The suburb of Larchmont was farmland in 1906 when a group of Norfolk businessmen purchased about 200 acres in the northwest portion of Norfolk County for development and began to lay out streets, sidewalks, a water system and landscaping. Access to Larchmont was by streetcar, on tracks running down the length of Atlantic and Jamestown Boulevards (now Hampton Boulevard), built to accommodate visitors to the 1907 Jamestown Exposition. Realtors T. Marshall Bellamy and J. Thomas Hough were hired to develop Larchmont and by 1912, 64 homes had been built and sold. Because of its location, some predicted that the project would fail. Larchmont was “in the country,” five miles north of the city — businessmen found it an inconvenient commute by streetcar and few of them owned automobiles. In order to entice purchasers, Mr. Bellamy instituted his own bus line, the Larchmont Transit Company, which ran from Commercial Place in downtown Norfolk to Larchmont for 5¢ a ride. A nickel was known as a “jitney” in those days, and so the bus became known as the Larchmont Jitney. In an early newspaper ad, Bellamy said “we have 2 automobiles to show you Larchmont. If you are timid about riding in automobiles, we can take you on the streetcar in 20 minutes.” The property was divided into 25-foot lots and owners were required to purchase a minimum of 2 to 4 lots so that their houses would not be crowded together. Larchmont was annexed to the City of Norfolk in 1923. Larchmont and Edgewater are residential neighborhoods on the west side of Norfolk, sharing the 23508 Zip Code. The neighborhoods are bordered by 49th Street, the Lafayette River to the east and north, the Elizabeth River to the west and Old Dominion University and 52nd Street to the south. The neighborhood is bisected by Hampton Boulevard. Other major streets include Jamestown Crescent, Powhatan Avenue and Bolling Avenue. The neighborhoods contain more than 2,300 homes, most of them occupied by single-family owners. Many homes were built in the early 20th century in styles ranging from palatial estates to modest bungalows. The dominant style of homes is Colonial Revival, but the neighborhood also features grand Victorian homes as well as Craftsman bungalows and new construction. It is a quick drive to downtown and a convient 10 minutes to the Norfolk Naval Operations Base. Old Dominion University is located in the Southern part of this neighborhood and includes a small business district with a market, restaurants and the Ted Constant center, a venue for live music and entertainment. Larchmont’s History was written by Peggy Haile McPhillips, City Historian

The Ghent Historic District in Norfolk is a small residential neighborhood located within walking distance of Norfolk’s central commercial core. Part of a late 19th- and early 20th-century suburban land development, the district encompasses approximately eighty acres in size. Since the early 20th century, the western arm of Smith’s Creek has been traditionally referred to as the Hague. Contributing to the neighborhood character, most dwellings observe a common setback line from the street. Residences tend to be of brick construction, occasionally with stone facing on the front façade. Uniform scale is found across Ghent with 231 stories being the average height. Notable exceptions are the Eastern Virginia Medical College (four stories), the Sarah Leigh Hospital (four stories), the Holland Apartments (three stories on a high basement), and the Mowbray Apartments (four stories on a high basement). Of these only the Eastern Virginia Medical College and additions to the Sarah Leigh Hospital break from the pervading, turn-of-the-century character of the district. This break is due not so much to their height as to their large mass and lack of historic detailing–elements incongruous with their more distinctive neighbors. Similarly, buildings located across from Cheat on the outer banks of Smith’s Creek break from the scale and character of the district. Stylistically, late Queen Anne Colonial Revival, and Shingle styles dominate. Colonial Revival interpretations range from Georgian Revival to Federal to Queen Anne/Colonial Revival. Gambrel roofs hinting at Dutch Colonial influences are occasionally seen in the Ghent area. Shingle Style houses are second in number to Colonial Revival dwellings. Three Shingle Style houses, possibly by the same, currently unidentified architect, exhibit large porches in a first-story recessed entrance bay. Typical Shingle Style houses in Ghent are of masonry construction on the first floor with frame construction (shingle sheathing) on the second and attic stories. Other styles randomly found in Ghent. include English Tudor, English Half Timber, Italianate Town House, and Beaux Arts (Sarah Leigh Hospital). The remainder of Ghent’s dwellings are-more difficult to classify as any single style. These include numerous builder Colonial Revival houses as well as residences suggestive of Dutch Queen Anne town houses. The Ghent Historic District remains Norfolk’s best preserved, turn-of-the-century suburban development. Fully exploiting its waterside location, the district retains its original street fabric and its cohesive groupings of prodigious middle and upper-middle class dwellings.

The history of Colonial Place and Riverview began at the turn of the 20th century during a period of growth for the City of Norfolk. The city annexed a farming community just outside of town and slated it for suburban development; Colonial Place and Riverview were part of this development. Suburban development at that time depended upon connection to the trolley system–a connection that still exists in the neighborhood (although the trolleys no longer require electric lines). Concurrent with the development of Colonial Place was the historic Jamestown Exposition, marking the three-hundreth anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. Held in 1907 on fairgrounds near Sewell’s Point, this event inspired the developers of the neighborhood to discard their original name, Sterling Place, and rename the development Colonial Place. In keeping with the new motif, all of the east-west streets were named after the original thirteen colonies. By 1908, the housing boom brought on by the vibrant economy at the turn of the century began to rapidly dissipate. It remained sluggish until World War I, when the influx of military personnel and their families into Norfolk’s Naval Base (built on the site of the Jamestown Exposition) created a high demand for middle-class housing in Colonial Place. In fact, most of the homes standing in Colonial Place today were built during the late teens and early 1920s. Riverview, on the other hand, began its development a few years before Colonial Place. This head start proved to be Riverview’s buffer against the diminished housing demand in 1908. Riverview saw many stately homes built in the first decade of the century. By 1930, both Colonial Place and Riverview were well established suburban neighborhoods–neighborhoods whose residents moved in, raised their families, grew old, and eventually passed their homes onto younger families who started the cycle anew. Many home owners today are knowledgeable of the previous owners of their homes and often possess at least a verbal, if not a written history. In the late 1960s, Colonial Place and Riverview were united by a single civic league, which through the efforts of the Stabilization Committee, successfully guided these two neighborhoods through a period when urban deterioration threatened many beautiful neighborhoods. Today, these two neighborhoods continue to maintain their original charm and middle-class desirability. They are coveted by prospective home buyers for their beautiful old homes, parks, and water views, as well as for the patina of nearly one-hundred years of history. Riverview celebrates its one-hundreth anniversary in 2000; Colonial Place in 2003. In September of 1999 Riverview was designated a National Historic Site and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Colonial Place received its designation in June 2001. Both neighborhoods are conviently located close to downtown and Norfolk Naval Operations Base, and are within blocks of the Ted Constant Center and Old Dominion University. They have a small business district including retail shops, bars and restaurants. Some of the restaurants are: Crackers, O’Sullivan’s Warf, Enrico’s, Felini’s and Veneziano. Colonial Place and Riverview have a very active civic league, with monthly meetings, newsletters and play dates. Both historic districts have a solid sense of community, people tend to spend time on their porches and take time to get to know their neighbors. Neighborhood history was taken from the Colonial Place Riverview Civic League website.

Lafayette Shores is a beautiful newer neighborhood built in the 1990's close to Downtown, Norfolk and Ghent consisting primarily of large transitional style brick homes. There is a Property Owner’s Association, whose dues include access to a neighborhood clubhouse, state of the art gym, tennis courts, and Olympic size pool. Convenient to Naval bases, CHKD, EVMS, Sentara Hospitals and downtown businesses.

Ocean View and Willoughby Spit are two neighborhoods in north Norfolk that border on the Chesapeake Bay offering beach front homes with quick commutes to both Naval Base Norfolk and Little Creek. The area which became known as Ocean View City was originally a 360 acre tract called the Magagnos Plantation which had extensive frontage on the Chesapeake Bay east of Willoughby Spit and west of Little Creek. The Ocean View area was surveyed and laid out with streets and lots as Ocean View City in 1854 by William Mahone, a young civil engineer who was building the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad. Under the leadership of Walter H. Taylor, about 30 years later, a narrow gauge steam passenger railroad service was established between Norfolk and Ocean View, a 9-mile long line crossing what was then known as Tanner’s Creek (later renamed Lafayette River). Originally named the Ocean View Railroad, it was later known as the Norfolk and Ocean View Railroad. A small steam locomotive named the General William B. Mahone hauled ever increasing volumes of passengers, primarily on the weekends. The steam service was later replaced by electric-powered trolley cars, becoming both a popular resort and a streetcar suburb of the City of Norfolk. Initially, the improvements consisted of the swimming beach and cottages. The location was quite popular for Sunday outings from Norfolk. With the advent of additional electric streetcars in the late 19th century, an amusement park was developed at the end-of-the-line and a boardwalk was built along the adjacent beach area. These were a favorite of sailors on leave from the Norfolk Navy Base. Buses replaced the streetcars in the late 1940s. In the mid 20th century, for a number of years, AM radio station WGH broadcast live from a booth under the roller coaster. Completion of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel in 1957 connected the Ocean View area to the Virginia Peninsula. However, it and other newer highways encouraged visitors to continue on to the Virginia Beach resort area on the Atlantic Ocean, a small city which boomed after merging with Princess Anne County in 1963. In particular, construction of nearby Interstate 64 and the Virginia Beach Expressway (now part of Interstate 264) made it easier for tourists from afar to bypass Ocean View en route to the Oceanfront area of Virginia Beach. (Source: wikipedia)

Norfolk’s rich history and period architecture helped to inspire East Beach’s designers.The Ocean View area, where East Beach is now, was a resort destination at the turn of the century, with grand hotels on the Chesapeake Bay. Carnivals and amusement parks were later added. But over the years, the area fell into disrepair. When city officials decided to revitalize this bayfront community, East Beach was the result that returned the area to its former glory. East Beach is a community of well-crafted homes in the tradition of Atlantic Coastal villages. With gracious front porches, the Bay Front Club, nearby deep-water marinas, and pedestrian-scaled streets that lead to the Chesapeake Bay. This community is part of the “New Urbanism” movement, so despite the fact that it is a new development it resembles an older neighborhood, when life – and everything about it – was simpler. “Here, life returns to a simpler time. A time when pedestrians were part of the landscape, and cars were not. A time when housing styles were diverse and interesting, neighborhood streets were smaller, sidewalks were everywhere, neighborhood shopping was within walking distance, and massive expanses of concrete and asphalt were nowhere to be found. ” The description was borrowed from East Beach’s community website.

The Freemason district offers stunning riverfront views, charming cobblestone streets, beautifully preserved historic buildings, plenty of parks and a Japanese garden. Just west of downtown and hemmed by the Elizabeth River and Ghent, Freemason boasts a host of buildings that date to the late 1700s, when Norfolk was largely rebuilt after the Revolutionary War. “West Freemason offers a record of architecture dating back to Colonial times,” said Paul Farmer, the association’s CEO. The neighborhood’s “unique character remains intact.” Norfolk’s West Freemason is the city’s oldest standing neighborhood, and has been named one of the 10 best neighborhoods in the country by the American Planning Association, on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013. (Rich-Joseph Facun | The Virginian-Pilot)

Olde Towne, Portsmouth boasts the largest collection of period homes between Charleston, South Carolina and Alexandria, Virginia. As one of America’s most historic naval seaports, Olde Towne includes both the oldest operating Naval Hospital and the first operational dry dock facility in the U.S. – the Gosport Shipyard. Portsmouth also holds the proud distinction of being an official U.S. Coast Guard City, designated in 2009. Discover a unique collection of fine antique shops, artist run galleries and one-of-a-kind specialty stores. Enjoy excellent dining, both indoors and out in one of our many fine restaurants and pubs. Relax in exquisite riverfront lodging or book an intimate room in a quaint Olde Towne Bed & Breakfast. You will also want to take in a movie at the renowned Commodore Theatre and a riverside concert at the Pavilion.

Church point is a beautifully manicured suburban neighborhood located in Northwest Virginia Beach. The neighborhood has a wonderful community feel and active home owner’s association, which regularly organizes events, including barbecues, music in the park, happy hour, parades and a charity 5K. The area has a long history dating back to 1639 when King Charles I of England granted Captain Adam Thoroughgood 5,350 acres of land along the Lynnhaven River. Church Point is located on a portion of this land and includes the historic Thoroughgood house, built in 1680. The Adam Thoroughgood House was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and is one of the oldest surviving colonial homes in Virginia. The House is open six days per week for guided tours. Special programs for schools, scouts and the general public are offered throughout the year. The Adam Thoroughgood House has been operated by the Department of Museums and Cultural Arts since 1999 and was acquired by the City of Virginia Beach in 2003. (This Paragraph was taken from the Virginia Beach, Virginia City Web Site)

Chesapeake Beach, also known as Chic’s Beach and Chicks Beach, is a stretch of beaches running about two miles from the Lynnhaven Inlet to just west of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in Virginia Beach. What originated as a lookout post during war, the beaches eventually turned to more recreational activities. The area developed in the early 1900s as a beachfront residential community. Chic’s was a place where you could pick up limeade and an ice cream. Eventually, this site became what is now Alexanders on the Bay. The terms Chic’s and Chick’s Beach have stuck. It is a diverse area consisting of beach cottages, condominiums, townhouses, duplexes, apartments and single-family homes. The neighborhoods of Baylake Pines and Baylake Beach hug the east side of the community, although the popularity of the Chicks Beach area has those in Ocean Park claiming a piece of it as well. The beach community is bordered on the south by Shore Drive. Shore Drive is one of the corridors leading to the tourist destination of the Virginia Beach oceanfront and is currently undergoing many improvements to the biking and jogging trails. Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base caps the west side of this community, merging longer stretches of undeveloped, protected beaches which harbor dolphin and other marine life. The residents of this community enjoy less public traffic due to restricted parking and private beach postings. The favorite activities of these neighborhoods include boating the four lakes winding through the area, jet skiing, kayaking, and sailing on the Bay, and the kids engage hours of skim-boarding and sand-dune creating.

Thoroughgood is located in Northwest Virginia Beach. It's a pretty neighborhood developed in the 1950's-1960's featuring lots of brick ranch homes. It is convenient to Chick’s Beach, First Landing State Park, Shore Drive restaurants and Virginia Beach Town Center. The area has beautiful mature trees, an highly rated public elementary school and is a few minutes to the Bayside Recreation Center.

The area commonly referred to as “Shore Drive” is located in the Northern part of Virginia Beach on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay. It is a hip area with a lot of multi-level Condominiums on the water. There is a plethora of cute local restaurants, including Chick’s Oyster Bar, Hot Tuna, Kokoamos, Shorebreak, and Lynnhaven Fish House. This community is conveniently located within minutes of Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek and Virginia Beach Town Center.