Sergeant Patrick is in the Army, and stationed at Ft. Monroe in Hampton Virginia. He rented a nearby apartment off base with his wife Janie and two kids. Ft. Monroe sits on the water and he loves fishing there. He then got orders to go to Korea for 24 months and the family moved with him. When that time was over he then got stationed at Ft. Eustis in Newport News VA that is just 18 miles from Ft. Monroe. He soon got back to his fishing routine and his favorite pier. He and his wife, Janie, liked the area so much he decided to purchase a home in nearby York County VA.

This is the purpose of this brief article. This information is an overview of the reasons why many people are deciding to live and buy homes in the Newport News, Hampton, York County, and Williamsburg Virginia.

These 4 neighboring cities are all part of a larger metropolitan area of other major cities which are divided on two sides separated by water. This regional area, formerly known as, and still sometimes refer called, Tidewater is now called the Hampton Roads VA area. Hampton Roads is divided by water in between the two sides, but all is considered the local area. One side has some very well known cities such as Virginia Beach and Norfolk is called the Southside. And the other side which is the focus of this information is called the Peninsula. It's major cities are York County , Newport News , Hampton, and Williamsburg

HAMPTON: This city of Hampton is located between the bridge tunnel that heads over to Norfolk & VA Beach on the Southside and Williamsburg. The city has several major employers like Fort Monroe, Langley Air Force Base, and NASA Langley Research Center, an aeronautical research facility. There is also plenty of arts and culture. The area of the city called Phoebus has a rich history of architecture, arts, and entertainment. Hampton is also host to regular events like auto racing at Langley Speedway and live bands at the parks and the annual Hampton Jazz Festival are popular among Hampton residential homeowners and visitors.

Individuals and families are attracted to live, and owned homes, in Hampton due to its many schools and colleges, like Hampton University and Thomas Nelson Community College. And lots of others are drawn to Hampton real estate thanks to the city’s close location to beaches within the city like Buckroe Beach and nearby Virginia Beach is approximately a 40 minute drive. The city also has other employment opportunities than the ones previously mentioned, and a variety of shopping for Hampton residents. The city of Hampton also has very reasonable property taxes.

NEWPORT NEWS: The city of Hampton and the city of Newport News are separated by just the sings and the city line. Newport News real estate is located on the north shore of the James River, at the point it meets the Chesapeake Bay. Newport News dates back to the 1600s. Nowadays, the city's real estate includes two historic neighborhoods; North End/Huntington Heights as well as Hilton Village, the two of them are on the National Register of Historic Places. Newport News visitors and resident alike can enjoy a wide variety of activities like Newport News Park, which includes two golf courses within its 8,000 acres. Newport News is currently undergoing a renewal, which is attracting even more potential homeowners to real estate available in the city. Since Newport News is also a part of the peninsula, which is surrounded on three sides by water, many people enjoy the waterfront lifestyle and mild climate offered by the city’s location along the James River. And many others are also drawn to city's home market because of employment opportunities, including a very large ship builder and a couple of military installations. The city of Newport News also is close to colleges & universities, a variety of shopping choices, and a high tech research facility.

YORK COUNTY: York County, established in 1634, is one of the eight original counties of Virginia. It expands 108 square miles of very quiet communities. Very close to the nearby cities of Hampton and Newport News. It is main a reason why York County residential real estate is an ideal option for commuters to these cities. The County’s economy is related to the large military-industrial complexes which are throughout the entire Hampton Roads region. However the County of York still holds on to its early maritime roots. Its seafood processing and ship building still thrives along the York and James River. And with York County’s combined shorelines running in excess of 200 miles, this County’s real estate remains an ideal choice for home buyers looking for value.

York is a part of the Historic Triangle of Virginia, which also includes Jamestown and Williamsburg. York County is at the north point of the Colonial Parkway. The Parkway is a scenic road that connects all three points of the Historic Triangle. Parents are attracted to York County residential real estate because of the ten elementary schools, four middle schools, and seven high schools. Other families, and individuals, buy York County homes because of the scenic nature of the location, the lack of extreme weather, and the relatively low cost of living.

WILLIAMSBURG: Many locals feel no one beats Williamsburg when it comes to major attractions. It is considered a great place to buy higher end real estate. The City of Williamsburg is considered as an upscale resident community of homeowners. The residential population totals nearly 12,000. But it averages over 4 million sightseers and visitors that come from all over the country to Colonial Williamsburg each year. This is an interactive restoration of the state’s original capital and life re-enactments of the early settlers in Virginia which were also among the first to settle the country. There are many other popular destinations in Williamsburg like Water Country USA, Busch Gardens theme park, Jamestown, Yorktown, the Williamsburg Winery, and the city’s manufactures outlet shopping centers.

This was a quick overview of the 4 main cities that make up the Peninsula in Virginia. The Virginia Peninsula has a mild four season climate. This means outdoor activities can be enjoyed all the year round. The weather in the Hampton Roads area is seasonal and temperate. Summers are hot and humid with cool evenings. The average temperature range out of the 12 month period is 70 °F with an average annual winter snowfall of 6 inches and an average annual rainfall of 47 inches. This makes the Virginia Peninsula a great place to relocate from up north for all the people looking to escape brutal winters. And the Virginia Peninsula is also a great choice for people out west looking to escape the desert summers.

The collective waters known as Hampton Roads is one of the world's biggest natural harbors, it includes the mouths of the Elizabeth River and James River with several smaller rivers and then empties into the Chesapeake Bay near its mouth leading to the Atlantic Ocean. This is at the heart of the major attraction to the Virginia Peninsula and Southside Hampton Roads. It is boaters, and fishers, and beach goers’ haven. Forget Florida or California, the Peninsula and Hampton Roads has everything they have with the exception of the palm trees and the high cost of living.

The Hampton, Newport News, York County and Williamsburg area is home to a large military presence and major employers like Fort Monroe, Langley Air Force Base, NASA Langley Research Center, Northrop Grumman, formally Newport News Shipyard as well as the Navy, Ft Eustis and a wide array of other businesses like the Budweiser Brewery, Pepsi Bottling, and industrial enterprises.

There are a lot of choices for higher education like Hampton University, and Thomas Nelson Community College serves as the community college. Newport News contains Christopher Newport University, a public university. Other nearby public universities include Old Dominion University , Norfolk State University and The College of William and Mary

The area is served by two airports. Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, located in Newport News, and the Norfolk International Airport on the Southside. However, the primary for the Virginia Peninsula is the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport. The Airport is experiencing a 4th year of record, double-digit growth, making it one of the fastest growing airports in the country. The airport currently has seven airlines that provide nonstop services to twenty five destinations throughout the country

Public transportation on the Peninsula, the Southside and throughout Hampton Roads is served by the regions bus service called Hampton Roads Transit. The major roads on the Peninsula are Mercury Blvd which runs the length of Hampton and at one time had the most restaurants and eateries in the entire country. The other is Jefferson Ave which runs the entire length of Newport News. The entire Hampton Roads region is served by the I-64 and I-664 interstate system the primary method to travel back and forth between the Peninsula and Southside to VA Beach.

In closing, Hampton Roads area cities were recently voted one of the best areas to live in the country. Because of a high military presence which includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard, the area remains a very popular choice for retirees. It is also due to this reason that the area has enjoyed some insulation from some of the economic downturns in the economy including the housing market. It is also consistently below the national average compare to cities of equal population when it comes to crime and unemployment rates

All of this is together with the breathtaking landscape surrounded by water, and the miles of waterfront properties. There is a very rich culture and lively nightlife. Whether you come for business or pleasure, the Virginia Peninsula and the Greater Hampton Roads area has it all.

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