Station/Boat Location~
International Training Division (ITD)/Yorktown TRACEN, VA
Date there~
2006 - 2009
Weather~
All four seasons. Summer is hot, and winter can bring the occasional snow. Spring and Fall are great because you can have the windows open and feel the breeze.
Military facilities~
Ft. Eustis, Langley AFB, Yorktown Naval Weapons Station, and several others on the southside. Depending on where you live, you will have a pick of commissaries, exchanges and military facilities at your fingertips.
Yorktown TRACEN has a mini-mart, gas station, small exchange, gym, pool, and all the other typical facilities. There is NOT a commissary. The base is very nice and considered a walking base. It's beside Historical Yorktown so it's surrounded by historic battlegrounds, colonial buildings, and a nice beach. There are a lot of tourists walking around and driving on the small roads.
Medical~
We are seen at Ft. Eustis. The pediatric facility is decent, but getting appointments can sometimes be difficult. We decided to put our youngest on Standard and there are a slew of civilian facilities that will take TRICARE. There is a noticeable difference between Ft. Eustis and a civilian facility. Maternity is done through Langley, but they are regularly overbooked and many times refer patients to civilian doctors and hospitals. I went through Lockhart and Yeatts OB practice and recommend them if you go through a civilian. They are highly regarded in this area and most military women try to use them.
Housing~
No housing for married couples and families.
There is housing for those in A-school on the TRACEN. For ITD members, they live on the peninsula (Williamsburg, Newport News, Yorktown, Hampton), on the southside (Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake) and across the Coleman Bridge in Gloucester. Williamsburg is about a 30 minute or more drive to Yorktown TRACEN.
Home costs are typically more expensive there, depending on the area you are looking at. Yorktown is a very nice area with very nice subdivisions. Home costs are also on the higher side in this area. Newport News is nice, depending on what area you live in. There are great subdivisions in the area, but then there are some sketchy areas that have a high amount of crime. I'm not familiar with Hampton, but it is also a city with some sketchy areas as well. Gloucester is more of a country area with horse ranches and farming. It's a great area if you want a lot of land or space. There are apartments everywhere, but depending on what you like, you need to thoroughly check them out before signing on the dotted line. Many claim to be luxury, but are anything but! There are several property management companies in the area that rent homes (rentavahome.com, leepropmgt.com). Another good source is ahrn.com.
Shopping~
There is a lot of shopping in the area. Macy's, Dillards, JCPenney, Target, Wal-mart, and all other major stores. There is a very nice mall, Short Pump, in Richmond about an hour away. There is a Prime Outlet mall in Williamsburg and also the Pottery Factory. There is a TON of shopping on the Southside in Virginia Beach. In Newport News, there is City Center and Port Warwick which house some upscale shops and restaurants. In Williamsburg, there is Merchant Square which is similar in style to City Center and Port Warwick.
Child Care/Schools~
There are CDC's on all the bases. There are several childcare facilities and many home daycares. There are several preschools in the area also.
For public schools, York County has the best school district. Newport News City schools are not considered the best in this area and many people opt for private school. Mainly, it depends on the school you are zoned for because there are some that are good, while others are in high crime areas.
Hampton City schools are also not considered to be in the same category as York County schools. Some areas of Williamsburg are in York County and they fall under their school district. There are many private schools in the area. Hampton Roads Academy (hra.org) is Pre-K - 12th grade and one of the best in the area (although I might be biased since my child goes there :) ). There is also Walsingham Academy in Williamsburg. There are also several parochial schools in the area.
Adult Schools~
Several universities: William and Mary, Old Dominion University, Christopher Newport University, Thomas Nelson Community College, Hampton University, Regent University, and probably more on the southside.
Fun Activities~
Busch Gardens and Water Country in Williamsburg. Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown Beach, The Virginia Living Museum in Newport News and the Peninsula Fine Arts Center (they both have many children's activities), Portsmouth Children's Museum, Norfolk Botanical Gardens, Air and Space Museum in Hampton, and many other museums in the area. The Newport News Regional Park is quite large with several kid's play areas. There is Kidsburg in Williamsburg that has a great kid's playground. Not much shade, but definitely worth it for the kids. There are all the typical chain restaurants, but there are some nicer restaurants scattered throughout the area. There are plenty of places to take kids such as indoor jumping facilities like Jumping Joeys in Williamsburg, or some others on the southside. There is Fort Fun in Newport News that has mazes, forts, towers, swings and ladders. There are a ton of festivals as well.
Additional Info~
: The YMCA is a great place to meet people and is probably one of the most popular places to work out. There are several Y's in the area, all belonging to the Peninsula YMCA branch. This is a fun area, and can be a great place to live. Just do your research before buying a home or renting an apartment. For mom's, there are a few mom's groups online and playgroups (peninsulamommies.com, MOP's). I have enjoyed it for the past two years and will be sad to leave next year (2009).
Homeport VA
International Training Division (ITD)/Yorktown TRACEN, VA
Date there~
2006 - 2009
Weather~
All four seasons. Summer is hot, and winter can bring the occasional snow. Spring and Fall are great because you can have the windows open and feel the breeze.
Military facilities~
Ft. Eustis, Langley AFB, Yorktown Naval Weapons Station, and several others on the southside. Depending on where you live, you will have a pick of commissaries, exchanges and military facilities at your fingertips.
Yorktown TRACEN has a mini-mart, gas station, small exchange, gym, pool, and all the other typical facilities. There is NOT a commissary. The base is very nice and considered a walking base. It's beside Historical Yorktown so it's surrounded by historic battlegrounds, colonial buildings, and a nice beach. There are a lot of tourists walking around and driving on the small roads.
Medical~
We are seen at Ft. Eustis. The pediatric facility is decent, but getting appointments can sometimes be difficult. We decided to put our youngest on Standard and there are a slew of civilian facilities that will take TRICARE. There is a noticeable difference between Ft. Eustis and a civilian facility. Maternity is done through Langley, but they are regularly overbooked and many times refer patients to civilian doctors and hospitals. I went through Lockhart and Yeatts OB practice and recommend them if you go through a civilian. They are highly regarded in this area and most military women try to use them.
Housing~
No housing for married couples and families.
There is housing for those in A-school on the TRACEN. For ITD members, they live on the peninsula (Williamsburg, Newport News, Yorktown, Hampton), on the southside (Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake) and across the Coleman Bridge in Gloucester. Williamsburg is about a 30 minute or more drive to Yorktown TRACEN.
Home costs are typically more expensive there, depending on the area you are looking at. Yorktown is a very nice area with very nice subdivisions. Home costs are also on the higher side in this area. Newport News is nice, depending on what area you live in. There are great subdivisions in the area, but then there are some sketchy areas that have a high amount of crime. I'm not familiar with Hampton, but it is also a city with some sketchy areas as well. Gloucester is more of a country area with horse ranches and farming. It's a great area if you want a lot of land or space. There are apartments everywhere, but depending on what you like, you need to thoroughly check them out before signing on the dotted line. Many claim to be luxury, but are anything but! There are several property management companies in the area that rent homes (rentavahome.com, leepropmgt.com). Another good source is ahrn.com.
Shopping~
There is a lot of shopping in the area. Macy's, Dillards, JCPenney, Target, Wal-mart, and all other major stores. There is a very nice mall, Short Pump, in Richmond about an hour away. There is a Prime Outlet mall in Williamsburg and also the Pottery Factory. There is a TON of shopping on the Southside in Virginia Beach. In Newport News, there is City Center and Port Warwick which house some upscale shops and restaurants. In Williamsburg, there is Merchant Square which is similar in style to City Center and Port Warwick.
Child Care/Schools~
There are CDC's on all the bases. There are several childcare facilities and many home daycares. There are several preschools in the area also.
For public schools, York County has the best school district. Newport News City schools are not considered the best in this area and many people opt for private school. Mainly, it depends on the school you are zoned for because there are some that are good, while others are in high crime areas.
Hampton City schools are also not considered to be in the same category as York County schools. Some areas of Williamsburg are in York County and they fall under their school district. There are many private schools in the area. Hampton Roads Academy (hra.org) is Pre-K - 12th grade and one of the best in the area (although I might be biased since my child goes there :) ). There is also Walsingham Academy in Williamsburg. There are also several parochial schools in the area.
Adult Schools~
Several universities: William and Mary, Old Dominion University, Christopher Newport University, Thomas Nelson Community College, Hampton University, Regent University, and probably more on the southside.
Fun Activities~
Busch Gardens and Water Country in Williamsburg. Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown Beach, The Virginia Living Museum in Newport News and the Peninsula Fine Arts Center (they both have many children's activities), Portsmouth Children's Museum, Norfolk Botanical Gardens, Air and Space Museum in Hampton, and many other museums in the area. The Newport News Regional Park is quite large with several kid's play areas. There is Kidsburg in Williamsburg that has a great kid's playground. Not much shade, but definitely worth it for the kids. There are all the typical chain restaurants, but there are some nicer restaurants scattered throughout the area. There are plenty of places to take kids such as indoor jumping facilities like Jumping Joeys in Williamsburg, or some others on the southside. There is Fort Fun in Newport News that has mazes, forts, towers, swings and ladders. There are a ton of festivals as well.
Additional Info~
: The YMCA is a great place to meet people and is probably one of the most popular places to work out. There are several Y's in the area, all belonging to the Peninsula YMCA branch. This is a fun area, and can be a great place to live. Just do your research before buying a home or renting an apartment. For mom's, there are a few mom's groups online and playgroups (peninsulamommies.com, MOP's). I have enjoyed it for the past two years and will be sad to leave next year (2009).
Homeport VA
