# where to live in Newport News VA



## glypnirsgirl (Jan 19, 2011)

HI! It looks like my son may be getting a job with Northrop Grumman and he will be working at the shipyard in Newport News. We are currently in Hampton staying at a hotel for the week of his interview. 

There is this HUGE difference in the price of housing in Newport News versus Smithfield, Yorktown, Williamsburg. Newport News housing seems to be older and it is much cheaper. 

Is it safe to live in Newport News? What is causing that huge price differential? Is it the difference between the hourly employees at the shipyard compared to mostly professionals in the rest of the penninsula area?

Any insight will be greatly appreciated. My son and his wife just need to be SAFE, they don't have to have the best place to live, just a safe one.

Thanks for your help!
elaine


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## pedro47 (Jan 20, 2011)

Ask them to start looking in the upper Denbigh section in the City of Newport News and the City of Poquoson.  Poquoson has a great school system and would be my #1 choice to live on the Peninsula.  Also please check York County on the Peninsula.

Please tell them to avoid the East End section in the City of Newport News. 

Another idea place to live is in  Harbour View neighborhood located in Suffolk, VA. Harbour View is located about 15 minutes from the job site.  This is a very solid middle class to a very upper high middle class neighborhood.  There are some very nice condominium,townhouse and apartments to rent.

These are my opinion only to safe.


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## jfbookers (Jan 20, 2011)

*Crime*

Google Newport News Crime or try

http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/va/newport-news/crime/ 

Aviod the teens and 20s streets as that seems to be where most of the TV crime stories come from. Just my opinion.


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## RDB (Jan 20, 2011)

*Welcome to Tidewater Virginia.*

First off, I hope the interview pays off.  

Send me a PM.  We all can meet and go over your maps.  

If you have some time, I can drive you around, to see pros and cons first hand.

Generally, I’d choose the area between Langley Research Center and Yorktown. 

There are only a couple places in Newport News, but then I’m unsure of the schools. 

Traffic can be a drag getting to the shipyard. Times from across the James, and generally newer houses accounts for some prices differences.


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## RDB (Jan 21, 2011)

RDB said:


> First off, I hope the interview pays off.
> 
> Send me a PM.  We all can meet and go over your maps.   ...



We will be out for this evening, but I'll check for your PM when we get back.


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## RDB (Jan 22, 2011)

glypnirsgirl said:


> ... We are currently in Hampton ...There is this HUGE difference in the price of housing ...Is it safe to live in Newport News? What is causing that huge price differential? ...
> 
> Any insight will be greatly appreciated. ... Thanks for your help!
> elaine



I continually check, but don't see any from you.  I'm eager to assist, if you would like.   Please, PM either way.


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## Big Matt (Jan 22, 2011)

I wouldn't live in NN except for the Kiln Creek area.  The shipyard is within 30 minutes from Williamsburg, nice parts of Hampton, Poquoson, and Yorktown.

One thing you need to be aware of is traffic.  The interstate (64) gets all backed up around Denbigh everyday with the shipyard and Fort Eustice traffic.

I wouldn't recommend living on the other side of the James River either.  The area is very nice and affordable in many places, but you have to cross the water either on Monitor Merrimac or the James River Bridge.  You can do a lot of sitting in traffic when people are going to the beaches south of there.


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## glypnirsgirl (Jan 24, 2011)

Thanks for the replies. I was very concerned about getting over a bridge or through a tunnel. For the first 6 months, I believe that being late one time can cost Jordan his job. And I don't think that it would be a good idea for him to be late at any time. The bridges looked like they could be a nightmare of traffic.

One Saturday afternoon, I was trying to pull out on to Warwick from one of the nearby older apartments and it took us about 20 minutes just to pull out onto Warwick. I could tell that everyone was leaving the shipyard because of the tags on their rearview mirrors. Where in the world do that many people park??? 

And maybe I am crazy, but I considered doing one of the II getaways into Williamsburg for a few weeks so that they would have a nice place to stay that is less expensive than extended stay places. There seems to be plenty of availability at some really nice places. I was particularly interested in the Marriott at Ford's Colony - which has availability for the next 6 weeks or so.


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## pedro47 (Jan 24, 2011)

Using the M&M Tunnel to the shipyard in the early morning and evening is only a 10 - 15 minutes commute.  We live in the Harbour View Community and the only times there are problems is when there is an accidents or a break down in the tunnel.

Your biggest problem is finding somewhere to park downtown at the shipyard.

Kiln Creek is also a very nice community but the traffic is very heavy daily.


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## glypnirsgirl (Jan 24, 2011)

pedro47 said:


> Using the M&M Tunnel to the shipyard in the early morning and evening is only a 10 - 15 minutes commute.  We live in the Harbour View Community and the only times there are problems is when there is an accidents or a break down in the tunnel.
> 
> Your biggest problem is finding somewhere to park downtown at the shipyard.
> 
> Kiln Creek is also a very nice community but the traffic is very heavy daily.



It looked to me that parking would be the biggest problem. It is that concern that led me to ask whether Newport News itself is safe. It seems that the ideal solution would be to rent within walking distance of the shipyard. The homes that are close to the shipyard are so old that I am afraid they would spend their whole paycheck on their utilities. There are two apartment complexes at the north end of the complex (older) and one on the south end  (newer) - which would be within walking or biking distance. 

I have never lived in a place where there was a bridge or tunnel that was between me and my job. It makes me anxious to think that an accident would cause my son to lose his job. 

elaine


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## Big Matt (Jan 24, 2011)

Parking depends on what shift we're talking about.  I don't have a clue what this young man will be doing, but it could be on a 24x7 project with night shifts.  That could take a lot of the parking/traffic out of the equation.  



pedro47 said:


> Using the M&M Tunnel to the shipyard in the early morning and evening is only a 10 - 15 minutes commute.  We live in the Harbour View Community and the only times there are problems is when there is an accidents or a break down in the tunnel.
> 
> Your biggest problem is finding somewhere to park downtown at the shipyard.
> 
> Kiln Creek is also a very nice community but the traffic is very heavy daily.


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## pedro47 (Jan 24, 2011)

The majority of the work at the shipyard occurs during the day; however this shipyard does operate 24/7.


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## Big Matt (Jan 24, 2011)

I have a good friend who inspects the nuclear power infrastructure for ships and subs when they are in for maintenance and he worked night shift for years.


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## glypnirsgirl (Jan 24, 2011)

I suspect as one of the newest employees that Jordan will be working the night shift. I don't know if he will be on night shift while at the Apprentice School for the first three months.


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## angel72 (Jan 26, 2011)

*Newport News*

The Hidenwood and Glendale area of Newport News is also ok.  
People i know who work at the shipyard first shift usually try to get there very early for parking.  Let me know if you have other questions.


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## glypnirsgirl (Jan 26, 2011)

Hmmm ... I will have to look to see if I can find these different neighborhoods on the maps that I have. Does anyone know a different way of finding which neighborhoods are which? I know where Denbeigh is because I could find the name of the street. But I haven't had much luck finding the others.

elaine


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## Big Matt (Jan 26, 2011)

Look here:

http://www.newport-news.org/files/documents/Pad Map 2005.pdf

This gives you a good idea of the area and where the main points of interest are located.  Notice that the Shipyard is much closer to Hampton that most of the northern parts of Newport News.


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## MLBROWN12 (Feb 21, 2011)

*shipyard and Newport News*

My son works at the shipyard and I live in newport news.  I would stay away from Denbigh.  Hidenwood & Glendale are good neighborhoods as well as Hilton, Riverside and the Menchville area.  I live off Harpersville - older well established neighborhood but you have to be careful in certain sections like no to Ivy Farms.  
As for shipyard parking he works 1st shift and leaves the house at 5:15 a.m. arrives at 5:30 and still has difficulty finding parking.  They offer shuttles and bus service which is convenient and car pooling.  Parking is a nightmare.  Good luck.
______________________________________________


glypnirsgirl said:


> HI! It looks like my son may be getting a job with Northrop Grumman and he will be working at the shipyard in Newport News. We are currently in Hampton staying at a hotel for the week of his interview.
> 
> There is this HUGE difference in the price of housing in Newport News versus Smithfield, Yorktown, Williamsburg. Newport News housing seems to be older and it is much cheaper.
> 
> ...


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## glypnirsgirl (Feb 21, 2011)

Jordan will be in orientation on March 9th. I am hoping that they will give him his shift and parking options then.

I was really relieved the read that they have shuttles and buses. 

When I looked at the HTR website, I could only find one bus to the shipyard area. That seems highly unlikely to me, am I missing something? Maybe the company has their own shuttles?

elaine


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