Norfolk, Virginia

Basic Information
Medium sized city in SE Virginia. Big Navy and Air Force area, Virginia Beach to the east.

Transportation
From ORF: Take a cab/car south on Military Hwy for 2 miles then pick up I-264 W towards Norfolk. After another 2 miles exit at Waterside Dr or City Hall Ave for the downtown area or Brambleton Ave for ODU.

I-64: Exit at the junction for I-264 W a few miles after the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel then continue as above.

The City of Norfolk runs a light rail system called the Tide with stops in the downtown area. The rails run from the medical complex on one end to Newtown Rd on the other end, mostly for commuters. The rail system does not go to ODU or Naval Station Norfolk, though possible expansions are being discussed by the city, as well as plans for Virginia Beach to extend their end to the Oceanfront.

The ferry to Portsmouth runs until about 11:00 at night during the summer, so if you're across the river for a concert or some other festival, be sure to make it back in time. Note that most concerts will finish in time anyway due to city noise ordnances.

Avoid all tunnels during rush hour.

Dining
Lots of restaurants and bars on Granby Street downtown. Just walk down there and you'll find something appealing. Some noteable mentions though:

Pricier (but delicious) seafood can be found at 456 Fish, more casual seafood at Snapper's. Domo and Nana are both good for sushi, all on Granby along with Granby Street Pizza for pizza. Your hotel probably has dining guides for the downtown area at the front desk, as well as menus for delivery places like Jimmy John's or Chinese places. There are a few diners in MacArthur Center (a big mall) along with a food court.

When festivals are held at Town Point Park during the summer there is always a lot of food. Fried everything.

Places of Interest
MacArthur Center for shopping and movies, Granby Street for more shopping and food, Main Street for more on top of that.

Town Point Park for festivals or just enjoying an open park by the water. The Spirit of Norfolk docks here for cruises, and the USS Wisconsin is docked next to the Nauticus Museum. On the other end of Waterside Dr is Harbor Park where they have Luckswing games going on in the summer and fall.

ODU is about 3 miles away, just take Brambleton Ave to Hampton Blvd for basketball games or concerts at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Concerts also happen almost nightly at the NorVa on Monticello Ave behind the mall. Finer arts at the Chrysler Center or Chrysler Museum.

The Virginia Beach Oceanfront is about a 35 minute drive down I-264 E, enjoy just about the most overrated beach ever.