Have you lived in or visited Virginia.? Tell us about it!
Woodbridge
Prince William County, West Virginia, USA (North America) — July 2019 –-I live in Woodbridge, Virginia. Woodbridge, zip code 22192, is a suburb of Washington D.C. along Interstate 95. Woodbridge has some wonderful qualities – it functions as a bedroom community for our wonderful warriors who work at the Pentagon and Ft Belvoir and there is ample green space in which to enjoy outdoor activities such as kayaking and hiking. In addition to the cultural activities in nearby Washington D.C. such as the Smithsonian Museum, Woodbridge is near a variety of places of interest such as Manassas National Battlefield Park, site of the first and second Battles of Bull Run. Woodbridge is a very diverse community. There are large numbers of Muslim immigrants in the community as well as enclaves of people from other parts of the world. This diversity leads to very little apparent friction and people generally get along very well. There are pockets of high crime and poverty, but generally Woodbridge is relatively affluent. The great negative to living in Woodbridge is the traffic problem. Northern Virginia is famous for poor infrastructure and the main traffic arteries are always, it seems, packed with commuters migrating into and out of Washington D.C. Interstate 95 is particularly bad, but no matter what one’s destination it pays to build in significant extra time to get where you’re going. The high population density and abundance of government jobs leads to problems with housing. The home prices are astounding and it typically costs $1300 plus to rent a one bedroom apartment. Homeowners frequently rent out multiple rooms in their houses which exacerbates the price of homes since it encourages investors to otherwise overpay for houses with the idea that rental income will provide positive cash flow. As such, it is unreasonable to expect to live in the area without a household income well over $100,000 a year.
Martinsville
Henry County, Virginia, USA (North America) – December 2018 — Martinsville, Virginia, USA My time spent living here in Martinsville, Virginia has been very welcoming and it feels just like home. When I first moved here from Pennsylvania, I expected a country welcome because of my initial thoughts about the South. Boy, was I surprised when I finally saw how quaint, yet wholesome a community like Martinsville is. In order to fully appreciate the beauty of the wonderful city, you have to take a ride along Commonwealth Blvd. I recommend stopping by the Community Market while you’re there, and it can be found right on Fayette Street. There you will find some of the freshest fruits and veggies grown by local farmers. There is plenty to do here in the city limits, and the best part is that if you have to leave to find what you need, the city of Lynchburg, VA is just a short drive up US 29 North. I love the low home prices, and I’ve never felt safer living somewhere until I moved to Martinsville. Martinsville is a small town that is very active. Most people know the city for The Martinsville Speedway Race Track, the shortest track on the NASCAR circuit. The school systems here are very thoughtful of their students. A lot of people are friendly and some are not. Although, most people will start a conversation. It’s a small town but everyone knows almost everyone. I love my town. Its filled with great people and oozing with southern hospitality. I tried leaving before but this is where God wants me to be. Kinda became a ghost town shortly after NAFTA caused all of the businesses to leave, but we’re coming back like a roaring lion! I recommend a visit for anyone seeking a new place to call home, you won’t be disappointed!
Norfolk
Virginia, USA – March 2018 — We visited Norfolk in March, hoping to escape a harsh New England winter. We did escape the snow, but not the cold. Although the temperature was higher, the wind blowing off the water caused quite a chill. Aside from that, I was left with a very favorable impression of this city. I recommend the tour of the naval base. I took the one that the navy itself sponsor – a narrated bus trip through the base – and a water tour that provides another view of many of the enormous ships. The U.S.S. Wisconsin is definitely worth seeing as is the museum dedicated to the life of General Douglas Macarthur. I also highly recommend the Virginia Zoo. Very well laid out providing a view of a number of species at once, rather than just one type of animal at a time. Hidden gem in the Catnip Cat Cafe, 2200 Colonial Avenue. We paid a small fee to spend time with about 16 rescue cats, all up for adoption.
The Botanical Garden sounds great, but we decided to save it for when the weather was warmer, so I cannot provide any endorsement from firsthand experience.
Friendly Southerners who say hello to strangers in the street. Overall, I really liked the city.
Williamsburg
Virginia, USA (North America) – March 2018 — at first i did not like this town i moved here a few months back and i came from a big city compared to the small town of Williamsburg I was here because my job and all i did for the first month was work so i had little time to explore the city but when I finally had the chance I realized there was a lot of things to do and the weather is nice. Don’t get me wrong the winters are cold but not like where i am from and the town has one the oldest school in the country next to Harvard. There is a merchant square that on Saturday in the spring have a wonderful farmers market.there is also a wonderful wine and cheese shop in the merchant square and next to the cheese shop there is a fabulous award winning restaurant and there is book store and on Saturday there are actors that dress up and you can visit them in the old colonial Williamsburg where its a museum of old virgina settlers and they re-enactment of earlier times. And if you enjoy running there is a nice bike and run trail called the capital trails the goes from williamsburg to Richmond va. also if you want to visit a beach in the summer virgina beach is only a 59 minute commute and year at the beach, so i now have warmed up to Williamsburg and even started looking for a house in the town it is a nice place full of beauty and rich history,
Norfolk
Virginia, USA (North America) – February 2018 — My hometown is Norfolk, VA. Natives there would pronounce it like “Nawfuk” because of the natural slang of that area. I grew up there between 1998 to 2008. It was the best time of my life as I graduated high school and college there so it holds many near and dear memories to me. Norfolk was a part of what we call the “7 cities” or “757” area because of the variety of cities that were all within minutes of each other (Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Hampton, Virginia Beach, Newport News, and Williamsburg). It was one of the best learning experiences growing up there. I learned how to work to pay for what I wanted and stop relying on my parents. I learned to take in the Chesapeake Bay and just sit by the water and be still and let my thoughts fall in the water. I learned love and I learned heartbreak. I liked that everything was so close as far as the city, the beach, the suburban areas, the “hood”, the ambiance of Black Excellence while attending a historically black college and university, the variety of fun things to do.
I did not like that I did not find a lot of good paying options available for me as an accountant with a dual degree. I had to leave to find the decent money paying for my profession. Norfolk made your skin tough, but showed you how to take the city in in a way that made you appreciative. Downtown Norfolk was the place to be on the weekends. All the pubs, bars, mall, shopping options and hotels were there which made festivals and events even more fun, because we could all be in the same area downtown and just walk everywhere if we wanted to. It was right there on the water too. Norfolk gives you a well rounded experience with so much to offer. I liked that it was live at night. Night life was GREAT! Day life was GREAT! It was so much to do there that I wish I could bring with me everywhere. It’s where the naval base and shipyard is too so it was interesting seeing ships coming and going. Norfolk is one of those hidden gems of this country.
Roanoke
Virginia, USA — January 15, 2018 — My hometown is Roanoke, Virginia. I lived there from 1992 to 2011. Roanoke is a railroad and hospital town located in Southwest Virginia. It was a great place to grow up since it is still a city of about 200,000 people but located in the mountains. I loved going fishing on the Roanoke and James Rivers, hiking along the Appalachian Trail, and taking weekend drives with my family on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The amazing outdoor opportunities there have really shaped my adult life. I recently hiked over nine hundred miles of the Appalachian Trail and would never have done that without growing up on the trails around Roanoke. More recently, Roanoke has started to attract many breweries and has been working on greenways. Every time I visit home, there seems to be a new brewery or pub to try out. Other than drinking and outdoor activities, Roanoke attracts many decent concerts and has a minor baseball and hockey team. I saw Old Crow Medicine Show as my first concert there and have now seen them four times. It really is a fun small mountain town that has everything you could need. The school systems are good, the downtown is busy and nice, and the countryside is beautiful.