Norfolk Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia is best known for being a navy town. It is home to the largest navy base in the world but there is much more to the city than just blue uniforms!

Norfolk is in the Hampton Roads are of the state of Virginia, close to Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Portsmouth. Named as one of America’s favorite cities due to its friendliness, proximity to the water, history and culture, it’s no wonder the city has a thriving tourist as well as business economy.

Norfolk has experienced a resurgence over the past decade with a huge increase in culture, arts, food, shopping and music. Public safety has also improved, bringing more families to the city and making it a better place to live and work. There is a real optimism here and it is palpable as soon as you hit the street.

Employment in Norfolk, VA

The Navy is obviously a huge local employer with Norfolk Naval Shipyard making up a significant number of employees. Other notable government employers include Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Army & Air Force Exchange Service, BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair and NASA Langley Research Center.

As well as Navy, Norfolk is also home to the Joint Forces Staff College, US Army Corps of Engineers, NATO headquarters, SACLANT(Supreme Allied Command Atlantic) headquarters and other smaller divisions.

The Port of Virginia is also a significant presence with international terminals.

Private employers include Old Dominion University, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Bank of America, Huntington Ingalls Industries, GEICO Direct, Canon Virginia, Continental, United Parcel Service and Jefferson Lab.

Medical centers in Norfolk, VA include Riverside Health System, Sentara Healthcare, Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health System and Chesapeake Regional Medical Center.

As a Will and Right to Work state, Virginia is a popular place to run a business and to work.

Getting around Norfolk, VA

The corporate housing in Norfolk tends to be apartments, condominiums and townhomes in upscale areas. Thanks to great transport links, getting around the city is simple.

Norfolk benefits from great transport links into and out of the city. It has two major airports, Norfolk International Airport (ORF) and Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (PHF). Norfolk International Airport is located close to I-64 northeast of the city and deals with most major national and international carriers.

Newport News airport is 20 minutes north of the city accessible via I-64 or I-644 and looks after national carriers.

The city is also well served by road links. I-64, I-464, I-264 and I-644 all go through or around Norfolk. Highways 13, 17, 164 and 58 serve regional traffic while numerous smaller routes handle commuters and local traffic.

Norfolk train station forms part of the Northeast Regional route for Amtrak while Newport News is also run by Amtrak and is connected via bus to Norfolk. Greyhound also has a presence in the city for long haul while HRT transit buses takes care of local traffic.

Norfolk city life

Norfolk is made up of five major districts, Downtown, Historic Ghent Districts, Freemason District, Neon Arts District and Ocean View. The climate is warm and moderate making it ideal for living and working without extremes of temperature.

Getting around is easy thanks to modern transport links, good public transit, interstates, sidewalks and cycle routes.

Highlights of Norfolk include Norfolk Botanical Garden, Editor’s Pick Chrysler Museum of Art, Battleship Wisconsin and the Nauticus Maritime Center, Commodore Theater, MacArthur Memorial, Virginia Zoo, Mermaid Factory, Victory Rover Naval Base Cruises, American Rover, Hampton Roads Naval Museum, Hermitage Museum & Gardens and the Armed Forces Memorial.

There are lots of smaller museums, venues, galleries, parks and outside spaces to enjoy in Norfolk. It’s a very cosmopolitan place to live and work.