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Where to live while at VAW-120
- Thread starter defiant85
- Start date
I rented a house in between Ocean View and Tidewater and it was a nice place to live. It was close to base for those early or late briefs and very close to the beach. It was also a 15 minute drive into the downtown area. The city is trying to reclaim the area since it used to be a bad area so you'll see new sub-divisions of 700K+ homes next to a low income apartment complex, which makes things interesting.
I have a place I'll sell ya! (I moved into my new Coronado house today, still have a house in VA. Expensive)
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
Where's your house?
If you're single... Va Beach Town Center or 1600 Granby Street are good. Within walking distance of substantial night life. Drive isn't bad from either one. Don't worry about Late/Early briefs, they won't happen until you're established and if you prep correctly you can roll in 15min before brief and be good to go.
the house is in The Eagle Harbor subdivision in Carrollton. I prefer it to the crowded VB sprawl.
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
Didn't even know where Carrollton was, had to look it up. How's the commute in the morning from there? PSW and I are looking at VA Beach, close to Chesapeake mainly...
I normally went in around 0615 and was in the ready room about 0650. Going home was about 45 minutes. Travel time between the house & the HRBT is about 15 minutes. Tunnel & base traffic dictate the rest. It seemed like folks from VA beach & Cheasapeake had similar commute times. In nearly 4 years, I only got truly delayed about 4 times by the tunnel. Well worth it to me. Let me know if you want more info!
Chix Beach is a good compromise between the better amenities of VB and the sucky drive-time, especially for the young-and-free types.
I lived in VB, about 4 blocks from the Oceanfront, until I got my wings and soon-to-be-Mrs Fester moved up. Goods: lots to do, could walk to the Boardwalk and the bars and such. Others: long (45+ mins) commute, mostly on the 64/264 gauntlet. VA drivers will test your faith in man and examine your plans for the Afterlife on a daily basis. And a long commute is rough when you've got the 0500 sim.
Lived in Ghent for a few months, between wings and moving over to my Fleet squadron. Fun "college town" type neighborhood, but expensive. I paid more in rent for a 1-BR apt then I did on mortgage on my next house.
Bought a house in Ocean View and lived there for the duration of my JO tour. OV is being rapidly gentrified...ghetto motels torn down and replaced with $1M beach houses. Distance between "can't afford to live there" and "couldn't pay me to live there" may be a block or two, or just opposite sides of the street. Still, it's very close to NB; my drive door-to-door was maybe 10 mins on a bad day.
Whatever you do, don't get a place on the Peninsula (north of Norfolk, near Langley AFB). It looks close on paper, but the bridge traffic is horrendous - huge backup to a standstill for several miles every single day at rush hour - and the Hampton neighborhoods make Norfolk, VB and Chesapeake look like Mayberry.
I lived in VB, about 4 blocks from the Oceanfront, until I got my wings and soon-to-be-Mrs Fester moved up. Goods: lots to do, could walk to the Boardwalk and the bars and such. Others: long (45+ mins) commute, mostly on the 64/264 gauntlet. VA drivers will test your faith in man and examine your plans for the Afterlife on a daily basis. And a long commute is rough when you've got the 0500 sim.
Lived in Ghent for a few months, between wings and moving over to my Fleet squadron. Fun "college town" type neighborhood, but expensive. I paid more in rent for a 1-BR apt then I did on mortgage on my next house.
Bought a house in Ocean View and lived there for the duration of my JO tour. OV is being rapidly gentrified...ghetto motels torn down and replaced with $1M beach houses. Distance between "can't afford to live there" and "couldn't pay me to live there" may be a block or two, or just opposite sides of the street. Still, it's very close to NB; my drive door-to-door was maybe 10 mins on a bad day.
Whatever you do, don't get a place on the Peninsula (north of Norfolk, near Langley AFB). It looks close on paper, but the bridge traffic is horrendous - huge backup to a standstill for several miles every single day at rush hour - and the Hampton neighborhoods make Norfolk, VB and Chesapeake look like Mayberry.
Selling point for hampton:
You could hang out with the Vick's once Michael gets out of jail. So you got that going for ya, which is nice.
MasterBates
Well-Known Member
Or you could live la vida PUMA at NAB Little Creek or NAS Oceana.
I disagree with Fester on the tunnel. I drove through it daily and did not spend hours there. I did time my commute to miss the worst of it, but like I said, I only got messed up 4 times in nearly 4 years because of it. I think the 264/64/564 mess is worse more often.
I do agree that you should avoid Newport News or Hampton. I drove through them on my commute.
I do agree that you should avoid Newport News or Hampton. I drove through them on my commute.