Commute to Norfolk Naval Shipyard - Is 20 minutes possible?? (Virginia Beach: rental, buying)

[CT2VA]

Hello.

My husband will be starting work at the Naval Shipyard in June. In reading the various threads it is clear that commuting can be a nightmare. Is there anywhere to live (we plan to rent for at least a year before buying) with decent schools (kids are 2 and 6) that is a 20 minute commute? I hear about great sounding places (Suffolk, Ghent, Chesapeake, etc.) on the threads but it is hard to guage commuting times.

Thanks so much for any guidance!

[Erma]

Chesapeake is not a far communte. My office was there off Battlefield for 9 years and I went to the shipyard almost daily. Sometimes from Virginia Beach! Depending on the time (this is brought up quite a bit) you can make it in 20. Suffolk, if you don't have to deal with the high rise bridge, you can make it in 20+ and that is depending on traffic accidents and tunnel backup. Also, if you live in Deep Creek (and there are some nice places there) you wouldn't have to go far as Geo. Washington Hwy take you right to the yard. There are also some nice communities in Portsmouth near the golf course.

[mwolffy]

I would probably go with Chesapeake. Portsmouth has some nice places in Churchland and Westhaven area, but the schools are pretty bad (some are terrible). Most of my relatives in Portsmouth send their kids to private school. Some of the elementary schools are OK, just after that, they are all bad.

I would recommend Western Branch High School and Grassfield High School district in Chesapeake. It is close to Portsmouth, but they have much better schools. Western Branch would be a longer commute. Deep Creek is very close too, but I am not sure about the school itself. It think it is pretty good.

Ghent can be nice, but the commute through the tunnel will get old quick. You may be able to get to work in 10 minutes, if you are going in the middle of the day, but at rush hour it can be anywhere from 25-40 minutes, longer if there is a wreck in the tunnel

A lot of the traffic is just getting in/out of the shipyard. No matter where you live you have to deal with that. At least in Chesapeake, that is the only traffic you will contend with. Norfolk, you will be fighting the tunnel and still sitting in the shipyard traffic too.

[KENKINSEY]

Check out my rental at craigslist # 4565921000