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Thank you all for your help so far... we are down to the wire with deciding between the two jobs (Portsmouth or San Antonio) and need to decide in the next couple of days... my head is spinning and I have been pouring over MLS sites, but we had the computer down for a few days, so sorry I didn't post a thank you sooner! Avoiding traffic would be a plus, as my husband currently commutes so far, it would be nice to have less of his time eaten up by that.
As far as the areas mentioned in the last two posts, how are the safety issues? Since he travels, I'm thinking in terms of break-in types of crimes for the most part.
We have the kids on waiting lists at a couple of private schools: Does anyone know anything or have opinions on St. Patrick's in Norfolk?
We just moved here too, so I know how crazy all this can be. It's taken me 5 months to like it here, but I finally do. I wouldn't say it's the best place on earth to live, but Hampton Roads has some nice things about it. The houses are expensive, IMO for what you get. If you can get over that, you'll enjoy it here.
Suffolk is nice, but you won't have much access to shopping and other things to do. You'll spend over 30 minutes just getting to a decent mall, locally owned restaurants and the BEACH!!!! I wouldn't want to live that far out, especially when I didn't know anyone. The houses are pretty nice and for now, you'll get a bit more than in Ches. or VB. Certainly worth considering.
VA Beach (especially great neck) and Chesapeake offer you the shortest commute to shops, beaches, good restaurants,etc. If your hubby commuted one hour in CA, and you live in VA beach and drive to Portsmouth, his commute will be similar, but he will sit in traffic in the tunnel. But, VA beach has good schools. VB is also spread out, so keep that in mind. Cox and First Colonial high schools would be a good place to start looking for homes-you'll get less of a home b/c of the good schools. That area is close to nice shopping, good restaurants and it is pretty safe.(We have friends who live there so we have been able to learn about that area). Kellam High School is good too- but it is "out there". Especially if your hubby is going to Portsmouth and you to Norfolk. There is no easy way to get to the interstate from that area. Not impossible, just adding to the commute.
In Chesapeake, I like the Greenbrier area- but you'll pay over 450K for a safe, family friendly neighborhood. If you see a house for 350 or less in Greenbrier, it's probably not so desirable (the house). Most people will tell you Great Bridge and Hickory. And they are good schools/areas to live. I just found the area boring- unless you pay over 600K- then you can find a neighborhood that is not so "cookie cutter" The elementary schools are good in Greenbrier, but as you get to the higher grades, the schools lose their appeal. They are building a new high school though, so keep that in mind. IT will serve the area south of Interstate 64...........And, if you use Parochial schools, you really don't have to worry about public. People here tend to overlook Greenbrier, and automatically recommend the more souther area of Chesapeake, but really, it's so convenient. I feel very safe here too. We have two small children and right now we live in a condo (until our house sells in St. Louis and we can buy). It's just a matter of what you are used to, what you tolerate, and what suits your needs!!!!
St. Patrick's is supposedly wonderful- hard to get in- and you need to live in Norfolk. Very nice school. We are sending our son to St. Gregory the Great Catholic in VB. He is only in pre-k, so I have no idea how this school is academically long term. But, we heard good things. There are many private schools around here, but they are of course $$$$$. You shouldn't have a problem finding one to suit your needs. Norfolk Academy, Cape Henry Collegiate, Nansemond Suffolk, Greenbrier Christian, just to name a few. There is also one Catholic High School in VB.
Good luck deciding if you are going to move here. I hope you can find a home to suit your family's needs. Seems like you have done a lot of research on this area.
We still haven't decided... anyone out there that has lived in Texas and Virginia?? Or knows both places well? Or has an opinion of any kind on the topic? We are two indecisive Midwesterners that have never lived full-time coastal... we see this as two 'good options', but have sooooo much trepidation over making the 'wrong', or, the 'right' choice with young children... any thoughts???? DO you LOVE raising children in Hampton Roads??? Hate it?? What is great and family-friendly about the area? What isn't??? Any help is valued, beyond belieif!!! Thank you!!!
Last edited by jennyclark97; 07-06-2007 at 03:02 AM..
Reason: Didn't come through on first two postings
I moved to HR 4 years ago from the suburbs of DC. HUGE huge difference!!!
From everything I have heard about TX (and visited before too) it is HOT and dusty. I liked the Dallas area as a city.
HR has 3 1/2 seasons - Spring, Summer (hot and humid), Fall and very mild winters. Last winter we got snow flurries once or twice and we never had a real freeze cold.
Economy as perceived by a normal person - Compared to DC, this area is definitely less expensive. TH in DC suburbs sell for $400K now, in VA Beach and around you can get a brand new TH for less than $300K - SF homes too. Services are cheaper - things like getting my nails done, going to the cleaners, general repair service etc. Even food is cheaper.
People - people are friendlier here than in the DC area - much more laid back. You're in the south - we have Sweet tea and talk with an accent.
Crime - in the DC suburbs we had petty crime. Things like teenage antics. DC had the bad crime. In HR there is more crime - it dominates the news (that and the weather . However, I usually feel safe but I am much more cautious in places that I would normally not have worried about before. This does NOT affect my quality of life though. Overall I feel just as safe HR as before. The crime here happens in specific areas that you would probably not go to anyway.
Traffic is not really that bad here. What makes it seem worse are the 4 major tunnels and several major bridges. We are really chopped up by rivers so the tunnels are necessary and you always have to merge down to 2 lanes for that. As I have learned the area, I have learned which tunnel to avoid at what times of day.
One of the best things about this area is that you will never be bored! We have Williamsburg/Jamestown/Yorktown, the beach, lots of museums, shopping and so many other things. Oh... and the Outer Banks of NC are CLOSE!!!!! It only takes 1.5 hrs to get there - so it is a great day trip at any time of the year.
Military - we are a BIG military area and proud of it. We have bumper stickers that say 'We love jet noise' (or something like that). Hearing those fighter jets practicing above you is really cool.
I know I compared HR to the DC suburbs, but I think San Antonio is a decent size and I would compare it generally the same way.
Oh Jenny... regarding children. I have a 15 year old son and we moved here when he was 11. At first he was not crazy about it. Schools in the Northern VA area are extremely diverse - children of every single race and nationality and he really liked it. In HR it is different - there are African Americans and whites. That is probably more typical of the south in general though - you just don't have the cultural diversity of the Northeast.
Now he really enjoys school and has adjusted well. His grades are actually improving here. My neice just graduated from Newport News schools (they have been here 4 years too) and she had good opportunities in her music interests too.
Very family friendly here - so much to see and do.
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stacylee926
I moved to HR 4 years ago from the suburbs of DC. HUGE huge difference!!!
From everything I have heard about TX (and visited before too) it is HOT and dusty. I liked the Dallas area as a city.
HR has 3 1/2 seasons - Spring, Summer (hot and humid), Fall and very mild winters. Last winter we got snow flurries once or twice and we never had a real freeze cold.
Economy as perceived by a normal person - Compared to DC, this area is definitely less expensive. TH in DC suburbs sell for $400K now, in VA Beach and around you can get a brand new TH for less than $300K - SF homes too. Services are cheaper - things like getting my nails done, going to the cleaners, general repair service etc. Even food is cheaper.
People - people are friendlier here than in the DC area - much more laid back. You're in the south - we have Sweet tea and talk with an accent.
Crime - in the DC suburbs we had petty crime. Things like teenage antics. DC had the bad crime. In HR there is more crime - it dominates the news (that and the weather . However, I usually feel safe but I am much more cautious in places that I would normally not have worried about before. This does NOT affect my quality of life though. Overall I feel just as safe HR as before. The crime here happens in specific areas that you would probably not go to anyway.
Traffic is not really that bad here. What makes it seem worse are the 4 major tunnels and several major bridges. We are really chopped up by rivers so the tunnels are necessary and you always have to merge down to 2 lanes for that. As I have learned the area, I have learned which tunnel to avoid at what times of day.
One of the best things about this area is that you will never be bored! We have Williamsburg/Jamestown/Yorktown, the beach, lots of museums, shopping and so many other things. Oh... and the Outer Banks of NC are CLOSE!!!!! It only takes 1.5 hrs to get there - so it is a great day trip at any time of the year.
Military - we are a BIG military area and proud of it. We have bumper stickers that say 'We love jet noise' (or something like that). Hearing those fighter jets practicing above you is really cool.
I know I compared HR to the DC suburbs, but I think San Antonio is a decent size and I would compare it generally the same way.
I moved from HR to the DC area in 04. I wished i had stayed. for all the reasons listed above. VA Beach used to be a huge bargain, but compared to NoVA it is still cheaper. Traffic is just barely tolerable compared to NoVA no one can tolerate.
Quote:
Now he really enjoys school and has adjusted well. His grades are actually improving here. My neice just graduated from Newport News schools (they have been here 4 years too) and she had good opportunities in her music interests too.
I think HR schools ain't bad. There are some bad ones but some really good ones too.
Hi Jenny, shelly here again. It is going to be a hard decision. Have you been able to visit both places? or at least your husband? sometimes you get a gut feel for a place when you visit. HR has some wonderful things for kids and families. I have a 9 year old son so we try to take advantage as much as possible. And there are truly many different ways of living: rural, city, beach, subdivision, and more. I think diversity is the key to this area. We have museums, are close to DC to take that in, close to the mountains if you want to get a change of scene.
We are close to Williamsburg, the birthplace of our country!! While there you can go to Busch Gardens, a theme park like you haven't seen before, beautiful. Like anyplace you choose, it will take time for your family and you to adjust and find your place, but because so many folks here are in the military or retired from, or grew up with a parent in the military (like I did), that we make friends fairly easily. You won't find a clique mentality. Schools, we have some of the best and we have some we wish were better, lol. We have tons a colleges, so your kids can stay close as they grow.
It is a good place. Do you have any other questions?
I was born and raised in Texas. I grew up in San Antonio, TX and it is a great place to live. I miss it so. My parents still reside in the Hill Country and I have many friends in San Antonio. It's great cause I can vacation there at next to nothing. There are many advantages and disadvantages. I would be glad to tell you more about them. I have lived in Hampton Roads for almost 4 years and I love it here. It is the neatest place. I have traveled to many places in the country, and Texas is by far my favorite. However, since moving here 4 years ago, I have found that Hampton Roads is so much fun and very nice over all. What I tell all my clients to do is look at the Official City Website, which will have links to all the important information you need to make an informed decision, such as schools, crime statistics, real estate, shops and fine dining, city attractions, and much more.
All the best, Rebecca
Quote:
Originally Posted by jennyclark97
We still haven't decided... anyone out there that has lived in Texas and Virginia?? Or knows both places well? Or has an opinion of any kind on the topic? We are two indecisive Midwesterners that have never lived full-time coastal... we see this as two 'good options', but have sooooo much trepidation over making the 'wrong', or, the 'right' choice with young children... any thoughts???? DO you LOVE raising children in Hampton Roads??? Hate it?? What is great and family-friendly about the area? What isn't??? Any help is valued, beyond belieif!!! Thank you!!!
Last edited by Yac; 07-09-2007 at 08:15 AM..
Reason: advertising not allowed
On the website for employment Virginia Beach Public Schools used to have part-time therapy jobs. ...that may have changed in recent years, but I think I would have seen an ad in the Behavioral Healthcare realm.
I am not aware of any contractors going into the schools. I do know that parents of children in private schools are often unaware of the services that they can still access for their child through the public schools.
Jen, regarding employment for you, the regional public school system is named SECEP.
With the money you're looking to spend, you can live pretty much anywhere you want in the entire Hampton Roads area. I wouldn't even worry about private schools because if you live in a neighborhood that expensive here, your kids would most likely be attending the best schools in the area. If you do choose to live in the city of Portsmouth itself, just be sure stay in the Churchland area. Other areas of Portsmouth are awful for the most part.
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Still deciding...
We still haven't decided... anyone out there that has lived in Texas and Virginia?? Or knows both places well? Or has an opinion of any kind on the topic? We are two indecisive Midwesterners that have never lived full-time coastal... we see this as two 'good options', but have sooooo much trepidation over making the 'wrong', or, the 'right' choice with young children... any thoughts???? DO you LOVE raising children in Hampton Roads??? Hate it?? What is great and family-friendly about the area? What isn't??? Any help is valued, beyond belieif!!! Thank you!!!
. However, I usually feel safe but I am much more cautious in places that I would normally not have worried about before. This does NOT affect my quality of life though. Overall I feel just as safe HR as before. The crime here happens in specific areas that you would probably not go to anyway.
Hi Jenny
