[This is Part 1 in a series about places to live in Hampton Roads, Virginia]
House hunting in the military is always stressful and the first question we ask ourselves is "Where should I live?"
Whether you are stationed at Norfolk Naval Base (NOB), Portsmouth Naval Hospital, NAS Oceana, or Portsmouth Shipyards, there are a lot of fun areas to visit while living in Hampton Roads. If you are PCSing to Hampton Roads soon, you might want to check out these different areas when house hunting. Lots of military families live near these great landmarks.
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Off Base Housing in Norfolk:
#1 Granby Street in Norfolk, VA
#2 Colley Avenue & 21st Street in Norfolk, VA
Shore Drive Area in Virginia Beach, VA
First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, VA
Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Rudee's Inlet near Virginia Beach, VA
Red Wing Park near Virginia Beach, VA
Red Mill Shopping Center in Virginia Beach, VA
Sandbridge Beach in Virginia Beach, VA
Mt. Trashmore in Virginia Beach, VA
Landstown Commons Shopping Center in Virginia Beach, VA
Town Center in Virginia Beach, VA
Greenbrier Shopping Center in Chesapeake, VA
Harbour View in Suffolk, VA
Searching for military homes for rent or sale? Consider living in Norfolk:
#1 Granby Street
Norfolk, VA
Granby Street is the main street in Norfolk that has shops, restaurants, and bars. During the day, it's a great place to shop at MacArthur Mall then grab a bite to eat on Granby Street. Some great restaurants that I like are 456 Fish, 219, Bodega, Buffalo Wild Wings, Byrd and Bald win Steakhouse, California Pizza Kitchen, Plaza Azteca, Todd Jurich’s Bistro, and Vintage Kitchen. At night, Granby Street transforms into a great place for nightlife where you can bar hop from hip martini bars to cozy sports lounges. Check out a list of more restaurants, bars, and things to do!
Read reviews near Granby Street.
#2 Colley Avenue and 21 Street
Norfolk, Virginia
Colley Avenue is a charming street with boutique shops and restaurants. Ghent neighborhood is within walking distance of Colley Avenue and 21 street making it a big locals hangout. Other nearby neighborhoods include Colonial Place and Larchmont. 21st Street has many lunch spots accompanied by boutique shops such as a children's boutiques to furniture stores to nail/hair salons to fitness spots. My favorite spots on Colley Avenue are No Frill Grill, Cogan's Pizza, Luna Maya, YNot Pizzeria, Azars, and Green Onion. My favorite spots on 21st Street are Rajput Indian, Bardo, Bangkok Garden, Baker's Crust, Five Guys, and Jimmy Johns.
Read reviews near Colley Avenue.
NOTE: No matter where you chose to live in Hampton Roads, make sure you think about how the tunnel systems will affect your commute.
(Read Part 2 #3 Shore Drive and #4 First Landing State Park)
Do you prefer city life or suburbia living? Any other favorites areas in Norfolk?
