Welcome to our neighborhood, West Ghent

After almost two weeks in our new/old house, here are some impressions I have of the neighborhood.

We live in an urban neighborhood in Norfolk, Virginia called West Ghent. As you might imagine there is also a Ghent neighborhood or "Ghent proper." There is also an East Ghent and a Ghent Square - don't want to leave anyone out! The original Ghent neighborhood began being developed in about 1890 for Norfolk's upper class.  Many business owners, heads of industry, veterans of the Civil War, lawyers, doctors, ministers, folks like that built the homes there. It is a beautiful neighborhood and still has mostly original homes that were built between 1890 and about 1910.  When we were looking at homes to buy many that we looked at were built in 1908 - that must have been a boom year for building in Ghent!

 

West Ghent, as you might have surmised, is to the west of Ghent proper and it was built a little later. I'm guessing between 1910 and about 1940 with the occasional newer house thrown in.  Both neighborhoods have homes next to apartments next to old apartments that have been turned into condos.  In some cases huge old houses have been turned into condos.  But what is also great is that it has streets that are primarily commercial areas. 

 



The north-south artery that divides West Ghent from Ghent is Colley Avenue.  Colley Avenue has multiple restaurants, bars, coffee shops, a running store, a bike store, an antique shop, a pottery making studio and an historic theatre, etc, etc.  All of that is a 14 minute walk from our front door.  And, to say that Colley Avenue has energy is probably its most accurate description.

 



                               

Another north-south artery, one that runs through West Ghent is Hampton Boulevard.  Hampton Boulevard gets all the traffic (not a great thing) - I don't think trucks are permitted to drive on some of the other main roads.  But also Hampton Boulevard runs north through the Old Dominion University campus and on to the Norfolk Naval Air Station.  Old Dominion has been around since 1930.  My Dad attended ODU for a time in the late 50's when it was still an extension campus of the College of William and Mary. ODU has grown like crazy in the last 10 years.  They used to have a top women's basketball team and they're still very good. They have added football team in recent years that seems to get better and better each year and they have a huge conference center that draws all kinds a great concerts. ODU is a 5 minute drive!

Alex Palmer's Natural History Notes and Thoughts
 



Also there is this cool walking and biking trail (one of the Rails to Trails Conservancy projects), the Elizabeth River Trail that runs along the perimeter of our neighborhood (maybe a block from our house) all the way to ODU and beyond. If you go the other direction on the Elizabeth River Trail you go through downtown Norfolk along the river and on to Harbor Park where the Norfolk Tides baseball team plays.

How could you possibly NOT love living here!

For more information about Ghent, West Ghent & Norfolk you might enjoy some of these:
Ghent Business Association
West Ghent Civic League
Ghent Neighborhood League
altdaily.com
City of Norfolk
Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce - Norfolk
Insider's Passport Norfolk Blog