For those stationed in the Norfolk area or have had experience living in this area……?
Do you recommend living in the Chesapeake, Suffolk or Norfolk area when stationed in Norfolk? Parts of Suffolk and Chesapeake look nice; the drive does not look too bad. However, people always have a different perspective after living in the area. What areas do you recommend for buying/renting a house who have lived there? Any experiences would be appreciated. Thanks guys.
More Questions From This User See All
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Brian's telling the truth. Chesapeake, Suffolk, Hampton, Virginia Beach...all great, nice places to live. But if you're stationed in Norfolk, the travel every morning and every night will be a nightmare. The bridges and tunnels are backed up or shut down....all the times if feels like.
I was stationed in Portsmouth for awhile, but lived in Norfolk. Sometimes the drive to/from work was 25 minutes tops. Sometimes it was one hour to SEVEN hours. I couldn't stand being late for work, or sitting in traffic for hours after work. It was a nightmare.
Then I was stationed on the Norfolk base while still living in Norfolk. Best deal ever, my travel time to/from work was NEVER longer than 15 minutes.
Honestly, I'd try to find a nice place in Norfolk. As long as you're in the same city as your duty station, you can always be sure that you're not going to get stuck in a bridge or tunnel.
I will also concur on the bridges and tunnels being a serious hassle. If there's a big ship gong through and they open the draw bridge it blows. Especially if you are running late to work.
But, really check out the areas though. Certain parts look OK during the day but they can get scary at night. I was stationed at Norfolk Naval Station but I lived in Virginia Beach. My commute varied from 25 minutes to an hour depending on how many ships were in port, weather, how many accidents, etc.
Areas across from bridges and tunnels are cheaper but be really careful about that. You might be right next to a ghetto or be stuck in traffic all day long.
i was stationed there for my 4 years in the navy. i stayed in little creek, portsmouth, and chesapeake. chesapeake was by far a nicer area to live in than any of the surrounding areas. you will pay more but i thought it was worth it. suffolk is nice but its a bit of a drive.
also remember you have to deal with bridges and tunnels. i lived in chesapeake and worked in portsmouth so i had to deal with the downtown tunnel everyday and it can get backed up BAD.