2334 Mckann Avenue is a four-bedroom, two-bath single-family home in Norfolk's Ballentine Place subdivision — a 1965-built brick-era property that delivers more square footage per dollar than most of what's available on the Virginia Beach side of the water, in a neighborhood where walkable daily errands are genuinely, not aspirationally, possible.
The subdivision is bounded by enough commercial activity on the surrounding corridors that day-to-day life doesn't require a car for every errand, which is a meaningful quality-of-life detail that doesn't show up on a spec sheet. Norfolk Parks and Urban Forestry maintains green space within a block of the address, and the overall density of the area means you're in a genuine urban neighborhood rather than a suburban pod. For buyers who want character and convenience without the premium that attaches to zip codes like Ghent or Colonial Place, Ballentine Place is one of the more honest values in the city.
Living in Norfolk
Norfolk is a city that rewards buyers who look past the surface. It's the largest city in Hampton Roads by population and one of the most historically layered, with everything from the working waterfront of the Elizabeth River to the arts corridor along Granby Street to the dense residential neighborhoods that fill in the map between them. For buyers exploring homes for sale in Norfolk VA, the city's median price point tends to run meaningfully below Virginia Beach, which makes it an entry point for first-time buyers and a smart repositioning for military families on PCS orders who want more house for their housing allowance.
The trade-off is honest: Norfolk's housing stock skews older, and homes built in the 1950s and 1960s require buyers to pay attention at inspection time — roofs, HVAC systems, and electrical panels are the usual line items. That's not unique to Ballentine Place, but it's part of the standard conversation for any property in this era and zip code. The 23509 area specifically sits in a part of the city that's more elevated and less flood-prone than the waterfront neighborhoods closer to the Chesapeake, which is worth noting as buyers work through their flood-zone review as part of the purchase process. Norfolk real estate at this price range offers a density of amenity and commute access that's hard to replicate elsewhere in the region.
What's Nearby
The walkability story at 2334 Mckann is one of the property's most practical selling points, and it's worth spelling out. A Walmart Neighborhood Market sits roughly four-tenths of a mile from the front door — close enough that a grocery run doesn't require starting the car. Within that same half-mile radius, you'll also find Fabio's Pizza and Delivery for nights when cooking isn't happening, T's Seafood for something local, and Webco Hale rounding out the casual dining options. A Wawa is about five minutes on foot for coffee and the particular kind of errand that Wawa handles better than anywhere else in Hampton Roads.
The Salvation Army Kroc Center — the Joan Kroc Center, as most locals call it — is under half a mile away and functions as a full-scale community recreation facility, not just a gym. It's a meaningful amenity for families with kids or anyone who wants a pool, fitness equipment, and programming without a premium health club membership. Tait Terrace Dog Park is also in the immediate area, which matters more than it sounds if you have a dog and want to avoid a long drive for off-leash time. Norfolk Parks and Urban Forestry maintains green space essentially at the corner of the block, so the neighborhood has accessible outdoor space woven into the street grid rather than tucked away at the edge of a subdivision.
Military Housing in Norfolk and the USCG Base Portsmouth Commute
One of the more underappreciated facts about 2334 Mckann is how close it sits to USCG Base Portsmouth. The drive is roughly six minutes — under three miles — which puts this address in a rare category for military housing in Norfolk. Most properties that can claim a sub-ten-minute commute to a base are either in dense urban cores with parking headaches or in neighborhoods that require compromises elsewhere. Ballentine Place doesn't ask for many compromises.
For Coast Guard families PCSing to USCG Base Portsmouth, the calculus here is straightforward: four bedrooms means room for a family that may have moved three times in six years and needs functional space, not a floor plan optimized for Instagram. The no-HOA structure means no monthly fee eating into a BAH budget and no architectural review board weighing in on a fence or a storage shed. The proximity to the base also means that the commute math stays clean even when duty schedules shift or a second vehicle is in the shop.
Norfolk is one of the most PCS-friendly cities in the country by sheer density of military infrastructure. Joint Base Little Creek is roughly fifteen minutes northeast, Naval Station Norfolk — the largest naval station in the world — is about ten to twelve minutes depending on the gate. For service members whose orders could change or who want optionality in their commute, Ballentine Place's central position in the city's street grid is a genuine asset. The neighborhood also has a long history of military families cycling through and choosing to stay after separation, which says something about the livability that doesn't show up in any data field.
A Walk Through the Property
The home at 2334 Mckann was built in 1965, which places it squarely in the era of solid construction that characterized postwar American residential building — not the ornate detail of pre-war Craftsman or Colonial Revival homes, but not the cost-cut framing of later decades either. At 1,400 square feet across four bedrooms and two full baths, the layout is efficient without being cramped. Four bedrooms in this square footage means the rooms are purposeful rather than generous, but the bedroom count itself is the point — flexibility for a home office, a guest room, or a nursery without sacrificing a dedicated space for each.
The property sits without an HOA, which in practical terms means no restrictions on parking, exterior modifications, or use of the lot beyond what city code requires. For buyers who want to add a fence, park a work truck, or eventually convert a room to a rental suite, the absence of a homeowners association is a meaningful structural freedom. The 1965 construction year means buyers should budget for a thorough inspection of the mechanical systems — HVAC, electrical, and plumbing are the standard focus areas for homes of this vintage — but it also means the bones of the structure are likely solid masonry or frame construction from an era when builders weren't cutting corners on material thickness.
A Day in the Life at 2334 Mckann
A morning here might start with a walk to Wawa — five minutes on foot — before circling back through the Norfolk Parks greenspace that sits essentially at the end of the block. The Kroc Center is close enough for a lunchtime workout or an after-school program pickup. Dinner options within walking distance run from pizza to seafood without requiring a reservation or a parking spot. Evenings that call for something further afield put you on I-264 or I-64 within a few minutes, connecting to the rest of Hampton Roads in the way that Norfolk's central position in the region makes possible. It's a neighborhood where daily life has a low-friction quality — the kind that's easy to undervalue until you've lived somewhere that doesn't have it.
For Military Families Considering This Address
The combination of a six-minute drive to USCG Base Portsmouth, four bedrooms, and no HOA makes 2334 Mckann a functionally strong choice for military families navigating PCS orders. BAH for the Norfolk area at the E-6 and above grades typically covers properties in this range, and the no-HOA structure keeps monthly carrying costs cleaner. The neighborhood's history of military residents means the community is familiar with the rhythms of service life, and the central Norfolk location keeps every major base in the region within a reasonable commute window.
For Hampton Roads Families Upgrading from a Starter Home
Four bedrooms at this price point in Norfolk is the kind of step-up that makes sense for families who've outgrown a two-bedroom condo or a three-bedroom townhome and want a detached home with room to spread out. The no-HOA status means more freedom to use the property as you actually need to, and the walkable amenity set means the lifestyle doesn't shrink when you move further from a city center.
For First-Time Buyers Exploring Norfolk
Norfolk's 23509 zip code is one of the more accessible entry points into homeownership in Hampton Roads. The price-per-square-foot typically runs below comparable properties in Virginia Beach or Chesapeake, and a four-bedroom home at this square footage is a configuration that gives a first-time buyer room to grow without immediately needing to move again. The walkability, the proximity to the Kroc Center, and the no-HOA structure all reduce the friction of early homeownership.
For Buyers Comparing Mid-Century Homes in Norfolk
Buyers weighing 1960s-era homes against newer construction in Norfolk will find that mid-century properties in established neighborhoods like Ballentine Place tend to offer lot maturity, street character, and location centrality that new construction at comparable price points simply can't replicate. The inspection diligence required is real, but so is the neighborhood infrastructure that took sixty years to develop.
Tom and Dariya Milan at LPT Realty specialize in helping buyers work through exactly these decisions — whether you're comparing neighborhoods, running base commute math, or figuring out what a 1965 inspection report actually means for your budget. Reach out through [vahome.com](https://vahome.com) or by phone to talk through 2334 Mckann Avenue or any other property in Norfolk with a team that knows this market from the inside.
Summary generated by AI from public records and publicly available information.
