I agree. Stay away from Norfolk like it's the plague if you want to avoid crime since that is the haven for a ton of gang and drug related activity. Chesapeake is okay but if you want a hotspot, VA Beach is it. Of course you have to deal with the tourists this time of year and driving around the strip can be a pain because if you get lost and drive the same area more than once the cops think you're "cruising the strip" and pull you over. I have driven from Richmond to NYC and it took a little over 8 hours but the traffic was really bad that day so it may usually be less. The less crime you get in VA (aka Va Beach etc) the higher the rent gets. So a decent apt in the middle of VA beach is going to be fairly steep.