THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Saturday, August 3, 1996              TAG: 9608010281
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY      PAGE: 3    EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY LOUKIA LOUKA, SPECIAL TO REAL ESTATE WEEKLY 
                                            LENGTH:   77 lines

AT HOME: EVA GARDENS, CHESAPEAKE A PLACE TO GROW UP AND RETIRE

Eva Gardens is an established, working-class community off Campostella Road in Chesapeake that offers affordable homes for young families and retirees alike.

The neighborhood is a collection of modest residences of varying architectural styles that have been home to some families since the 1970s. Here, they have lived, raised children, watched over visiting grandchildren and looked after neighbors.

For Betty Hines, 20 years in Eva Gardens has been a place where she has felt she belonged. Hines said she likes the fact that there is no thoroughfare in Eva Gardens - it's one way in and one way out.

This predominantly African-American community is home to people who have had diverse careers - from education to law enforcement, said Hines, who retired from a banking career and lives in Eva Gardens with her husband, Murray.

Annie Hightower has been a resident of Eva Gardens since the late 1970s and still feels she made the right choice. ``It's great living out here. I like the neighbors and the area,'' Hightower said.

A drive through the neighborhood shows a variety of trees to match a variety of home styles. Pines, dogwoods, and blooming crape myrtles are among the trees adorning the yards of homes that include brick ranchers, two-story Colonials, and tidy Cape Cod dwellings. Some homes have elevated foundations and others don't.

Home exteriors are brick or siding, and some roofs are steep while others are sloping. A number of front doors are covered by an outside door with fancy iron grillwork and some garages appear to have been converted to living areas.

For the most part, the community is well-kept. Landscaping includes hydrangea and canna in flowerbeds and geraniums in hanging baskets to adorn porches. A number of homes appear family oriented: bikes are in the yard and vans are parked in the driveway.

Streets all are proper first names; examples of a few are Anthony, Saul, Cole, and Eva. A couple of weeks ago, there was only one house for sale in Eva Gardens. All of the roads are dead-ends, with entry made off Campostella Road to the northeast.

I-464 also runs east of the community, while Great Bridge Boulevard is southwest of the neighborhood. Roosevelt Memorial Park is south of Eva Gardens, while marshland and wooded areas extend westward of the community.

A creek which fingers off of the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, also is nearby. The creek is listed as Newton Creek in ADC's Street Map Book, but as Newton's Creek in other documents.

A random survey of 25 homes in Eva Gardens shows an average assessment of $82,180. When Eva Gardens was featured in The Virginian-Pilot in 1986, a random sampling of 18 new sales and resales showed the average price was $68,172.

Though residents still enjoy living there, they said there are some concerns about teenagers hanging out in the streets. Part of the problem, residents said, is boredom: There is no clubhouse or place for them to go.

Originally, development plans called for a different Eva Gardens - one that would be home to single family and multifamily dwellings, a community building, swimming pool, and plenty of open space and recreation areas for children, records show.

But residents try to maintain visibility and consider the problem something minor that can be solved. Hines and others said Eva Gardens once had a very active civic league, pulling together with other civic leagues to face development issues they felt would impact their community.

Though civic league activity has slowed in recent years, a core group of residents is in touch with each other and Hines said, if necessary, there are ``call meetings'' to bring everyone together.

She also said neighbors keep an eye out for each other's property and anything that appears to be amiss. ``Whenever there is a need for togetherness we don't have a problem getting neighbors to work together,'' Hines said. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by L. Todd Spencer of Cole Drive have lived in the neighborhood for 20 years. The

average assessment is $82,180.

James Trotter uses his rider mower to keep his lawn neat and trim. by CNB