Virginia Beach Neighborhoods, Locations and Districts

(Virginia Beach, Virginia - VA, USA)

A beautiful stretch of white sand located almost exactly between New Jersey's touristy Ocean City and the wild Outer Banks of North Carolina, Virginia Beach is a surfers' haven. One of the most historic places in all of the United States, Virginia Beach has much to offer the many visitors who flock to this area.

The focus of life in Virginia Beach is the strip of beach and its promenade and boardwalk areas - downtown Virginia Beach is a mainly government and business district. Other notable districts include Virginia Beach's Bayside, Blackwater, Kempsville, Lynnhaven, Princess Anne and Pungo districts. Here are Virginia Beach's main districts and liveliest areas.

Atlantic Avenue

Fronting the beach and coastline, and running the entire length of Virginia Beach, Atlantic Avenue is the throbbing heart of Virginia Beach. Quality accommodation can be found here, with many establishments boasting their own great restaurants and bars. There are shopping malls, specialty stores, surfing shops, diners, cafés and all kinds of water sport rental shops around Virginia Beach's Atlantic Avenue. In the evenings, the restaurants, bars and clubs take over and there is plenty of live street entertainment to keep you enthralled in this district of Virginia Beach.

Boardwalk District

The Boardwalk is the focal point of evening entertainment in Virginia Beach. Several upscale seafood restaurants sit side by side with the city's liveliest bars, clubs and discos, creating an exciting ambiance. During the day, the Virginia Beach Boardwalk plays host to cyclists, inline skaters, joggers and people enjoying a relaxing stroll along the shoreline. The beach at Virginia Beach has purposely been widened over the years, creating ample room for the thousands of sunbathers that line its length.

Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay tidewater is an important waterway in the Virginia / Maryland region. Perfect for any kind of water sport, the bay is a favorite with Virginia Beach visitors and offers sailing, whale-watching, windsurfing and more. Many companies in Virginia Beach run boat tours out on Chesapeake Bay, where you can watch marine life as well as observe some fascinating sites of historical interest from a unique perspective. On the bay's southerly cape you will find two important and historic lighthouses, the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse - dating back to 1792, and the black and white New Cape Henry Lighthouse - built out of cast iron in 1881, as a replacement after cracks began appearing inside the old tower.

Beach Street

The site of many of the city's festivals and events, Beach Street is full of interesting stores and cafés. This section of Virginia Beach's famous Atlantic Avenue lies between 17th and 25th streets and is the free, live performing arts district of Virginia Beach. There are always plenty of unique activities going on along this part of the oceanfront.