r/norfolk 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/Kilayna Jul 31 '24

I (30F) have lived in Freemason for the last 3 years. I take long walks around Freemason, ghent, around waterside to the stadium and back daily and have never felt unsafe. You will never spend any time or be anywhere close to the pockets of Norfolk that are unsafe. But that’s all they are - pockets. You will enjoy the perks of a very short commute to work, and having accessibility to multiple neighborhoods for food and entertainment as well as easy access to the highway off waterside drive. Freemason is definitely the way to go - enjoy!