I grew up in the Town of Smithfield. It truly was a place where my brothers and sister, along with neighborhood friends, would ride our bikes to the Smithfield Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street, a road with cobblestone bricks. The tiny town is busting during normal business hours, but quietly goes to sleep after 7PM. The newest addition for nightlife to the town is the opening of Wharf Hill Brewing, which is open until midnight. Still, it's a quiet town, where the most noise you'll hear is when someone is taking their trash out or walking their dog before heading to bed. The largest employer in Smithfield is Smithfield Foods, which has contributed to Smithfield being dubbed the "Ham Capital of the World." Outside of Smithfield Foods, most folks drive to Newport News, Hampton, and Suffolk for work. It's only about a 30 minute drive one-way. 
Smithfield is located in Isle of Wight County, which encompasses Carrollton as well. Carrollton is an unincorporated section of Isle of Wight and largely blended in with Smithfield. It's similar to if someone said they were from New York but actually lived in Brooklyn -- some people will say their from Smithfield but actually live in Carrollton. Carrollton has no town like Smithfield does and is largely just neighborhoods and shopping centers. Some popular neighborhoods in Carrollton include Gatling Pointe, Carrisbrooke, and Eagle Harbor. Popular neighborhoods in Smithfield include Moonefield, Scott's Landing, and Mogart's Beach.
Housing values have risen in Smithfield through the years. Growing up, it was a small town. While it still is, Carrollton has added apartment complexes, shopping centers, and is building up similar to the way Route 17 in York County did. An average-sized single family home in, say, Moonefield, will go for $250,000 or more. There are not many opportunities for condos and townhomes in Smithfield. Carrollton is similar. Smithfield was a great place to grow up. As a kid, most of us always could not wait to get out. It was a small town with no opportunity, right? No ocean, no big city, no athletic opportunities, no jobs. There was only one private school, Isle of Wight Academy, and the arts and music scene was non-existent. But as my peers, including myself, have grown up, we see the appeal. It's a place where almost every time I visit (parents and family still live there), I see someone I know. We catch up. In high school, you knew almost everyone. That's good and bad. But my peers like it. It's a quiet town. It's small, with no traffic. There's the Pagan River, where I grew up fishing and canoeing on. It's still there and it's as popular as ever. Maybe people are just now realizing how awesome it is. 
It's a town where a city council member (Andrew Gregory) was my old American Legion Baseball coach. Smithfield, and Isle of Wight County, is an excellent place to call home. But some of the same things remain: it's a 45 minute drive to Norfolk one-way; there are no tennis clubs; Virginia Beach is an hour away with no traffic. There are not many big companies. And there's still only one public high school in Smithfield.
It's your choice, and I recommend you consider moving to Smithfield and checking out the different neighborhods they offer. It may be just what you're looking for. |
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Southerland Real Estate, Inc. 638 Independence Parkway Suite 240 Chesapeake, VA 23320 |
