Abundant reasons to love living in Norfolk
When I joined the Navy in 1988, salty veterans warned me to avoid taking orders to Norfolk. I heard about the city’s infamous 1970s yard signs that read, “Dogs and Sailors: Stay off the grass!” Well, the Navy did eventually assign me to a ship home-ported in Norfolk, and my wife and I were pleasantly surprised to find the city to be a great place to live and raise our family. So, in 2008 when I retired from active duty, we decided to stay and call Norfolk home.
Like all large cities, Norfolk has its fair share of serious challenges, and I know my views about living here certainly aren’t representative of every neighborhood, but as one of my new year resolutions is to think more positively, here are some of the reasons I like living in Mermaid City.
Norfolk has an old and eventful history. There’s a book titled “Norfolk: the First Four Centuries.” Native Americans thrived here long before British colonization. Go downtown to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and see the British cannonball still lodged in its brick wall. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln arrived at Fort Monroe and oversaw the Union attack that resulted in Norfolk’s surrender. The city’s inextricable reputation as a Navy town is perfectly symbolized with the downtown presence of the battleship USS Wisconsin (BB 64). It seems we’re both permanently moored here.
Living near the water makes me happy. I walk my dogs alongside the picturesque Lafayette River and jog parts of the winding Elizabeth River Trail. I see warships, sailboats and fishing boats share the water. For me, the threat of hurricane season and the annoyance of flooded streets remind me of the classic Maine quote, “If you can’t take the winter, you don’t deserve the summer.”
I like the diversity of my adopted hometown. Our family enjoys attending Greek Fest with its music, food and dancing. NATO families, international students and our diverse military population make Norfolk a genuine melting pot, and the city is an inclusive community that welcomes all regardless of sexual orientation, race or religion. There are synagogues, temples, churches and mosques.
Norfolk’s status as an international commerce hub makes it one of the most cosmopolitan cities on the eastern seaboard. Planes, trains, trucks and ships bring global commerce, cultures and jobs to our doorstep. Mark Twain said, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel only read one page.” If true, one can live in Norfolk, never travel, and still read many pages.
This town embraces the arts with a bear hug. There are museums, an opera house, theaters, the Governor’s School for the Arts, the Virginia Symphony, and a thriving local music scene. Our family always attends the Stockley Gardens Art Festival.
Have you seen the large sculpture of the blue heron just outside Norfolk International Airport? The quirky and creative piece is made completely of aluminum aircraft parts and welcomes newly arrived visitors to our city with a flair that appropriately captures our city’s relationship with art, nature and commerce.
Lastly, Norfolk possesses a singular natural beauty. Each year 39,000 of the city’s signature crape myrtles erupt in blossoms of pink, white, red and purple for a glorious 100 days. The countless springtime azaleas are breathtaking. Walk the Botanical Gardens in spring when the roses are in bloom or pause along the Elizabeth River to enjoy a scarlet sunset. Few cities are this pretty.
Recently, I was jogging along the Elizabeth River and saw a majestic blue heron walking in marsh reeds a few feet away. I stopped (mostly to catch my breath) and for a while it was just the two of us there, being still and staring at each other. It was one of those special moments.
I wondered what he liked about this place that we share. Then, I wondered if he’d seen that sculpture out at the airport.