Colonial Place/Riverview - Norfolk, VA Area Guide

A Civil War-era farm was bought by a developer in 1903 and plans for Colonial Place began. 1907 was the 300th anniversary of the Jamestown landing, and so the names of the streets reflect the colonial history.

Colonial Place/Riverview has been placed on the Historic Registry, and today the Civic League fosters an active community. Visit the Hermitage Museum and Gardens in nearby Norfolk to view local art and woodwork or see the nightly light show.

Because Old Dominion University lies just across the river, this peninsular residential neighborhood is ringed by restaurants. One of the newest and most unique, LeGrand Kitchen features fresh and local, seasonal food. With items like beet salad with apples, candied pecans, crème fraiche, and brown butter vinaigrette, master chef Stephen Marsh has made this upscale diner a must-visit.

Colley or Granby streets run parallel to the neighborhoods on either side and are home to most of the local restaurants.

A popular late night spot, the Dirty Buffalo features buffalo wings and dirty plates, which are two sides and a meat, piled on top of each other with hot sauce and condiments. Open late every night, it’s the perfect place to hang out and drink with your friends. If you’re more of the dancing type, walk across the street and check out the Wave. Both the Dirty Buffalo and the Wave are within walking distance of Colonial Place.

Most residents have cars, but bus line 11 serves the neighborhood with several stops. Run by the Hampton Roads Transit, it’s a convenient way to get around the city. Rides are only $1.75 and it’s easy to switch bus lines.

Several cab companies, such as Norfolk Black and White Cabs, run in both Norfolk and all of Hampton Roads, making your transportation needs easy. Newer options like Lyft and Uber are also available in the area. Located just blocks from Route 460, Colonial Place/Riverview is easily accessible from all over the city, and sits less than 5 miles away from the Hampton Roads Beltway.

The restaurants and shops have adequate parking. Otherwise street parking is available.

The roads all have sidewalks with mature trees landscaped in the tree line, so not only are the neighborhoods walkable, they are pleasant to look at as you go. But if you'd rather go on two wheels instead of two feet, remember that the roads in the neighborhoods are narrow. Although they weren't made for biking, that hasn't stopped the trend from catching on – just remember to share the road

Because of the unique layout the neighborhood has four roundabout parks that are just green spaces. But the residents have also created both a community garden Knitting Mill Creek Community Garden, and the first fenced dog park in Norfolk. The dog park charges a $5 fee per year for neutered dogs.

Just south of the Riverview neighborhood sits Lafayette Park, one of the larger parks in Norfolk. 60 acres makes it the perfect park to visit. Lafayette has three playground areas, picnic shelters, lighted tennis courts and basketball courts, a softball field, soccer and football fields, a boat ramp, and an amphitheater.

There aren't any annual events locally in the parks, but the neighborhood's civic league has taken that upon themselves, and they have many events throughout the year such as a Front Porch Art Walk in the fall, a holiday decoration contest, and annual ice cream social and community garage sale.

The average rent for Colonial Place and Riverview sits at just over $1,100, while the average for the entire city is nearly $800.

Rides on the HRT buses are only $1.75 one way, so getting from the neighborhood to downtown Norfolk is cheap and will take you about a half-hour.

The typical price of a beer runs about $5, and the average gas price in Norfolk is 3 percent lower than the national average.

Famous for having mermaids all over the city, it should be no surprise that nearby there is an arts store called Mermaid Factory. Show up to the Mermaid Factory, and you will receive a mermaid to paint and decorate with glitter, moss, shells and other ephemera. Bring your friends and spend a couple of hours deep in unique creativity.

One mile away are the standard grocery stores such as Food Lion, Farm Fresh, Harris Teeter, and The Fresh Market. But if you have a craving for European food, go across the street from Farm Fresh, next to the yoga studio, and check out Taste of Europe. It has a great selection of Eastern European food, wine, beer, along with a deli and coffee drinks.

There's a fantastic small knitting shop called Baa Baa Sheep, located just south of the Colonial Park neighborhood. Besides having a large collection of yarns, notions, and patterns, Baa Baa Sheep also offers knitting classes.

There are not many farmers' markets in Norfolk. Open nearly year round, Westside Produce and Provisions sits a couple blocks over from Colonial Place on Colley Ave. and features local producers and farmers inside a physical space. If you want the outdoor feel of a market, you'll have to go across the river to Olde Towne Portsmouth, which is open during the typical produce seasons.