Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia is a city of some 242,803 residents and more than 100 diverse neighborhoods. It is the cultural, educational, business and medical center of Hampton Roads, hosts the world's largest naval base, the region's international airport and is one of the busiest international ports on the East Coast of the United States.

The city is undergoing a successful renewal, including new office, retail, entertainment and hotel construction downtown, new residential development along the rivers and bay front, and revitalization projects in many of its neighborhoods. Norfolk has added thousands of new residents to its downtown – turning it into a vibrant, lively place to live, visit or work. A light rail route through the heart of downtown is scheduled to open in 2011.

           Founded in 1682, Norfolk grew up on the water, and its miles of lake, river and bay front are central to many of its neighborhoods. The city's popular logo -- an elegant young mermaid, which can be spotted in outdoor sites from Downtown to Ocean View -- symbolizes 300 years of maritime and naval heritage and its modern reputation as a city on the move.

Attractions -- such as the battleship U.S.S. Wisconsin, a salute to the city's long-standing relationship with the Navy, Nauticus, the Hampton Roads Naval Museum, and the new Cruise and Celebration Center dot Norfolk's easily-walked downtown waterfront. Here, tugboats and visiting cruise ships share the waters with sailboats and merchant ships. The waterfront is also home to Town Point Park, a recently refurbished green space that houses summer festivals, fountains, walkways, and tributes to the City's naval history. Other treasures -- The Chrysler Museum, Norfolk Botanical Garden and the Virginia Zoological Park -- are close by.

Norfolk is home to the Port Authority. Norfolk-Southern Railway. The Virginia Symphony. Old Dominion University.  Eastern Virginia Medical School. Norfolk State University, Tides baseball and the Admirals hockey teams, state of the art research facilities, shipping companies and an exuberant arts and cultural community.

So join us, won't you? Pull up a porch swing, talk to neighbors and welcome to Norfolk. There's much to celebrate!

We would love to welcome you to our community, where life is celebrated daily.

Come home to Norfolk now.