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Chesapeake Bay Waterfront Homes for Sale
Featured Chesapeake Bay Properties
Chesapeake Bay Real Estate Listings
Virginia Estates has years of experience in finding and representing exclusive waterfront properties on Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay. Our realtors have personally hand-selected only the best homes and estates to highlight below.
Chesapeake Bay Waterfront Real Estate
Bordered by six states and home to over 3600 different species of animals and plants, the Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States, stretching 200 miles from the Susquehanna River at Havre de Grace in Maryland to the Atlantic Ocean at Virginia Beach, Virginia. It is one of the most productive estuaries in the world, providing an extensive habitat for wildlife, an abundance of seafood, including crabs, many kinds of fish and perhaps most notably, some of the best oysters in the country.
In addition to the food of the Bay, there are recreational opportunities of all kinds. Boating, fishing, crabbing, sailing, swimming, bird watching and waterfowl hunting are enjoyed by the people who work and play here. Along with its commercial and recreational features, the Bay area has a rich cultural history with museums, art galleries, and historical sites in every county. There truly is something, lots of things, for everyone in the Chesapeake Bay area.
If you’re considering making your home in the Bay area, you will find a friendly, settled, quiet populace. You should get used to smiling and saying “Good morning!” to strangers because they will be saying that to you. It’s easy to make friends here; all you have to do is to be friendly toward others and they will respond in kind.
Many kinds of properties are available in the Bay area. Most of the finest ones are found near the water but there are many manor houses and former plantations and estates inland as well. No matter whether you prefer traditional colonial, transitional or totally contemporary homes, there are many, many choices for you here.
If you are from the city, one of the first things you will notice here is how quiet it is. Instead of sirens, and loud trucks and all the other raucous urban sounds you’re used to, raise your window and hear the many different birds whistling and warbling, or perhaps the gentle murmur of a nearby stream. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, you’ll hear a symphony of quacking as a flock of ducks flies over. How long has it been since you heard the wind whispering in the trees or the sharp tattoo of a red headed woodpecker on a nearby oak tree?
The seafood abundance of the Chesapeake Bay makes Virginia the nation’s third largest seafood producer, the largest on the East Coast. Our watermen have been catching blue crabs, oysters, scallops, clams, mackerel, flounder, catfish, croaker, striped bass and many other fish for centuries. It’s all abundant and fresh, a seafood lover’s paradise. Nearly every town has at least one restaurant that specializes in fresh seafood from the Bay.
In addition to seafood, the Bay area is blessed with an abundance of culture and history. Many men who were vitally important to the nation’s founding were born here—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and others. Most of their homes have been preserved or restored for your visiting pleasure. Nearly every county has a small museum with historical papers, artifacts, old paintings and lots of local lore.
Along with history, the Bay area has a strong support for the arts. There are art galleries and festivals everywhere showing all kinds of art—nautical, figurative, and abstract. Organizations such as the Rappahannock Art League in Kilmarnock, VA, provide art classes and exhibition space for local artists. In addition, there are potters, weavers, folk artists throughout the area. If you enjoy art or actually make art yourself, you will find many opportunities here.
One thing we have all noticed about the Bay area. Many people come here to live but very few of them leave. If you are seeking an exciting, interesting home that is also a refuge from the stress and noise of the city, you will find exactly what you are looking for in this wonderful place. Let us help you find it.
Schools in the Chesapeake
The City of Chesapeake has forty-five public elementary, intermediate, middle, and high schools which include the Governor’s STEM Academy, Science and Medicine Academy, and an International Baccalaureate program. With the location and high number of schools, a child’s residence is rarely more than a few miles from the school they attend. The student/teacher ratio is lower than the national average at roughly 15:1. Chesapeake Public Schools also boasts one of the highest graduation rates and lowest drop-out rates in the state of Virginia. If you’re interested in a job in the field of education, Chesapeake Public Schools is the top employer in the city, once again emphasizing the value the community and its leaders place on learning.
Dining Out in the Chesapeake
Chesapeake has an extensive variety of cuisine from fast food to fine dining to please anyone’s palate. Many independently owned and operated restaurants source locally caught seafood and locally grown produce. If you’re in the mood for The Chesapeake Bay’s famous blue crabs or oysters, the Wicker’s Crab Pot Bistro’s seafood appetizers, dips, soups, and dinners will certainly bring you back for more. Off The Hook is another local seafood favorite where you can dine in or shop their fresh market for grill night at home. Some of the best food can be found at hole-in-the-wall establishments. That’s exactly what you get at The BBQ Shack. In a small unimposing “shack” you can pick from your favorite cuts of meat and fixins’. Craving something with an international flair? Lucita’s Pupuseria makes authentic Salvadoran dishes and Mediterranean Roots serves the best Mediterranean and Middle Eastern plates in the area. Ynot Italian (pronounced why-not) is a small family-owned local chain where you’ll find the best, and biggest calzone, among other Italian favorites.
Checking Out Chesapeake
If you’re looking for a place to live that offers an array of activities without having to go very far to find them, look no further than Chesapeake. Whether you enjoy indoor or outdoor activities, Chesapeake has you covered. Popular outdoor destinations include The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Drummond, Northwest River Park, Oak Grove Park, Chesapeake City Park, and Chesapeake Arboretum. With a variety of camping, concerts, festivals, fishing, hiking and riding trails, playgrounds, walking paths, watercraft activities, and wildlife watching opportunities you’ll find something fun outside for all ages. Don’t forget to bring your four-legged friend to one of the city’s four dog parks. If you or your children want to be involved in sports there are numerous adult and youth leagues. If the weather isn’t cooperating with your outdoor plans, just move the fun inside. The City of Chesapeake offers youth crafts, gymnastics, and STEM classes as well as adult yoga classes in their multiple community centers. Chilled Ponds Ice Sports Complex offers ice skating and ice hockey while across the street you’ll find roller skating at Greenbrier Family Skating Center. Multiple YMCA facilities in Chesapeake have indoor courts and pools. Have a ball at two AMF Bowling Centers or see how high you can jump at DEFY Chesapeake on one of their more than sixty trampolines in the 10,000 square feet gymnasium. One of four movie theaters is a perfect family outing or date night.
FAQ – Chesapeake, Virginia
Is Chesapeake, Virginia a good place to live?
Yes. According to niche.com, Chesapeake, which is considered a suburb of Norfolk, is a great place to live. The area has a “sparse suburban feel” with plenty to do in the area. There are a lot of parks and green spaces here and most people own their homes. The reviews by everyday people who live in the area is that it is a quiet and friendly town.
How much snow does Chesapeake, Virginia get?
Chesapeake gets some snow but less than the national average. Sperling’s Best Places states that Chesapeake gets on average 5 inches of snow a year; the national average is 28 inches of snow a year. Other weather information: the area averages 47 inches of rain a year, low temperature in January is 31 degrees and the high temperature in July is 89 degrees.
Does Chesapeake Bay have a beach?
Chesapeake Bay has its share of beaches, some more popular (and therefore busier) than others. Everyone knows of Virginia Beach but there are quieter beaches in the area such as Cape Charles Beach – great for kids, Chesapeake (Chick’s Beach) according to Chesapeake Living is “the beach” for Virginia Beach residents, Grandview Beach (within the Grandview Nature Preserve), Ocean View Beaches where the Norfolk folks go, Outlook Beach “Hampton’s best kept secret” and Huntington Park Beach where the folks from Newport News go to relax in the summer.
Is it expensive to live in Chesapeake?
Sperling’s Best Places bases its cost of living data on 100 being the US average. The site rates Chesapeake’s overall cost of living at 106.4 which is slightly above the national average. Healthcare which scores a 108.5 and housing which scores a 116.9 are both higher than the National average.
Is Chesapeake, Virginia safe?
Sperling’s Best Places scores Chesapeake an 18.1 for violent crimes compared to the national average of 22.7. Both niche.com and crimegrade.org rate this area as fairly safe with a lower crime rate than the national average.