Hampton Roads Neighborhood Guides: Virginia Beach, Chesapeake & Norfolk

These guides help you compare Hampton Roads neighborhoods by lot size, home style, HOA rules, schools, prices and location, written by a lifelong Virginia Beach resident who has sold homes here since 1999.

Every guide answers the big questions first, then gives you the details a data sheet leaves out: what the streets feel like, what to check on the homes, and why people stay. New neighborhoods are added every month.

Jump to: Virginia Beach · Chesapeake · Norfolk · Choosing a neighborhood

Virginia Beach Neighborhoods

From Bayside and Great Neck to the North End and Sandbridge, Virginia Beach neighborhoods range from 1950s homes on big lots to waterfront estates and newer subdivisions.

Lakeview Park

Virginia Beach · Bayside · 23455

Half-acre-plus lots, 1950s homes under mature trees, no HOA, and the Lake Lawson/Lake Smith trails next door. Chris lives here.

Read the Lakeview Park guide →

Great Neck

Virginia Beach · north Lynnhaven

A legacy community between Broad Bay and the Lynnhaven River, known for character homes, water nearby and a true neighborhood feel.

Read the Great Neck guide →

Witchduck

Virginia Beach · Witch Duck Bay

Waterfront setting, lots averaging nearly an acre, and homes built mostly from the 1970s to the 1990s, plus some of the oldest history in the city.

Read the Witchduck guide →

Coming soon: Little Neck, Chic’s Beach, Kings Grant, North End and Sandbridge.

Chesapeake Neighborhoods

Chesapeake offers more space, newer neighborhoods and strong schools, from Greenbrier and Great Bridge to Western Branch and Hickory.

Greenbrier

Chesapeake · Greenbrier

Chesapeake’s shopping and dining hub along Greenbrier Parkway, with Stumpy Lake and woodlands to the south and quick access to I-64.

Read the Greenbrier guide →

Great Bridge

Chesapeake · Great Bridge · 23320 / 23322

Chesapeake’s historic heart: the Great Bridge schools, the 1775 battlefield park and museum, and a boat ramp on the Intracoastal Waterway.

Read the Great Bridge guide →

Coming soon: Western Branch and Hickory.

Norfolk Neighborhoods

Norfolk neighborhoods put you close to downtown, the bay and Naval Station Norfolk, with historic homes and walkable streets.

Ghent

Norfolk · Ghent · 23507 / 23517

Norfolk’s historic, walkable neighborhood: 1890s–1910s homes, condos and townhomes around The Hague, steps from Colley Avenue and the Chrysler Museum.

Read the Ghent guide →

Coming soon: Larchmont and Ocean View. Looking somewhere else in Norfolk? Call or text Chris.

Choosing a Neighborhood: Quick Answers

Which Hampton Roads city is best to live in?

It depends on your commute, budget and lifestyle: Virginia Beach offers beach and suburban living, Chesapeake more space and newer neighborhoods, and Norfolk walkable urban neighborhoods at generally lower prices.

Drive your commute at rush hour before you choose. Bridges and tunnels shape daily life here.

Where can I find big lots and no HOA in Virginia Beach?

Older established neighborhoods are your best bet. Lakeview Park in Bayside has half-acre-plus lots and no HOA, and Witchduck lots average close to an acre.

Most newer subdivisions have smaller lots and an HOA.
Big-lot neighborhoods sell quickly, so get pre-approved before you start looking.

Which neighborhoods are close to the water?

Great Neck, Witchduck and much of Bayside sit near the Lynnhaven River, Broad Bay, Chesapeake Bay or freshwater lakes.

Being near water can mean a flood zone and flood insurance. Check the FEMA map by address first.

How do I know if a neighborhood is in a flood zone?

Check the FEMA flood map for the exact address. Flood risk can change from one street to the next, even within one neighborhood.

Read more: Flood Zones in Hampton Roads.

Which neighborhoods work best for military families?

Choose based on your base: Bayside and Great Neck are close to JEB Little Creek–Fort Story, central and southern Virginia Beach are closer to NAS Oceana, and Norfolk and I-64 neighborhoods serve Naval Station Norfolk.