Welcome to Hampton Roads!

I’d like to begin by thanking you for reading Living On The Virginia Peninsula, A Hampton Roads Community. You will find the publication to be beneficial and informative as you build your network of new friends and establish new business relationships.

As a life-long Virginia Peninsula resident, I continue to marvel at the seemingly infinite variety of businesses, schools, cultural and recreational facilities and programs that are available.

While the Virginia Peninsula encompasses more than 630 square miles, our cities and counties are geographically so close that almost any event, business, community center or school can be quickly reached throughout HamptonRoads. More important is our unity of spirit and development. All of the localities are deeply committed to diversifying and improving our economy, schools, cultural attractions, recreational areas and neighborhoods. This commitment can only enhance our quality of life.

Our business and civic leaders are optimistic about the future, and together, we have a strong bond to promote growth and stability in the marketplace. The Virginia Peninsula has all of the necessary ingredients for a first-class quality of life that you and I can be proud of. And if we say and do unto others as we would for ourselves, we will continue to prosper in the years to come.

I am thankful to be a part of this momentum by maintaining a quality publication that will highlight the many opportunities available to you and your family. After all, first impressions are everlasting.

I challenge you to be active and voice your opinions. Get involved with our communities so that our children’s children will be as proud to live on the Virginia Peninsula as I am today.

Within the pages of Living On The Virginia Peninsula, I am happy to show you our Hampton Roads cities and counties and what makes life so special here, so that your first impression is a positive influence in your life. The Virginia Peninsula and our Peninsula Neighbors have something for everyone.

Living On The Virginia Peninsula could not include every program, and every institution. We have, however, provided you with key tips, names of organizations, and addresses and phone numbers of businesses to smooth your relocation to the Virginia Peninsula and our Peninsula Neighbors.

I hope this publication will whet your appetite to find out more about our wonderful communities, and I look forward to the years to come with a dedicated commitment to make each edition better than before.

Paul Quillin Darden Darden Publishing

Publisher

Paul Quillin Darden

Associate Editor

Christine Cox

Graphics and Design

The Type Factory, Inc.

Contributing Writers

Carlton P. Hardy II

Andrea Jackson

Rose-Marie Seawall

Cover Photos Courtesy Of Christopher Newport Univ.

Harvey Lindsey, Inc.

Kingsmill Properties

Liberty Property Trust

Mary Immaculate Hospital

©Copyright 2003 by Darden Publishing. The information herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable; however, Darden Publishing makes no warranty to the accuracy or reliability of this information. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved. All real estate advertising in this publication is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Published annually by:

DARDENPUBLISHING

P.O. Box 11023

Newport News, Virginia 23601 757-596-3638 fa x:757-596-5791

Email:darden.publishing@cox.net

Website:http://members.cox.net/ darden.publishing/

Living on the Virginia Peninsula is distributed by Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Williamsburg Area Chamber of Commerce, Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce, Peninsula Alliance for Economic Devel opment, Peninsula Housing and Builders Association, Virginia Peninsula Association of Realtors, Williamsburg Association of Realtors, Military Installations and more...

Special thanks to the our advertisers, and my faithful golden retriever…Sandy.

A- Buckroe Beach

B- Busch Gardens

C- Chrysler Museum

D- Jamestown Settlement

E- Mariners' Museum

F- Nauticus

G- Newport News

Municipal Park

H- Virginia Living Museum

I- Virginia Air and Space Center

J- Virginia Marine Science Museum

K- Virginia Zoo

L- Virginia War Museum

M- Water Country USA

N- Yor ktown Victory Center

O- Colonial Williamsburg

P- Peninsula Fine Arts Center

R- Elizabeth River Passenger Ferry

When you use advantagenet, our 24-Hour Home Banking, you have access to all of your accounts with 1st Advantage from the comfort of your own home.

If you do not have internet access, please visit us at a branch located near you.

Denbigh Branch 12891 Jefferson Ave. Newport News, VA

Fort Eustis Branch 1317 Patton Avenue

Fort Eustis, VA

Hampton Branch

5003 W. Mercury Boulevard Hampton, VA

Williamsburg Branch 224 Commons Way Williamsburg, VA

Fort Story Branch Building 590 Fort Story, VA TM

Hunter Holmes McGuire

VA Medical Center Branch 1201 Broad Rock Boulevard Richmond, VA

Peninsula business is diverse.

Our residents make their living by fishing and building boats, by piloting aircraft at nearby Air Force and Navy installations, by pioneering 21st century space and aviation technology at NASA Langley Research Center, and by working in retail, service, and manufacturing industries.

In recent years, several wellknown companies have chosen to locate new facilities on the Virginia Peninsula. Our community is the choice location for premier companies such as Ferguson Enterprises, Inc., a multi-billion dollar company and North America’s largest wholesale plumbing and electrical supply distributor, which expanded its corporate headquarters here for the second time in the past ten years. Nextel Communications, another industry leader, employs over 1,000 people in its multiple Peninsula customer-care facilities.

A state-of-the-art, 2-millionsquare-foot distribution facility handles Wal-Mart’s consumer goods from all over the world, imported through the Port of Hampton Roads. The Symantec Corporation’s East Coast hub, in a Class-A, 100,000-square-foot office building, develops anti-virus and remote-management software products. INCOGEN, a leader in the field of bioinformatics, develops specialized software for computational genomics research. One of the primary reasons why these notable companies have chosen the Virginia Peninsula to expand their businesses is our outstanding quality of life, which facilitates a company’s ability to recruit, relocate, and retain the skilled employees upon which a company’s success is built.

Whether you are a newcomer or already a resident, you are part of a vibrant area, rich in heritage and determined to be the best.

“Quality of life” is almost a creed for the Peninsula communities — a statement of belief that frames our vision and planned growth to develop and improve the residential, educational, cultural, and business aspects of Peninsula life.

Along with the timely facts you need to make informed decisions critical to the well-being of your home and business, Living on the Virginia Peninsula magazine lets you savor some of the Peninsula’s wonder and delight.

Wetlands Scene, Newport News Park highly skilled people leave military service here every year—ready to work

What’s drawn some of the best and brightest mindsanywheretotheVirginiaPeninsula?

Could it be the deep technology base, with hundreds of technology companies rubbing elbows with the likes of NASALangley Research Center and Jefferson Lab? Could it be our highly trained regional workforce of 750,000 and creative, pro-business climate? Or could it be another kind of climate, one you need to experience for yourself on a warm breezy day on our Virginia coast? For more information, contact the Peninsula Alliance For Economic Development at 1-800-368-4212. Or visitus online at www.paed.org.