Local's Lowdown on Virginia Beach!

Okay, I read The Lowdown on Virginia Beach, and, while I have to admit that some of the lowdown was on the money, I beg to differ with several of the more negative characterizations that were made about my fair city.

What's true?

Virginia Beach is not a nightlife mecca by any stretch of the imagination. Our very strange city council is determined to turn this once fairly hopping city into a "family destination" by forcing out the few bars and nightclubs that remain with silly laws, bright spotlights, and mounted police. Very silly for a tourist destination, but what can I say? Norfolk is the place to go for nightlife - no doubt about it.

There isn't much public transportation. True, very true. But that's not a phenomenon of Virginia Beach, but of the entire country minus a few big cities like New York and Boston. Suburban sprawl is rampant in our area as it is in most of the country. There are lots of taxis, but they need to be called. They don't go cruising around for riders like in the big city!

The shopping on the "strip" is not good - in fact, it's pretty tacky for the most part. The whole shopping experience is geared toward the typical tourists that seem to frequent Virginia Beach. Enough said. There are some nice shops in Virginia Beach in the Hilltop area or in Norfolk on Colley Avenue or Granby Street.

Most of the people you meet on the beach are not actually from the area. True, because you will be hardpressed to find a "local" on the Boardwalk or anywhere near the main beach in summer. September is the month when the locals head back to their beach for some late-summer sun with a place to park and a quiet spot to lie down on. Most locals head to other prettier beaches in summer such as Fort Story, Sandbridge, and First Landing. Even in the resort area, you'll find more locals at Croatan or the Northend beaches.

Now here's what isn't true or what our visitor never had the time to discover:

Virginia Beach isn't breathtaking. Well, I grant you the Boardwalk area is nice, but nothing special. But head out to Sandbridge, First Landing, Fort Story, and the countless local waterways and you'll be struck by their beauty. When I see the pristine beaches of Back Bay and False Cape, I always find myself imagining that that view was what the first colonists saw when they came here. It must have taken their breath away. It does mine. Everywhere you turn there is water of some sort in the Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads area. There is wildlife galore and a beautiful sunset over the water at every turn. You just need to know where to look! Look past the strip malls and suburbs and you'll find extraordinary natural beauty all around you.

There's nothing to do. There are countless things to do in Virginia Beach as well as the greater Hampton Roads area. It's one of the most historic areas in the country and offers a natural setting on the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean that few places can rival. Some of my favorite summertime activities are: taking the dolphin cruise at sunset, eating dinner outdoors at the Lynnhaven Inlet area (at sunset!), boating anywhere in the area, going to Sandbridge Beach in the late afternoon with my kids and husband, visiting the Virginia Aquarium, going to Bike Night at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, heading up to Busch Gardens, strolling Colonial Williamsburg's quaint streets, having a beer and seafood at any one of the many outdoor events or outdoor restaurants, having appetizers and drinks at one of the outdoor bars on Rudee Inlet, taking a pirate cruise with the kids - I guess I'm out of the bar mode a bit these days, but there is a "ton" to do. Your friend was right! You just have to get up in time to do it!

Visitors to Virginia Beach won't be disappointed. With a car and a local (or a good guide book) to show you the many treasures that can be found here, you'll leave with some great memories. No, it's not the nightlife hotspot it used to be and it is pretty tame by most standards, but Virginia Beach still has a lot to offer visitors of all ages.