I enjoyed growing up part of my life in Virginia Beach. We had the ocean and the beach and a beautiful landscape. We were outdoors all the time and we played outside. -Mark Ruffalo
There’s a lot more to Virginia Beach than the beach but you’ll never escape that this is first and foremost a beach town. For starters, it just so happens to be the longest pleasure beach in the world. It’s also a city from which the beach vibe and experiences are inescapable. Amazing seafood restaurants are everywhere, the dress code is all-year casual, and in addition to lounging on the beach, you and the family can also enjoy fishing, boating, and any number of beach and water sports. If you’d like your children to grow up experiencing a life outdoors in the sun and sand Virginia Beach is an ideal spot.
Check out a local's point of view on living in Virginia Beach:
Be assured that there are many good things about the area, which is why so many people like to live here. If you happen to be military (active duty or retired) you access to military benefits are bountiful, including the largest commissary in the country (Oceana) and a HUGE exchange at Naval Station Norfolk - plus many different commissaries/exchanges, etc to choose from.
There is LOTS to see & do right here in VaBeach and the surrounding areas. Within 30 minutes you can be out in the country while living just minutes from the ocean front. There are lots of things to do out in the community - live music festivals, wine festivals, art festivals, military airshows, etc. Virginia Beach Town Center has lots of community activities going on - all good for families. In about four hours (give or take a few hours with the traffic… LOL) you can visit all the sites of our nations capitol, DC. VaBeach has just about every type of restaurant you could ever hope to try. Norfolk just opened a new premier outlet shopping center that is right on the VaBeach border.
For more reviews of what living in Virginia Beach is like from locals check out: The Buzz
The Oceana Naval Air Station is based in Virginia City and while the site of the F-18 Super Hornets overhead can be inspiring they make a serious racket. You get used to them but for newbies the 118 decibels, the equivalent of a Metallica concert at full blast, can distract from the beauty of the beach and the ocean.
Here's a local with a note about how they accommodate the plane noise:
It's one of the many things I've come to love about living here. The unspoken agreement that you stop mid conversation until the screeching engines have ceased then pick up as if nothing has occurred. "Yeah, so the other day I was on Independence and…."
"VROOOOOOMMMMMMM….RRRUUUUHHHHHHHH. SCREECHING BALD EAGLES OF FREEDOM NOISE"
Virginia Beach is all about that outdoor lifestyle although that does not mean you have to go into the water if you prefer dryland. The city has over 300 publicly-funded parks including First Landing State Park and Back Bay Wildlife Refuge. These are amazing places to hike, run, canoe, kayak, hike, and fish if those are your preference.
This incredible variety of public parks illustrates how critical experiencing the outdoors is to the city and the residents. Hitting the beaches, of which there are an incredible variety, is at the top of the outdoor lifestyle pyramid though and you’d have to fight pretty hard to avoid them as a regular part of your daily experiences.
https://medium.com/@samsansalone.realestate/pros-and-cons-of-living-in-virginia-beach-va-c8c1e98a7b10
If you want to see what locals do for fun in VaBeach check out the calendar of events: https://www.visitvirginiabeach.com/explore/events/
Virginia Beach ranked #3 in a recent WalletHub study among the best large cities for finding a job with real estate, defense and tourism the big employer sectors. Several US Military bases call Virginia Beach home with the Navy’s NAS Oceana the largest employer in the entire city. Over 50% of the locals work within the city, making it a tight-knit community. If you’re working outside the city you’re likely commuting to Norfolk or Chesapeake to one of the other region’s military bases like the US Navy’s Atlantic Fleet Base in Norfolk.
With a number of different single family home options, highly rated public schools, and a ton of family friendly activities, Virginia Beach is replete with good reasons to move here if you’re settling down. It’s a lot cheaper than a lot of West Coast beach towns as well despite providing pretty much the same amenities. The great weather and opportunities to enjoy it aren’t going anywhere as well, so Virginia Beach should be near the top of your list for a number of reasons, but especially if living near a beach is something that you’re interested in.
Virginia beach is in a subtropical climate range but the winters are cool with some light snowfall. It occupies a unique location relative to the path of most central and southeastern storms. It’s south of the northern storms and north of the southern storms so the central location makes it safer from that damage that strikes North Carolina to the south and New Jersey to the north. This makes it ideal for locals and really nice for tourists who at least don’t have to panic so much about a destructive storm destroying their vacation plans. The proximity to the rest of the south and central east coast pulls in a lot of tourists but it also means you can drive to all sorts of other cities, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond and D.C. in just a few hours.
Town Center is a dense commercial area previously known as Pembroke. Filled with shops, restaurants, bars, an arts scene and office complexes it is one of the hottest spots in the city for young professionals. Living a walk from work or a night out is the ideal scenario and Town Center hits the mark. Surrounding Town Center is the Little Neck area, which includes Town Center, and Thalia and Kings Grant. All three of these neighborhoods should be on the short list of a youngster looking for a place to live. Apartment and condo living combined with good walkscore access to nightlife makes these the starting point.
Alanton/Baycliff is a hugely popular neighborhood for families in Virginia Beach. Big homes, large lots and direct access to Chesapeake Bay and the ocean means you get the best of both worlds here. Safe, suburban living without sacrificing access to water. The neighborhood is tight and a popular community pool seems to bring everyone together. Laurel Cove is another great option. Not as close to the beach but more affordable as a result it has some of the best public schools in the city and a great community.
