My First Real Downtown Norfolk Outing . . .

We spent this day in downtown Norfolk until lunch, visit family and friends after lunch, then back to Portsmouth for dinner at the Bier Garden.

We took the HRT's Paddlewheel Ferry to get across the Elizabeth River.  The ferry had very few passengers on it.  The only port in Norfolk for the ferry is at The Waterside Festival Marketplace. 

I’ve never spent a day in downtown Norfolk before.  When I was a kid, I spent every Saturday at the library by first watching a movie then moving on to the children’s library.  When I got older, it hung out at The Waterside.  That was the cool place then.

  Now that they’ve built that MacArthur Center, The Waterside is not a place I would choose to be except during Harborfest.

When we landed in Norfolk, we took a quick walk through The Waterside.  There are a few establishments at the food court but even more closed down areas.  The 2^nd floor used to be nothing but stores owned by local merchants.  They have now been replaced by dance clubs and bars.

We then proceeded down the street and walked through the Selden Arcade, an art’s center with galleries, studios, a Strarbucks and a City of Norfolk gift shop.  I could have spent the whole day there but we had to move on.

The MacArthur Center was our next stop.

  It’s the latest mall in Hampton Roads and the most modern with valet parking.  They have 2 Starbucks.  The mall was not crowded at all.  Thank heaven for rainy days.

After the mall, we walked around trying to find a place to eat.  It was an enjoyable stroll through almost deserted streets lined by old buildings with an occasional cop passing by.  We passed the Norfolk Federal Building, the Wells Theater, a Brazilian restaurant, and an Irish Pub.  We saw an R2D2 mailbox.  Well, yours truly just had to have her picture taken with The R2.  We also spotted mermaids on every corner.  It’s some sort of art project by the City representing its history.

  If they want history, I personally think they should put up statues of Sailors.  The Norfolk Naval Base is the largest in the world.

Since there didn’t seem to be any good places to eat, we went back to The Waterside and checked out the Blackfin Restaurant and Saloon.  The food, service and view were all pretty good.  We chose the patio seating with a view of the river and the boats at dock.  There was a yacht parked right in front with no windows on the lower decks.  The SeaFair is “the world’s first megayacht. Access is only by invitation".

Well, since we were not worthy to enter this sailing art gallery we decided to just hop on the Paddlewheel Ferry and head back to the hotel.

Upon our return to the Portsmouth side, we then drove to the other side of Norfolk to visit my parent's best friends.  The husband makes puzzles out of wood that he has sold during charity events for the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters (CHKD).  The wife is also an artist who teaches painting from home.  We passed a Filipino restaurant called Lumpia House.  Hilda, the artist, said that she did not like their food.  She's used to my mom's cooking.  But if you are into Flip food, you might want to check it out.  Their address is 2325 E Little Creek Rd.

With our visits over, we headed back to the other side of the tunnel.