Hello, Due to career obligations I am facing a move from Seattle to Virginia Beach area (Chesapeake-Norfolk). (I swing trade part time) Anyone on ET have anything encouraging to say about life in Virginia Beach? Weather...housing...entertainment...dining etc.. (I am married, late 40's, not looking for meat markets) I have visited a couple times and was not really impressed with downtown Norfolk...sure isn't Seattle or a major city for that matter.
I'm the type of guy who'd much rather live in the Virginia Beach area than in that rainy, grungy, coffee addicted, pot addled, Birckenstock wearing Seattle any day of the week. Va. has a fantastic moderate climate.
I live about an hour and a half away on the Outer Banks of NC. Norfolk and VA Beach are bad news. Lots of crime and murders most every day. Lots of low life beach bums too. The area is the home to the tactical air command, atlantic fleet and the continental army command. If you like a lot of service men, you'll love it. I use to work for NASA in Hampton and stayed there 11 months. I hated it. They broke into my car a few times and stole my hub caps. Some people were nice but others were very rude and unfriendly. I was single and ate out a lot and was served rotten food on several occasions. It was said at that time that the ratio of single men to women was about 20 to 1. My son went to Old Dominion University in Norfolk and worked there a few years after graduation. He hated it. He moved to Raleigh. Raleigh is a big modern city and mostly very well kept and clean. The intellectual level is very high due to influx of workers into places like the research triangle. Real estate is very cheap compared to the beach area. You can get a beautiful, large home for 300 k. Raleigh is the best place that I know of on the east coast for living and work and its rated very highly. Norfolk sucks. Forgetaboutit. If you want to look for a job in Raleigh let me know. My son is a headhunter there and he can probably find what you are looking for. regards and good luck