Anyone from Norfolk/Va. Beach area?

Welcome!  Not from that area, but nearby enough that hopefully we'll be seeing each other at flyball tourney!     Just wanted to say Hi and Welcome!

Hi Stacy! Good to see you again. How exciting that the wedding is only one month away!

Sorry, can't help with the original question, though.  

Hi Stacy!  Nice to see you back.

I lived in Norfolk/Va Beach from 1987 - 1995.  Back then, Chesapeake was more "rural", but from what I hear about it now from my very good friend who still lives in Norfolk, it is built up quite a bit.  Norfolk was always a bit more run down - it's a Navy town (well, the whole area is).  Virginia Beach used to be pretty decent, though kinda touristy.  You just had to know the local stuff.  Virginia Beach was more expensive compared to Norfolk & Chesapeake, but that may not be the case now.  We were just leaving the area when tons of people started to migrate to Chesapeake.

Traffic all over the place in the Hampton Roads area is nuts. 

The weather is hot and humid from about May until October.  You'll seldom see snow, but the winters are always rainy & damp.  My winter weight Virginia Beach coat wasn't enough to keep me warm in late fall here in Michigan.  Tulips & daffodils start coming up in February, and from then until April, the weather is beautiful.  There are 3 growing seasons, so you'll get plenty of fresh fruit and veggies.

In Norfolk, there used to be an awesome Italian restaurant called Regino's.  It was in a little shopping center called Ward's Corner.  They'd been there forever and had just opened a branch in Virginia Beach the year before we moved.  Don't know if it's still there.

I know there's another gal on this forum who is in Chesapeake, though I can't think of her screen name right now.  She might have more current info about that area.

My son was small when we lived there, and some of the schools in Virginia Beach were relatively new.  When he was 3, he used to go by special bus to speech therapy at the local elementary school twice a week. I'd not heard great stuff about the high school there - it was a rougher crowd then, but I don't know now.  Norfolk schools did not have a good reputation when I was there, but again, I don't know now.

I'd probably still live down there if I hadn't allowed my then-husband to convince me to move back north after he retired from the Navy.  I miss the warmer weather and the ocean.

Hi there! We live in Chesapeake, VA now! I have lived in the Hampton Roads area for about 4 years now. We lived in a townhouse in Virginia Beach for a year in 2004, and then purchased a home in Chesapeake in 2005. I'm sure you're aware that it's a huge military hub, but we like the area quite a bit.

There are a ton of great dog parks around here...my favorite being the one in Chesapeake. We spend a good deal of our time on the weekends hanging out there, so that's a big bonus. There's never really a shortage of things to do. Especially in the summer time with the oceanfront being so close by!

It's a pretty poulated area, so I'm sure wherever you end up, you'll have all the amenities that you're looking for nearby, which I've also found pretty convenient. Traffic is kind of a pain, but that's to be expected in any heavily populated area. The food here is great, and if you love seafood, you'll most certainly be in food-heaven.

Anyhow, feel free to PM me if you want to ask any more questions, or need someone to show ya around when you do get here! Yay!! Another i-dogger nearby!! I'm excited!

Mandy... I just messaged you and would LOVE you to show me around when I get down there.  My fiance officially accepted the job today.  He is going to move down there sooner rather than later (they want him by next week!) and I will be down next weekend for some job and house hunting.  However, I will finish out the school year here and officially move down in mid/end June.  I will probably be down for some weekends between now and then and would love to hit the dog park or something else with you.

It is exciting to move, but the timing is crazy with the wedding!  Lots of stress here!

Sharismom...

 Thanks for all the info.  From what I have heard, Norfolk schools are still the worst :).  I will seek out that restaurant too!