Norfolk, Virginia's Worst and Best Areas
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Published 2021-01-24
One this trio, we’re going to begin in one of Norfolk’s nicer communities, on the northwest side of town. Then, we’re going to drive into downtown Norfolk, and then wind up in the worst part of Norfolk. The goal is to give you some perspective on the good and bad areas of town, all in one nearly continuous shot - so you can see how the city is laid out.
We’ll begin up here in the Ghent neighborhood, and drive towards downtown. The Ghent neighborhood here is part of the city’s historic district. Homes here run anywhere from $250,000 to $600,000. This is kind of an arts community, and they hold festivals here throughout the year. Much of this neighborhood was laid out in the 1920s, and has remained mostly in tact ever since. In the 70s and 80s, parts of this neighborhood fell into disrepair. But much effort has been made to restore this community, and now, it’s considered one of the coolest neighborhoods in all of Hampton Roads. Here’s the rest of one of Norfolk’s finest neighborhoods, as we make our way towards downtown.
Now, we’re getting closer to downtown. Norfolk in a very old city, founded in 1682. That’s a long time ago.
In the 1970s, the population here in Norfolk reached more than 300,000 people. However, over the last 40 years, it’s gone down tremendously. Now, the population is 240,000 people, which is a 17% decline. It is still the third most populous city in the state of Virginia. Norfolk is part of the Hampton Roads region of the state, and it sits in a natural harbor at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. It’s widely considered the historic, urban, financial, and cultural center of the region.
The city has a long history as a strategic military and transportation point. The largest naval base in the world, Naval Station Norfolk, is located in Norfolk along with one of NATO's two Strategic Command headquarters.
Back in the day, Norfolk was major shipping port for British ships, and saw many battles during both the American Revolution and the Civil War.
Today, the population here has stabilized after a middle class white flight which happened in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Most of the families who left wanted newer and nicer homes and more diverse shopping and dining options. The city spent a great deal of effort to renovate rundown and antiquated warehouses and piers, which has helped renew SOME interest in the downtown area.
Hampton Roads is a major military center, particularly for the United States Navy. The naval station here is the headquarters of the United States Fleet Forces Command, which compromises over 62,000 active duty personnel, 75 ships, and 132 aircraft. The base also serves as the headquarters to NATO's Allied Command Transformation.This is also a very important region for shipping.
However, being so close to the Chesapeake means Norfolk has been battling the early signs of rising seawater. In addition, it can be hard to attract modern workers so a city that’s not new and innovative. This community can only rely on military personnel for so much.
Now, we’re going to head north of downtown into one of the worst neighborhoods in Norfolk, an area called Olde Huntersville. This part of town has some of the most rundown and crime ridden parts of Norfolk. It’s about an 8 minute drive from downtown proper. We’ll jump ahead to the action.
Homes in this part of town average about $140,000, which is about half of what an average home costs in the rest of Norfolk. Now, they’re slowly trying to gentrify this part of Norfolk, but it’s been really slow going. The housing stock here has suffered due to struggling economic and social conditions over the years along with the mindset that “narrow” homes like these were less desirable.
This led to the demolition or conversion of properties throughout the neighborhood, resulting in scattered vacant lots with minimal new construction. But the high crime and overall rundown feel has made this part of town a real eyesore.
Okay, so that’s Norfolk. A super old community with a lot of history, and a big military presence. Like many older cities, Norfolk is trying hard to remain modern and relevant, as it attempts to attract a new generation of home owners, workers and businesses.
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All Comments (21)
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Here's my entire Unboxing America Series: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq-_cmf3H6yqgM1vGG305si…
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In Norfolk you're always a few streets away from either being in a good or bad area of the city...even the bad areas aren't that bad...as long as you go about your business...you really shouldn't run into any problems
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It’s not every day that your favorite YouTuber drives right by your home!!!
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Dang that brought back Memories! Partying at ODU, Going to concerts at the Scope & Bessie's Boathouse, My car breaking down in an alley behind the Family Dollar! Fireworks at the Waterside, Jellyfish at Willoughby Spit...Good Times!! I remember Brambleton being "The Hood"!
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Norfolk's poorest neighborhood would be considered middle class in various small town coal mining areas in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania. Good on Norfolk! Turns out living in a Military and port town can lead to better accommodations. Opportunity works.
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Virginia in general is beautiful
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Always a wonderful presentation,Nick!Thank you for sharing your tour,views,and lowdown information!
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My city <3 I've travelled a lot but Norfolk is unique. It's a mix of southern folks and people from elsewhere.
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Yes. I live in Huntersville Norfolk VA. We are trying to bring this area to a more livable and safe area. Born and raised.
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Riverview, River Pointe, East Beach, million dollars homes... some of the best areas of Norfolk.. all you showed was downtown areas.... not much of a tour of Norfolk..
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Wow, never expected to see a video of you rolling through my city. I love living here.
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The 'worst area' looked pretty good to me.. The vast majority of housing looking reasonably well maintainted. No obvious derlicts or crumbling facades.. Streets mainly clear of rubbish.. The area might be high crime but many a UK public housing estate looks considerably worse..
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Thank you so much ! I'm moving to Norfolk,Virginia in the fall and it's great to get an idea of the layout
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I used to go to Norfolk city council meetings with my grandma back in the 80s and 90s where many of the so called "poorer" people would ask the City to help improve their areas in various ways. They would always get a NO. And give some excuse about zoning or permits or no funding. But as soon as the generational wealthy suburban hipsters got bold enough to move in, all of a sudden the City of Norfolk had the money, the permits and the zoning readily available. The Park Place area is a huge example of gentrification. Park Place is located right next to Ghent just over the train tracks.
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As an avid US traveler and map geek that is looking for a new city/state to move to, I really enjoy your videos!
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How pretty! Love the weather. Some sunshine, beautiful blue skies and big puffy clouds!! ❤️
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Ok, I watched this video twice and I can't help but take offense to your video. I lived in Norfolk for more than 20 years. I did not live in either Ghent or Huntersville area of the city. I am trying to be as unbiased as I can in my criticism of your video. My biggest criticism is that Norfolk is a very mixed community. There are areas in the heart of Ghent, between the Sentara Hospital and ODU University that could be considered run-down if you were only judging from the exterior. Yet those same areas are home to some of the best restaurants and the most friendly people in Norfolk. The same can be said of the Huntersville areas. There has been much improvement in that area and surrounding areas start in the early 2000's. There was an increase in mixed use housing, upgrades to local parks, and an addition of a major Recreation centers. The city is also investing 400,000,000 in renovation to the infrastructure of the city near the Huntersville area. I feel like your route was "cherry" picked. I won't claim that there are not areas of concern or things that still need to be done. I just feel like you didn't really show the beauty of Norfolk. There are so many hid beauties that are in truly unique places and you will meet truly wonderful people in all of them. You video presented a scenario of "Come visit us, but DON'T STEP INTO THE BAD SIDE!" There really isn't a bad side of Norfolk and bad things can and do happen everywhere, not just on the side of the street that hasn't been gentrified yet.
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I lived in Virginia Beach for 3 years and worked at the Sandbridge Walmart.I spent some time in Norfolk for I volunteered for the Red Cross there and my ex worked for them teaching first aid and CPR classes.Nice folks.I really miss them.❤️
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I was stationed here in '66 '67 and '68. So much has changed
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Great video, I lived in Norfolk while attending ODU, purchased my first house (a duplex near ODU), later purchased a home on Lafayette River directly across from the zoo. My only negative comment is you didn’t show the battleship Wisconsin, one of the few remaining battleships and open for tours.
