VIRGINIA BEACH

City Offices
2401 Courthouse Drive
Virginia Beach 757-385-3111
www.vbgov.com

Chamber of Commerce
500 East Main Street
Norfolk 757-622-2312
www.hamptonroadschamber.com

 

Services
Excellent transportation facilities enhance business and trade. Virginia Beach is not only well-served by a strong network of interstates and highways, the Norfolk International Airport is only one mile from the city limits. Virginia Beach even claims one of the seven man-made wonders of the world: the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. This 17.6-mile bridge tunnel stretches between Virginia Beach and the eastern shore, saving more than 90 miles when compared to inland routes. In addition to easy access to major highways and a centralized location along the East Coast, the Portsmouth terminal provides ease of import/export for distributors. Virginia Beach is also home to four naval bases, the largest concentration in the nation. Reflecting the city’s blend of relaxation and business, Fort Story offers a public beach.

Offering an exceptional quality of life, Virginia Beach claims a school system that has been nationally recognized among the top districts in the nation. Independent and parochial schools from preschool through high school are available for those who want to explore options for a private education. Opportunities for higher education abound in Virginia Beach and the neighboring cities of Hampton Roads. Within the city itself, Tidewater Community College offers associate’s degrees, continuing education, training programs, and a multitude of non-credit courses for students of all ages.

The private, liberal arts institution of Virginia Wesleyan College boasts a national reputation for excellence, while the Regent University provides flexible graduate-level study. The Regents University is the only institution in South Hampton Roads that offers a law degree, and its theater arts program provides a full season of outstanding performances for the entire community. The University of Virginia also operates its Hampton Roads Center in Virginia Beach.

In addition to the specialty, research and teaching hospitals scattered throughout Hampton Roads, Virginia Beach residents can find state-of-the-art diagnostics and treatment in two major hospitals and than 20 modern medical centers. Literally hundreds of skilled physicians and other medical professionals provide the finest of general and specialty care.

 

Lifestyle
Filling your leisure hours with quality activity is easy in Virginia Beach, where the bright daytime sun melts into starry nights and bright neon lights above a myriad of entertainment spots. Sports abound, from deep-sea fishing to sailing, boating, scuba diving, and windsurfing. Each August, surfers invade the city for the Virginia Beach East Coast Surfing championships.

According to the National Golf Association, nearly 10 percent of the population in Hampton Roads enjoys the game of golf. Little wonder that Virginia Beach offers beautiful championship golf courses that range from relaxing layouts to fairways that offer the ultimate challenge.

Nature’s beauty and majesty are carefully preserved for generations to come in Virginia Beach. The Back Bay Natural Wildlife Refuge offers nearly 8,000 acres of natural wonderland with beaches, marshes, and lush woodland. First Landing/Seashore State Park not only commemorates the 1607 landing of the first settlers, it provides 2,770 acres of varied habitats from semitropical forest to sand dunes. In the wintertime humpback whales dot the waters near Cape Henry, while playful dolphins perform delightful stunts for passing residents.

As one of the nation’s most popular playgrounds, Virginia Beach claims 38 miles of shoreline, 26 miles of public beach, 79 miles of scenic waterway and 51 miles of bikeways. State, city, and regional parks provide countless amenities. Demonstrating the sheer genius of the residents of Virginia Beach, Trashmore Park near Pembroke Mall is distinguished as the most visited park in Hampton Roads. Fashioned from an existing landfill, the park was constructed over a four-year period as a creative solid-waste disposal project. This innovative area includes a 68-foot high, 800-foot long mountain that blends layers of solid waste and clean soil. Today, Mount Trashmore is the scene of fun, games, and recreational activities that range from winter sledding to spring kite-flying.

Shops, stores, neighborhood centers, and regional malls are scattered throughout the city. Lynnhaven Mall is a dazzling retail mecca that encompasses more than one million square feet of retail space, combining department stores and specialty shops. In a city that claims more than 7,300 retail and wholesale businesses, the only thing left to desire is more browsing time.

Cultural delights in Virginia are abundant and designed to please every age group and taste. One of the most fascinating venues is the Virginia Marine Science Museum, featuring the state’s largest aquarium. The museum is home to river otters, egrets, harbor seals, and herons, just to name a few inhabitants. In addition to the 70,000-gallon sea turtle aquarium is a loggerhead hatchling lab and a salt marsh trail.

Museums, historic sites, ballet, galleries, and live stage performances add cultural depth to a lively arts scene. At the Contemporary Center for the Arts, residents and visitors can enjoy 20th-century art exhibits and a unique gallery shop as well as dance, theatrical, and musical performances.

One of the more unique features in Virginia Beach is the Association for Research and Enlightenment, the international headquarters for the work of Edgar Cayce. As the best-documented psychic and healer of modern times, Cayce wrote extensively on history and philosophy. Visitors are mesmerized by the beautiful meditation gardens and library at the visitor’s center.

Known for its family orientation, Virginia Beach hosts a number of festivals and celebrations that draw crowds from Hampton Roads as well as from across the nation. The premier activity in September is the Neptune Festival, providing tons of fresh seafood and entertainment. The Verizon Wireless Amphitheater hosts more than 40 concerts each year, showcasing the most popular groups in every musical genre.

Housing options in Virginia Beach are diverse and attractive, from high-rise condos to charming colonials, handsome older homes, modern subdivisions, premier recreational communities, and waterfront properties. Pungo and Sandbridge are the rural sections of the city, dotted with farms, horse properties, and strawberry fields. Imagine being able to enjoy the tranquility and slower pace of a country lifestyle just minutes from world-class entertainment and cultural amenities.

Views from the backyard of your home in Virginia Beach might include the Atlantic Ocean or Chesapeake Bay and any number of rivers, creeks, inlets and lakes, golf course fairways, or acres of woodland. Regardless of where you choose to call home, you’ll find yourself surrounded by a beach community with a true sense of family that just keeps growing.

Virginia Beach
Located on the Hampton Roads coastal plain, Virginia Beach is distinguished as the largest city in the state and one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the nation. What began as a simple holiday getaway in the late 1800s has blossomed over the centuries into a premier resort city that draws millions of visitors each year to its pristine beaches and quality recreational amenities.

A sweeping beautification program has underlined the city’s reputation for a resort lifestyle. Many considered Virginia Beach a modern, clean, and handsome city before the addition of lush green spaces, widespread landscaping, bike trails, benches, and attractive lighting. Complementing the booming tourist and hospitality trade, Virginia Beach boasts a diversified, healthy economy that encompasses both business and industry.

The city boasts five major areas of commercial, industrial, and office space. Agri­business, construction, real estate, retail, and wholesale trade are just a few of the enterprises that have settled into the city-operated business parks and scores of privately developed industrial and commercial centers. The city is home to the Christian Broadcast Network and the affiliated International Family Entertainment, whose Family Channel is one of the largest TV cable networks.

Smaller areas of office and commercial activity include Little Neck, the Oceanfront, Birdneck/Laskin Road, and Kempsville. In fact, Virginia Beach leads the entire Hampton Roads area in the number of offices. Although it may not be evident at first glance in a bustling, sophisticated city like Virginia Beach, agribusiness still plays a vital role in the economy. Numerous farms are located within the city limits, making it possible for residents to find fresh produce at numerous roadside stands or year-round at the Virginia Beach Farmers Market.