I just moved here from MI , seems like a nice place with i just got a one bedroom in Old Town Portsmouth a block off of High Street. Portsmouth is a nice plus i can take the Ferry over to Downtown Norfolk and soon there will be a light Rail linking it to Virgina Beach .

Anyways just wondering if anyone had any advice on the area

Michigan to the Tidewater area.
Mate, winter is gonna be a non-event for you this year.

Thats assuming you survive the Summer.

Why would you do this to yourself? Is Virgina Beach near Virginia Beach?

Its twinned with Pungo.

The light rail to Virginia Beach is going to take a while before it's up and running.

Yeah, cuz its going via Lynchburg.

There will be no stops in Va. Beach, just at the beach to drop of people from Norfolk, we locals know we are not welcome.

Must mention to OP that old town Portsmouth is very nice these days, a place with a soul, difficult to find around here. My OH did some work on one of the houses down there, if it wasn't for the school issue I'd love to live there.

Well, that really makes sense I didn't realise that it would be a direct line. Still, I suppose it's progress that light rail is even in the picture.

Portsmouth is nice in the area the OP lives, but as you mention, schools are not so good and like Norfolk, there are some not so good areas to live in (though I guess the same could be said for most cities).

Virginia Beach closed parking at the oceanfront except to residents of the immediate area and tourists for the 4th of July one year. I think to live in the rest of the city and park you had to be there by 11am. They had buses to satellite parking lots but lugging all the beach stuff was a big headache for those that tried. They only did it for one year but it shows who they want at the oceanfront.

Same sort of preference shown back in '74 during the gas crisis then. NH was sending all available fuel to the ski areas so the out of staters could get home. Meanwhile the residents were allowed to gas up odd/even day system AND there were only designated stations open in town.