THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 11, 1995 TAG: 9511090257
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY PAGE: 3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LOUKIA LOUKA, SPECIAL TO REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
LENGTH: Long : 143 lines
From Meadowbrook Woods, you can get to an assortment of apartment complexes, two schools , a library, or watch the giddy river of traffic along Military Highway, all without getting in a car.
Such a setting may not be for those who crave monotony and isolation. For them, an outpost on Jupiter might be very cool, but residents of Meadowbrook Woods go for something a little more urban.
Not to be confused with several other Norfolk communities that contain the name Meadowbrook, Meadowbrook Woods is situated west of North Military Highway and east of Chesapeake Boulevard, between Rosemont Middle School and Tanners Creek Elementary School.
It is a solid, middle-class neighborhood that has been home to some families since the late 1970s, when Meadowbrook Woods was just beginning.
One of those residents is Thomas Clyde, the community's civic league president. Clyde and his wife, Chloe, have lived in Meadowbrook Woods since 1978. Clyde said he discovered the community one day when he was driving through the area and noticed construction.
After all those years, ``we still think the neighborhood is great,'' said Clyde, who makes home visits to welcome new residents to Meadowbrook Woods.
There is a neighborhood watch program, and Clyde said there is a desire to get younger residents more involved in the community, perhaps by starting a junior block program that would encourage children to report wrongdoing.
``When we first came out here, there were a lot of break-ins but in the last few years we have not had problems of that kind,'' Clyde said.
The neighborhood watch program, developed with crime prevention officers from the Norfolk Police Department, helped the community turn the tide. That, coupled with neighbors looking out for each other has built up the community's reputation, Clyde said.
Clyde hopes more residents will work toward keeping up their yards, streets and become involved in their neighborhood. He gives high marks to residents on Cedarwood Court, a looping street in the center of Meadowbrook Woods.
``Cedarwood Court is overall the best kept road in this neighborhood,'' said Clyde, a retired Navy chief steward who later had a career in civil service.
``I know every house out here and I know who does what,'' Clyde said. He said most of the people take pride in their homes. Although the community is a predominantly African-American stronghold, he said, ``We downplay anything that has to do with ethnicity. We preach unity out here.
``Most people out here don't actually think about it. Your neighbor is your neighbor. We take pride in our place, but not because you happen to be one race or another,'' he said.
Elizabeth Britt-Kelly, a substitute teacher, is a new member of the Meadowbrook Woods community. Though she floats to different schools, she enjoys being within walking distance of two of them.
``I love it. It's a two-story home. We are on a corner lot so we have a lot of yard space for the kids,'' said Britt-Kelly. Britt-Kelly and her husband, John, hope to make Meadowbrook Woods their home for years to come. ``We are real proud of the investment we have made here,'' she said.
Though you can see North Military Highway from the entrance to Meadowbrook Woods, East Tanners Creek Drive and a grassy median buffer the traffic. The busy righway fades away the deeper you get into the subdivision.
Homes are tidy ranches and two-story structures on small lots. Many homes feature wrought-iron yard furniture, flowerpots lining porches and other decorative touches.
Some houses have brick exteriors, while others are covered with siding. Most colors are conservative - shades of gray and white - but there is a bold splash of imagination here and there - bright orange, blue, and green trim were used on three different homes.
Magnolia, dogwood and pine trees line Meadowbrook Woods' streets. A random survey of 15 homes in Meadowbrook Woods showed an average assessment of $95,288. The average was compiled from assessments listed with the city real estate assessor's office.
Residents along Branch Road have a front-yard view of Rosemont Middle School, while those living on the neighborhood's western boundary, West Tanners Creek Drive, face a wall that hides an exit off Interstate 64.
Britt-Kelly, who lives on Cedarwood Court, lives on an interior road that loops around and doesn't see ``incoming or outgoing traffic unless the families live here.''
Faye Gallop has lived in Meadowbrook Woods more than 12 years and said neighbors are friendly and look out for each other. Gallop's husband, Fred, discovered Meadowbrook Woods one day as he rode by the area. They were looking for a house and found one they liked.
Over the years, ``we have really developed a real close relationship with people in our court. We pretty much keep an eye on who's coming in and out of our neighborhood,'' Gallop said.
Over time, Meadowbrook Woods has been a good experience for Delores Cooper. ``During the time my kids were young, I moved here. Everything is nice,'' Cooper said, noting the neighborhood's central location to shopping centers, grocery stores and churches. Meadowbrook Woods also is close to the Norfolk Naval Air Station, Little Creek Amphibious Base, and Norfolk International Airport.
According to city records, Meadowbrook Woods was platted in 1978 on some 31 acres. The property was acquired by the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority as part of the Rosemont Redevelopment Project.
Calvin Alperin, a principal real estate development specialist with NRHA, said the Rosemont project included 2,100 housing units on 305 acres, stretching north to Jernigan Avenue, east to Military Highway, west to Chesapeake Boulevard, and south to Picadilly Street.
Of those 2,100 units, which include a variety of economic strata, Meadowbrook Woods consists of 120 single-family homes that are financed through conventional methods. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]
GARY C. KNAPP
Meadowbrook Woods residents John Kelly, ELizabeth Britt-Kelly and
their children, JOhn Christopher, 3, and Ashley, 2.
The well-kept subdivision was established in the 1970s near Military
Highway.
AT A GLANCE
Staff Map
The Virginian-Pilot
ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Public schools: Elementary school pupils attend either Larrymore or
Tanners Creek elementary schools, middle schoolers are assigned to
Rosemont Middle School, and high schoolers are at Norview High.
Shopping areas: Military Circle is a 10-minute drive from
Meadowbrook Woods; other shopping areas are on Military Highway and
Little Creek Road.
Recreation: Area schools have ball field and playground areas; a
public library is on East Tanners Creek Drive; Northside Park is
about five miles from Meadowbrook Woods and has a variety of
recreation features, including picnic shelters, basketball and
tennis courts, ball fields, and Imagination Island, a new children's
playground. Also, the Norview recreation center is on Sewells Point
Road, about two miles from Meadowbrook Woods.
FOR SALE
At 6808 Silverwood Court, a four bedroom home was listed for
$112,900.
At 6809 Silverwood Court, a four-bedroom rancher was listed for
$117,000.
SOLD
At 6829 Cedarwood Court, a three-bedroom home built in 1980 sold for
$91,000 in June.
At 6857 Silverwood Court, a four-bedroom home sold for $105,000 in
March.
by CNB