A harbor town with a history, Newport News is filled with great scenery and an abundance of outdoor activities. As with much of Virginia, the influence of history and the Civil War is prevalent; however, Newport News is no sleepy southern town. In fact, its Hampton Roads Harbor locale makes it the perfect venue for those who love an ocean view, a weekend sail and the laid-back lifestyle that is Virginia.
What you will find in Newport News, aside from impeccable seafood (especially oysters), is the perfect blend of seaside town and vibrant community. What are you waiting for? Start spreading the Newport News. And also, find an apartment.
Meet (Newport News) Virginia: The neighborhoods of Newport News are just what you would expect from a colonial town – complete with Civil War reenactments. Quaint, scenic and friendly, it isn’t hard to find your place in this Virginia town.
Hilton Village: Newport News’ most historic neighborhood, Hilton Village is composed of 500 English cottage homes. The town that was built to provide shipyard builders with wartime housing is now one of the biggest tourist spots in the city, as well as a fine place to live. Folks that reside here take pride in knowing that they live in a historic home that was built for a common good. Renters here can expect a friendly neighborhood adorned with local shops and restaurants. Keeping with the small town feel, Hilton Village has its own library (Main Street Library) and theatre and on the weekends festivals, and even weddings, take place in the town square. Aside from the historic single-family homes, renters can also choose from apartments and townhomes.
Harpersville: Take a look around this neighborhood for those who want a little bit of a yard and a nice sized house (typically 3-4 bedrooms). The houses here are a mix of older homes (built in the 40s), established homes (built in the 70s) and newer homes (built in the 90s). There also are some apartments located in the community. This is the ideal place to spread your wings, if you’re moving from a city.
Oyster Point: Oyster Point is home to a large variety of apartment complexes. It is also the home of City Center, which is THE hot spot in Newport News. This downtown community merges business and pleasure. Shops, restaurants/bars, events, office buildings and apartments all come together in City Center. Living in Oyster Point will appeal to those who want to be in the center of it all. The condos, townhomes and apartments here tend to be a bit more luxurious than those found in other parts of Newport News and the price tag in some parts can reflect that luxury (one bedrooms at $950).
Port Warwick: Referred to as a “mixed-use community.” Here you will find a sense of community, green grass (actually 3 acres of it in Styron Square), many activities, including summer concerts and year round festivals. Living here, you get the sense of that southern, neighborly lifestyle that is often only shown in iced tea commercials. Businesses and locally owned shops and restaurants share the same sidewalks with medical offices and luxury apartments. The apartments in Port Warwick feature fireplaces and access to dining and shopping. The one downside for those who never learned: the parking here is, typically, parallel – so brush up on your skills now. Another bonus of this quaint area is that it is minutes away from Oyster Point and City Center, as well as the airport. One bedrooms here start around $800.
Navigating through the News:
For anyone that has ever driven through Virginia via I-95, you know that the traffic in and around the state can sometimes be a bit grueling. With that being said, if you steer clear of that one major highway and use the city’s interstate (Interstate 64 is N.N’s major road), highways, tunnel and/or bridges (which connect you to the other cities in Hampton Roads), you should be okay aside from rush hour. Frequent travelers, relocating to the area, will take pleasure in knowing that Newport News has railroad service and a commercial airport (Newport News-Williamsburg Airport) within its city limits. And if you are moving without a car, or you are trying to go green, you can choose from the local transit bus or the city bus to get you to and fro (pardon our southern drawl).
Weather:
All four seasons happen in Newport News. Though the summers can be hot, Newport News is pretty mild in terms of heat and is nowhere near as uncomfortable as some of the other cities of the south. This could be due to its location near the Harbor, but no matter the reason you will be grateful. Those moving here for a bit of winter will delight in the fact that it does indeed get cold enough to snow here but you will not have to spend the entire winter shoveling your driveway or street. For all of these weather reasons, it is important to make sure your rental comes with A/C and heat and that your car is well prepared for icy bridges and slippery roads.
So, you see, a city with history and plenty of museums to show for it, doesn’t have to be boring or sleepy. Instead, it can have a bustling City Center, plenty of local shopping and access to boating, fishing and sailing. To live here is to love here. After all, isn’t Virginia for lovers?
