Living in Virginia Beach

Overview

The oceanfront of Virginia Beach is a great area with many things to do and discover. The hotels are directly on the beach here, and all of the junk shops are set back on the street. This leaves pleasant views directly from many of the hotels on the beach. There are a lot of great restaurants and stores at the oceanfront.

Quick Tips:

If you're willing to venture out of the resort area, there are some nice beaches nearby that are much less crowded. In addition, there are some great restaurants and stores throughout the outlying areas of Virginia Beach.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you are content to stay in the oceanfront area, you can leave your car parked for the duration of your stay and walk everywhere you need to go. You will need a vehicle to venture outside of this immediate area though.

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Station One Hotel

Hotel

Station One holds this name because it is located on the oceanfront right beside the Old Coast Guard Station. This hotel is one of the nicer of the mid-range budget properties on the beach. It is centrally located on the boardwalk, with many activities right at your feet. We stayed on the 10th floor looking directly down on the Old Coast Guard Station. The view is very pleasing. The rooms were very plain and standard, but clean. There were kitchen facilities with a small living room area and a sizable bathroom. I would suggest this hotel as an alternative from all of the chain hotels at the oceanfront. Also consider off season nights which are remarkably underpriced.

Click here here to check it out!

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by cassidy90 on August 15, 2003

Station One Hotel
2321 Atlantic Avenue Virginia Beach, Virginia
1(800) 435-2424

Doubletree Hotel Virginia Beach

Hotel

For the price and location, I wouldn't call the Doubletree worthwhile for vacationers. If you are coming for a convention, or on business it would be a great hotel. Also would be good if everything at the oceanfront is booked.

We stayed here on one of our first trips down before we moved to the area. The rooms in the Doubletree were spacious and pretty clean. The bathrooms were the same, but could have been cleaner for the price. The hotel is located about six blocks off of the actual oceanfront, so it's not good for dragging all of your stuff to the beach. See the picture attached showing the road to the beach. Long walk. The hotel does offer a shuttle service to the oceanfront in the summer season.

On the other hand, it is located directly beside the VB Convention Center. There is a lot of parking on the premises and a pool inside. Honestly, there are too many interesting, clean, and more inexpensive hotels directly on the ocean to pay this much and still be so far away.

Click here to check it out!

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by cassidy90 on August 21, 2003

Doubletree Hotel Virginia Beach
1900 PAVILION DRIVE Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451
757 422-8900

Abbey Road Pub and Restaurant

Restaurant

Every time we've eaten at Abbey Road we had a wonderful experience. They are in a great location, down a side street only feet from the oceanfront. Beatles memorabilia hangs from the walls, as the name suggests. They have an outdoor seating section, which is in a nice, slightly removed spot.

The inside has a pub atmosphere with over a hundred choices of beers from around the world. Meals are always wonderful, but only entrees are served in the evening. There is a separate lunch menu with sandwiches and lighter fare for stopping in around afternoon.

The local waiters and waitresses have always been very friendly. Also, live entertainment is featured throughout the week.

Click here Abbey Road Pub to check it out!

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by cassidy90 on August 15, 2003

Abbey Road Pub and Restaurant
203 22nd Street Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451
757-425-6330

Lighthouse Restaurant

Restaurant | "The Lighthouse Restaurant"

The best thing about the Lighthouse is the location. Situated directly on Rudee Inlet at the end of the boardwalk, they truly have prime real estate. They advertise that every seat has a waterfront view and this is true. The only downside to the restaurant is that the food is disappointingly ordinary. The price for the cuisine is much too high for what you get. They have all of the standard seafood items, but I wouldn't call any of what we ate extraordinary. At this restaurant, you are basically paying for the view. It was very relaxing to sit and watch the boats return to the inlet for the day. If you decide to go, go for the view, but not a lot more. There are too many really good restaurants very close by with nearly equal atmosphere and location to go to the Lighthouse.

Click here The Lighthouse Restaurant to check it out!

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by cassidy90 on August 18, 2003

Lighthouse Restaurant
96 Atlantic Avenue Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451
(757) 428-7974

Waterman's Beachwood Grill

Restaurant

We've eaten at Waterman's several times. Their food and atmosphere is consistantly good. They are situated right on the boardwalk close to other good restaurants. There is indoor and outdoor dining available. The food is a little pricey, but I would consider it worth it because of the location and quality. The waiters and waitresses are always friendly, and busy. Everytime we've been there they have been pretty crowded, more so in the summer than winter. A lot of times we walk in right off of the beach and eat pretty quickly, but reservations could be a good idea. In addition, they have Pain Killers made with Pusser's Rum, which are excellent. I've had them in the BVI, but have never seen them elsewhere outside of the Caribbean. This is a great place to come for everybody.

Click here Waterman's Beachwood Grill to check it out!

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by cassidy90 on August 19, 2003

Waterman's Beachwood Grill
415 Atlantic Ave Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451
757-428-3644

Fort Story

Attraction | "Fort Story Fun"

This section of the beach is for people who are looking to get away from the masses. There are virtually no facilities out here, except possibly portable toilets. A small parking facility is around the corner close to the ocean front, and I have never seen it full. The base is an active Army facility. During the winter months it is closed to the public, but in summer the public swim beach is open at the east end. It used to be completely open, but since the events of September 11th, the gates are now gaurded. There is also a military swim beach at the other end of the base, which is not open to public. I have spent lots of time out there, and it is always relaxing. Usually the crowds are very minimal, except for busy holidays. Even then, there is no comparison to the main drag of VB.

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by cassidy90 on August 15, 2003

Fort Story
Route 60 (Shore Drive) Virginia Beach, Virginia

Sweet Caroline's

Attraction

Sweet Caroline's is a relatively new bar at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. We stopped in to see what it was like. They have live entertainment every night. We had a great time listening to the two pianists play. The bartender was pretty animated as well. There was no cover when we went, but it was a Monday night. I assume there is a cover charge on the weekends. Attached to the bar is the Ha! Comedy Club. While we were there a lot of people passed through heading that way. The cover charge covers both places. I don't think the cover would be too expensive. Drinks were relatively reasonable. I would recommend checking this place out. The atmosphere was fun and there were all ages and types of people there.

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by cassidy90 on August 19, 2003

Sweet Caroline's
1910 Atlantic Avenue Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451
(757) 491-3400

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Attraction

Back Bay is a great area to head for an afternoon hike or bike ride. We've gone down just for a walk on the beach as well. There are several beach access trails off of the main trails as you walk. Fishing and swimming are both allowed in designated places. I have never seen the place very crowded. There is a fee of $5 for vehicle parking and $2 for hiking or biking. There are several parking facilities on Sandpiper Rd. before you get to the refuge entry station. I've noticed some people park and walk or bike the half mile into the refuge. These parking facilities are also great accesses to the beach. False Cape State Park meets the Refuge on the southern end. The distance between the visitor's station and False Cape is about 4.25 miles. At this point, you can continue your hike or ride into False Cape and there are limited facilities there as well. This is really a great place to spend the day and because of the fee is never crowded. The trails are mainly gravel and are roomy for passing. The terrain is very flat with surrounding swamps and lakes. Since it is a refuge, you witness many different kinds of wildlife as you walk.

Click here Back Bay Wildlife Refuge to check it out!

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by cassidy90 on August 19, 2003

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
4005 Sandpiper Road Virginia Beach, Virginia 23456
(757) 721-2412

Off-Season Activities

Story/Tip

Virginia Beach is a great town to visit. There are always loads of activities in the summer during tourist season. Most people miss out on the off-season though. We have always enjoyed going down to the oceanfront during the winter months. Granted, the junk shops and a lot of the restaurants and bars are not open, but there is always something to find. The beaches are much less crowded and the hotel rates are astronomically low. Last winter, we stayed right on the ocean front in a nice little suite on the 10th floor just for a quick getaway. We paid about $40 for the whole deal and had a wonderful view of the ocean with the beach almost all to ourselves. Just because the tourist season has passed, don't pass this spot up for a relaxing winter weekend.

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