Rank the 7 cities for overall quality of living (Chesapeake, Portsmouth: cul-de-sac, neighborhood)

[janayb88]

Virginia beach
Chesapeake
Portsmouth
Suffolk
Norfolk
Hampton
Newport News

[NOVAEER]

Originally Posted by janayb88

Virginia beach
Chesapeake
Portsmouth
Suffolk
Norfolk
Hampton
Newport News

Portsmouth at #3!?

[JGDlife]

If you have school age children and don’t want them to attend the film set of “Lean on me” Virginia Beach and Chesapeake are your only options. The rest of the cities have essentially unusable schools and would require private, then why live there if that’s the case.

1. VB
2. Chesapeake
3. Norfolk
4. Newport News
5. Hampton
6. Suffolk
7. Portsmouth (I work there)

[goofy328]

I have an update, take it as you will.

Since this post started I've lived in Norfolk and now live in Portsmouth. People say why Portsmouth. I found that the lots in Norfolk were too small for my tastes, infrastructure improvements all the ****ing time the **** is ridiculous, potholes, and for what I was paying, Norfolk is not a city with a vibrant enough downtown area to be close to it, nor are any of the other neighborhoods interesting enough to pay the rent. I was in Ghent, which for me is overrated a lot of cities have similar districts some smaller some much larger but again for me not worth the money.

Ghent is cool if you're a hipster, or a yuppie, someone that chases clout, someone that needs to flex on other people, for whatever reason. It was not for me. So we moved out to Portsmouth and obtained a lot more land for our money, which is hell to keep up, but the neighborhood is cool I don't have to deal with "Karen" or any of those issues. I'm a lot closer to Chesapeake than I am Norfolk, so this part of Portsmouth is relatively quiet and less "hood" than places I have lived at in the past.

Now for overall quality of living even though it works for me I would still have to rank Portsmouth low on the list, and this is why. For an urban environment that is less dense, less hectic, and less stress than Norfolk it still lacks the "flavor" that is often associated with Norfolk. This has forever been my criticism of Portsmouth, and Hampton and Newport News. One has to really spend a lot of time there getting their hands dirty to make it worth their while, because visually these cities are ugly, and most people will never see the character of these cities, which often requires relationships with the people that live in those areas and getting to a place where you know what you are talking about, of which people that never live there, do not.

Personally, I think Hampton Roads is a big suburb, always will be, and may have some areas that, while poor, are still suburban. It just lacks that grit and that environment that people associate with places like Pittsburgh or Detroit. Is that a low quality of life; I don't think so. Americans want suburban areas, most people live in them, and that is where all of the population growth is in this country. So far as one does not mind use of an automobile, for every trip, it isn't a problem. It is only a problem when people want to walk everywhere.

But to walk everywhere, in Virginia, one has to pay a pretty penny at a very high cost. And they are never going to get that city feel they'll get in a DC or a Baltimore. I've lived around here long enough to know that is sort of the point, so I don't ***** much. If I want it, I can always go back home and experience the poverty and people back there.

[hbcu]

Spot on -

You drive to DC, Alexandria, etc. you feel a different vibe. If you lived in HR for at least 2 years and visit DC you understand. HR is a hard area to break through in maybe due to military presence or lack of identity, etc.

Maybe that's why you so many national companies, etc. get out due to quality of life and head to a bigger city

[goofy328]

Originally Posted by hbcu

Spot on -

You drive to DC, Alexandria, etc. you feel a different vibe. If you lived in HR for at least 2 years and visit DC you understand. HR is a hard area to break through in maybe due to military presence or lack of identity, etc.

Maybe that's why you so many national companies, etc. get out due to quality of life and head to a bigger city

Very hard to break into HR. I recommend anyone thinking about moving here to get roommates if they're making less than $50,000. Even at $50,000, it is difficult, but it is doable. Anything less than that you're asking for trouble unless you're on assistance of some kind and that is getting more difficult in HR as they're dismantling all of the housing projects and Section 8 is a lot more selective about who gets to stay, and on what terms.

Alexandria, DC is definitely different than HR. Yes it costs a lot more but you're getting an actual city, with actual public transportation, better roads, and better infrastructure overall than what one gets in HR. HR sit and wait 2 hours for the bus to come by and if you need it once the sun goes down all bets are off unless you're in Norfolk, and even then its sketchy.

Not to mention we have these bridge/tunnels with no dedicated lanes for a bus or train to ride on.

HR is not a cheap area. All things considered, it is priced for what it is worth, considering how expensive everything else on the East Coast is, but it is very much a do it yourself vibe here. Those looking for cities with a lot of welfare and accommodations are going to be caught off guard because anything you can do for yourself, you should because no one around here is going to do anything for you.

[MaskedRacer]

Top 3 for me is:

1. Williamsburg
2. Virginia Beach
3. Chesapake/Greinbrier

I am in Va Beach now. Am happy and content enough here. But I must say living in Williamsburg for 6 years in the 2000's was fantastic.

Portsmouth is clearly last place. The fact that water surrounds that city on 3 sides with the most expensive tolls for those bridges in the region just kills any chance for development relative to the rest of the area. I have only ever gone to Portsmouth for the Children's Museum.

[canalcity63]

1.Virginia Beach
2.Norfolk
3.Chesapeake
4.Williamsburg
5.Newport News
6.Hampton
7.Suffolk
8.Portsmouth

Although Norfolk is the cultural and urban core of the region Virginia Beach is currently more well rounded. You get some urban, suburban, beach, and rural environments all in one city. Chesapeake is very similar to Virginia Beach without the beach environment and smaller urban developments. Greenbrier is really beginning to develop an urban core in Chesapeake that may begin to rival Virginia Beach Town center. Although Chesapeake does not have direct access to beaches it does have access to rivers and canals. Not mention if you love nature Chesapeake wooded trails not to mention the unique ecosystem found in the great dismal swamp. I chose southside cities before the peninsula because I fee like to area is a bit more dynamic. Portsmouth is very charming but does not offer an many amenities as the other cities on the list. Norfolk may not be a major city like DC but it offers a well balanced experience. It has museums, beaches, zoos, light rail, and a working downtown. Ghent may be relatively expensive, but its much more affordable than Old town Alexandria. Even with the pay differences between the two areas you still would struggle a lot more to afford to live in Alexandria. The areas really don't feel that different. They both are historical Virginia cities with charming neighborhoods by a river. The only difference is that Alexandria is a part of a much larger metro area that affords it some major city amenities.

[lammius]

1. Norfolk. It's the most urban city in a very suburban/rural region. There's some walkability, history, cultural institutions, etc.
2. Va Beach. I don't love VB, but it's got a little more diversity of population and businesses than most of the rest. And beaches.
3. Portsmouth, for Olde Towne alone. It's a small neighborhood but charming AF.
4. Hampton - Sleepy downtown, but nice beach on the bay, Fort Monroe was always a cool place to visit
5. Newport News - Bland suburban in parts, gritty in others.
6. Suffolk - mostly rural and a lot of sprawl too, but it does have a cute little downtown
7. Chesapeake - shoot me

Cities of VB, Chesapeake, and Suffolk would not be cities in any other state. They're each geographically huge, and have very low population density (even VB). They look/feel and have geography more akin to suburban/rural counties than cities.

[vabeachgirlNYC]

Originally Posted by lammius

Cities of VB, Chesapeake, and Suffolk would not be cities in any other state. They're each geographically huge, and have very low population density (even VB). They look/feel and have geography more akin to suburban/rural counties than cities.

That's not true.
Va Beach is the 43rd largest city in the United States. #1 largest in Virginia. Chesapeake is #90 in the United States and #2 in Virginia.


Also to those that listed Williamsburg? Though it's a nice place it is not one of the "7 Cities".