About Lambert's Point
The Lambert’s Point neighborhood encompasses only .449 square miles. Its geographic boundaries are the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks to the South, the Elizabeth River to the West, Hampton Boulevard to the East and Old Dominion University to the North. The neighborhood was once much larger and went all the way to 48th Street. Much of the South-Eastern half of ODU is built on what was once Lambert’s Point.
Lambert’s Point is a diverse neighborhood consisting of retirees, working-class and working poor families, college students and a smattering of gentrified homes looking to attract Millennials. In total there are over 3,000 people who call Lambert’s Point home.
Though the neighborhood is changing, it remains strongly associated with the African American experience in Norfolk. Residents of the Lambert’s Point have encountered many challenges - from zoning changes and expansion takeovers to concerns over crime, environmental pollution and sea level rise. Whether in spite of or directly the result of these challenges, the neighborhood has repeatedly rallied together as a community. At the same time, Lambert’s Point has remained a neighborhood composed of ordinary and extraordinary people most of whom are focused on paying bills, putting food on the table, providing for their children and grandchildren, parents and grandparents, and striving to forge community wherever opportunities present.
