Moving to Norfolk, need advice

[Timdog1650]

So my time down here in Pensacola, FL is finally over. After 2 years of what has basically amounted to a paid vacation I have orders to report to the DDG-52 and start my life as a surface warfare officer. I've been looking at housing options online but since this is really the first time I've tried to pick out an apartment, I'm not sure what to look for. I'm unfamiliar with the area but have a couple of friends who recommended I look in the Virginia Beach area. I don't mind a 20-30 minute commute but a whole lot longer than that would not be preferable.

From googlemaps it looks like VA Beach is basically all the way across town from the main naval station...since I'm not going to be spending a lot of time at the amphibious base, would VA beach be a bad idea? I've also had a friend recommend I find somewhere downtown near Granby, but I'm hesitant to live in the center of downtown because of traffic/population density.

As far as what I'm looking for, I'm thinking like a 1bed/bath apartment for rent...something cheap, ~$1k/month or less. If anyone knows anything about the area, any advice would be helpful. I'm also curious about VA specific exhaust/mod laws...for some reason I think I remember reading a lot about people having trouble with inspection/registration.

~Tim

[turboedracer]

Traffic is a nightmare as well as the laws on modded cars, cops a d***s. I have to get a new inpection sticker in a week and been out of state for a year and place that I used to go to closed I have a catless tbe I have no idea where to get mine now. Cant help you on places on that side of the water but VA is a great place to get stationed I lived there for 19 years and trying to get stationed there.

[Timdog1650]

Yeah, I have a buddy who is trying to buy a house in the next 6-8 months....I'll probably end up living with him on VA beach once he and I get back from deployment this fall/winter.