Norfolk is an
independent cityAn independent city is a city that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity.Independent cities should not be confused with city-states , which are fully sovereign cities that are not part of any other nation-state.-United States:In the United States, an independent city...
in the
Commonwealth of VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
in the United States. With a population of 234,403 as of the 2000 census, it is Virginia's second-largest incorporated city behind its eastern neighbor,
Virginia BeachVirginia Beach is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Although Fairfax County is the most populous jurisdiction, Virginia Beach is the most populous city in Virginia and the 42nd largest city in the...
.
Norfolk is located in the
Hampton RoadsHampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the region of land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia. Hampton Roads is notable for its year-round ice-free harbor, for United States Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, NASA, Marines, and Army facilities, shipyards, coal piers, and...
region, named for the large
natural harborA harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships may shelter from the weather or are stored. Harbors can be man-made or natural. A man-made harbor will have sea walls or breakwaters and may require dredging. A natural harbor is surrounded on most sides by land.Harbors and ports are often...
of the same name located at the mouth of
Chesapeake BayThe Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's watershed covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia...
. It is one of nine cities and seven counties that constitute the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, officially known as the
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSAVirginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA is a U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Area as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget as of June, 2003. As of 2007 its population is estimated to be 1,658,754....
. The city is bordered to the west by the
Elizabeth RiverThe Elizabeth River is a short tidal estuary forming an arm of Hampton Roads at the southern end of Chesapeake Bay in southeast Virginia in the United States. It is located along the southern side of the mouth of James River, between the cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk...
and to the north by the
Chesapeake BayThe Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's watershed covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia...
. It also shares land borders with the independent cities of
ChesapeakeChesapeake is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads portion of the Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia in the United States. One of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, Chesapeake was formed in 1963 by a political consolidation of the City of South Norfolk with the former...
to its south and Virginia Beach to its east. One of the oldest of the
Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, Norfolk is considered to be the historic, urban, financial, and cultural center of the region.
The city has a long history as a strategic military and transportation point.
Norfolk Naval BaseNaval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
is the world's largest such base, and the world's largest military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has its defense headquarters here. The city also has the corporate headquarters of
Norfolk Southern RailwayThe Norfolk Southern Railway is a major Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
, one of North America's principal
Class I railroadA Class I railroad in the United States and Mexico, or a Class I rail carrier in Canada, is a large freight railroad company, as classified based on operating revenue.Smaller railroads are classified as Class II and Class III...
s, and Maersk Line, Limited, who manages the world's largest fleet of
US-flag vesselsFlag State refers to the authority under which a country exercises regulatory control over the commercial vessel which is registered under its flag...
. As the city is bordered by multiple bodies of water, Norfolk has many miles of riverfront and bayfront property. It is linked to its neighbors by an extensive network of
Interstate highwaysThe Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System , is a network of limited-access highways in the United States that is named for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who championed its formation...
,
bridgeA bridge is a structure built to span a valley, road, body of water, or other physical obstacle, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle. Designs of bridges vary depending on the function of the bridge and the nature of the terrain where the bridge is constructed.-History:The first...
s,
tunnelA tunnel is an underground passageway. The definition of what constitutes a tunnel is not universally agreed upon. However, in general tunnels are at least twice as long as they are wide. In addition, they should be completely enclosed on all sides, save for the openings at each end...
s, and
bridge-tunnelA fixed link, fixed crossing, or bridge-tunnel is a persistent, unbroken road or rail connection across water that uses some combination of bridges, tunnels, and causeways and does not involve intermittent connections such as drawbridges or ferries.-Bridge-tunnels:For water crossings, a tunnel is...
complexes.
History
In 1619, the Governor for the Virginia Colony,
Sir George YeardleySir George Yeardley was a plantation owner and three time colonial Governor of the British Colony of Virginia. A survivor of the Virginia Company of London's ill-fated Third Supply Mission, whose flagship, the Sea Venture, was shipwrecked on Bermuda for 10 months in 1609-10, he is best remembered...
established four incorporations, termed citties (sic), for the developed portion of the colony. These formed the basis for colonial representative government in the newly minted
House of BurgessesThe Virginia House of Burgesses was the elected lower house in the legislative assembly in the New World established in the Colony of Virginia in 1619...
. What would become Norfolk was put under the
Elizabeth CittieElizabeth City was one of four incorporations established in the Virginia Colony in 1619 by the proprietor, the Virginia Company....
incorporation.
In 1622,
Adam ThoroughgoodAdam Thoroughgood was a colonist and community leader in the Virginia Colony who helped settle the area of South Hampton Roads known in contemporary times as the independent city of Virginia Beach, Virginia....
(1604-1640) of
King's LynnKing's Lynn is a town and port in Norfolk, England. The town has been known variously as Bishop's Lynn and Lynn Regis, while it is frequently referred to by locals as simply Lynn, the Celtic word for lake....
,
NorfolkNorfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast, including The Wash. The county town is Norwich...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, came to Virginia as an
indentured servantAn indentured servant is a laborer under contract to an employer for a fixed period of time, typically three to seven years, in exchange for their transportation, food, clothing, lodging and other necessities...
. At the end of his contracted servitude, he earned his freedom and became a leading citizen of the fledgling colony.
In 1634
King Charles ICharles I, , the second son of James VI of Scotland and I of England, was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. Charles famously engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England...
reorganized the colony into a system of
shiresThe eight Shires of Virginia were formed in 1634 in the Virginia Colony. These shires were based on a form of local government used in England at the time, and were redesignated as counties a few years later...
. The former
Elizabeth CittieElizabeth City was one of four incorporations established in the Virginia Colony in 1619 by the proprietor, the Virginia Company....
became
Elizabeth City ShireElizabeth City Shire was one of eight shires created in colonial Virginia in 1634. The shire and the Elizabeth River were named for Elizabeth of Bohemia, daughter of King James I....
. After persuading 105 people to settle in the colony, Thoroughgood was granted a large land holding along the
Lynnhaven RiverThe Lynnhaven River is a tidal estuary located in the independent city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, in the United States, and flows into the Chesapeake Bay west of Cape Henry at Lynnhaven Inlet, beyond which is Lynnhaven Roads. It has a small, developed watershed covering 64 square miles,...
in 1636.
When the
South Hampton RoadsSouth Hampton Roads, also known as Southside, is a region located in the extreme southeastern portion of Virginia in the United States.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water Hampton Roads Harbor...
portion of the shire was partitioned off, Thoroughgood suggested the name of his birthplace for the newly formed
New Norfolk CountyNew Norfolk County is a long-extinct county which was located in colonial Virginia from 1636 until 1637.It was formed in 1636 from Elizabeth City Shire, one of the eight original shires formed in 1634 in the colony of Virginia by direction of the King of England...
. One year later, it split into two counties, Upper Norfolk County and
Lower Norfolk CountyLower Norfolk County is a long-extinct county which was located in colonial Virginia from 1637 until 1691.New Norfolk County was formed in 1636 from Elizabeth City Shire, one of the eight original shires formed in 1634 in the colony of Virginia by direction of the King of England...
(present day Norfolk), chiefly on Thoroughgood’s recommendation.
Norfolk grew in the late 1600s as a "Half Moone" fort was constructed and were acquired in exchange for 10,000 pounds of tobacco. The House of Burgesses established "Towne of Lower Norfolk County" in 1680. In 1691, a final county subdivision took place when Lower Norfolk County split to form
Norfolk CountyNorfolk County is an extinct county in South Hampton Roads in eastern Virginia in the United States. It existed for 270 years, from 1691 to 1963...
(present day Norfolk, Chesapeake, and parts of Portsmouth) and Princess Anne County (present day Virginia Beach). Norfolk was incorporated in 1705 and in 1736,
George IIGeorge II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death....
granted Norfolk a royal charter as a borough.
By 1775, Norfolk developed into what contemporary observers argued was the most prosperous city in Virginia. It was an important port for exporting goods to the British Isles and beyond. In part because of its merchants' numerous trading ties with other parts of the British Empire, Norfolk served as a strong base of
LoyalistLoyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during and after the American Revolutionary War. They were often referred to as Tories, Royalists, or King's Men by the Patriots, those that supported the revolution...
support during the early part of the
American RevolutionThe American Revolution is the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America at first rejected the governance of the Parliament of Great Britain, and later the British monarchy itself, to become the sovereign United States of...
. After fleeing the colonial capitol of
WilliamsburgWilliamsburg is an independent city of Virginia located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 11,998. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
,
Lord DunmoreEarl of Dunmore is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1686 for Lord Charles Murray, second son of John Murray, 1st Marquess of Atholl. He was made Lord Murray of Blair, Moulin and Tillimet and Viscount of Fincastle at the same time, also in the Peerage of Scotland. He was...
, the Royal Governor of Virginia, tried to reestablish control of the colony from Norfolk. Dunmore secured small victories at Norfolk but was forced into exile by the American rebels, commanded by
Colonel WoodfordWilliam Woodford was an American Revolutionary War general from Virginia.He was born in Caroline County, Virginia, in a town now known as Woodford. He served in the French and Indian War as an ensign in Colonel George Washington's Virginia Regiment, and was promoted to lieutenant in 1761...
. His departure brought an end to more than 168 years of British colonial rule in Virginia.
On New Year's Day, 1776, Lord Dunmore's fleet of three ships shelled the city of Norfolk for over eight hours. The damage from the shells, and fires started by the British and spread by the patriots, destroyed over 800 buildings, almost two-thirds of the city. The patriots destroyed the remaining buildings for strategic reasons in February. Only the walls of
Saint Paul's Episcopal ChurchSaint Paul's Episcopal Church is a historic church in Norfolk, Virginia. Built in 1739, it is the sole colonial-era building which survived the various wars that Norfolk has witnessed. The church has played host to several different denominations throughout its history...
survived the bombardment and subsequent fires. A cannonball from the bombardment (fired by the
LiverpoolThe second Liverpool, built in its namesake city, was launched on 10 February 1758. She was a sixth-rate frigate with a small displacement of 587 tons and armed with 28 guns. She was engaged in blockading Dunkirk, where a French expedition had been assembled for a potential invasion of Ireland or...
) remains within the wall of Saint Paul's.
Following recovery from the Revolutionary War's burning, the 19th century began inauspiciously for Norfolk and her citizens. In 1804, another serious fire along the city’s waterfront destroyed some 300 buildings and the city experienced a serious economic setback.
During the 1820s, agrarian communities across the
American SouthThe Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, Down South, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-central United States...
suffered a prolonged recession, which caused many families to migrate to other areas. Many moved west into the
PiedmontPiedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division. The...
, or into
KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Kentucky is a Southern state situated in the Upland South, although the state is infrequently placed, geographically and culturally, in the Midwest. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a...
and
TennesseeTennessee is a state located in the Southeastern United States. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 6,214,888, an increase of nearly 9.5% since 2000. Tennessee is the 14th fastest growing state in the US and is ranked 17th by population. It is ranked 36th by total land area. In...
. Such migration also followed the exhaustion of soil due to
tobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as an organic pesticide, and in the form of nicotine tartrate it is used in some medicines. In consumption it most commonly appears in the forms of smoking, chewing, snuffing, or...
cultivation in the Tidewater. Virginia made various attempts to phase out
slaverySlavery is a form of forced labor in which people are considered to be the property of others. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to receive compensation...
, either through law (see
Thomas Jefferson RandolphThomas Jefferson Randolph of Albemarle County served in the Virginia House of Delegates. He was a son of Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. and Martha Jefferson Randolph. He was the eldest grandson of United States President Thomas Jefferson, who designated Randolph as his sole executor in his will...
's 1832 resolution) or through "
repatriationThe Back-to-Africa movement, also known as the Colonization movement, originated in the United States in the nineteenth century, and encouraged those of African descent to return to the African homelands of their ancestors...
" of blacks to Africa. Many emigrants to Africa from Virginia and
North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties...
embarked from the port of Norfolk.
Joseph Jenkins RobertsJoseph Jenkins Roberts was the first and seventh President of Liberia. Roberts was born in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, and emigrated to Liberia in 1829. He opened a trading store in Monrovia, and later engaged in politics. When Liberia became independent in 1847 he became the first president and...
, a native of Norfolk, was an emigrant who became the first president of
LiberiaLiberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, and the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2008 Census, the nation is home to 3,476,608 people and covers ....
.
In early 1861, Norfolk voters instructed their delegate to vote for ratification of the ordinance of secession. Virginia voted to secede from the
UnionDuring the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty-three states which were not part of the secession attempt by the 11 states that tried to form the Confederacy...
. In the spring of 1862, the
Battle of Hampton RoadsThe Battle of Hampton Roads, often referred to as the Battle of Monitor and Merrimack , was the most noted and arguably the most important naval battle of the American Civil War from the standpoint of the development of navies...
took place off the northwest shore of the city's
Sewell's Point PeninsulaSewell's Point is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States, located at the mouth of the salt-water port of Hampton Roads. Sewell's Point is bordered by water on three sides, with Willoughby Bay to the north, Hampton Roads to the west, and the Lafayette...
, marking the first fight between two
ironcladsAn ironclad was a steam-propelled warship in the later part of the 19th century, protected by iron or steel armor plates. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. The first ironclad battleship, La Gloire, was launched by the...
, the
USS MonitorUSS Monitor was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy. She is most famous for her participation in the first-ever naval battle between two ironclad warships, the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, during the American Civil War, in which Monitor fought the ironclad...
and the
CSS VirginiaCSS Virginia was a steam-powered battery design ironclad warship of the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War, built using the remains of the scuttled USS Merrimack in 1862....
. The battle ended in a stalemate, but forever changed the course of naval warfare; from then on,
warshipA warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way than merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuverable than merchant ships...
s were fortified with metal. In May 1862, Norfolk Mayor William Lamb surrendered the city to
GeneralIn the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
John E. WoolJohn Ellis Wool was an officer in the United States Army during three consecutive U.S. wars: the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War and the oldest Union general of the American Civil War. By the time of the Mexican-American War, he was widely considered one of the most capable officers in the...
and
Union forcesThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
. They held the city under
martial lawMartial law is the system of rules that takes effect when the military takes control of the normal administration of justice.Martial law is sometimes imposed during wars or occupations in the absence of any other civil government. Examples of this form of military rule include Germany and Japan...
for the duration of the Civil War. Thousands of slaves escaped to Union lines to gain their freedom and set up schools in Norfolk so they could start learning before the end of the war.
1907 brought both the
Virginian RailwayThe Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads....
and the
Jamestown ExpositionThe Jamestown Exposition was one of the many world's fairs and expositions that were popular in the United States early part of the 20th century...
to
Sewell's PointSewell's Point is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States, located at the mouth of the salt-water port of Hampton Roads. Sewell's Point is bordered by water on three sides, with Willoughby Bay to the north, Hampton Roads to the west, and the Lafayette...
. The large
Naval ReviewA Naval Review is an event, where the whole of the US Navy is paraded to be reviewed by the president or the Secretary of the Navy. It often includes delegates from other national navies. It is more regular and frequent than its British equivalent, the Fleet Review, and often occurs on a Navy...
at the Exposition demonstrated the peninsula's favorable location and laid the groundwork for the world's largest naval base. Commemorating the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the exposition featured many prominent officials, including President
Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States. He is well remembered for his energetic persona, his range of interests and achievements, his model of masculinity, and his "cowboy" image. He was a leader of the Republican Party and founder of the short-lived Bull Moose Party...
, members of Congress, and
diplomatDiplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states. It usually refers to international diplomacy, the conduct of international relations through the intercession of professional diplomats with regard to issues of peace-making, trade, war,...
s from 21 countries.
By 1917, as the US built up to enter
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
, the Naval Air Station Hampton Roads had been constructed on the former exposition grounds.
In the first half of the twentieth century, Norfolk expanded its borders through annexation. In 1906, the City annexed the
incorporated townAn incorporated town is a town that is a municipal corporation.-Canada:Incorporated towns are a form of local government in Canada, which is a responsibility of provincial rather than federal government.-United States:...
of
BerkleyBerkley was an incorporated town in Norfolk County, Virginia. Chartered by an Act of Assembly in 1890, the Town of Berkley was located directly across the eastern branch of the Elizabeth River from the City of Norfolk in the South Hampton Roads area....
, which stretched the city limits across the
Elizabeth RiverThe Elizabeth River is a short tidal estuary forming an arm of Hampton Roads at the southern end of Chesapeake Bay in southeast Virginia in the United States. It is located along the southern side of the mouth of James River, between the cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk...
. In 1923, the city expanded to include Sewell's Point,
Willoughby SpitWilloughby Spit is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. It is bordered by water on three sides: the Chesapeake Bay to the north, Hampton Roads to the west, and Willoughby Bay to the south.- History :...
, the town of Campostella, and the
Ocean ViewOcean View, Virginia is a community in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. It has several miles of shoreline on the Chesapeake Bay to the north, and is bordered by Willoughby Spit on the west and the Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in the independent city of Virginia...
area. The City included the Navy Base and miles of beach property fronting on
Hampton RoadsHampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the region of land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia. Hampton Roads is notable for its year-round ice-free harbor, for United States Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, NASA, Marines, and Army facilities, shipyards, coal piers, and...
and
Chesapeake BayThe Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's watershed covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia...
. After a smaller annexation in 1959, and a 1988 land swap with
Virginia BeachVirginia Beach is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Although Fairfax County is the most populous jurisdiction, Virginia Beach is the most populous city in Virginia and the 42nd largest city in the...
, the city assumed its current boundaries.
With the dawn of the
Interstate Highway SystemThe Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System , is a network of limited-access highways in the United States that is named for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who championed its formation...
, new highways opened in the region. A series of bridges and tunnels constructed during fifteen years linked Norfolk with
the PeninsulaThe Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...
,
PortsmouthPortsmouth is an independent city located in the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 100,565, but a 2006 Census estimate showed the city's population had increased to 101,377....
, and
Virginia BeachVirginia Beach is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Although Fairfax County is the most populous jurisdiction, Virginia Beach is the most populous city in Virginia and the 42nd largest city in the...
. In 1952, the
Downtown TunnelThe Downtown Tunnel on Interstate 264 crosses the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River in the South Hampton Roads area. It links the independent City of Portsmouth with the independent City of Norfolk...
opened to connect Norfolk with the city of Portsmouth. In 1991, the new
Downtown TunnelThe Downtown Tunnel on Interstate 264 crosses the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River in the South Hampton Roads area. It links the independent City of Portsmouth with the independent City of Norfolk...
/
Berkley BridgeThe Berkley Bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge across the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. It carries Interstate 264, U.S. Route 460 Alternate, and State Route 337 across the river, connecting the Berkley neighborhood south of the river with downtown...
complex opened a new system of multiple lanes of highway and interchanges connecting Downtown Norfolk and
Interstate 464Interstate 464 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from Interstate 264 in Norfolk, between the Downtown Tunnel and Berkley Bridge, south to Interstate 64, U.S. Route 17 and State Route 168 in Chesapeake...
with the Downtown Tunnel tubes. Additional bridges and tunnels included the
Hampton Roads Bridge-TunnelThe Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel is the -long Hampton Roads crossing for Interstate 64 and U.S. Route 60. It is a four-lane facility comprising bridges, trestles, man-made islands, and tunnels under the main shipping channels for Hampton Roads harbor in the southeastern portion of Virginia in the...
in 1957, the Midtown Tunnel in 1962,
and the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway (
Interstate 264Interstate 264 is an Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from a junction with Interstate 64 and Interstate 664 near Bowers Hill in Chesapeake east into Portsmouth and through the Downtown Tunnel under the South Branch of the Elizabeth River into Norfolk...
and State Route 44) in 1967.
In reaction to the
Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal judiciary. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed with the "advice and consent" of the Senate...
ruling in the 1954
Brown v. Board of EducationBrown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court, which overturned earlier rulings going back to Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, by declaring that state laws that established separate public schools for black and white students denied...
case which held that
segregatedRacial segregation is the separation of different racial groups in daily life, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a washroom, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home. Segregation may be mandated by law or exist through social...
schools were unconstitutional and order
integrationRacial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...
, Virginia pursued a policy of "
massive resistanceMassive resistance was a policy declared by U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr. on February 24, 1956 to unite other white politicians and leaders in Virginia in a campaign of new state laws and policies to prevent public school desegregation after the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision...
." The
Virginia General AssemblyThe Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members, and an upper house, the Senate of Virginia, with 40 members...
prohibited state funding for integrated public schools. Norfolk's
private schoolPrivate schools, also known as independent schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students tuition, rather than relying on public funds...
s had voluntarily integrated by choosing to comply with the
Brown decision. In 1958,
United States district courtThe 94 United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
s in Virginia ordered schools to open for the first time on a racially-integrated basis. In response,
GovernorThe Governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Democrat Tim Kaine.- Qualifications :...
James Lindsay Almond, Jr.James Lindsay Almond, Jr. was a United States federal judge and politician. He served as Governor of Virginia from 1958 until 1962.-Early life:Almond was born in Charlottesville, Virginia and raised in Orange County, Virginia...
ordered the schools closed.
Six Norfolk public schools serving over 10,000 Norfolk children were closed. The Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals declared the
state lawIn the United States, state law is the law of each separate U.S. state, as passed by the state legislature . It exists in parallel, and sometimes in conflict with, United States federal law...
to be in conflict with the
state constitutionThe Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the document that defines and limits the powers of the state government and the basic rights of the citizens of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. Like all other state constitutions, it is supreme over Virginia's laws and acts of government,...
and ordered all public schools to be funded, whether integrated or not. About 10 days later, Almond capitulated and asked the General Assembly to rescind several "massive resistance" laws. In September 1959, 17 black children entered six previously segregated Norfolk public schools.
Virginian-PilotThe Virginian-Pilot is a daily newspaper based in Norfolk, Virginia and serving the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, i.e., southeastern Virginia, the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and northeastern North Carolina...
editor
Lenoir ChambersLenoir Chambers was a writer, biographer and newspaper editor. In 1960, as editor of The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk, Virginia , he won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for his series of editorials on desegregation and the school integration problem in Virginia...
editorialized against massive resistance and earned the
Pulitzer Prize for Editorial WritingThe Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing has been awarded since 1917 for distinguished editorial writing, the test of excellence being clearness of style, moral purpose, sound reasoning, and power to influence public opinion in what the writer conceives to be the right direction...
.
After desegregation, and with new
suburbSuburbs are defined in various different ways around the world. They can be the residential areas of a large city, or separate residential communities within commuting distance of a city. Some suburbs have a degree of political autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city...
an developments beckoning, many white middle-class residents
moved out of the cityWhite flight is the sociologic and demographic term denoting the trend wherein white people flee desegregated urban communities, and move to other places like commuter towns; although an American coinage, “white flight” denotes like behavior in other countries. In the U.S. the Brown v...
along new highway routes, and Norfolk's population fell. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the advent of newer suburban shopping destinations along with freeways spelled demise for the fortunes of downtown's
Granby StreetA street in Norfolk, Virginia. This street is the historic commercial corridor of Norfolk, and also the community heart of the city, has been undergoing major redevelopment for the past five years. Today, theatres, restaurants, and businesses line Granby street in the downtown area...
commercial corridor, located just a few blocks inland from the waterfront. The opening of malls and large shopping centers drew off retail business from Granby Street.
Norfolk's city leaders began a long push to
revive its urban coreUrban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of reconstruction...
. While Granby Street underwent decline, Norfolk city leaders focused on the waterfront and its collection of decaying piers and warehouses. Many obsolete shipping and warehousing facilities were demolished. In their place, planners created a new boulevard, Waterside Drive, along which many of the high-rise buildings in Norfolk's
skylineA skyline is best described as the overall or partial view of a city's tall buildings and structures consisting of many skyscrapers in front of the sky in the background. It can also be described as the artificial horizon that a city's overall structure creates. Skylines serve as a kind of...
were erected.
The City and
The Rouse CompanyThe Rouse Company, founded by James W. Rouse in 1939, was a publicly held shopping mall and community developer from 1956 until 2004, when General Growth Properties Inc...
developed the
WatersideThe Waterside, a festival marketplace on the Elizabeth River in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, opened June 1, 1983. A critical component of Norfolk's ongoing post-WWII revitalization, the complex connects via a cross-street pedestrian bridge to a parking garage, sits at the foot of the Portsmouth...
festival marketplace in 1983 to attract people to the waterfront and catalyze further downtown redevelopment. Other facilities opened in the ensuing years, including the
Harbor ParkHarbor Park is a stadium along the Elizabeth River, in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, USA. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Norfolk Tides minor league baseball team. The Tides are the International League AAA farm team for the Baltimore Orioles. Harbor Park opened on...
baseball stadium, home of the
Norfolk TidesThe Norfolk Tides are a minor league baseball team in the Triple-A International League. They play at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 2007 they have been a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles; prior to that, they had a 38-year affiliation with the New York Mets.-Franchise History:The...
Triple-A
minor league baseballMinor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in North America that compete at levels below that of Major League Baseball. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses, and many are members of Minor League Baseball, an umbrella organization for leagues...
team. In 1995, the Park was named the finest facility in minor league baseball by
Baseball AmericaBaseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
.
Norfolk's efforts to revitalize its downtown have attracted acclaim from economic development and urban planning circles throughout the country. Downtown's rising fortunes helped to expand the city's revenues and allowed the city to direct attention to other neighborhoods.
Geography
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of 96.3 square miles (249.4 km²), of which, 53.7 square miles (139.2 km²) of it is land and 42.6 square miles (110.3 km²) of it (44.22%) is water. Norfolk is located at (36.885747° N, 76.2599° W)
The city is located at the southeastern corner of
VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
at the junction of the Elizabeth and James rivers, bordering the
Chesapeake BayThe Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's watershed covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia...
. The Hampton Roads
Metropolitan Statistical AreaIn the United States, the Office of Management and Budget has produced a formal definition of metropolitan areas. These are referred to as "Metropolitan Statistical Areas" and "Combined Statistical Areas" . An earlier version of the MSA was the "Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area" . MSAs are...
(officially known as the
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSAVirginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA is a U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Area as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget as of June, 2003. As of 2007 its population is estimated to be 1,658,754....
) is the
34th largestThe United States Office of Management and Budget has defined 363 Metropolitan Statistical Areas for the United States of America. The OMB defines a Metropolitan Statistical Area as one or more adjacent counties or county equivalents that have at least one urban core area of at least 50,000...
in the United States, with a total population of 1,576,370. The area includes the Virginia cities of Norfolk,
Virginia BeachVirginia Beach is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Although Fairfax County is the most populous jurisdiction, Virginia Beach is the most populous city in Virginia and the 42nd largest city in the...
,
ChesapeakeChesapeake is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads portion of the Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia in the United States. One of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, Chesapeake was formed in 1963 by a political consolidation of the City of South Norfolk with the former...
,
HamptonHampton is an independent city in Virginia, and therefore not part of any Virginia county. One of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, it is on the southeast end of the Virginia Peninsula, bordering on Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay....
,
Newport NewsNewport News is an independent city in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. It is at the south-western end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News Point on the...
,
PoquosonPoquoson is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula, in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. As of 2007, the city population was 11,858, and the median household income was $78,191, the second highest in all of Hampton Roads...
,
PortsmouthPortsmouth is an independent city located in the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 100,565, but a 2006 Census estimate showed the city's population had increased to 101,377....
,
SuffolkSuffolk is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area of eastern Virginia. By area, it is the largest of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, and the largest independent city in land-area in the entire Commonwealth. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 63,677...
,
WilliamsburgWilliamsburg is an independent city of Virginia located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 11,998. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
, and the counties of
GloucesterGloucester is a county of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. Formed in 1651 in the Virginia Colony, it was named for Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester, third son of King Charles I of Great Britain. Located in the Middle Peninsula region, it borders the York River and the lower Chesapeake Bay....
,
Isle of WightIsle of Wight County is a county located in the South Hampton Roads region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2000, the population was 29,728...
,
James CityJames City County is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Its population was 62,394 , and it is often associated with Williamsburg, an independent city, and Jamestown which is within the county...
,
MathewsMathews County is a county located on the Middle Peninsula in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of 2000, the population was 9,207. Its county seat is Mathews.- History :...
,
SurrySurry County is a county located in the South Hampton Roads region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2000 census, the population was 6,829. Its county seat is Surry....
, and
YorkYork County is a county located on the north side of the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Situated on the York River and many tributaries, the county seat is the unincorporated town of Yorktown...
, as well as the
North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties...
county of
CurrituckCurrituck County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its county seat is Currituck.Currituck was formed as early as 1668 as a precinct of Albemarle County...
. The city of Norfolk is recognized as the central business district, while the Virginia Beach oceanside resort district and
WilliamsburgWilliamsburg is an independent city of Virginia located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 11,998. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
are primarily centers of tourism. Virginia Beach is the most populated city within the MSA though it functions more as a suburb.
In addition to extensive riverfront property, Norfolk has miles of bayfront resort property and beaches in the
Willoughby SpitWilloughby Spit is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. It is bordered by water on three sides: the Chesapeake Bay to the north, Hampton Roads to the west, and Willoughby Bay to the south.- History :...
and
Ocean ViewOcean View, Virginia is a community in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. It has several miles of shoreline on the Chesapeake Bay to the north, and is bordered by Willoughby Spit on the west and the Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in the independent city of Virginia...
communities.
Climate
Norfolk has a
humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and cool winters. This climate type covers a broad category of climates, and the term "subtropical" may be a misnomer for the winter climate....
with moderate changes of seasons. Spring arrives in March with mild days and cool nights, and by late May, the temperature has warmed up considerably to herald warm summer days. Summer temperatures can be unpleasantly hot, often topping 90 °F (32 °C) with high humidity. On average, July is the warmest month of the year, with the maximum average precipitation. Hurricanes and tropical storms usually brush Norfolk and only rarely make landfalls in the area.
FallAutumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter, usually in March or September when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier.The equinoxes might be expected to be in the middle of their seasons, but temperature lag Autumn (also known as...
is marked by mild days and cooler nights. Winter is usually mild in Norfolk, with the coldest days featuring lows near or slightly above freezing and highs in the upper 40s to mid 50s. On average, the coldest month of the year is January. Norfolk's record high was 105 °F (40 °C) on August 7, 1918, and record low was -3 °F (-19 °C) recorded on January 21, 1985. Snow falls every winter, although averaging only per season.
Cityscape
When Norfolk was first settled, homes were made of wood and
frameFraming, in construction known as light frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
construct iron, similar to most medieval English-style homes. These homes had wide
chimneyA chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
s and
thatch roofsThatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge, rushes and heather, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. It is a very old roofing method and has been used in both tropical and temperate climates. Thatch is still...
. After the town was first laid out in 1682, the
GeorgianGeorgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the...
architectural styleArchitectural styles classify architecture in terms of form, techniques, materials, time period, region, etc. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture. In architectural history, the study of Gothic architecture, for instance, would include all...
, which was popular in the
SouthThe Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, Down South, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-central United States...
at the time, was used.
BrickA brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using mortar.-History:The oldest shaped bricks found date back to 7,500 B.C. They have been found in Çayönü, in the upper Tigris region, and in south east Anatolia close to Diyarbakir. Other more recent findings,...
was considered more substantial construction; patterns were made by brick laid and Flemish bond. This style evolved to include projecting center pavilions,
PalladianPalladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...
windows,
balustradedA baluster is a moulded shaft, square or of lathe-turned form, in stone or wood and sometimes in metal, standing on a unifying footing and...
roof decks, and two-story
porticoA portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
es. By 1740, homes, warehouses, stores, workshops, and taverns began to dot Norfolk's streets.
Norfolk was burned down during the
Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , also sometimes known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen united former British colonies in North America, and concluded in a global war between several European great powers...
. After the
RevolutionThe American Revolution is the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America at first rejected the governance of the Parliament of Great Britain, and later the British monarchy itself, to become the sovereign United States of...
, Norfolk was rebuilt in
FederalFederal-style architecture is the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, particularly from 1785 to 1815. In the early Republic the founding generation consciously chose to associate the nation with the ancient democracies of Greece and the republican values...
style, based on Roman ideals. Federal-style homes kept Georgian symmetry, though they had more refined decorations to look like
New WorldThe New World is one of the names used for the non-Afro-Eurasian parts of the Earth, specifically the Americas and possibly Australia. When the term originated in the late 15th century, the Americas were new to the Europeans, who previously thought of the world as consisting only of Europe, Asia,...
homes. Federal homes had features such as narrow sidelights with an embracing
fanlightA fanlight is a window, semicircular or semi-elliptical in shape, with glazing bars or tracery sets radiating out like an open fan, It is placed over another window or a doorway. and is sometimes hinged to a transom. The bars in the fixed glazed window spread out in the manner a sunburst...
around the doorway, giant porticoes, gable or flat roofs, and projecting bays on exterior walls. Rooms were oval, elliptical or octagonal. Few of these federal rowhouses remain standing today. A majority of buildings were made of wood and had simple construction.
In the early 1800s,
NeoclassicalNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, both as a reaction against the Rococo style of anti-tectonic naturalistic ornament, and an outgrowth of some classicizing features of Late Baroque...
architectural elements began to appear in the federal style row homes, such as iconic
columnsA classical order is one of the ancient styles of building design in the classical tradition, distinguished by their proportions and their characteristic profiles and details, but most quickly recognizable by the type of column and capital employed. Each style also has its proper entablature,...
in the porticoes and classic motifs over doorways and windows. Many Federal-style row houses were modernized by placing a Greek-style porch at the front. Greek and Roman elements were integrated into public buildings such as the old City Hall, the old Norfolk Academy, and the Customs House.
Greek-style homes gave way to
Gothic RevivalThe Gothic Revival is an architectural movement which began in the 1740s in England. Its popularity grew rapidly in the early nineteenth century, when increasingly serious and learned admirers of neo-Gothic styles sought to revive medieval forms in contrast to the classical styles prevalent at the...
in the 1830s, which emphasized pointed arches, steep
gableA gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns...
roofs, towers and tracer-lead windows. The Freemason Baptist Church and St. Mary's Catholic Church are examples of Gothic Revival.
ItalianateThe Italianate style of architecture was a distinct nineteenth-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of sixteenth-century Italian architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
elements emerged in the 1840s including
cupolaIn architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like structure, on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, from the lower Latin cupula small cup indicating a vault resembling an...
s, verandas, ornamental
brickworkBrickwork masonry is produced when a bricklayer uses bricks and mortar to build up structures such as walls, bridges and chimneys. Brickwork is also used to finish openings such as doors or windows in buildings made of other materials...
, or
corner quoinsQuoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be structural, or may be decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
. Norfolk still had simple wooden structures among its more ornate buildings.
High-riseA high-rise is a tall building or structure. Normally, the function of the building is added, for example high-rise apartment building or high-rise offices. Compare: low-rise...
buildings were first built in the late 1800s when structures such as the current Commodore Maury Hotel and the Royster Building were constructed to form the initial Norfolk skyline. Past styles were revived during the early years of the 20th century. Bungalows and apartment buildings became popular for those living in the city.
As the
Great DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
wore on,
Art DecoArt Deco was a popular international art design movement from 1925 until the 1940s, affecting the decorative arts such as architecture, interior design, and industrial design, as well as the visual arts such as fashion, painting, the graphic arts, and film...
emerged as a popular building style, as evidenced by the Post Office building downtown.
Art DecoArt Deco was a popular international art design movement from 1925 until the 1940s, affecting the decorative arts such as architecture, interior design, and industrial design, as well as the visual arts such as fashion, painting, the graphic arts, and film...
consisted of streamlined
concreteConcrete is a construction material composed of cement as well as other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water, and chemical admixtures...
faced appearance with smooth
stoneIn geology, rock is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
or metal, with terracotta, and trimming consisting of
glassIn general Glass refers to a solid, brittle, transparent material, commonly used for windows, bottles, or eyewear. Examples of glassy materials include, but are not limited to, soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, acrylic glass, sugar glass, Muscovy-glass, or aluminium oxynitride. The term glass...
and colored
tileA tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, and walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
s.
Neighborhoods
- See also: List of neighborhoods in Norfolk
Norfolk has a variety of historic neighborhoods. Some neighborhoods, such as
BerkleyBerkley was an incorporated town in Norfolk County, Virginia. Chartered by an Act of Assembly in 1890, the Town of Berkley was located directly across the eastern branch of the Elizabeth River from the City of Norfolk in the South Hampton Roads area....
, were formerly cities and towns. Others, such as
Willoughby SpitWilloughby Spit is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. It is bordered by water on three sides: the Chesapeake Bay to the north, Hampton Roads to the west, and Willoughby Bay to the south.- History :...
and
Ocean ViewOcean View, Virginia is a community in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. It has several miles of shoreline on the Chesapeake Bay to the north, and is bordered by Willoughby Spit on the west and the Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in the independent city of Virginia...
, have a long history tied to the
Chesapeake BayThe Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's watershed covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia...
. Today neighborhoods such as
DowntownAs the traditional center of shipping and port activities in the Hampton Roads region, Norfolk, Virginia's downtown waterfront historically played host to numerous and often noxious port and shipping-related uses...
and
GhentThe Ghent District includes the various Ghent neighborhoods in Norfolk, Virginia. Its boundaries are roughly Brambleton Avenue/The Hague on the south, the Elizabeth River on west, Monticello Avenue on the east and the railroad crossing immediately north of 22nd Street...
have transformed with the revitalization that the city has undergone.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 234,403 people, 86,210 households, and 51,898 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 4,362.8 people per square mile (1,684.4/km²). There were 94,416 housing units at an average density of 1,757.3/sq mi (678.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 48.36%
WhiteWhite American is an umbrella term officially employed by the United States Census Bureau, Office of Management and Budget and other U.S...
, 44.11%
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
, 0.46%
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States is the phrase that describes indigenous peoples from North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii. They comprise a large number of distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of...
, 2.81%
Asian{Infobox Ethnic group|group = Asian American|image =Graduation Rate! align="CENTER" | Bachelor's Degree
or More|-| align="LEFT" | Asian Indians| align="RIGHT" | 90.2%| align="RIGHT" | 67.9%|-| align="LEFT" | Filipinos| align="RIGHT" | 90.8%...
, 0.11%
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
, 1.67% from other races, and 2.48% from two or more races.
Hispanics or LatinosHispanic and Latino Americans are Americans of origins in Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain - "Mexican," "Puerto Rican," or "Cuban" - as well as those who indicate that they are "other Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino." Origin can be viewed as the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or...
of any race were 3.80% of the population.
There were 86,210 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.07.
The age distribution was 24.0% under the age of 18, 18.2% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.8 males. This large
gender imbalanceSex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms....
is due to the military presence in the city, most notably Naval Station Norfolk.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,815, and the median income for a family was $36,891. Males had a median income of $25,848 versus $21,907 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $17,372. About 15.5% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.9% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.
For the year of 2007, Norfolk had a total crime index of 514.7. The national average is 320.9. For 2007, the city experienced 48 homicides giving Norfolk a murder rate of 21.1 per 100,000 residents. Total crime has decreased when compared to the year 2000, which the city had a total crime index of 546.3. The highest murder rate Norfolk has experienced for the 21st century was in 2005 when the city experienced a rate of 24.5 per 100,000 residents. For the year 2007 per 100,000, Norfolk experienced 21.1 murders, 42.6 rapes, 399.3 robberies, 381.3 assaults, 743.3 burglaries, and 450.6 automobile thefts. According to the Congressional Quarterly Press '2008 City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America, Norfolk,Virginia ranks as the 87th most dangerous city larger than 75,000 inhabitants.
Economy
Since Norfolk serves as the commercial and cultural center for the somewhat unique geographical region of Hampton Roads (and in its political structure of independent cities), it can be difficult to separate the economic characteristics of Norfolk from that of the region as a whole.
The waterways which almost completely surround the Hampton Roads region play an important part in the local economy. As a strategic location at the mouth of the
Chesapeake BayThe Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's watershed covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia...
, its protected deep-water channels serve as a major trade artery for the
importAn import is any good or service brought in from one country to another country in a legitimate fashion, typically for use in trade. It is a good that is brought in from another country for sale. Import goods or services are provided to domestic consumers by foreign producers...
and
exportIn economics, an export is any good or commodity, transported from one country to another country in a legitimate fashion, typically for use in trade. Export goods or services are provided to foreign consumers by domestic producers. Export is an important part of international trade...
of goods from across the
Mid-AtlanticThe Mid-Atlantic States form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
,
Mid-WestThe Midwestern United States is one of the four geographic regions within the United States of America that are officially recognized by the United States Census Bureau....
, and internationally.
In addition to commercial activities, Hampton Roads is a major military center, particularly for the
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the sea branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. As of 31 December 2008, the U.S. Navy had about 331,682 personnel on active duty and 124,000 in the Navy Reserve. It operates 283 ships in active service and more than...
, and Norfolk serves as the home for the most important of these regional installations,
Naval Station NorfolkNaval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...
, the world's largest naval station. Located on
Sewell's Point PeninsulaSewell's Point is a peninsula of land in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States, located at the mouth of the salt-water port of Hampton Roads. Sewell's Point is bordered by water on three sides, with Willoughby Bay to the north, Hampton Roads to the west, and the Lafayette...
, in the northwest corner of the city, the installation is the current headquarters of the United States Fleet Forces Command (formerly known as the Atlantic Fleet), as well as being home port for the Second Fleet, which compromises approximately 62,000 active duty personnel, 75 ships, and 132 aircrafts. The base also serves as the headquarters to the
Allied Command TransformationAllied Command Transformation is a NATO military command, which was formed in 2003 after North Atlantic Treaty Organization restructuring.- Allied Command Atlantic 1952 - 2003 :...
(
NATOThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization ); ), also called "the Atlantic Alliance", is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on April 4, 1949...
) and the
United States Joint Forces CommandUnited States Joint Forces Command is one of ten Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Armed Forces. Unlike the six commands with responsibility for war plans and operations in specified portions of the world, USJFCOM is a functional command that provides specific services to the...
.
The region also plays an important role in defense contracting, with particular emphasis in the shipbuilding and ship repair businesses for the city of Norfolk. Major private shipyards located in Norfolk or the
Hampton RoadsHampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the region of land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia. Hampton Roads is notable for its year-round ice-free harbor, for United States Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, NASA, Marines, and Army facilities, shipyards, coal piers, and...
area include:
Northrop Grumman ShipbuildingNorthrop Grumman Shipbuilding is the shipbuilding sector of the Northrop Grumman Corporation. The sector or division was created on 28 January 2008 by the merger of Northrop Grumman's two shipbuilding sectors, Northrop Grumman Ship Systems and Northrop Grumman Newport News.Mike Petters is...
(formerly Northrop Grumman Newport News) in Newport News,
BAE Systems Norfolk Ship RepairBAE Systems Ship Repair of Norfolk, Virginia is a major non-nuclear ship repair business in the United States, formerly known as United States Marine Repair. In June 2005 BAE Systems completed its acquisition of United Defense, USMR's parent company...
, Metro Machine Corporation, and Colonna's Shipyard Inc., while the US Navy's
Norfolk Naval ShipyardThe Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling, and repairing the Navy's ships. It's the oldest and largest industrial facility that belongs to the U.S. Navy as well as the most...
is just across the
Downtown TunnelThe Downtown Tunnel on Interstate 264 crosses the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River in the South Hampton Roads area. It links the independent City of Portsmouth with the independent City of Norfolk...
in
PortsmouthPortsmouth is an independent city located in the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 100,565, but a 2006 Census estimate showed the city's population had increased to 101,377....
. Most contracts fulfilled by these shipyards are issued by the Navy, though some private commercial repair also takes place. Over 35% of Gross Regional Product (which includes the entire Norfolk-Newport News-Virginia Beach MSA), is attributable to defense spending, and that 75% of all regional growth since 2001 is attributable to increases in defense spending.
After the military, the second largest and most important industry for Hampton Roads and Norfolk based on economic impact are the region's cargo ports. Headquartered in Norfolk, the
Virginia Port AuthorityThe Virginia Port Authority is an autonomous agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia that owns the Port of Virginia. The Port of Virginia comprises three marine terminals and one intermodal container transfer facility: Norfolk International Terminals, Portsmouth Marine Terminal, Newport News Marine...
(VPA) is a
Commonwealth of VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
owned-entity that, in turn, owns and operates three major port facilities in Hampton Roads for break-bulk and container type cargo. In Norfolk, Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) represents one of those three facilities and is home to the world's largest and fastest container cranes. Together, the three terminals of the VPA handled a total of over 2 million
TEUsContainerization is a system of intermodal freight transport using standard intermodal containers that are standardised by the International Organization for Standardization...
and 475,000 tons of breakbulk cargo in 2006, making it the second busiest port on the east coast of North America by total cargo volume after the Port of New York and New Jersey.
In addition to NIT, Norfolk is home to Lambert's Point Docks, the largest coal trans-shipment point in the Northern Hemisphere, with annual throughput of approximately 48 million tons.
Bituminous coalBituminous coal or black coal is a relatively soft coal containing a tarlike substance called bitumen. It is of higher quality than lignite coal but of poorer quality than anthracite coal....
is primarily sourced from the Appalachian mountains in western Virginia,
West VirginiaWest Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland to the northeast...
, and
KentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Kentucky is a Southern state situated in the Upland South, although the state is infrequently placed, geographically and culturally, in the Midwest. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a...
. The coal is loaded onto trains and sent to the port where it is unloaded onto large breakbulk cargo ships and destined for New England, Europe, and Asia.
Between 1925 and 2007,
Ford Motor CompanyThe Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury brands, Ford also owns Volvo Cars of Sweden, and a small stake...
operated
Norfolk AssemblyNorfolk Assembly was a manufacturing plant operated by Ford beginning April 20, 1925 and most recently producing the Ford F150 truck. The plant was located on the Elizabeth River, near downtown Norfolk, Virginia, and produced its final truck just after 7AM, the morning of Thursday, June 28,...
, a manufacturing plant located on the
Elizabeth RiverThe Elizabeth River is a short tidal estuary forming an arm of Hampton Roads at the southern end of Chesapeake Bay in southeast Virginia in the United States. It is located along the southern side of the mouth of James River, between the cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk...
that had produced the Model T, sedans and station wagons before building F-150s. Before it closed, the plant employed more than 2,600 people at the facility.
Most major shipping lines have a permanent presence in the region with some combination of sales, distribution, and/or logistical offices, many of which are located in Norfolk. In addition, many of the largest international shipping companies have chosen Norfolk as their North American headquarters. These companies are either located at the Norfolk World Trade Center building or have constructed buildings in the Lake Wright Executive Center office park. The French firm
CMA CGMCMA CGM S.A. is a French container transportation and shipping company, headed by Mr. Jacques R. Saadé. It is the third largest container company in the world, using 76 major shipping routes between 216 ports in 126 different countries....
, the Israeli firm
Zim Integrated Shipping ServicesZim Integrated Shipping Services , formerly Zim American Israeli Shipping and ZIM Israel Navigation Company, is the biggest cargo shipping company in Israel, and 13th largest in the world...
, and Maersk Line Limited, a subsidiary of the world's largest shipping line, A. P. Moller-Maersk Group, have their North American headquarters in Norfolk. Major companies headquartered in Norfolk include Norfolk Southern, Landmark Communications,
Dominion EnterprisesDominion Enterprises is a Norfolk, Virginia-based media and information services company for the real estate, apartment, automotive, specialty vehicle, employment, and travel industries...
, FHC Health Systems (parent company of
ValueOptionsValueOptions, Inc. is the largest privately-owned behavioral health maintenance organization in the United States. Based in Norfolk, Virginia, ValueOptions, Inc. is the product of a 1998 merger of two smaller companies, Value Behavioral Health and OPTIONS. The company is a subsidiary of FHC Health...
), Portfolio Recovery Associates, and BlackHawk Products Group.
Though Virginia Beach and
WilliamsburgWilliamsburg is an independent city of Virginia located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 11,998. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
have traditionally been the centers of tourism for the region, the rebirth of downtown Norfolk and the construction of a cruise ship pier at the foot of Nauticus in downtown has driven tourism to become an increasingly important part of the city's economy. The number of cruise ship passengers who visited Norfolk increased from 50,000 in 2003, to 107,000 in 2004 and 2005. Also in April 2007, the city completed construction on a $36 million state-of-the-art cruise ship terminal alongside the pier. Partly due to this construction, passenger counts dropped to 70,000 in 2006, but is expected to rebound to 90,000 in 2007, and higher in later years. Unlike most cruise ship terminals which are located in industrial areas, the downtown location of Norfolk's terminal has received favorable reviews from both tourists and the cruise lines who enjoy its proximity to the city's hotels, restaurants, shopping, and cultural amenities.
Arts & Culture
Norfolk is the cultural heart of the Hampton Roads region. In addition to its outstanding museums, Norfolk is the principal home for several major performing arts companies. Norfolk also plays host to numerous yearly festivals and parades, mostly at
Town Pointe Park in downtown.
The
Chrysler Museum of ArtThe Chrysler Museum of Art is an art museum in the Ghent district of Norfolk, Virginia. The museum was originally founded in 1933 as the Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences. In 1971, automotive heir, Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. , donated most of his extensive collection to the museum...
, located in the
Ghent districtThe Ghent District includes the various Ghent neighborhoods in Norfolk, Virginia. Its boundaries are roughly Brambleton Avenue/The Hague on the south, the Elizabeth River on west, Monticello Avenue on the east and the railroad crossing immediately north of 22nd Street...
, is the region's foremost art museum and is considered by the
The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded in 1851 and published in New York City. The largest metropolitan newspaper in the United States, "The Gray Lady"—named for its staid appearance and style—is regarded as a national newspaper of record...
to be the finest in the state. Of particular note is the extensive glass collection and American
neoclassicalNeoclassicism is the name given to quite distinct movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw upon Western classical art and culture...
marble sculptures.
Nauticus, the National Maritime Center, opened on the downtown waterfront in 1994. It features hands-on exhibits, interactive theaters,
aquariaAn aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
, digital high-definition films and an extensive variety of educational programs. Since 2000, Nauticus has been home to the battleship
USS WisconsinUSS Wisconsin is an , the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. She was built at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and launched on 7 December 1943, sponsored by the wife of Governor of Wisconsin, Walter Goodland...
, the second to last battleship to be built in the United States. It served briefly in
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and later in the
KoreanThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
and
Gulf WarThe Persian Gulf War , known also as the Gulf War, the First Gulf War,or often as the Second Gulf War and by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein as The Mother of all Battles, or commonly as Desert Storm, for the military response...
s.
The General
Douglas MacArthurGeneral of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general, United Nations general, and Field Marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and later played a prominent role in the Pacific theater of World War II...
Memorial, located in the 19th century Norfolk court house and city hall in downtown, contains the tombs of the late General and his wife, a museum and a vast research library, personal belongings (including his famous corncob pipe) and a short film that chronicles the life of the famous
General of the ArmyGeneral of the Army is a five-star general officer and is the second highest possible rank in the United States Army. A special rank of General of the Armies, which ranks above General of the Army, does exist but has only been conferred twice in the history of the Army...
.
The Hermitage Foundation Museum, located in an early 20th century Tudor style home on a estate fronting the
Lafayette RiverThe Lafayette River, earlier known as Tanner's Creek, is a short tidal estuary which empties into the Elizabeth River just south of Sewell's Point near its mouth at Hampton Roads, which in turn empties into the southern end of Chesapeake Bay in southeast Virginia in the United States...
, features an eclectic collection of Asian and Western art, including Chinese bronze and ceramics, Persian rugs, and ivory carvings.
Norfolk has a variety of performing groups with regular seasons.
The
Virginia OperaVirginia Opera is an opera company based in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is led by its Artistic Director, Peter Mark, who has been with the company since its first major performances in 1975....
was founded in Norfolk in 1974. Its artistic director since its inception has been
Peter MarkPeter Mark are an Irish hairdressing chain founded in 1961 by two brothers Peter and Mark Keaveney. The first shop they opened was in Dublin's Grafton Street. They currently have 72 shops in Ireland...
, who conducted his 100th opera production for the VOA in 2008. Though performances are staged statewide, the company's principal venue is the
Harrison Opera HouseThe Edythe C. and Stanley L. Harrison Opera House, also known as the Harrison Opera House, is the official home of the Virginia Opera in the Ghent district of Norfolk, Virginia. Once a World War II USO theater, this historic venue was renovated in 1993. With 1,632 seats, the renovated Harrison...
in the
Ghent districtThe Ghent District includes the various Ghent neighborhoods in Norfolk, Virginia. Its boundaries are roughly Brambleton Avenue/The Hague on the south, the Elizabeth River on west, Monticello Avenue on the east and the railroad crossing immediately north of 22nd Street...
.
The Virginia Stage Company, founded in 1968, is one of the country's leading regional theaters and produces a full season of plays in the
Wells TheatreThe Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue located in downtown Norfolk, Virginia. The Virginia Stage Company, along with the Governor's School for the Arts stage their performances at the Wells. The Wells Theatre is owned and operated by the City of Norfolk....
downtown. The Company shares facilities with the
Governor's School for the ArtsFounded in 1987, The Governor's School for the Arts is one of 18 magnet Governor's Schools in Virginia. The school holds classes in Norfolk, Virginia. Admissions are competitive and based on an in person audition...
.
The
Virginia Symphony OrchestraThe Virginia Symphony Orchestra is an American regional orchestra in Hampton Roads, Virginia. The orchestra performs at several venues in Virginia, including Chrysler Hall in Norfolk and the Ferguson Center for the Arts in Newport News....
, founded in 1920 and directed by
JoAnn FallettaJoAnn Falletta is an American classical musician and orchestral conductor.Falletta was educated at the Mannes College of Music and The Juilliard School in New York City...
, has been a regular staple on the regional fine arts scene. Most Norfolk performances take place at
Chrysler HallChrysler Hall is a performing arts venue in Norfolk, Virginia. Located next to Norfolk Scope, the venue hosts Broadway plays and serves as Norfolk's primary theater and concert venue. The City of Norfolk owns and operates the venue.-External links:...
in the
ScopeNorfolk Scope is a 12,600-seat multipurpose arena at the northern perimeter of downtown Norfolk, Virginia, designed by renowned Italian architect/engineer Pier Luigi Nervi with the local firm of Williams and Tazewell. Construction on Scope on Brambleton Avenue began in June 1968 and was completed...
complex downtown. The orchestra also provides musicians for many other performing arts organizations in the area.
Large scale concerts are held at either the
Norfolk ScopeNorfolk Scope is a 12,600-seat multipurpose arena at the northern perimeter of downtown Norfolk, Virginia, designed by renowned Italian architect/engineer Pier Luigi Nervi with the local firm of Williams and Tazewell. Construction on Scope on Brambleton Avenue began in June 1968 and was completed...
arena or
Ted Constant Convocation CenterThe Ted Constant Convocation Center is a 9,520-seat multi-purpose arena in Norfolk, Virginia, located on the campus of Old Dominion University. "The Ted" has 7,519 fully cushioned seats, 16 luxury suites, and a state-of-the-art scoreboard. The arena currently seats 8,639 for basketball games...
at
ODUOld Dominion University is a large public research university located in historic Norfolk, Virginia. It was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia...
while
The NorvaThe NorVA is a performing theatre located in Norfolk, Virginia, with a maximum occupancy of 1,500. The NorVa's name consists of an abbreviation relating to its location....
provides a more intimate atmosphere for smaller groups. Other Norfolk cultural venues include the
Attucks TheatreThe Attucks Theatre, located in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, was financed, designed and constructed by African American entrepreneurs in 1919. The theatre was designed by Harvey Johnson, an African-American architect. The theatre was named in honor of Crispus Attucks, an African American who was the...
, the Jeanne and George Roper Performing Arts Canter (formerly the Loew's State Theater) and the Naro Expanded Cinema. The Free Reign Theatre provides independent theatre.
The revitalization of downtown Norfolk has helped to improve the Hampton Roads cultural scene. In particular, a large number of clubs, representing a wide range of music interests and sophistication, now line the lower Granby Street area. Some of the clubs include the newly opened Club Seven and the Granby Theater, which formerly hosted plays but now is a restaurant and club. Not far away, the Waterside Festival Marketplace has also continued to be successful as a nightclub and bar venue.
Sports
From 1970 to 1976, Norfolk served as home court (along with
HamptonHampton is an independent city in Virginia, and therefore not part of any Virginia county. One of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, it is on the southeast end of the Virginia Peninsula, bordering on Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay....
,
RichmondRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
and
RoanokeFor the metropolitan area, see Roanoke Metropolitan Area.Roanoke is an independent city located in the Roanoke Metropolitan Area and the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Roanoke is also part of the Roanoke Region of Virginia, and is the largest city in the Roanoke Valley...
) for the
Virginia SquiresThe Virginia Squires were a basketball franchise in the former American Basketball Association that existed from 1967 through 1976.-In Oakland :...
regional professional basketball franchise of the now-defunct
American Basketball AssociationThe American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA-NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
(ABA). From 1970 to 1971, the Squires played their Norfolk home games at the
Old Dominion University FieldhouseOld Dominion University Fieldhouse was a 5,200 seat multi-purpose arena in Norfolk, Virginia. It opened in 1970. It was home to the Old Dominion University Monarchs and Lady Monarchs basketball teams. The venue also played host to the American Basketball Association's Virginia Squires for a...
. In November 1971, the Virginia Squires played their Norfolk home games at the new
Norfolk ScopeNorfolk Scope is a 12,600-seat multipurpose arena at the northern perimeter of downtown Norfolk, Virginia, designed by renowned Italian architect/engineer Pier Luigi Nervi with the local firm of Williams and Tazewell. Construction on Scope on Brambleton Avenue began in June 1968 and was completed...
arena, until the team and the ABA league folded in May 1976.
In 1971, Norfolk built the region's first entertainment and sports complex, featuring
Chrysler HallChrysler Hall is a performing arts venue in Norfolk, Virginia. Located next to Norfolk Scope, the venue hosts Broadway plays and serves as Norfolk's primary theater and concert venue. The City of Norfolk owns and operates the venue.-External links:...
and the 13,800-seat
Norfolk ScopeNorfolk Scope is a 12,600-seat multipurpose arena at the northern perimeter of downtown Norfolk, Virginia, designed by renowned Italian architect/engineer Pier Luigi Nervi with the local firm of Williams and Tazewell. Construction on Scope on Brambleton Avenue began in June 1968 and was completed...
indoor arena, located in the northern section of downtown. Norfolk Scope has served as a venue of major events including the American Basketball Association's All-Star Game in 1974, and the first and second
NCAA Women's Division I Basketball ChampionshipThe NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981-82 season...
s (also known as the
Women's Final Four) in 1982 and 1983. The Norfolk Scope has served as the site of many professional wrestling events, including
Total Nonstop Action WrestlingTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling , a privately controlled integrated-media and sports entertainment company, deals primarily in professional wrestling. It uses television, the Internet, and live events, with additional major revenue sources from product licensing and direct product sales...
's Destination X and
World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and his...
's World War 3. Norfolk Scope was also the site of an infamous episode of
WCW Monday NitroWCW Monday Nitro was a weekly professional wrestling telecast produced by World Championship Wrestling. The show aired Monday nights on TNT, going head-to-head with the World Wrestling Federation's Monday Night Raw from September 4, 1995 to March 26, 2001. Production ceased after WCW was purchased...
, where several
World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is a publicly-traded, privately-controlled integrated media and sports entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
wrestlers literally drove a tank to the entryway of the Scope, thus "invading" the competition.
Currently, Norfolk serves as home to the two highest level professional franchises in the state of Virginia, the
Norfolk TidesThe Norfolk Tides are a minor league baseball team in the Triple-A International League. They play at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 2007 they have been a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles; prior to that, they had a 38-year affiliation with the New York Mets.-Franchise History:The...
of the
International LeagueThe International League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball...
and the
Norfolk AdmiralsThe Norfolk Admirals are a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Admirals play in Norfolk, Virginia, USA at the Norfolk Scope.-History:...
of the
American Hockey LeagueThe American Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League . 28 of the 30 NHL teams have exclusive affiliation agreements with one of the AHL's 29 active clubs...
. On the collegiate level, the Old Dominion Monarchs and the
Norfolk State UniversityNorfolk State University is a four-year, state-supported, coed, liberal arts, historically black university located in Norfolk, Virginia. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and the Virginia High-Tech Partnership.-History:...
Spartans provide many sports including football (coming to Old Dominion in 2009), basketball, and baseball.
Virginia Wesleyan CollegeVirginia Wesleyan College is a small Methodist liberal arts college on the border of Virginia Beach and Norfolk, Virginia offering a Bachelor of Arts in many disciplines and has added Bachelor of Science programs as well...
also provides sports at the NCAA Division III level.
Parks and Recreation
Town Point Park in downtown plays host to a wide variety of annual events from early spring through late fall. Harborfest, the region's largest annual festival, celebrated its 30th year in 2006. It is held during the first weekend of June and celebrates the region's proximity and attachment to the water. The Parade of Sail (numerous tall sailing ships from around the world form in line and sail past downtown before docking at the marina), music concerts, regional food, and a large fireworks display highlight this three-day festival. Bayou Boogaloo and Cajun Food Festival, a celebration of the
CajunCajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
people and culture, had small beginnings. This three-day festival during the third week of June has become one of the largest in the region and, in addition to serving up
Cajun cuisineCajun cuisine is named for the French-speaking Acadian or "Cajun" immigrants deported by the British from Acadia in Canada to the Acadiana region of Louisiana, USA. It is what could be called a rustic cuisine — locally available ingredients predominate, and preparation is simple...
, also features Cajun music. Norfolk's
Fourth of JulyIn the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
celebration of American independence, contains a spectacular fireworks display and a special Navy reenlistment ceremony. The Norfolk Jazz Festival, though smaller by comparison to some of the big city jazz festivals, still manages to attract the country's top jazz performers. It is held in August. The Town Point Virginia Wine Festival has become a showcase for Virginia-produced wines and has enjoyed increasing success over the years. Virginia's burgeoning wine industry has become noted both within the United States and on an international level. The festival has grown with the industry. Wines can be sampled and then purchased by the bottle and/or case directly from the winery kiosks. This event takes place during the third weekend of October. There is also a Spring Wine Festival held during the second weekend of May.
The St. Patrick's Day annual parade in the city's
Ocean ViewOcean View, Virginia is a community in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. It has several miles of shoreline on the Chesapeake Bay to the north, and is bordered by Willoughby Spit on the west and the Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in the independent city of Virginia...
neighborhood, celebrates Ocean View's rich Irish heritage.
Norfolk has a variety of parks and open spaces in its city parks system. The city maintains three beaches on its north shore in the
Ocean ViewOcean View, Virginia is a community in the independent city of Norfolk, Virginia in the United States. It has several miles of shoreline on the Chesapeake Bay to the north, and is bordered by Willoughby Spit on the west and the Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in the independent city of Virginia...
area. Five additional parks contain picnic facilities and playgrounds for children. The city also has some community pools open to city citizens.
The
Norfolk Botanical GardenThe Norfolk Botanical Garden is a botanical garden with arboretum located at 6700 Azalea Garden Road, Norfolk, Virginia.9 am - 5 pm: October 16 - March9 am - 7 pm: April - October 15Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day....
, opened in 1939, is a
botanical gardenBotanical gardens grow a wide variety of plants primarily to categorize and document for scientific purposes. Botanists and horticulturalists tend the flora and maintain the garden's library and herbarium of dried and documented plant material. Botanical gardens may also serve to entertain and...
and
arboretumAn arboretum is a collection of trees. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
located near the Norfolk International Airport. It is open year round.
The Virginia Zoological Park, opened in 1900, is a
zooA zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
with hundreds of animals on display, including the critically endangered Siberian Tiger and threatened White Rhino.
The city is also known for its "Mermaids on Parade," a public art program launched in 2002 to place mermaid statues all over the City. Tourists can take a walking tour of downtown and locate 17 mermaids while others can be found further afield.
Government
Norfolk is an independent city with services that both counties and cities in Virginia provide, such as a
sheriffA sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
, social services, and a court system. Norfolk operates under a council-manager form of government.
Norfolk city government consists of a
city councilA city council is the legislative body that governs a city, municipality or local government area.-Australia:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council may vary slightly...
with representatives from seven districts serving in a
legislativeA legislature is a type of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law...
and oversight capacity, as well as a popularly elected, at-large
mayor"Mayor" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government....
. The
city managerA city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Called the chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
serves as head of the
executive branch}}In the study of political science the executive branch of government has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the democratic idea of the separation of powers .In many...
and supervises all City departments and executing policies adopted by the Council. Citizens in each of the six wards elect one council representative each to serve a four-year term. An additional council member is elected from a city wide "Superward 7." The city council meets at City Hall weekly and, as of September, 2007, consists of: Mayor Paul D. Fraim; Vice Mayor Anthony L. Burfoot, Ward 3; Daun S. Hester, Superward 7; Paul R. Riddick, Ward 4; Dr. Theresa W. Whibley, Ward 2; Donald L. Williams, Ward 1; Barclay C. Winn, Ward 6; W. Randy Wright, Ward 5.
City government has infrastructure to create close working relationships with its citizens. Norfolk's city government provides services for neighborhoods, including service centers and civic leagues that interact directly with members of City Council. Such services include preserving area histories, home rehabilitation centers, outreach programs, and a university that trains citizens in neighborhood clean-up, event planning, neighborhood leadership, and financial planning. Norfolk's police department also provides support for neighborhood watch programs including a citizens' training academy, security design, a police athletic program for youth, and business watch programs.
Norfolk also has a federal courthouse for the
United States District Court for the Eastern District of VirginiaThe United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of two United States district courts serving the Commonwealth of Virginia...
. The Walter E. Hoffman United States Courthouse in Norfolk has four judges, four magistrate judges, and two bankruptcy judges. Additionally, Norfolk has its own General District and Circuit Courts which convene downtown.
Norfolk is located in the , served by U.S. Representative
Glenn NyeGlenn Carlyle Nye III is a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing since 2009. The district includes all of Virginia Beach and the Eastern Shore, as well as parts of Norfolk and Hampton...
and in the , served by U.S. Representative
Robert C. ScottRobert Cortez "Bobby" Scott is a Democratic politician from the Commonwealth of Virginia, currently representing the state's in the United States House of Representatives. The district takes in most of Richmond, along with parts of Norfolk, Hampton and Scott's home in Newport News...
.
Education
Norfolk City Public Schools, the public school system, comprises 5 high schools, 8 middle schools, 34 elementary schools, and 9 special-purpose/preschools. In 2005, Norfolk Public Schools won the $1 million Broad Prize for Urban Education award for having demonstrated, "the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps for poor and minority students". The city had previously been nominated in 2003 and 2004. There are also a number of private schools located in the city, the oldest of which,
Norfolk AcademyNorfolk Academy is an independent co-educational day school in Norfolk, Virginia. Chartered in 1728, it is the oldest secondary school in Virginia and the eighth oldest in the United States...
, was founded in 1728. Religious schools located in the City include St. Pius X Catholic School, Holy Trinity Parish School, Alliance Christian School, Christ the King School, St Patrick Catholic School, and Norfolk Christian School. The City also hosts the
Governor's School for the ArtsFounded in 1987, The Governor's School for the Arts is one of 18 magnet Governor's Schools in Virginia. The school holds classes in Norfolk, Virginia. Admissions are competitive and based on an in person audition...
which holds performances and classes at the
Wells TheatreThe Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue located in downtown Norfolk, Virginia. The Virginia Stage Company, along with the Governor's School for the Arts stage their performances at the Wells. The Wells Theatre is owned and operated by the City of Norfolk....
.
Norfolk is home to three public universities and one private. It also hosts a
community collegeA community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-United States:In the United States, community colleges, sometimes called junior colleges, technical colleges, or city colleges, are primarily two-year public institutions providing...
campus in downtown.
Old Dominion UniversityOld Dominion University is a large public research university located in historic Norfolk, Virginia. It was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia...
, founded as the
Norfolk Division of the College of William and MaryThe College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
in 1930, became an independent institution in 1962 and now offers degrees in 68 undergraduate and 95 (60 masters/35 doctoral) graduate degree programs.
Eastern Virginia Medical School', in Norfolk, Virginia is a public-private medical school founded by the collective "Seven Cities" of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Its campus includes the 555-bed Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, the region's main tertiary medical care facility, and the 212-bed Children's Hospital of The King's...
, founded as a community medical school by the surrounding jurisdictions in 1973, is noted for its research into reproductive medicine and is located in the region's major medical complex in the
Ghent districtThe Ghent District includes the various Ghent neighborhoods in Norfolk, Virginia. Its boundaries are roughly Brambleton Avenue/The Hague on the south, the Elizabeth River on west, Monticello Avenue on the east and the railroad crossing immediately north of 22nd Street...
.
Norfolk State UniversityNorfolk State University is a four-year, state-supported, coed, liberal arts, historically black university located in Norfolk, Virginia. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and the Virginia High-Tech Partnership.-History:...
is the largest majority black university in Virginia and offers degrees in a wide variety of
liberal artsLiberal arts are the skills derived from the Classical education curriculum.-Definition:The term liberal arts denotes a curriculum that imparts general knowledge and develops the student’s rational thought and intellectual capabilities, unlike the professional, vocational, technical curricula...
.
Virginia Wesleyan CollegeVirginia Wesleyan College is a small Methodist liberal arts college on the border of Virginia Beach and Norfolk, Virginia offering a Bachelor of Arts in many disciplines and has added Bachelor of Science programs as well...
is a small private
liberal artsLiberal arts are the skills derived from the Classical education curriculum.-Definition:The term liberal arts denotes a curriculum that imparts general knowledge and develops the student’s rational thought and intellectual capabilities, unlike the professional, vocational, technical curricula...
college, and shares its eastern border with the neighboring city of Virginia Beach.
Tidewater Community CollegeTidewater Community College is a two-year higher education institution in South Hampton Roads consisting of multiple campuses in the cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach. The college, founded in 1968, is known locally as "TCC", and colloquially as "Virginia Beach...
offers two-year degrees and specialized training programs, and is located in downtown.
Norfolk Public Library, Virginia's first public library, offer ten locations around the city and a bookmobile. The library also has a local history and genealogy room and contains government documents dating back to the 19th century. The libraries offer services such as computer classes, book reviews, tax forms, and online book clubs.
Media
Norfolk's daily newspaper is
The Virginian-PilotThe Virginian-Pilot is a daily newspaper based in Norfolk, Virginia and serving the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, i.e., southeastern Virginia, the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and northeastern North Carolina...
. Norfolk's alternative weekly papers include the (now defunct)
Port Folio WeeklyPort Folio Weekly is a free weekly alternative newspaper serving the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. First published in 1983, the newspaper is owned by Landmark Communications. Port Folio Weekly focuses on regional culture and includes regular editorials and free speech....
and the
New Journal and GuideThe New Journal and Guide is a regional weekly publication based out of Norfolk, Virginia and serves the Hampton Roads area. The weekly focuses on local and national African-American news, sports, and issues and has been in circulation since 1900....
. The
Hampton Roads Business JournalThe Hampton Roads Business Journal is a regional publication serving Norfolk, Virginia and the Hampton Roads area. Its articles focus on the regional business community.-External links:*...
serves the regional business community with local business news.
Local universities publish their own newspapers:
Old Dominion UniversityOld Dominion University is a large public research university located in historic Norfolk, Virginia. It was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia...
's
Mace and Crown,
Norfolk State UniversityNorfolk State University is a four-year, state-supported, coed, liberal arts, historically black university located in Norfolk, Virginia. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and the Virginia High-Tech Partnership.-History:...
's
The Spartan Echo, and
Virginia Wesleyan CollegeVirginia Wesleyan College is a small Methodist liberal arts college on the border of Virginia Beach and Norfolk, Virginia offering a Bachelor of Arts in many disciplines and has added Bachelor of Science programs as well...
's
Marlin Chronicles. Hampton Roads Magazine serves as a bi-monthly regional magazine for Norfolk and the
Hampton RoadsHampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the region of land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia. Hampton Roads is notable for its year-round ice-free harbor, for United States Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, NASA, Marines, and Army facilities, shipyards, coal piers, and...
area. Norfolk is served by a variety of radio stations on the AM and FM dials, with towers located around the
Hampton RoadsHampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the region of land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia. Hampton Roads is notable for its year-round ice-free harbor, for United States Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, NASA, Marines, and Army facilities, shipyards, coal piers, and...
area. These cater to many different interests, including
newsNews is the communication of information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
,
talk radioTalk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
, and sports, as well as an eclectic mix of
musicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
al interests.
Norfolk is also served by several television stations. The Hampton Roads
designated market areaA media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
(DMA) is the 42nd largest in the U.S. with 712,790 homes (0.64% of the total U.S.). The major network television affiliates are WTKR-TV 3 (
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is an American television network, one of television's original "big three", which also include NBC and ABC. Like NBC, CBS started out as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System...
), WAVY 10 (
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
),
WVEC-TVWVEC is the ABC affiliate for the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, which includes Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, and the surrounding area. It is licensed to Hampton, with its main studio in downtown Norfolk. Its transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia...
13 (
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
),
WGNTWGNT, channel 27 , is The CW-owned and operated station for the Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, Virginia television market. WGNT is licensed to Portsmouth, Virginia and owned by the CBS Corporation, which also owns a 50-percent share of The CW...
27 (
CWThe CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
), WTVZ 33 (
MyNetworkTVMyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
),
WVBTWVBT is the FOX-affiliated television station for the Hampton Roads area of southeast Virginia that is licensed to Virginia Beach. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 29 from a transmitter in Suffolk. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, it is sister station to NBC affiliate...
43 (
FOXThe Fox Broadcasting Company , commonly referred to as Fox , is an American television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, from 2004 to 2009 Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the 18–49 demographic...
), and
WPXVWPXV-TV is the Ion Television affiliate for Hampton Roads, licensed to Norfolk, Virginia. The station is owned by ION Media Networks, and operates on UHF digital channel 46.- External links :*...
49 (Ion Television). The
Public Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television service with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. However, its operations are largely funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting...
station is
WHRO-TVWHRO-TV digital channel 16 is the PBS member for Hampton Roads, Virginia . The station is licensed to both Hampton and Norfolk with the studios at the Public Telecommunications Center for Hampton Roads next to the campus of Old Dominion University in Norfolk. Its transmitter is located in Suffolk,...
15. Norfolk residents also can receive independent stations, such as
WSKYWSKY-TV, which launched in October 2001, is a full-power/full market independent station serving the Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, VA television market and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The station, which is part of the Hampton Roads market, broadcasts on digital channel 4 and is licensed...
broadcasting on channel 4 from the Outer Banks of North Carolina and
WGBSWGBS-LP is a low-power television station in Hampton, Virginia, broadcasting locally on channel 7 and serving the Greater Hampton Roads area. It is owned and operated by Joan & Kenneth Wright....
broadcasting on channel 7 from
HamptonHampton is an independent city in Virginia, and therefore not part of any Virginia county. One of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, it is on the southeast end of the Virginia Peninsula, bordering on Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay....
.
Several major
motion pictureFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
s have been filmed in and around Norfolk include
RollercoasterRollercoaster is a summer 1977 disaster-suspense film directed by James Goldstone. It was one of four films created in Sensurround by Universal Studios, along with Midway, Earthquake, and the theatrical version of Battlestar Galactica....
(filmed at the former
Ocean View Amusement ParkOcean View Amusement Park was located at the end of Granby Street at Ocean View Avenue in Norfolk, Virginia. Ocean View Beach Park now exists on the former site. The amusement park was featured in the 1977 movie Rollercoaster. The wooden coaster depicted in the movie was called "The Rocket". The...
),
Navy SealsNavy SEALs is a 1990 action film, directed by Lewis Teague. The writers were Chuck Pfarrer and Gary Goldman. It was produced by Brenda Feigen and Bernard Williams with consultant William Bradley.-Plot:...
, and
Mission: Impossible IIIMission: Impossible III a 2006 action film, the third based on the spy-themed television series Mission: Impossible starring Tom Cruise who reprises his role of IMF agent Ethan Hunt....
(partially filmed at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel).
Transportation
Norfolk is linked with its neighbors through an extensive network of arterial and
Interstate highwaysThe Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System , is a network of limited-access highways in the United States that is named for President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who championed its formation...
,
bridgeA bridge is a structure built to span a valley, road, body of water, or other physical obstacle, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle. Designs of bridges vary depending on the function of the bridge and the nature of the terrain where the bridge is constructed.-History:The first...
s,
tunnelA tunnel is an underground passageway. The definition of what constitutes a tunnel is not universally agreed upon. However, in general tunnels are at least twice as long as they are wide. In addition, they should be completely enclosed on all sides, save for the openings at each end...
s, and
bridge-tunnelA fixed link, fixed crossing, or bridge-tunnel is a persistent, unbroken road or rail connection across water that uses some combination of bridges, tunnels, and causeways and does not involve intermittent connections such as drawbridges or ferries.-Bridge-tunnels:For water crossings, a tunnel is...
complexes. The major east-west routes are
Interstate 64In the U.S. state of Virginia, Interstate 64 runs east-west through the middle of the state from West Virginia to the Hampton Roads region, a total of . It is notable for crossing the mouth of the harbor of Hampton Roads on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel, the first bridge-tunnel to incorporate...
, U.S. Route 58 (
Virginia Beach BoulevardVirginia Beach Boulevard is a major connector highway which carries U.S. Route 58 most of its length and extends from the downtown area of Norfolk to the Oceanfront area of Virginia Beach, passing through the newly-developed New Urbanist Town Center development of the latter as it links the two...
) and U.S. Route 60 (Ocean View Avenue). The major north-south routes are U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 460, also known as
Granby StreetA street in Norfolk, Virginia. This street is the historic commercial corridor of Norfolk, and also the community heart of the city, has been undergoing major redevelopment for the past five years. Today, theatres, restaurants, and businesses line Granby street in the downtown area...
. Other main roadways in Norfolk include
Newtown RoadState Route 403 is a primary state highway in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. It runs along Newtown Road from State Route 165 north across Interstate 264 to U.S. Route 58 .-External links:*...
, Waterside Drive, Tidewater Drive, and
Military HighwayMilitary Highway is a four-lane roadway built in the South Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia, USA during World War II.- Original construction :...
. The Hampton Roads Beltway (I-64 and its spurs I-264, I-464, and I-664) makes a loop around Norfolk.
Norfolk is primarily served by the
Norfolk International AirportNorfolk International Airport is a public airport located three miles northeast of the central business district of Norfolk, a city in Virginia, United States. It is owned by Norfolk Airport Authority...
, now the region's major commercial airport. The airport is located near Chesapeake Bay, along the city limits straddling neighboring
Virginia BeachVirginia Beach is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Although Fairfax County is the most populous jurisdiction, Virginia Beach is the most populous city in Virginia and the 42nd largest city in the...
. Seven airlines provide nonstop services to twenty five destinations. ORF had 3,703,664 passengers take off or land at its facility and 68,778,934 pounds of cargo were processed through its facilities.
Newport News/Williamsburg International AirportNewport News/Williamsburg International Airport is an airport located 9 mi northwest of downtown Newport News, Virginia, and serves the entire Hampton Roads metropolitan area along with Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk...
also provides commercial air service for the
Hampton RoadsHampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the region of land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia. Hampton Roads is notable for its year-round ice-free harbor, for United States Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, NASA, Marines, and Army facilities, shipyards, coal piers, and...
area. The
Chesapeake Regional AirportChesapeake Regional Airport is a public use airport located in the city of Chesapeake, Virginia and serving the Hampton Roads area. The airport is 12 nautical miles south of the central business district of Norfolk, Virginia. It is owned by the Chesapeake Airport Authority. Tidewater Flight...
provides general aviation services and is located five miles (8 km) outside the city limits.
Norfolk is served by
AmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a blend of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union Station...
through the
Newport NewsNewport News is an independent city in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. It is at the south-western end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News Point on the...
station, via connecting buses. The line runs west along the
Virginia PeninsulaThe Virginia Peninsula is a peninsula in southeast Virginia, bounded by the York River, James River, Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay.Hampton Roads is the common name for the metropolitan area that surrounds the body of water of the same name...
to
RichmondRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
and points beyond. A high speed rail connection at Richmond to both the
Northeast CorridorThe Northeast Corridor is the busiest passenger rail line in the United States by ridership and service frequency. The route is fully electrified and serves a densely urbanized string of cities from Washington, D.C., in the south through Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Trenton, Newark, New...
and the
Southeast High Speed Rail CorridorThe Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor is a passenger rail transportation project in the United States to extend high speed passenger rail services from Washington, DC south through Richmond and Petersburg in Virginia through Raleigh and Charlotte in North Carolina and connect with the existing...
are also under study.
Greyhound provides service from a central bus terminal in downtown Norfolk. Bus services to
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
via the Chinatown bus, Today's Bus, is located on Newtown road.
In April 2007, construction of the new $36 million
Half Moone Cruise Terminal was completed downtown adjacent to the Nauticus Museum, providing a state-of-the-art permanent structure for various cruise lines and passengers wishing to embark from Norfolk. Previously, makeshift structures were used to embark/disembark passengers, supplies, and crew.
The
Intracoastal WaterwayThe Intracoastal Waterway is a 4,800-km waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are man-made canals...
passes through Norfolk. Norfolk also has extensive frontage and port facilities on the navigable portions of the Western and Southern branches of the
Elizabeth RiverThe Elizabeth River is a short tidal estuary forming an arm of Hampton Roads at the southern end of Chesapeake Bay in southeast Virginia in the United States. It is located along the southern side of the mouth of James River, between the cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk...
.
A transit
busA bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. A bus seats a maximum of 8 to 300 passengers...
system and
paratransitParatransit, or Dial-a-Ride, is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically vans or mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers. Paratransit services may vary...
service are provided by
Hampton Roads TransitHampton Roads Transit formed in October 1999 by the voluntary merging of PENTRAN on the Virginia Peninsula and TRT in South Hampton Roads.Hampton Roads Transit currently...
(HRT), a regional
public transportPublic transport comprises passenger transportation services which are available for use by the general public, as opposed to modes for private use such as automobiles or vehicles for hire.Public transport services are usually funded by fares charged to each passenger, with varying levels of subsidy...
system headquartered in Hampton. HRT buses operate throughout Norfolk and South Hampton Roads and onto the Peninsula all the way up to Williamsburg. Other routes travel to
SmithfieldSmithfield is a town in Isle of Wight County, in the South Hampton Roads subregion of the Hampton Roads region of Virginia in the United States. The population was 6,324 at the 2000 census.-History and industry:...
. HRT offers a ferry service from downtown Norfolk to Old Town Portsmouth. Additional services include an HOV express bus to the Norfolk Naval Base, paratransit services, park-and-ride lots, and the Norfolk Electric Trolley, which provides service in the downtown area.
A
light railThe Tide is the light rail service under construction in Norfolk, Virginia, United States that is set to begin service in 2010. It will become the first major light rail service in Hampton Roads. It is projected to have a daily ridership of between 7,130 to 11,400 passengers a day upon...
service has recently begun construction with operations beginning in 2010. The light rail will be called
The TideThe Tide is the light rail service under construction in Norfolk, Virginia, United States that is set to begin service in 2010. It will become the first major light rail service in Hampton Roads. It is projected to have a daily ridership of between 7,130 to 11,400 passengers a day upon...
and will have a starter route running along the southern portion of Norfolk, commencing at Newtown Road and passing through stations serving areas such as
Norfolk State UniversityNorfolk State University is a four-year, state-supported, coed, liberal arts, historically black university located in Norfolk, Virginia. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and the Virginia High-Tech Partnership.-History:...
and
Harbor ParkHarbor Park is a stadium along the Elizabeth River, in downtown Norfolk, Virginia, USA. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Norfolk Tides minor league baseball team. The Tides are the International League AAA farm team for the Baltimore Orioles. Harbor Park opened on...
before going through the heart of downtown Norfolk and terminating at
Sentara Norfolk General HospitalSentara Norfolk General Hospital is a hospital in Norfolk, Virginia. It is located adjacent to Sentara Heart Hospital. Norfolk General is home to the only Level I Trauma Center and burn trauma unit in Hampton Roads, and is the teaching hospital for Eastern Virginia Medical School...
.
Utilities
Water and sewer services are provided by the City's Department of Utilities. Norfolk receives its electricity from
Dominion Virginia PowerDominion Virginia Power is a power company primarily located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The company is a division of Dominion Resources...
which has local sources including the Chesapeake Energy Center (a gas power plant), coal-fired plants in
ChesapeakeChesapeake is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads portion of the Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia in the United States. One of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, Chesapeake was formed in 1963 by a political consolidation of the City of South Norfolk with the former...
and
Southampton CountySouthampton County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 17,482. Its county seat is Courtland.-History:...
, and the Surry Nuclear Power Plant. Norfolk headquartered Virginia Natural Gas, a subsidiary of
AGL ResourcesAGL Resources, Inc. is a Fortune 1000, Forbes 2000 energy services holding company. Their principal business is distribution of natural gas in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, Tennessee and Virginia, providing gas for more than 2.2 million customers....
, distributes
natural gasNatural gas is a gas consisting primarily of methane. It is found associated with fossil fuels, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is created by methanogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, and landfills...
to the City from storage plants in
James City CountyJames City County is a county located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. Its population was 62,394 , and it is often associated with Williamsburg, an independent city, and Jamestown which is within the county...
and
ChesapeakeChesapeake is an independent city located in the South Hampton Roads portion of the Hampton Roads region of eastern Virginia in the United States. One of the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads, Chesapeake was formed in 1963 by a political consolidation of the City of South Norfolk with the former...
.
Norfolk's water quality has been recognized as the fourth best in the United States by
Men's healthMen's health emerged as a discrete academic and political concern in the 1990s, largely due to the wide success of Men's Health magazine. A Rodale, Inc...
. The City of Norfolk owns nine reservoirs: Lake Whitehurst, Little Creek Reservoir, Lake Lawson, Lake Smith, Lake Wright, Lake Burnt Mills, Western Branch Reservoir, Lake Prince and Lake Taylor. The Virginia tidewater area has grown faster than the local freshwater supply. The river water has always been salty, and the fresh groundwater is no longer available in most areas. Currently, water for the tidewater area is pumped from
Lake GastonLake Gaston is a reservoir in the U.S. states of North Carolina and Virginia. The lake is near Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina and is in Halifax, Northampton, and Warren counties in North Carolina and Brunswick and Mecklenburg counties in Virginia. Lake Gaston is roughly 35 miles long and covers...
, which straddles the Virginia-North Carolina borderm along with the Blackwater and Nottoway rivers. The pipeline is long and in diameter. Much of its follows the former
right-of-wayA right-of-way is a strip of land that is granted – through an easement or other mechanism – for transportation purposes, such as for a rail line or highway. A right-of-way is reserved for the purposes of maintenance or expansion of existing services with the right-of-way...
of an abandoned portion of the
Virginian RailwayThe Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The VGN was created to transport high quality "smokeless" bituminous coal from southern West Virginia to port at Hampton Roads....
. It is capable of pumping 60 million gallons of water per day(60MGD), Virginia Beach and Chesapeake are partners in the project.
The City provides wastewater services for residents and transports wastewater to the regional Hampton Roads Sanitation District treatment plants.
Healthcare
Because of the prominence of the Portsmouth Naval Hospital and V.A. Hospital in Hampton, Norfolk has had a strong role in medicine. Norfolk is served by Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Sentara Leigh Hospital, Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center, and the Lake Taylor Hospital. The City is also home to the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters.
Norfolk is home to
Eastern Virginia Medical School', in Norfolk, Virginia is a public-private medical school founded by the collective "Seven Cities" of Hampton Roads, Virginia. Its campus includes the 555-bed Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, the region's main tertiary medical care facility, and the 212-bed Children's Hospital of The King's...
, which is known for its specialists in
diabetesDiabetes mellitus —often referred to simply as diabetes—is a condition in which the body either does not produce enough, or does not properly respond to, insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas. Insulin enables cells to absorb glucose in order to turn it into energy...
, dermatology, and obstetrics. It achieved international fame on March 1, 1980, when Drs. Georgianna and Howard Jones opened the first in vitro fertilization clinic in the U.S. at EVMS. The country's first in vitro test-tube baby was born there in December 1981.
The international headquarters of
Operation SmileOperation Smile is a secular not-for-profit medical service organization based in Norfolk, Virginia , founded in 1982. As a secular NGO the organization provides cleft lip and palate repair surgeries to children worldwide, assists countries in reaching self-sufficiency with these surgeries, and...
, a nonprofit organization that specializes in repairing facial deformities in underprivileged children from around the globe, is also based in the city.
Sister cities
Norfolk has seven sister cities:
Kitakyūshū,
Fukuoka Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
, Japan (1963)
Wilhelmshaven||-||}Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of Jadebusen, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...
,
Lower SaxonyLower Saxony lies in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen Bundesländer of Germany...
, Germany (1976)
NorfolkNorfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast, including The Wash. The county town is Norwich...
(County), United Kingdom (1986)
ToulonToulon is a city in southern France and a large military harbour on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base...
, France (1989) (Europe's largest military harbour)
KaliningradKaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...
, Russia (1992) Halifax Regional Municipality,
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is a Canadian province located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. Its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of...
(2006)
Cagayan de Oro CityThe City of Cagayan de Oro abbreviated as CDO, CDeO or Cag. de Oro, lies along the northern coastline in the island of Mindanao, Philippines. It is the provincial capital of the province of Misamis Oriental, classified as a first class city...
,
PhilippinesThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
(2008)
See also
- List of famous people from Hampton Roads (Norfolk)
External links