Hampton Roads Housing/Real estate/and Economy

[sugoiben]

Please remember that Virginia Beach has an avg household income of 85K

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That made me really curious, and I did some poking around for stats on the net.

Couldn't find anything that gave VaBeach an income quite that high. Most sites put the median income in the low $50K's. Still highly respectable. Fourth highest in the nation for a city of it's size, one report states. I guess I just have trouble getting my head around this fact, cause I don't see it in Hampton Roads as much. One of the things I've always liked about the area is that it always seemed to have less economic stratification(I think I just made that up) than most places. That is I mean, everybody seems to be more or level on even footing with everyone else. It was something I was very aware of after moving to NoVA from Va Beach. Up here, the rich folk aren't hiding. Ya see those really expensive cars, and exorbiently priced stores and restaurants and ya think "Wow, there's some rich people around here." In HR, they must be around for all this expensive real estate to be getting snapped up, think they musta been hiding though. Either that, or the cities have greatly succeeded in their attempts to attract wealthy citizens and high paying jobs.

Oh, and part of my original befuddlement on the issue, wasn't so much that the wealth isn't there. But rather that a million dollars can buy you a lot of house in HR. The fact that there is demand for a condos of all things for that kinda price is pretty remarkable I think.

[rusthebuss]

He said the average income was 85k and median income is a different type of calculation. Median and average are different

[urbanvb]

I agree wholeheartedly about your statement. There are some nice neighborhoods but really you don't 'see' the money around here. I too have wondered about that. Here in Va Beach you have people from all walks of life and incomes living side by side so that may have something to do with it. Don't get me wrong as there are some nice neighborhoods such as Crotoan and such but mostly it seems seem like middle income neighborhoods instead.

[urbanvb]

And another way to say it is that there are pockets of wealth but they are intertwined with others around. Take Church Pointe which is a very very wealth neighborhood here in VB. Just across the street is what appears to be middle income to even low income housing. It seems to be a smorgasboard of housing within the same area.

[sugoiben]

He said the average income was 85k and median income is a different type of calculation. Median and average are different

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I realize that. But since average doesn't really tell ya much I've always found it's a statistic that is particularly elusive. If indeed the average is 85k and the median is about 53k, then those at the high end of incomes, are waaaay up there.

[sugoiben]

And another way to say it is that there are pockets of wealth but they are intertwined with others around. Take Church Pointe which is a very very wealth neighborhood here in VB. Just across the street is what appears to be middle income to even low income housing. It seems to be a smorgasboard of housing within the same area.

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Agreed. I think that's one of the great things about HR. Everyone is all mixed in together. Got to be one of the most integrated (economically, racially, however ya wanna look at it) communities in the country.

[hoobo]

Sweet, we've managed to launch a renegade thread. Median is more reliable because it isn't skewed by the 7-figure earners or those in poverty. I wonder what the mode is. Hey, who wants to sort through IRS figures with me?

[rusthebuss]

Agreed.  I think that's one of the great things about HR.  Everyone is all mixed in together.  Got to be one of the most integrated (economically, racially, however ya wanna look at it) communities in the country.

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I recall somewhere that this area is the most diversified areas in the country. I can't remember where i seen it at.

[hoobo]

I recall somewhere that this area is the most diversified areas in the country. I can't remember where i seen it at.

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The 2000 Census said that. It looked at the racial composition of neighborhoods and decelared HR as the most integrated metro area in the U.S. Also, percentage-wise HR is diverse even with the Beach at 70% or so caucasian. P-town doesn't even have a majority group.

[urbanvb]

Diversity is one thing I truly appreciate about this area.

[Former Resident of HR]

Housing in general I don't doubt.  Everywhere is apparently.  Demand for homes, condos especially, is off the charts these days.  But million dollar condos?  In an area that took how long to woo a Nordstrom?

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No one got raises, they just put more of their money into houses. People are paying upwards of 50-65% of their income on housing to "afford" things like that. Hopefully all the new housing will open up other housing for people lower down the food chain though.

[rusthebuss]

The 2000 Census said that.  It looked at the racial composition of neighborhoods and decelared HR as the most integrated metro area in the U.S.  Also, percentage-wise HR is diverse even with the Beach at 70% or so caucasian.  P-town doesn't even have a majority group.

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Actually I watch something on one of the local news station that said that P-town has a majority of Afican-Americans. Its the only city in the area with a African-American majority

[hoobo]

Actually I watch something on one of the local news station that said that P-town has a majority of Afican-Americans. Its the only city in the area with a African-American majority

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My bad. According to the 2000 Census, P-town was in fact 51% African-American. Norfolk had no majority. Hampton technically had no majority (if you don't round). NN and Suffolk were barely a white majority. Chesapeake was about 2/3 white and 1/3 black. VB was 70% caucasian.

[wrldcoupe4]

I wouldve thought that the D.C. area would be pretty diverse. It's got a substantial non-white/black population as well.

[urbanvb]

From what I can tell the DC is quite diverse including foreigners from all walks of life.

[Chesapeake Pirate]

My bad.  According to the 2000 Census, P-town was in fact 51% African-American.  Norfolk had no majority.  Hampton technically had no majority (if you don't round).  NN and Suffolk were barely a white majority.  Chesapeake was about 2/3 white and 1/3 black.  VB was 70% caucasian.

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Not meaning this as anything on rusthebuss or hoobo, but I was just wondering how everyone else feels about referring to the City of Portsmouth as "P-town"?

Is anyone using that term a resident of Portsmouth?

If not, would you use it if you were?

I know this term has some history, and I think most would agree that the connotation and intention is not positive.

I would love to see this board be proactive in ending the use of "P-town".

Chesapeake Pirate

[urbanvb]

Personally I was just using it as in an abbreviated version.. like some folks say 'vaaaa' beach or even Nova for instance. My intentions were not to offend and I hope it was not taken as such.

[rusthebuss]

Not meaning this as anything on rusthebuss or hoobo, but I was just wondering how everyone else feels about referring to the City of Portsmouth as "P-town"?

Is anyone using that term a resident of Portsmouth?

If not, would you use it if you were?

I know this term has some history, and I think most would agree that the connotation and intention is not positive.

I would love to see this board be proactive in ending the use of "P-town".

Chesapeake Pirate

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What makes you think that P-town is a negative name?????? I know people who live in P-town that call it P-town so what the big deal. No different than calling Atlanta A-town. Your questioning this makes no sense at all. No one has said anything derogatory to that city, if anything everyone was excited that the 6 towers were annouced. Give us a reason for thinking that P-town is negative!!!!!!

[PeninsulaKiddo]

What makes you think that P-town is a negative name?????? I know people who live in P-town that call it P-town so what the big deal. No different than calling Atlanta A-town. Your questioning this makes no sense at all. No one has said anything derogatory to that city, if anything everyone was excited that the 6 towers were annouced. Give us a reason for thinking that P-town is negative!!!!!!

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Lol I did a google search on "P-Town Virginia" and I found urbandictionary.com:

"P town is the most kick ass city in Virginia located in the seven cities!!"

Hahaha. I too don't understand it's negative connotation, but it's all good. Va Beach, NNews, NOVA, etc. I don't think anyone meant it in a derogatory way, chesapeakepirate, and if it was taken that way, then let us know why you think so?

[willy]

If you search Bad News Virginia on urbandictionary.com one of the finds is Newport News.

It says,

1 of the 7 urban cities of Virginia's Hampton Roads...Also known as Bad News for its high crime rate

Located North of Norfolk

Lets hit downtown Bad News after dark and get mugged!

[Chesapeake Pirate]

Lol I did a google search on "P-Town Virginia" and I found urbandictionary.com:

"P town is the most kick ass city in Virginia located in the seven cities!!"

Hahaha.  I too don't understand it's negative connotation, but it's all good.  Va Beach, NNews, NOVA, etc.  I don't think anyone meant it in a derogatory way, chesapeakepirate, and if it was taken that way, then let us know why you think so?

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I disagree, but respect these other opinions. I will continue to have the same opinion unless more folks from Portsmouth post here and say they like their home city being referred to as "P-town". The people I know from Portsmouth don't like the term, but then again they also don't refer to Portsmouth as a "kickass city". If you would be happy living in Portsmouth and saying that you were from "P-town", then you look at this differently than me.

Chesapeake Pirate

[PeninsulaKiddo]

I disagree, but respect these other opinions.  I will continue to have the same opinion unless more folks from Portsmouth post here and say they like their home city being referred to as "P-town".  The people I know from Portsmouth don't like the term, but then again they also don't refer to Portsmouth as a "kickass city".  If you would be happy living in Portsmouth and saying that you were from "P-town", then you look at this differently than me.

Chesapeake Pirate

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I just don't see the significance to either of us because neither of us actually live in Portsmouth. I live in York County, for example. I, personally, don't see it as any different from calling New York "NYC" or Philadelphia "Philly" or any other shortened form of any other city. If I wanted to, I think I could hit Portsmouth with something worse than "P-Town", but I don't. I don't live there and have never set foot in the city, just driven through it numerous times.

[willy]

On most of the urban radio stations they call it "party down P-Town", and Newport News is almost always called Bad News. I would be kind of offended if I lived in Newport News and someone called it Bad News, but not P-Town. It's not like it stands for something derogatory.

Houston is sometimes referred to as "H-Town".

[urbanvb]

I think I heard Chicago called C Town as well.

[Chesapeake Pirate]

I just don't see the significance to either of us because neither of us actually live in Portsmouth.  I live in York County, for example.  I, personally, don't see it as any different from calling New York "NYC" or Philadelphia "Philly" or any other shortened form of any other city.  If I wanted to, I think I could hit Portsmouth with something worse than "P-Town", but I don't.  I don't live there and have never set foot in the city, just driven through it numerous times.

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I'm interested because Portsmouth is a sister city amongst the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads in the Tidewater region of southeastern Virginia. Portsmouth has historically struggled and been bad-mouthed by a lot of people locally, but like all cities they are trying to do their best to improve. While I live in Norfolk, I can see Portsmouth from where I live, and I know many who live there. They have never said "I live in P-town" or "come on over to P-town to visit", and they consider the term to be negative. I think Portsmouth and Hampton Roads are both better served if the City of Portsmouth is not referred to as "P-town".

Chesapeake Pirate