Newport News, VA

Located along the Atlantic Ocean, the Newport News area had been populated for over two centuries before it was incorporated in 1896. The city occupies 68.3 square miles of land area and 50.8 square miles of water area. Because Newport News is just 15 feet above sea level, its climate is predictable and temperate. Although each of the four seasons is distinct, very little snowfall typically occurs in the region.

Due to rapid population growth from the 1960s to the 1990s, the city experienced a rise in crime, along with deterioration of its urban core. Today, however, Newport News is expanding its business base and improving quality of life for its 178,000 residents.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

In the mid-17th century, the area where Newport News currently stands was little more than a smattering of farms and forest. By the late 1800s, however, the introduction of the railroads and improvements in the roads made the town more accessible, and it began to take shape as a harbor city.

Its location still makes Newport News a hub for import/export businesses, as well as maritime and military activity. Additionally, the aerospace industry has begun to take hold in the region.

Major employers include Northrop Grumman Newport News, U.S. Army Transportation Center at Fort Eustis, Newport News School System, City of Newport News, Riverside Regional Medical Center, U.S. Navy, Ferguson Enterprises, Canon Virginia and Dan Daniels Distribution Center (AAFES).

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Most of the population in Newport News is urban. Neighborhoods and districts of Newport News accommodate more than 74,000 houses, out of which more than 70,000 are occupied. Of the occupied houses, more than 36,500 are owner-occupied while renters occupy around 33,000 houses. The median home value in Newport News is significantly less than the statewide median price.

The walkability of Newport News is very good. Most of the places such as grocery stores, restaurants and schools are within a mile's distance from the center of the city.

Major neighborhoods in Newport News include:

• City Center at Oyster Point: This is a business district in the Oyster Point area of the city of Newport News. It is called the new "downtown" because of its proximity to the retail business center of the city and its central location.
• Port Warwick: This is a new project in the Oyster Point section of the city. Port Warwick is similar to the City Center.
• Denbigh: A small community and neighborhood of Newport News.
• Hilton Village: A neighborhood in Newport News that has a flavor of an English village.
• Kiln Creek: This is the most recently developed neighborhood in Newport News. It is a mix residential neighborhood developed around a golf course.
• Morrison: Another small neighborhood that was included in Newport News after the consolidation of municipalities in 1958. It is also called as Harpersville.
• Lee Hall: A suburban neighborhood in the extreme western part of Newport News.
• Other neighborhoods in Newport News include Colony Pines, Christopher Shores-Stuart Gardens, East End, Glendale, Hidenwood, Hunter's Glenn, Huntington Heights (Overtown), Jefferson Park, Oyster Point, Parkview, Richneck, Riverside, Summerlake, Village Green and Warwick.

BEST BETS

• Endview Plantation: Constructed in 1769, the building known as Endview Plantation was originally owned by William Harwood. During the Civil War, Dr. Humphrey Harwood Curtis (founder of Company H, 32nd Virginia Volunteer Infantry, and one of Harwood's descendents) resided there. Today this historic property can be toured.
• James A. Fields House: Home of one-time slave James Apostle Fields (who graduated from the School of Law at Howard University in 1881), this residence has been maintained in period condition.
• Lee Hall Mansion: This popular tourist destination offers individuals and groups the opportunity to get a firsthand look at memorabilia and artifacts from the 1860s. Among the Lee Hall Mansion collection is a rare tablecloth from the U.S.S. Monitor.
• The Mariners' Museum at the U.S.S. Monitor Center: The U.S.S. Monitor Center is one of the most respected American Civil War museums in the United States. Boasting an area of 63,500 square feet, The Mariners' Museum contains artifacts including August Crabtree's miniature ship models, scrimshaw pieces and items salvaged from the Titanic.
• The Newsome House Museum & Culture Center: African-American J. Thomas Newsome, a turn-of-the-20th-century Newport News attorney, lived in this home. The Queen Anne ambiance of the residence has been restored for tourists. The Center hosts storytelling and re-enactments related to the Emancipation Proclamation and its impact on American society.
• Victory Arch: Located in downtown Newport News, the Victory Arch was built in 1919 as a temporary structure to honor soldiers returning from the "Great War" via the port at Newport News. The permanent structure was built and rededicated in 1962.
• Virginia War Museum: From the Revolutionary War to the present, military history is shown in its sometimes-gritty, often-poignant reality at the Virginia War Museum. New exhibits focus on the roles of African Americans and women as soldiers and militants during wartime.
• Peninsula S.P.C.A. Exotic Sanctuary & Petting Zoo: This special refuge for unwanted animals (including a Siberian tiger, a black panther, and an African mandrill) is the perfect way to celebrate the protection of wildlife.
• Virginia Living Museum: This collection of living animals mingled with fossilized remains offers hands-on experiences for visitors. An onsite planetarium provides patrons the opportunity to learn about space.
• Historic Hilton Village: Built from 1918-1921, Hilton Village was a planned community of 500 cottages, designed to provide wartime housing for Newport News Shipbuilding employees. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Hilton Village represents the first project of its kind in the nation.
• Historic North End/Huntington Heights: Homes in this neighborhood date from the 1920s and are on the National Register of Historic Places.

LOCAL MEDIA

• Daily Press
• Hampton Roads Business Journal
• Hampton Roads Magazine
• New Journal and Guide
• Port Folio Weekly
• The Captain's Log

FUN FACTS

• There is no consensus as to the origin of the name "Newport News." Variations of the moniker (including "Newport's News," "New Port Newce" and "Newport Ness") have been used since the early 1600s.
• There are more than 30 city parks in Newport News. The largest is Newport News Park. At 8,065 acres, it is the second-largest city park in America.
• Newport News is the fifth-largest incorporated city (by population) in Virginia.
• Although there has been some revitalization of the city's original downtown area, mixed-use development at Oyster Point City Center has attracted businesses, residents, and shoppers to that area, which is sometimes referred to as the "new downtown."