Norfolk

Norfolk is Virginia’s second-largest incorporated city, with a population of 234,403 as of the 2000 Census. Norfolk is also one of the few urban areas in Virginia showing resurgence in population, with an estimated population of 238,832 in 2006.

The city is bordered to the west by the Elizabeth River and to the north by the Chesapeake Bay. It also shares land borders with the cities of Chesapeake to its south and Virginia Beach to its east. As it is surrounded by multiple bodies of water, Norfolk has many miles of riverfront and bay front property, and is linked with its neighbors by an extensive network of Interstate highways, bridges, tunnels, and bridge-tunnel complexes.  Norfolk is also easily accessible from all corners of the world, thanks to the Norfolk International Airport.  Avid travelers can even depart on various cruise lines from the Norfolk Cruise Ship Terminal, opened in 2007 and located conveniently in the heart of the downtown waterfront area.

One of the oldest cities in the Hampton Roads area, Norfolk is considered to be the historic, urban, financial, and cultural center of the region.  Norfolk is home to both the Norfolk Naval Base, the world’s largest naval base, and corporate headquarters of the Norfolk Southern Railway, one of North America’s principal Class I railroads.

First settled in 1622 by Adam Thoroughgood, Norfolk had developed into what many believe was the most prosperous city in Virginia by 1775. It was a major shipbuilding center and an important trans-shipment point for the export of goods.  Norfolk was officially incorporated as a city in 1845, with a population of about 14,000, and by 1950, it was the fifth fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States.

Norfolk has a newly revitalized downtown area, home to the MacArthur Center mall, Chrysler Hall Performing Arts Center, Scope Arena, and several other shopping and cultural arts venues.  Fans of the performing arts can enjoy Broadway shows at Chrysler Hall, opera at the Harrison Opera House, and top-notch regional theater at the Wells Theater.  Sports fanatics enjoy rooting for the hometown triple-A baseball team, the Norfolk Tides (an affiliate of the Orioles) at Harbor Park, and the Norfolk Admirals ice hockey team at Scope Arena. Families enjoying a day in downtown Norfolk can dine at world-class restaurants or explore the Nauticus National Maritime Center, the Virginia Zoo, or the Norfolk Botanical Gardens.  Being a waterfront city, the best way to see Norfolk is aboard one of the Norfolk harbor cruises. Choose from lunch cruises, dinner cruises (including the Spirit of Norfolk dinner show cruise), sailboats, paddlewheel ships, or a Naval Base cruise.

Norfolk’s efforts to revitalize its downtown have attracted acclaim in economic development and urban planning circles throughout the country, with Money Magazine proclaiming it as the number one city in which to live in the South in 1999. Located just northwest of downtown, the Ghent district of Norfolk is one of the Hampton Roads region’s premier urban residential communities.  With abundant nightlife options and a wide variety of restaurants, Norfolk also plays host to numerous yearly festivals and parades, mostly at Town Pointe Park in downtown.

Norfolk City Public Schools is made up of 5 high schools, 8 middle schools, 34 elementary schools, and 9 special-purpose/preschools. In 2005, Norfolk Public Schools won the $1 million Broad Prize for Urban Education award for having demonstrated “the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps for poor and minority students”.  There are several private schools in the city, and Norfolk is also home to four major universities: Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, Eastern Virginia Medical School, and Virginia Wesleyan College. 

Norfolk, like most of the Hampton Roads area, enjoys a humid subtropical climate with moderate changes of seasons.  In addition to the urban residential areas, there are also miles of bayfront resort property and beaches in the Willoughby Spit and Ocean View communities.  Home prices vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, but Norfolk is generally considered to be moderately priced, and an excellent value for property near the sea.

Norfolk VA MLS Search

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