Neighborhoods: Downtown
From the fashionably historic to the heights of fashion, the housing renaissance in Portsmouth is in full swing.
Olde Towne, Park View, The Myrtles at Olde Towne, Port Norfolk, Swimming Point, Westbury, Downtown Historic District, and London Street Infill Housing.
Olde Towne features the largest concentration of period architecture between Alexandria, Virginia and Charleston, South Carolina and was designated an Historic District in 1970. Homes feature the Federal, Queen Anne, Greek Revival, late Victorian and late 19th and 20th architectural styles.
Park View is a designated Historic District featuring Queen Anne and Colonial Revival style architecture built between 1888 and 1892. The City and The Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority (PRHA) have begun to implement a Revitalization Strategy for Park View. The plan addresses such issues as parking, landscaping, streetscapes, lighting, vacant lots and code enforcement. PRHA is working with a private developer to purchase vacant homes for rehab and working with another private developer to build in-fill housing on vacant lots.
The Myrtles at Olde Towne is a 246-unit, $22 million high-end residential development, completed in 2005, nestled between the Olde Towne and Park View Historic Districts on the former Portsmouth General Hospital Site. The community offers residents the modern conveniences of new construction within walking distance of the downtown shopping and dining district.
Port Norfolk is a designated Historic District featuring homes in the Bungalow/Craftsman and Queen Anne architectural style built in the late 19th century. A growing business district features quaint neighborhood shops, and an influx of young professionals are purchasing and rehabbing historic homes to raise families.
Swimming Point is a quaint neighborhood with a dozen or so turn-of-the-century-style houses that many residents have called home for decades. Located near Olde Towne, the secluded neighborhood is tucked beneath the shadow of Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, with the Elizabeth River at its doorstep.
Westbury is a $60 million mixed-income development south of Downtown replacing a former public housing complex. It was one of 18 developments across the nation recently selected as an example of excellence in the design of affordable housing. The neighborhood was featured in an exhibition at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Developed in phases with a $25 million Hope VI Federal Grant, the community features 161 homes and 117 rental units. An additional 199 units will be added in conjunction with the Jeffry Wilson Hope VI redevelopment project in Midtown.
The Downtown Historic District features mixed-use buildings with first floor commercial space and residential on the upper floors - a growing trend reflecting the classic character of the dedicated, hand-on business owner. The styles of the buildings vary by time period, with a few remaining Federal and Greek Revival houses. Buildings along nearly every block of High Street are undergoing renovations to create additional mixed-use living opportunities.
London Street Infill Housing meets the growing demand for the Olde Towne lifestyle. Nine new Victorian and Federal style homes have been built along the London Street gateway into Olde Towne. The design and architecture complements the successful renovation of six homes that took place in 1999.