located on the water. There is easy access to fishing and a public boat launch. The largest boat motor allowed in lake smith is 9.9 HP – so don’t expect to utilize this lake for wakeboarding or water sports.
Still, it’s a great lake for fishing, relaxing, and some amazing views. Many local fisherman choose to use this lake for it’s great bass fishing. The homes in this area are located on larger, wooded or partially wooded lots. They are tucked away and offer more privacy than Ocean View or Chic’s Beach. It’s also a little closer to the interstate if you or your spouse need to travel for work or to visit family.
If you want to be close to base but typically try to avoid areas with lots of people, the Lake Smith community might be the perfect fit. As far as distance to the beach goes, it’s still not too far from the base or the beach. You can enjoy having a little more privacy, but still be able to work in a short amount of time.
4. Thoroughgood (3-4 Miles from base)
A well established community Tucked away with mature landscaping and great shops and restaurants, Thoroughood made our list for the top places to live near Little Creek Base. Thoroughgood has a strong sense of community and is one of the more desirable communities around base. The Homes in this neighborhood are stately, two-story brick homes, tri levels, and ranches built in the 1960’s and 1970s. This is the neighborhood that truly defines what feeling “homey” means.
Thoroughgood is close to base, the beach, not too far from Lake Smith, and is just down the road from Town Center. Town Center is where you will find some of Virginia Beach’s best shopping, dining, and entertainment. This community is perfect if you want to get the most value out of your home purchase. You can get a home with more bedrooms, more land, and more square-feet for less.
Picking The Right Neighborhood
There are literally hundreds of neighborhoods, communities, and areas to live around Little Creek Base. This list was created from our experience from being in the military and being stationed here multiple times. If one of these communities interests you, or if you are looking for something a little different, please reach out to us. We help active duty military getting stationed at Little Creek Base, Oceana, Norfolk Base, and more. Check out some of our other blogs to learn more about getting stationed and living in Virginia Beach or Norfolk.
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