Is Pembroke safe?
Hampton, Virginia · safety score updated nightly
Mostly yes, with normal city awareness.
VibeLoco rates Pembroke as “Go, stay aware”.
Gogo's take on Pembroke
“Go with care. Pembroke is a predominantly working-class residential and commercial district that is generally calm during the daytime. Visitors should exercise standard urban awareness, particularly after dark along commercial stretches.”
Recent regional news coverage has highlighted municipal infrastructure investments and local community violence intervention programs across south Hampton.
About the area
Pembroke is a centrally located Hampton neighborhood featuring a mix of mid-century single-family houses, apartment complexes, and neighborhood retail corridors. Situated just west of downtown Hampton, it offers quick access to arterial roads, municipal stadiums, and waterfront tributaries.
- Working-Class
- Car-Dependent
- Suburban-Urban Mix
- Quiet Pockets
Walking and biking in Pembroke
Walk score: 48/100 · Bike score: 52/100
There is no local bike-share program, and dedicated bike lanes are scarce, though low-traffic residential side streets can be navigated safely by bike.
Reasons to go, and reasons to think twice
Pros
- Convenient central location with swift highway access to I-664 and downtown Hampton
- Pockets of established, quiet single-family residential streets
- Abundant free parking and low vehicular congestion on interior roads
Cons
- Above-average property crime and larceny rates compared to northern Peninsula suburbs
- Below-average median household income and visible commercial wear along main arteries
- Inconsistent street lighting on some secondary residential roads
Homelessness: Visible homelessness is minimal within the residential streets, with occasional individuals noticed near transit stops and shopping center corridors along West Pembroke Avenue.
What Pembroke is like at each time of day
- Morning · 5a – 11a
- Calm and uneventful as residents commute and local breakfast diners start their day.
- Afternoon · 11a – 5p
- Moderate commercial traffic on arterial roads while residential blocks remain peaceful and routine.
- Evening · 5p – 10p
- Generally quiet, though standard awareness is warranted in commercial parking lots as foot traffic drops.
- Late night · 10p – 5a
- Noticeably quiet with limited visibility on residential side streets, making nighttime walking less advisable.
Transit, parking and getting around
Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) provides bus service through routes such as the 101 and 114 along Pembroke Avenue and Mercury Boulevard, linking directly to the Hampton Transit Center.
Parking is free and widely available across large retail surface lots and unrestricted residential curbs.
Things to do in Pembroke
- Attend a regional high school sports match or track event at historic Darling Stadium
- Pick up fresh Chesapeake Bay seafood from waterfront markets nearby on Algonquin Road
- Explore the waterfront and museums in neighboring downtown Hampton, just minutes away
Local favorites
- Tommy's Restaurant · Diner · 4.5★ (950)Longstanding neighborhood staple serving hearty, traditional southern breakfasts and homestyle lunch plates.
- Graham & Rollins Passion The Fish Market · Seafood Market & Restaurant · 4.6★ (750)Historic waterfront seafood market known for fresh blue crab, oysters, and fried platters.
- Anna's Pizza Italian Restaurant · Italian Restaurant · 4.4★ (520)Casual, enduring strip-mall pizzeria offering New York-style pies, subs, and classic pasta dishes.
Scores are safety-driven — recent reported crime and local news plus Census income, poverty, housing, education, household and access data — refreshed nightly. Walk and bike scores are shown separately and do not affect the safety score. A guide, not a guarantee — conditions change street to street.