Norfolk is a desirable city even for locals to live in, but there are definitely some areas you are going to want to check out before choosing where you want to live. Things to consider before choosing where to live include the traffic commuting to base, distance to beaches and other amenities you want to utilize, and home price. The 757 is made up of several cities and sub areas you can choose from.
Top 4 Areas to Live Near Norfolk Naval Station:
- Virginia Beach
- Oceanview and Willoughby Spit
- Larchmont and Lochaven
- Colonial Place
- Chesapeake
#1 VIRGINIA BEACH
No. This is not in Norfolk – but, a lot of people who get stationed in Norfolk choose to live in Virginia Beach. It’s a great community with several options for….you guessed it – going to the beach. Oceanfront Beach, Chic’s Beach, Sandbridge, Dam Neck Beach – are just a few of the options you will have if you live in Virginia Beach. Along with the beach you get suburban tucked away neighborhoods, some great schooling options, and some of coastal Virginia’s best restaurants for seafood.
If you decide to live in Virginia Beach you are looking at about a 15-30 minute drive to base depending on where you live. For many, living in Virginia Beach is worth the drive. If being zoned for a school you like is important for you, you should check out the school ratings for whatever area you are looking at living.
#2 OCEANVIEW AND WILLOUGHBY SPIT
If you’ve seen other videos on our channel you have probably heard us talk about this area. It makes our list frequently because it has so much opportunity for investors, those who want to live near a beach, and is the only beach community in Norfolk. Recently it has become more popular with the building of a new community in East Ocean View, and the East Beach Farmers market. Even though it’s in Norfolk, it’s still a 10 to 20 minute drive to the base depending on which part of Oceanview you live in.
Compared to Virginia Beach, this area has a much better price point. Some of the oceanfront homes are a quarter of the cost you would pay in Virginia Beach. This is because Virginia beach is the more popular beach town and has more options for shopping, dining, and neighborhoods. Oceanview is a diamond in the rough and has a great opportunity to find an amazing home. If you want to learn more about Oceanview, check out our blog on The best Neighborhoods in Norfolk Virginia.
#3 LARCHMONT AND LOCHAVEN
These neighborhoods are so cool and they are both located in Norfolk. Larchmont and Lochaven are split by the Lafayette River but are directly across from each other. These are some of the most desirable neighborhoods in Norfolk because the homes are beautiful and the neighborhood is peaceful. If you love a home with tons of character, and like living in the neighborhood where each home is unique – this is where you want to live.
The tree lined streets, waterfront views, and convenient location make it very enjoyable for evening walks and front porch sitting. From Larchmont and Edgewater you’re only about 10 minutes from base – and also are right down the street from Old Dominion University. So if you are going to be a part time student this can be a convenient place to live. One key difference between Lochaven and Larchmont – Lochaven tends to be a little more expensive because many of the homes are larger and because of its close proximity to the Hermitage Gardens and Museum. If you live in Lochaven you’re only about 5 minutes from the park, which is a great place to hang out or have a picnic.
#4 COLONIAL PLACE
Just around the corner from Larchmont and Lochaven is Colonial Place. This is another great suburban community if you want to live in Norfolk and be closer to the base. It’s a 15 minute drive and you have 2 different routes to get to base depending on traffic. Like Larchmont and Lochaven It’s also close to ODU and the Virginia Zoo. Colonial Place also isn’t too far from the Ghent area – the locals favorite place for a unique shopping and dining experience. It’s also down the street from downtown Norfolk – which is where everyone goes to get some drinks and have a fun night out in the city.
#5 CHESAPEAKE
If the idea of having neighbors makes you cringe then Chesapeake might be where you want to live. Chesapeake is a city south of Norfolk – depending on what part of Chesapeake you move to you will be driving 25-35 minutes to commute to work. You can of course find plenty of suburban neighborhoods in Chesapeake, but there are also areas that are more rural and spread out compared to Norfolk and Virginia Beach. It’s not that much farther than Virginia Beach is to Norfolk and can provide a different lifestyle than the other areas we mentioned.
For example – you can live on a 3 acre plot of land and have horses and chickens, have a detached garage for fixing cars – there’s more properties with larger lot sizes, meaning you have more ability to do what you want on your property. Greenbrier is the shopping hub of Chesapeake and as you go farther south you get into more and more rural areas. The nice thing about living in Chesapeake is the traffic tends to not be as bad in the city itself – of course commuting to Norfolk will have traffic no matter where you are coming from. If you are into hunting, freshwater fishing, or going on nature trails this area is close to North Landing River Preserve, Northwest river Natural Preserve, and the Great Dismal Swamp. Bonus about this area – the price point tends to be a little lower than that of Virginia Beach.
PURCHASING A HOME IN COASTAL VIRGINIA
If you have never been to the area – we call Norfolk and all of the surrounding cities collectively “Hampton Roads” or “Coastal Virginia”. This includes Norfolk, Chesapeake, Virginia beach, Suffolk, Newport News, Hampton, and Portsmouth. Within each city there are tons of different areas you can live. The places we mentioned today were the ones we see people moving to the area enjoy the most. Now – the key to being happy with where you move is first talking to someone local to help you find where to live. You can reach out to our team directly – We’re here to make sure you are comfortable, confident, and educated, and we want to make sure you have the best resources for you and your family. So if you have any questions about moving to Norfolk, be sure to contact us first.