WhoaNonstop wrote:However, if you've been in the area I'd sure like to hear more about why you think this is not a good place to live.
-Riley
I realized coming from Nebraska you might have taken what I'm saying as super picky. I'm not saying it isn't good, just warning you before you cancel your other options that Williamsburg leaves something to be desired. It's a really small place, so what people are really saying about Williamsburg is this: "The frats got axed by the administration, there is basically nothing to do elsewhere, so the generic social scene that serviced the school is now non-existant."
That's not totally true, and Williamsburg lies on a nice highway that can take you to fun places, but like any small town it suffers from boredom issues, and unlike other universities in small towns (like Michigan, for instance) the school does little to relieve that boredom. I've never gone to a frat party in my life, and I still think the area is boring, but I also don't like amusement parks, so if you're a fan of some mid-90's roller coastering, Williamsburg is fun. Just bring a car, because you're going to feel trapped. It's suburbia with about half a square mile of antique shops and generic botiques (which is worse in a sense than a rural area, there isn't any good hiking or camping, though road biking is fairly popular). The big issue is that any big culture items (bands, touring companies, symphonies) give the area a miss, and the school does nothing to attract it.
On second thought, Norfolk did invent the ice cream cone, and has the only working military rail gun prototype, so it's not all bad in the area. Just plan on long drives on bad eastern shore roads to get to the good stuff.
EDIT: when you visit (which is really all I'm saying; wait until you go before you decide), go to Second Street Cafe for lunch. Best burger in town, and great desserts. They'll try to take you to one of the campus delis/pubs, and its the same boring ameripasta every university has.