Well I be transferring this summer to Norfolk area. Well I having a hard time finding a place to live that is nice with good schools for my kids. I don't have to live in Norfolk, actualy looking in the Virginia Beach/Oceana area. I need to find a house or apartment with 3 bedrooms and at least one garage. If you are in the military then you will know that BAH sucks *** for that area, even for an E-6 w/ dependents. I appreciate your inputs, thanks.

 

I live in Suffolk, VA which is about 25mins from Norfolk. My dad is in the Navy (0-5). You can get the most house for your money in Suffolk.

 

How is the crime and school there?

 

nothing exists in suffolk. if you would like some type of life, move to the beach

 

rural suffolk is very low crime and good schools. If you live in Norfolk or Portsmouth yu will be in the hood with a HIGH crime rate and poor schools.

The beach area is good, but expensive. I would look at some places in chesapeake and suffolk.

on a side note, I will get out the Navy before I ever get stationed in Virginia again.

 

Yeah looking at the Virginia Beach area. I might just buy a huse which is cheaper than renting. Just need to find where is the best rated schools at. I'm too far in my career to get out. This will be my last tour unless I get my commission as an LDO.

 

wow lifers...hahaha

 

WOW BOOTER....haha

 

i assure you my friend, he will make E-6 before his FIRST term is up and we arent nukes! Anyhow, hope you enjoy the area because none of us do and im on my way out to San Diego.

 

Making E-6 in the first term is easy now day. I know plenty of AOs that have done it. I made E-6 at my 7 year mark. but he still a booter

 

lol, agreed....

 

Oh hell no! how did I miss this? I must put my $0.02 in. Chesapeake or Suffolk will be your best bet, new construction (relatively), low taxes, decent schools. Portsmouth and Norfolk, as mentioned have high crime rates, and high property taxes if you do buy a house. Plus the houses there are very old for the most part. The beach is pricey for what you get, and in the summer it will be a literal zoo. Forget about the other side of the bridge also, unless you mind sitting in traffic for 2 hours each day. Id do anything to get back to San Dog, like volunteering to go to Djibouti! I wish I never moved here, John is right about that one. NEVER AGAIN!

 

Don't like Cali. too expensive, crowded, traffic jam in every road, government is too controlling and is fake (as green trees and stuff like that in a desert). So yeah looking at the beach area. Any way, how is the salt water fishing?

 

Lived in Va Beach my whole life. Did 8 years in the Navy in Norfolk, so i got pretty lucky as far as moving around while in the service. But these guys are right. Va Beach is very nice but very expensive, to give you an idea, i pay $1100 a month for a one bedroom apt. Very nice apt. at that, but still alot to pay for something i don't own. Va Beach Prob has the best schools of the area too. But Chesapeake is a close second. Still close to the beach, good schools, and very nice area as well. Chesapeake is a little more scenic too, more trees and land. Norfolk and Portsmouth have a few nice areas, but as soon as you go 5 miles either direction, you fear for your life!! And their schools always are on the news for crime and shootings too. So as far as my 2 cents...Va Beach if you can find a house in your price range, Chesapeake if not.

 

ok, now its time for my .02.....I currently live in Chesapeake (probably the nicest area) and having lived in many cities, i have to say this place is the bottom of the barrel. In all honestly, for the actual size of this area, it makes the news way too much for all the bad reasons. Traffic is stupid....if you think government is bad out there, wait till you live in a common wealth. of all the places i have lived, i would never consider raising kids here. talk about a dead spot this place is and i hope you dont like the beach because i cant imagine anyone picking VA Beach as a vacation destination.......anyhow, come out here and live here for 6 months and then let us know what you think. have a safe trip

G

 

Someone is a little bitter lol. I hear ya though. The traffic is garbage here esp. during tourist season. And being a commonwealth, if you want to do anything nice to your car, it more then likely is gonna be illegal.

 

I have been in Noroflk and Oceana plentty of times. Lived in the best western right in front of the beach for 6 month while I went there for schools. So I know what I'm againts. I just never went as far as considering schoools for my kids and stuff. My wife loves the Va. Beach area and if it means that I have to pay $2500 to rent a house so I can have a garage/s and put my kids in a better school, let it be. So yeah we are pretty much set on Va. Beach.

 

Va Beach is nice, dont get me wrong. I live on 24th and Pacific right on the oceanfront and it is pretty damn nice. Not Coronado nice, but nice for the area. I lived where Zincognito lives and it is nice, but overpriced IMO. You can find a house thats moderatly priced if you do your research and are always with your eye open. Good luck!
You could always go IA and save some money

 

is there any good place to look up houses for rent in the Vabeach area?

 

One thing that always helped me no matter where I was was staying away from the commercial "apartments.com" type stuff and go local. Try searching for a VB paper online and look in the classifieds. Thats how I found nice a$$ places in Coronado for $800 a month time after time. When are you moving there? During the summer will be harder to nail down a place due to more families taking that time to move when kids are out of school. I always was looking in Sep-Nov timeframe.