Editing Newport News, Virginia (section)

===Cityscape===
[[File:Newport News Victory Arch, 25th St. and West Ave., Newport News, VA (April 2006).jpg|220px|right|thumb|[[Newport News Victory Arch]] in downtown Newport News]]
The city's downtown area was part of the earliest developed area which was initially incorporated as an independent city in 1896. The earlier city portions also included the "[[East End (Newport News, Virginia)|East End]]" or "Southeast" community, which was predominantly black American, the "North End" and the shipyard and coal piers. The town of [[Kecoughtan, Virginia|Kecoughtan]] in [[Elizabeth City County, Virginia|Elizabeth City County]] was annexed by Newport News in 1927, extending the city along Hampton Roads from Salter's Creek to Pear Avenue. After World War II, public housing projects and lower income housing were built to improve housing in what came to be known as the [[East End (Newport News, Virginia)|East End]] or "The Bottom" by locals.<ref name="nntimeline" /> The city expanded primarily westward where land was available and highways were built. While the shipyard and coal facilities, and other smaller harbor-oriented businesses have remained vibrant, the downtown area went into substantial decline. Crime problems have plagued the nearby lower-income residential areas.

[[File:First Baptist Church Newport News.jpg|220px|right|thumb|Original First Baptist Church in downtown Newport News]]
West of the traditional downtown area, another early portion of the city was developed as Huntington Heights. In modern times been called the [[North End Historic District (Newport News, Virginia)|North End]]. Developed primarily between 1900 and 1935, North End features a wealth of architectural styles and eclectic vernacular building designs. Extending along west to the [[James River Bridge]] approaches, it includes scenic views of the river. A well-preserved community, the North End is an historic district listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] and the [[Virginia Landmarks Register]].<ref>[http://historichamptonroads.com/huntington_heights.htm Huntington Heights on the Hampton Roads history and penny postcard tour]; accessed April 3, 2008.</ref>

The 1958 merger by mutual agreement with the City of Warwick removed the political boundary, which was adjacent to [[Mercury Boulevard]]. This major north–south roadway carries [[U.S. Route 258 in Virginia|U.S. Route 258]] between the [[James River Bridge]] and the Coliseum-Central area of adjacent Hampton. At the time, the county was mostly rural, although along Warwick Boulevard north of the Mercury Boulevard, [[Hilton Village]] was developed during [[World War I]] as a [[planned community]]. Beyond this point to the west, much of the city takes on a suburban nature. Many neighborhoods have been developed, some around a number of former small towns. Miles of waterfront along the James River, and tributaries such as Deep Creek and Lucas Creek, are occupied by higher-end single family homes. In many sections, wooded land and farms gave way to subdivisions. Even at the northwestern reaches, furthest from the traditional downtown area, some residential development has occurred. Much land has been set aside for natural protection, with recreational and historical considerations. Along with some newer residential areas, major features of the northwestern end include the reservoirs of the Newport News Water System (which include much of the [[Warwick River (Virginia)|Warwick River]]), the expansive [[Newport News Park]], a number of public schools, and the military installations of [[Fort Eustis]] and a small portion of the [[Naval Weapons Station Yorktown]].{{citation needed|date=July 2015}}

At the extreme northwestern edge adjacent to [[Skiffe's Creek]] and the border with James City County is the [[Lee Hall, Virginia|Lee Hall]] community, which retains historical features including the former [[Chesapeake and Ohio Railway]] station which served tens of thousands of soldiers based at what became nearby Fort Eustis during [[World War I]] and [[World War II]]. The larger-than-normal rural two-story frame depot is highly valued by rail fans and rail preservationists.<ref>[http://www.leehalldepot.org Lee Hall Depot webpage], leehalldepot.org; accessed April 3, 2008.</ref>
[[File:Town Center Drive in City Center Oyster Point, October 2012.jpg|thumb|right|220px|View along Town Center Drive at [[City Center at Oyster Point]], October 2012]]

In downtown Newport News, the [[Newport News Victory Arch|Victory Arch]], built to commemorate the [[World War I|Great War]], sits on the downtown waterfront. The "Eternal Flame" under the arch was cast by Womack Foundry, Inc. in the 1960s. It was hand crafted by the Foundry's founder and president, Ernest D. Womack. The downtown area has a number of landmarks and architecturally interesting buildings, which for some time were mostly abandoned in favor of building new areas in the northwest areas of the city (a strategy aided by tax incentives in the postwar years).

City leaders are working to bring new life into this area, by renovating and building new homes and attracting businesses. The completion of [[Interstate 664]] restored the area to access and through traffic which had been largely rerouted with the completion of the [[Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel]] connecting neighboring [[Hampton, Virginia|Hampton]] with the [[South Hampton Roads|Southside]] in 1958 and discontinuance of the Newport News-Norfolk ferry service at that time. The larger capacity [[Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel]] and the rebuilt [[James River Bridge]] each restored some accessibility and through traffic to the downtown area.<ref>[http://www.roadstothefuture.com/I664_VA_Desc.html I-664] Roads to the Future; accessed April 3, 2008</ref><ref name="traffic counts Isle of Wight">{{cite web|url= http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/AADT_046_IsleofWight_2005.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.virginiadot.org/info/resources/AADT_046_IsleofWight_2005.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=2005 Virginia Department of Transportation Jurisdiction Report – Daily Traffic Volume Estimates – Isle of Wight County }}&nbsp;{{small|(219&nbsp;KB)}} Accessed April 3, 2008.</ref>

[[File:Oyster Point1.jpg|thumb|right|220px|View across the fountain at [[City Center at Oyster Point]]]]
Much of the newer commercial development has been along the Warwick Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue corridors, with newer planned industrial, commercial, and mixed development such as Oyster Point, Kiln Creek and the City Center. While the downtown area had long been the area of the city that offered the traditional urban layout, the city has supported a number of [[New Urbanism]] projects. One is [[Port Warwick]], named after the fictional city in [[William Styron]]'s novel, ''[[Lie Down in Darkness (novel)|Lie Down in Darkness]]''. Port Warwick includes housing for a broad variety of citizens, from retired persons to off-campus housing for [[Christopher Newport University]] students. Also included are several high-end restaurants and upscale shopping.<ref>[http://www.portwarwick.com Port Warwick webpage], portwarwick.com; accessed April 3, 2008.</ref>

[[City Center at Oyster Point]], located near Port Warwick, has been touted as the new "downtown"{{Citation needed|date=September 2010}} because of its new geographic centrality on the Virginia Peninsula, its proximity to the retail/business nucleus of the city, etc. Locally, it is often called simply "City Center".<ref>[http://www.citycenteratoysterpoint.com City Center at Oyster Point], citycenteratoysterpoint.com; accessed April 3, 2008.</ref> Nearby, the Virginia Living Museum recently completed a $22.6 million expansion plan.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Erickson|first1=Mark St. John|title=Virginia Living Museum timeline|url=http://www.dailypress.com/features/family/dp-ticket-vlmtimeline-htmlstory.html|website=dailypress.com|publisher=Daily Press|access-date=December 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226215114/http://www.dailypress.com/features/family/dp-ticket-vlmtimeline-htmlstory.html|archive-date=December 26, 2016|url-status=live|date=May 5, 2016}}</ref>

Newport News is also home to a small Korean [[ethnic enclave]] on Warwick Boulevard near the Denbigh neighborhood on the northern end of the city. Although it lacks the density and character of larger, more established enclaves, it has been referred to as "Little Seoul"—being the commercial center for the Hampton Roads Korean community.<ref>{{cite web|last=Vegh|first=Steven G.|url=http://hamptonroads.com/2009/11/little-seoul-warwick-boulevard|title=A little 'Seoul' on Warwick Boulevard|publisher=HamptonRoads.com|date=November 14, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725075547/http://hamptonroads.com/2009/11/little-seoul-warwick-boulevard|archive-date=July 25, 2015|url-status=live|access-date=August 30, 2013}}</ref>