Colley Avenue, A Historical Geography

Colley Avenue at Princess Ann, 1938.
Sargeant Memorial Collection-Norfolk Public Library.

Colley Avenue runs between the Elizabeth River and the Lafayette River in Norfolk, Virginia. This small thoroughfare, just north of downtown, hosts an eclectic assortment of businesses, from Starbucks to automobile garages to used bicycles. A hospital and numerous religious organizations make their home on Colley Avenue. This street once hosted historic Fort Norfolk, Atlantic City, military apartments and a large knitting mill among other former landmarks. It is not an avenue of great wealth or great poverty, but rather a microcosm of an average American street.

A handful of distinct neighborhoods, wards and precincts are encompassed by Colley Avenue. The street can be geographically divided by, not only physical barriers, but racial and economic boundaries as well.

The Elizabeth and Lafayette Rivers

Colley Avenue begins at its southernmost point at the Elizabeth River, an estuary whose waterways form a viable part of Norfolk’s industrial, military and commercial history.

Just 2.6 miles north, Colley Avenue crosses a small portion of the Lafayette River, then turns into Jamestown Crescent and into the neighborhood of Larchmont. The Lafayette River, originally called Tanner’s Creek, is a small river that flows from the Elizabeth River to areas throughout Norfolk. The area near the Lafayette River Bridge, hosts a wetland preservation project. A rare life form, a type of flat-worm called the “Macrostomum ruebushi,” makes its home in the Colley Bay wetlands near the bridge.

Colley Avenue crosses traverses four distinct neighborhoods: East Ghent, Park Place, Colonial Place and Highland Park.

The 100 to 400 blocks of Colley Avenue can be described as busy, commercialized, industrialized, historic and military. The Tide Station, Fort Norfolk, Norfolk Public Health and Harbor’s Edge Retirement Center, a modern 17-story building with almost 200 apartments, all make their homes in these few blocks.

The 400-800 blocks were once part of Atlantic City, a thriving area with schools, movie theatres, local businesses and apartments. This was all demolished in the 1950s to make way for the current medical facilities. Today, these blocks are filled with hospitals and hospital-related businesses and parking garages.

The 800-1500 blocks of Colley Avenue are primarily apartment complexes leading up to the business center of Ghent. Many of these are historic apartment buildings from the turn of the twentieth century. Residential housing such as the Brandon, Jesma, Shirley and Cavalier Apartments are still in use today.

The 1500 to 2200 blocks of Colley Avenue contain the Central Business District of Ghent This area encompasses a vibrant and diverse shopping area with numerous locally owned restaurants, boutiques and specialty shops. Chain restaurants like Chipotle and Starbucks are also interspersed within this district. In the 1950s, service businesses such as laundries, shoe repair and grocery stores dominated the area.

North of the train tracks, Colley Avenue (2200-3800) enters Park Place, a historic neighborhood whose population is majority African American. Service-oriented stores such as Food Lion, automotive repair, childcare and numerous churches all make their homes on this part of Colley Avenue. A number of manufacturing businesses can be found here as well.

At 38^th Street and Colley Avenue (3800-5300), the neighborhood turns into Colonial Place, a racially mixed neighborhood and national historic district. This neighborhood was primarily developed from 1903 to 1941 and was one of the first in Norfolk to integrate. Architecture in Colonial Place includes English cottage type, Italian Villa and American Period homes. This area hosts a number of long-term businesses such as Fellinis, O’Sullivans and Tidewater Boat Club. Many of the businesses here, like Colley Avenue Copies and Graphics, have been consistent fixtures for over twenty years. Colley Avenue then enters Highland Park, which has more of a university and eclectic feel with businesses such as University Pizza, Chow Restaurant, Westside Produce and Hund’s [bicycle] Recycle Factory. The Colley Avenue Bridge at 53rd Street marks the end of Colley and the transition to Larchmont, an upper-class area in Norfolk. This area has shown the least amount of change over the years.

*Updates: North Colley (or NoCo) is thriving in 2022 and features business such as Cogans Pizza North, Hank’s Filling Station, Starving Artist Cafe and Elation Brewery.