Norfolk

Norfolk is in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. It is a port city with a large Navy and shipping presence. Neighboring cities are Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Portsmouth.

Norfolk has always been a Navy town, home to the world's largest naval base. But it is also known as a major cultural center, with world-class museums, opera, symphony, ballet and a vibrant arts community. In the last ten years or so, downtown area has experienced a major resurgence, with gourmet restaurants, shopping and attractions.

Town Point Park is a waterfront park area right downtown that hosts several festivals and events throughout the year. A new cruise terminal was just built in 2007 making Norfolk one of the top cruise ports in the country. Granby Street is the main downtown thoroughfare, lined with restaurants and bars.

Ghent is a historic district adjacent to downtown. Filled with historic homes, tree-lined streets and beautiful old churches, it is a good mix of residential and business. Colley Avenue and 21st Street are the main shopping and dining areas, with dozens of locally-owned boutiques, shops, antique stores, restaurants and bars. The Naro theater on Colley Avenue is the region's sole movie theater with indie flicks.

Ocean View is Norfolk's beach community, and features relatively uncrowded beaches on the Chesapeake Bay. During the '50s and '60s, Ocean View was in its prime and was a major beach destination for families and sailors. During the following decades, the beach community fell into a bit of a slump, succumbing to crime. The last five years, the city has been turning things around and now Ocean View is on its way to becoming one of the region's most sought after neighborhoods.

• Chrysler Museum of Art, One Memorial Place, +1 757 664-6200. Tu-Sa 10AM-5Pm, Su Noon-5PM. Walter Chrysler, Jr., son of the Chrysler automobile company founder, donated his art collection to Norfolk, the hometown of his wife. His donation along with other donors formed the collection of this museum. A large variety of art can be found in the museum, including paintings, glass, porcelain, clay, sculptures and photos. Art from different geographies are also present, such as African, Asian, Egyptian, Greek and Pre-Columbian/Mayan. A glass studio located in a separate building south of the museum hosts a free glass art demonstration daily at noon. Free.
• Norfolk Botanical Garden.
• Naval Station Tour. A 45-minute tour conducted by Naval personnel. See aircraft carriers and other huge ships.
• Nauticus - National Maritime Center, One Waterside Drive. Naval Museum exhibits maritime artifacts. Next to it is the decommissioned USS Wisconsin (BB 64) battleship, now serving as a museum ship. Visitors get a self-guided tour the interiors of the ship such as sleeping quarter, medical bay, sonar room, mess hall, ship's convenience store and the main deck. Alternatively, visitors can pay extra for guided tour of the engine room, or to the bridge and captain's cabin (additional $20 per person). Entrance fee: Adults: $15.95, Children (Ages 4-12): $11.50, Children (Ages 3 and under): Free, Seniors (Age 55 and up) and AAA Adults: $14.95.
• Norfolk Southern Museum
• Spirit of Norfolk cruise / tour.
• Virginia Zoo, 3500 Granby St, +1 757 441-2374. Daily 10AM-5PM.
• MacArthur Memorial, 198 Bank St., +1 757-441-2965. Tuesday - Saturday 10:00am - 5:00pm Sunday 11:00am - 5:00pm Monday Closed. Free.
• West Freemason Street Area Historic District. 24 hours. National historic district with houses and churches in Federal, Greek Revival, Late Victorian and Gothic Revival styles. Free.
• Norfolk Southern Museum. Free.
• Mike Marker 0 of the Intracoastal Waterway. A buoy in the Elizabeth River. The Intracoastal Waterway extends south to Key West, Florida.

Chrysler Museum of Art, One Memorial Place, +1 757 664-6200. Tu-Sa 10AM-5Pm, Su Noon-5PM. Walter Chrysler, Jr., son of the Chrysler automobile company founder, donated his art collection to Norfolk, the hometown of his wife. His donation along with other donors formed the collection of this museum. A large variety of art can be found in the museum, including paintings, glass, porcelain, clay, sculptures and photos. Art from different geographies are also present, such as African, Asian, Egyptian, Greek and Pre-Columbian/Mayan. A glass studio located in a separate building south of the museum hosts a free glass art demonstration daily at noon. Free.

Norfolk Botanical Garden.

Naval Station Tour. A 45-minute tour conducted by Naval personnel. See aircraft carriers and other huge ships.

Nauticus - National Maritime Center, One Waterside Drive. Naval Museum exhibits maritime artifacts. Next to it is the decommissioned USS Wisconsin (BB 64) battleship, now serving as a museum ship. Visitors get a self-guided tour the interiors of the ship such as sleeping quarter, medical bay, sonar room, mess hall, ship's convenience store and the main deck. Alternatively, visitors can pay extra for guided tour of the engine room, or to the bridge and captain's cabin (additional $20 per person). Entrance fee: Adults: $15.95, Children (Ages 4-12): $11.50, Children (Ages 3 and under): Free, Seniors (Age 55 and up) and AAA Adults: $14.95.

Spirit of Norfolk cruise / tour.

Virginia Zoo, 3500 Granby St, +1 757 441-2374. Daily 10AM-5PM.

MacArthur Memorial, 198 Bank St., +1 757-441-2965. Tuesday - Saturday 10:00am - 5:00pm Sunday 11:00am - 5:00pm Monday Closed. Free.

West Freemason Street Area Historic District. 24 hours. National historic district with houses and churches in Federal, Greek Revival, Late Victorian and Gothic Revival styles. Free.

Norfolk Southern Museum. Free.

Mike Marker 0 of the Intracoastal Waterway. A buoy in the Elizabeth River. The Intracoastal Waterway extends south to Key West, Florida.

Take a cruise from Norfolk to Bermuda or the Caribbean. Ships depart from the downtown waterfront. Go on a 2 hour cruise around the Norfolk Naval Base. A guide will give a little bit of area history and describe some of the ships as you cruise past.

• Watch a Triple-A baseball game between Norfolk Tides and another minor league team at the Harbor Park, 150 Park Avenue (Take The Tide to Harbor Park station or Amtrak to Norfolk station.
• Watch a concert, ice hockey game or performance at Norfolk Scope, 201 East Brambleton Avenue.
• Watch a concert, live music and other performance at NorVa Theatre, 317 Monticello Avenue, +1 757-627-4547.

Watch a Triple-A baseball game between Norfolk Tides and another minor league team at the Harbor Park, 150 Park Avenue (Take The Tide to Harbor Park station or Amtrak to Norfolk station.

Watch a concert, ice hockey game or performance at Norfolk Scope, 201 East Brambleton Avenue.

Watch a concert, live music and other performance at NorVa Theatre, 317 Monticello Avenue, +1 757-627-4547.

There are several main shopping areas in Norfolk.

Downtown, the MacArthur Center. (300 Monticello Ave.) is one of the best malls in the area and has a variety of great shops, like Pottery Barn, Coach, Go! Calendars Games & Toys, Williams & Sonoma, an Apple store, JCrew, EQ3, H&M, a beautiful Barnes & Noble academic superstore, etc. The mall is anchored by Barnes & Noble and Dillard's. There are a few shops and art galleries on Granby Street, but not many. Also downtown is the D'Art Center, which features a large selection of local art. Waterside used to be a popular shopping area, but there are several empty spots now and retailers are suffering. There are a few kiosks, with everything from fake designer sunglasses to caricatures. There are a few other stores, including souvenir shops and a dollar store.

Ghent. is a popular shopping area for locally-owned boutiques and antique stores. 21st Street and Colley Avenue are the main thoroughfares, but there are plenty of unique stores on the surrounding streets. The Palace Shoppes on 21st Street and Palace Station on Debree have some great little stores, including an adorable pet boutique call Wet Noses and a chic women's clothing store, NYFO. Commonwealth on 21st Street is a popular urban-style store, and has been featured in national magazines. There are also quite a few antique stores around Ghent and throughout Norfolk.

The signature symbol of Norfolk is the mermaid, and there are several stores that sell unique mermaid sculptures, pins, jewelry and more.

Downtown, the MacArthur Center. (300 Monticello Ave.) is one of the best malls in the area and has a variety of great shops, like Pottery Barn, Coach, Go! Calendars Games & Toys, Williams & Sonoma, an Apple store, JCrew, EQ3, H&M, a beautiful Barnes & Noble academic superstore, etc. The mall is anchored by Barnes & Noble and Dillard's. There are a few shops and art galleries on Granby Street, but not many. Also downtown is the D'Art Center, which features a large selection of local art. Waterside used to be a popular shopping area, but there are several empty spots now and retailers are suffering. There are a few kiosks, with everything from fake designer sunglasses to caricatures. There are a few other stores, including souvenir shops and a dollar store.

Ghent. is a popular shopping area for locally-owned boutiques and antique stores. 21st Street and Colley Avenue are the main thoroughfares, but there are plenty of unique stores on the surrounding streets. The Palace Shoppes on 21st Street and Palace Station on Debree have some great little stores, including an adorable pet boutique call Wet Noses and a chic women's clothing store, NYFO. Commonwealth on 21st Street is a popular urban-style store, and has been featured in national magazines. There are also quite a few antique stores around Ghent and throughout Norfolk.

• Doumar's in Ghent on Monticello Avenue is known as the birthplace of the ice cream cone. The vintage drive-thru still remains. Try an ice cream cone or banana shake.
• Todd Jurich's Bistro casual elegance, an upscale restaurant two blocks from waterside(they do not require suit and tie). They have a four diamond award for their food and an award of excellence from Wine Spectator. For a deal, Todd's Bistro appears on every one of Norfolk's Restaurant Weeks.
• Cracker's Little Bar Bistro, 821 W 21 St (Ghent Area, +1 757 640-0200. Daily 5PM-2AM. This tiny joint serves amazing tapas (appetizer-sized plates) and a wide variety of fun martinis. There's only about 7 tables in the entire place, plus bar seating. If you go, I suggest going right at 5PM, else you can't be sure you'll be seated right away. Two people can try a bunch of different tapas (try the filet with mashed potatoes), have a few martinis, leave a great tip, and spend less than $50. $4-9 per plate.
• Vintage Kitchen located at the bottom of the Dominion Tower has been voted one of the best restaurants in the entire region. The chef-owned eatery specializes in using ingredients local to Virginia, such as Smithfield ham, peanuts, strawberries, cheeses and vegetables from local farmers.
• A.W. Shucks is tucked behind a mini-mall Ghent, but it is a popular restaurant and watering hole with great burgers, seafood and beer selection.
• No Frill Bar and Grill on Spotswood Ave in Ghent features inexpensive, yet delicious American cuisine with numerous vegetarian options and a good selection of alcoholic beverages.
• The Pagoda Restaurant and Tea House, 265 W Tazewell St. An American restaurant located inside a Chinese structure donated by Taiwanese government. The garden is also landscaped in oriental style.

Doumar's in Ghent on Monticello Avenue is known as the birthplace of the ice cream cone. The vintage drive-thru still remains. Try an ice cream cone or banana shake.

Todd Jurich's Bistro casual elegance, an upscale restaurant two blocks from waterside(they do not require suit and tie). They have a four diamond award for their food and an award of excellence from Wine Spectator. For a deal, Todd's Bistro appears on every one of Norfolk's Restaurant Weeks.

Cracker's Little Bar Bistro, 821 W 21 St (Ghent Area, +1 757 640-0200. Daily 5PM-2AM. This tiny joint serves amazing tapas (appetizer-sized plates) and a wide variety of fun martinis. There's only about 7 tables in the entire place, plus bar seating. If you go, I suggest going right at 5PM, else you can't be sure you'll be seated right away. Two people can try a bunch of different tapas (try the filet with mashed potatoes), have a few martinis, leave a great tip, and spend less than $50. $4-9 per plate.

Vintage Kitchen located at the bottom of the Dominion Tower has been voted one of the best restaurants in the entire region. The chef-owned eatery specializes in using ingredients local to Virginia, such as Smithfield ham, peanuts, strawberries, cheeses and vegetables from local farmers.

A.W. Shucks is tucked behind a mini-mall Ghent, but it is a popular restaurant and watering hole with great burgers, seafood and beer selection.

No Frill Bar and Grill on Spotswood Ave in Ghent features inexpensive, yet delicious American cuisine with numerous vegetarian options and a good selection of alcoholic beverages.

The Pagoda Restaurant and Tea House, 265 W Tazewell St. An American restaurant located inside a Chinese structure donated by Taiwanese government. The garden is also landscaped in oriental style.

Three sections of Norfolk have concentrations of bars and nightclubs: Ghent, Granby Street, and the Waterside Festival Marketplace. Ghent is the most laid-back, Granby Street is a trendy place for dates, and the Waterside is the wild place for the kids. Just follow the noise.

• Charlie's American Cafe - 4024 Granby Street. A cafe by day, and nighttime music venue and club that hosts independent music artists.

• Hershee Bar 6117 Sewells Point Rd, +1 757 853-9842. (Will close October 31, 2018)

Hershee Bar 6117 Sewells Point Rd, +1 757 853-9842. (Will close October 31, 2018)

Charlie's American Cafe - 4024 Granby Street. A cafe by day, and nighttime music venue and club that hosts independent music artists.

Crime is less bad than before, but the city's slums are obvious and should be avoided at night. There have been incidents downtown so use caution at night, especially if you are alone.

As the city is close to sea level, intense rain or high winds often can cause localized flooding on roads especially near the downtown area.

Free WiFi is available from 6am to 8pm at MacArthur Square in downtown. The Tide light rail offers free WiFi on board.

• The Virginian-Pilot is Norfolk's daily newspaper. The Friday edition includes Pulse, a section which has an extensive listing of festivals, concerts, and other activities in the Norfolk area.
• The New Journal & Guide is a weekly newspaper serving the Black community in Norfolk.

The Virginian-Pilot is Norfolk's daily newspaper. The Friday edition includes Pulse, a section which has an extensive listing of festivals, concerts, and other activities in the Norfolk area.

The New Journal & Guide is a weekly newspaper serving the Black community in Norfolk.

• Italy Italy (Honorary), 300 E Main St Ste 1180, +1 757 622-4898.
• Norway Norway (Honorary), 201 East City Hall Avenue, +1 757 457-8330.

Italy Italy (Honorary), 300 E Main St Ste 1180, +1 757 622-4898.

Norway Norway (Honorary), 201 East City Hall Avenue, +1 757 457-8330.

• Virginia Beach
• Take the ferry to Portsmouth