Hampton Real Estate
Hampton at a Glance
Welcome home to Hampton! History, culture and a love of the water define this city located along the Chesapeake Bay and James River. Hampton is consistently ranked among the nation’s most affordable beach towns. As one of the cities that comprise Hampton Roads, Hampton is considered the heart of the region, centrally located near just about everything. Several of its neighborhoods are listed on the National Register of Historical Places, including Aberdeen Gardens and Wythe. Fox Hill and Northampton are suburban neighborhoods, and Willow Oaks is close to Hampton’s urban hub.
NASA trained its first astronauts in Hampton, founded in 1610 and renowned for its beauty, wealth of natural resources and favorable location. Like all the cities in Hampton Roads, this historic seaport boasts a strong military presence and is home to both Langley Air Force Base and the decommissioned Fort Monroe, which became known as Freedom’s Fortress because of its status as a safe haven for escaped slaves.
ARTS, MUSEUMS & ENTERTAINMENT
The Charles H. Taylor Visual Arts Center in downtown Hampton is a vibrant center of learning and creative exploration. The American Theatre in Phoebus hosts more than 40 attractions annually. Learn about both facilities at Hamptonarts.net.
The Hampton Coliseum, lovingly known as The Mothership, is revered for its unique design and status as a favored venue for the rock band Phish and other entertainers with cult followings. The Coliseum hosts major shows every year, including a three-day jazz festival at the end of June that attracts thousands of fans from all around the country.
Learn everything about Hampton’s storied past at the Hampton History Museum, which also operates an antique carousel located on Settlers Landing Road.
Virginia Air & Space Science Center is the official visitor center for NASA Langley Research Center and includes interactive aviation exhibits, more than 30 historic aircraft, space artifacts and an IMAX theater. The museum’s most famous artifact is the command module from the Apollo 12 moon landing.
The storied history of Fort Monroe National Monument, a National Historic Landmark, began more than 10,000 years before the arrival of the English settlers. Chronicle its history at the Casemate Museum.
Big Pink Music is a nonprofit music club based at Victorian Station, a beautiful private listening room situated in a restored tea room in Phoebus. Throughout the summer, Hampton hosts free weekend concerts downtown and along the waterfront.
Hampton is home to historic Langley Speedway, a stock car track where champions such as Richard Petty, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamilin have raced. Langley hosts racing events every Saturday during the season, including the annual Hampton Heat, the middle leg of the Virginia Triple Crown.
War Memorial Stadium hosts the Peninsula Pilots every summer from the Coastal Plain League; Ryan Zimmerman was once a Pilot. The stadium built in 1947 by Branch Rickey, today known as the father of the minor leagues, is where Satchel Paige threw his first professional pitch.
EAT & DRINK
You’ll find every kind of cuisine in Hampton and the nearby cities in Hampton Roads. Local gems include 1865 Brewing Co., the first Black-owned brewery in Hampton Roads that also serves as a community hub and Baked Bistro & Pizza and its sister restaurant, Glazed Doughnuts, distinguished by its cake-like doughnuts. The Stuft taqueria in Phoebus offers fusion fare and live music in a casual setting. Have brunch or wood-fired pizza at Venture Kitchen & Bar; enjoy the view and seafood offered every which way with drafts on tap at Marker 20.
Locals love the simple and affordable fare at Tommy’s Restaurant and the waterfront Deadrise at the Old Point Comfort Marina in Fort Monroe.
Local craft breweries offer a wide variety of experiences, including Bull Island Brewing Company on the downtown waterfront, Oozlefinch Brews and Blending on the grounds of Fort Monroe, Sly Clyde Ciderworks in Phoebus, and The Vanguard, which transformed an old armory into a brewpub, distillery and popular concert venue.
EDUCATION
More than 20,000 students attend pre-K through 12th grade in Hampton. Hampton City Schools is home to 21 elementary schools, eight middle schools and four high schools. Through the city’s acclaimed academy system, public school students can choose specific and unique fields of study to pursue. Private schools in Hampton include Calvary Classical School, Hampton Christian School, and Gloria Dei Lutheran School.
Hampton University founded in 1868 is among the top five Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States with 97 programs and more than 3,500 students. The Virginia Peninsula Community College is in Hampton, and Bryant and Stratton College has a campus here.
Additional nearby colleges are Old Dominion University, Christopher Newport University, Norfolk State University, William and Mary and Tidewater Community College.
MEDICAL SERVICES
Sentara CarePlex Hospital, a technologically advanced acute care hospital with a certified primary stroke center is located in Hampton. Residents in Hampton also have access to Riverside Regional Medical Center, the most comprehensive facility in the region.
Cancer patients travel from far away to seek treatment at the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute.
Hampton VA Medical Center cares for veterans and their families.
PARKS & RECREATION
Buckroe Beach borders the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and contains nearly a mile of clean beach. Every day all day anglers will fish at James T. Wilson Fishing Pier at Buckroe Beach.
Sandy Bottom Nature Park is 456 acres that overlooks Sandy Bottom Lake with a fishing pier, hiking and biking trails, 11 campsites, five picnic shelters, boat rentals and a 10,000 square-foot nature center.
Kayak, walk, play football, and take the kids to the playground at Gosnold’s Hope Park.
Your pup will love Ridgway Bark Park, an off-leash dog park surrounded by water, including a freshwater pond.
Enjoy a public park and petting zoo all in one at Bluebird Gap Farm. Its 60 acres is home to 150 domestic and wild animals.
Grandview Beach and Nature Preserve in northeast Hampton cover 475 acres of salt marsh, tidal creeks, and Chesapeake Bay oceanfront.
Seven clay courts are part of Hampton Tennis Center, where organized league play, group clinics and summer camps are offered much of the year. The city also offers two public golf courses, The Hampton and The Woodlands, which offer affordable greens fees.
SHOPPING
Major supermarket chains Kroger, Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Wal-Mart, Aldi and Lidl have Hampton locations.
Three primary business districts — downtown, Phoebus and Coliseum Central — each offer distinct settings and unique shopping experiences.
Major shopping centers include Hampton Town Center, Coliseum Crossing and Langley Square Shopping Center.
Buckroe Beach offers a summer farmers market on Saturdays.
WORK
Langley Air Force Base in Hampton serves in a joint capacity with the U.S. Army’s Fort Eustis in Newport News.
Hampton is located directly off Interstates 64 and 664 with easy access to major employers such as Newport News Shipyard, NASA, Langley Air Force Base, Ferguson Enterprises and Sentara.
Hampton is located within 12 miles of Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport and Norfolk International Airport.