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**](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/virginia-beach?page=buzz)


Sky Above, Sand Below, Peace!

The Best Thing About Virginia Beach?

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"*

The Noise

The Worst Thing About Virginia Beach?

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/


Lifestyle Of Virginia Beach

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. 


Worklife Of Virginia Beach

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.


Great for the Whole Family

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**The Best Thing About Virginia Beach?**  Sky Above, Sand Below, Peace!

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. 

**The Worst Thing About Virginia Beach?**  The Noise

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. 

**How You Living?**  We Are Family!

While there are many beach cities that cater primarily to surfers and a party scene, Virginia Beach is not one of them. This is first and foremost a family-focused place. Even neighborhoods that line the long coastline are built for families: with beautiful old beach cottages, vacation homes, and newly built mansions. There are “downtown” places to live in areas like Pembroke  but for the most part if you’re moving to Virginia Beach you’re moving for a family friendly beach-centric or suburban neighborhood. 

**Why You Should Move Here Now?**  Let’s Get Educated

Given the challenges of education during the pandemic families are hungry for great schools for their little ones. Virginia Beach is one of the best public school districts in the state and gets A ratings across many of the schools. If you’re looking to move the family to a beautiful city and get the kids into great schools at the same time consider Virginia Beach. 


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. 


The Area

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. 
- Town Center
- Thalia
- Kings Grant


Young Professionals

Town Center

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.
- Alanton/Baycliff
- Laurel Cove
- Ashville Park
- Middle Plantation


Families

Alanton/Baycliff

Virginia Beach

**What advice would you give to someone who is moving to Virginia Beach, VA?**

You don’t really think about it, but living in VaBeach is almost like living on an island - if you need to leave the area, at some point you will have to go over or under water (bridge/tunnel) so choose where to you live to where you work carefully. Rush hour traffic & weekend/holiday traffic can be absolutely stifling.

I belonged to a group in the DC area and would make trips up there on a regular basis. There were a couple times I simply gave up & came home after about 2 hours of trying to get out of Hampton Roads area - traffic was SO bad, I just turned around and went home.

If you have kids, choose a place to live based on the schools you want them in (pretty true in any area). Public transportation sucks. VaBeach taxes you on everything you own… boats, cars, motorcycles “personal property tax”. Military can get a break on that tax if you submit proper paperwork.

I know that all sounds like a lot of downsides, but 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.

One caution - if looking to rent or buy…. BE SURE to check into the history of flood issues in that neighborhood. Flooding is a very real problem for many areas in VaBeach. Personally, I would talk to people who live on/near the street you’re interested in and ask about any flood problems they have had. You don’t even have to be on or near water to have these problems, and they can be devastating. Do your homework! BTW - we have lived here since 2000.

WELCOME TO VA BEACH!

**What advice would you give to someone who is moving to Virginia Beach, VA?**

This is an older question, but as a VB native, I feel as though I have some quality insight for this question. Virginia Beach is an amazing place. It’s one of a kind, actually. It’s a diverse city and we like it that way. The schools are impressive and great quality. It’s, generally, a safe city. I lived there for 19 years, before moving to Norfolk, VA.

There are some hidden treasures. Go check out local beaches, like Croatan and Seashore State Park. Go to Pungo for the farms and events like the Strawberry Festival. Explore! Have fun! But whatever you do, keep in mind that us, locals, care about our city and take care of it. All we ask is that you do the same!

**Thinking about moving to VA Beach from the Midwest!**

I took a different route joining the Navy to leave the Midwest and ended up here after a few other places. I like it. You'll like it if you don't like the Midwest. I love the weather but I like it hot. It barely ever snows but does get cold for a bit.

There's pretty much anything you want to do between VA Beach, Norfolk and Chesapeake. Multiple beaches, shops, nightlife, concert venues, a decent size airport, community events and more. There's an Amtrak station in Norfolk that is a cheap way to get to Richmond, DC, Philly, NYC and Boston. Just find what you enjoy. People will always find something to complain about but thats life.

**Thinking about moving to VA Beach from the Midwest!**

So I have lived here for almost three years after living in a mid sized mid-western city for most of my life. A lot of people hate on Hampton Roads but it is a great place imo. Each neighborhood is hit or miss so you need to do your research on where to live. People are nice, never had a bad interaction with someone.

Winters are very mild compared to the midwest. Only saw snow twice here. First time it melted by the next day. Second time was here for like a week. Wind is a little less than Nebraska's wind but does not blow as much. Summers are humid, some occasional storms but nothing too crazy. You would think it were about to storm almost every day but alas it does not. Spring and falls are super nice.

Like what other people have said, there is a lot to do around here and in and around the state. The amount of food options is exponentially more than back home. The Shack on the oceanfront always has something going on. Monster Truck stuff on the beach, Rodeo's in Hampton. Flights are cheap to wherever, once you get out of the Hampton Roads area roads are more civilized. Roanoke is Virginia's hidden gem.

The worst part of living here is the traffic. No one knows how to drive and there is complete disregard for life on the interstates. I have seen at least one accident happen a week while living here, been involved in 2. It is completely normal to see someone speed past you at 90mph in the left lane then veer right across 3-4 lanes of traffic to make the off ramp. Or see someone go 55mph in the middle lane causing everyone else going 65-70mph having the swerve out of the way and almost hitting someone else in the other lane. That is my one big take away about living here. But do not let it discourage you from moving here!

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Resort City

Looklyloo Score: 73

We're on it!