Titustown - Norfolk, VA

Titustown is a historic neighborhood. Named after Augustus Titus Stroud, Titustown began in 1901 when Stroud sold land to families who wanted to remain on the outskirts of the city. Instead of beginning the cycle of paying high-rent for an inner-city apartment, the founders of Titustown owned their lots and homes, many of them working at the naval shipyards. Many of the original homeowners passed down their homes to their children, ensuring the close community legacy continues.

The Titustown Recreation Center and Visual Arts Center is central to the neighborhood. In October, the whole city of Norfolk hosts Visual Arts Week, and the Visual Arts Center in Titustown plays a part in that, hosting the Chalk the Walk in 2014.

There are only a couple of restaurants in the immediate neighborhood, although a mile to the east features all the typical chain restaurants. The hands-down favorite for people is Wan Shung, a locally owned Chinese restaurant. With quick delivery and good food, Wan Shung is beloved by local college students and military members. You get your money’s worth with their large egg rolls and the excellent chicken chow mein.

Just to the west of the neighborhood sits The Dockside Bar and Grill. Known as the very essence of a dive bar, this dark, smoky and small dive bar is popular with the locals. If dive bars are not your thing, cross the street and try out the Nazef Hookah Lounge. This is the third restaurant in the area. Featuring good tobacco, drinks and friendly bartenders, this hookah hangout is a popular spot in this section of Norfolk.

The main thoroughfare of West Little Creek Road cuts right through Titustow; therefore, several bus routes travel throughout the city and make it easy to transfer to other lines. The bus line is served by the Hampton Roads Transit.

Multiple taxi cab companies that operate 24/7 in Norfolk and serve the Titustown neighborhood. Some of these companies include Norfolk Checker, Norfolk Black and White Cabs, and Yellow Cab of Norfolk. Lyft and Uber also serve the neighborhood.

Titustown is only 1.5 miles to both Interstate 564 and Interstate 64. This makes it easy to access the rest of Hampton Roads, the oceanfront, the Historic Triangle, and even the capital city of Richmond.

The neighborhood was designed to truly be a neighborhood, and so nearly all the streets have sidewalks. As it follows, in true southern fashion, neighbors take time to chat with the each other as they sit on their front porches in the evenings. But because the neighborhood was created before biking was trendy, there are no bike lanes in the area.

The Titustown Park and Recreation Center includes a sports field, a playground, and the large parking lot is easily accessible. The park and recreation center is the pulse of the neighborhood.

The Titustown Recreation Center is 24,000 square feet and offers activities year-round. Some of these activities include indoor and outdoor soccer, basketball, a playground, a kiln, computer room, gym, fitness room, game room and much more. Through the Norfolk recreational visual arts programs, over 300 classes are offered a year to residents. Most of these classes take place at the Titustown Recreation and Visual Arts Center.

In addition to the Park and Recreation center, the Paul Street Gallery is also located inside the Titustown Visual Arts Center. The gallery hosts exhibits all year round featuring both local artists as well as local art students.

The cost of living is 10 points lower in Titustown than it is in the whole city of Norfolk, and hopping on the bus to get downtown will only run you $1.75. The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Titustown is $750 a month. Stepping out for a beer will only cost you about $5 at a local pub while the average gas price in the area is three percent lower than the national average.

The major shopping center is just a mile to the east of Titustown – Little Creek Plaza Shopping Center. The area has three large grocery stores, a book exchange, fast food restaurants, banks and convenience stores. But if you want to stick close to home, check out the Express Food Mart in the center of the neighborhood that sells pizza, subs and fried chicken.

For those residents into gardening, residents can visit Gardens In A Flowerpot to pick up all of their gardening needs. Located in the heart of Titustown, this locally owned garden center store is known for its knowledgeable staff and excellent customer service. Their high quality products and reasonable prices keep locals coming back.

Because Virginia is famous for both its country and Smithfield hams, a stop at the Old Virginia Ham Shop on the outskirts of Titustown is a given. Here you can pick up three types of traditional hams, as well as bacon, preserves, and of course, peanuts. The country hams come in the traditional cloth sack, and for the first-time country cook, don’t forget to soak the preserved meat for two or three days before cooking, changing the water as you go to remove the large quantities of salt that create the country style meat.

The closest farmers market, Farmers Fare Farmers Market, is 7 miles away, gorgeously located on the oceanfront, in Pavilion Park. This market operates in-season as well as during the holiday season.