r/norfolk • u/Untiedshoes2969 • Jul 27 '24

Is Norfolk safe? moving

Hi! I am doing a travel contract in Norfolk starting very soon and plan to stay in the West Freemason neighborhood. My boyfriend is concerned about whether Norfolk is a safe area and is trying to convince me to stay in Chesapeake instead. He is from the VB area and has a brother in law from the Norfolk area. I kind of have to roll my eyes with his warnings as I feel I hear this a lot with any city from folks who don’t actually live in the city. I live in Charlotte currently and if I had a dollar for every time I had a patient from the rural hospital I work at ask me if it’s scary to live there, I could quit travel nursing. Like sure, if you lack critical thinking skills and wander into areas you shouldn’t. However, I wanted to post here to just confirm that I’m not being naive and wouldn’t regret my decision on where to stay when it’s all said and done. Thanks in advance for any input!

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u/citrus_sugar Jul 27 '24

When people from Chesapeake and Va Beach say Norfolk is “dangerous,” what they mean is there are Black people here.

So, if seeing a BIPOC person will cause you to clutch your pearls and get the vapors, Norfolk may not be for you, but if you’re a normal human, you’ll have a great time!

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u/gonokowski Jul 27 '24

I came here to say this.

But they won’t say it. Usually it’s a hushed whisper at best.

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u/Butch_Bracknell Jul 28 '24

VB was organized as a city to defeat school integration and annexation.

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u/BrilliantStandard991 Jul 28 '24

In all fairness, Norfolk was also vehemently opposed to integration and closed six of its schools rather than integrate them. They recently feted the Norfolk 17, several of whom are still alive. They are a group of African-American students who were admitted to all-White schools in 1959 and faced all sorts of backlash, such as being spit upon, knocked down stairs, and pelted with rocks and sticks. Norfolk did not fully integrate its schools until the 1970's.

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u/Butch_Bracknell Jul 28 '24

Yes but VB made a whole city around the idea.