For many years it was the "Hampton Roads Area," named for the port area found on nautical charts. At about the same time, "Tidewater Area" was used. Lately there's been a move to use "Norfolk Area" because so many people know Norfolk in connection with the military establishment.
"South Hampton Roads" is the name used for the phone book covering Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Virginia Beach, Franklin, Holland, Smithfield and Windsor.
Whatever the name, the area is indeed special. The personalities of nearly a dozen nearly-contiguous communities bring a rich variety of surroundings to its residents.
Virginia Beach is situated on the northeast corner of mother earth where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Chesapeake Bay. The border extends up the Chesapeake Bay until it touches Norfolk and south along the ocean until it encounters the drawling North Carolina border. Put water-people here and they think they've died and gone to heaven. Even if they can't see it, people just know water is nearby. Some hear it; others smell it and others deduce it seeing trailered boats and a host of other visual clues.
Norfolk has a major military and industrial "water scene" easily seen cruising inland along the Chesapeake Bay and turning left into the Elizabeth River. The great aircraft carriers, submarines and container cargo ships present a never ending parade of the ocean-going who's who of the world.
Chesapeake, to the south and west of Virginia Beach and Norfolk borders, is another of the larger American land-mass cities. Chesapeake's growth took off a few years ago when Virginia Beach mostly ran out of room. It's called a "bedroom community;" many of its residents drive to Norfolk or Virginia Beach to work and return to their homes in the suburbs each evening. Lately, however, Chesapeake is attracting light and clean industry which creates the kind of jobs many cities vie for. More and more residents are working in their home community.
Portsmouth, across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk, is in a period of reconstruction. Its economy is being reborn as it rebuilds classic areas and uses its land resource to create new communities.
Then, there are the smaller outlying communities which offer a rich sense of space and quiet. Smithfield is one of these. Not far from the communities already mentioned, you'll cross some of the tidal tributaries and encounter visual ecstacy with the rural beauty. Long curvy strands of tidal water ease around corners of vibrant green marsh grasses populated by egrets, herons, ducks and other waterfowl. If you're a boat person, you'll enjoy the waterborne traffic... small commercial fishing vessels and their characteristic watermen at the helm, pleasure craft of all sizes and shapes, fathers and their children in small fishing boats and, yes, grandfathers too. This is a place of soda fountains, general stores (you know, the kind with the guy in the apron), downtowns with only three blocks of stores and lots of green space outside town.
Only 42 minutes from New York (one segment flight from Norfolk to Newark) and a three hour drive to Washington, DC, the area is close to the culinary, cultural, shopping and entertainment capitals of the east coast. But, you don't need to get on a plane for a healthy dose of all these things.
The Chrysler Museum in Norfolk has some of the finest art collections in our country.
Golfers also thrive here. National and international course designers have plied their trade from one end of the area to another. The result is a varied collection of courses operated by municipalities, communities and private clubs.
The Virginia Marine Science Museum has been ranked in the top 12 attended aquariums in the country. It has one of the four 3D IMax theaters in the U.S. The 300,000 gallon Norfolk Canyon aquarium shows marine life in the offshore waters; Sand Tiger sharks and a full-size shipwreck to name a few.
For the outdoor enthusiast, the beaches are long and accessible to everyone. With a mild climate, beaches and other outdoor activities can be enjoyed throughout the year.
Tidewater, South Hampton Roads, or Norfolk area -- call it what you want. It is a lovely place to live and build a home.
