Virginia Beach Overview

Virginia Beach doesn't get enough street cred, often playing second fiddle to its more popular cousins in the nearby Historic Triangle (Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown). But, dig deeper with those plastic shovels, and you'll find jewels along this stretch of Atlantic coast. Among them are a 12-ton King Neptune and other stony followers standing watch over the ocean and old-fashioned wooden Boardwalk, while a Venice Beach-esque bike path runs parallel to the action. As the state's largest city, Virginia Beach enjoyed a mini-renaissance in 2008, with new hotels, shopping districts and a "green"-certified convention center. And while that sounds good on paper, the wide swath of beach is still the main draw for families and visitors.

History

For more than 115 years, Virginia Beach's balmy temperatures and invigorating ocean have beckoned to visitors. Even in the 19th century, warm sandy beaches and a boardwalk were key elements of a beach getaway. On April 26, 1607, three British ships, captained by John Smith, weighed anchor near the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay, where the first permanent English settlers stepped onto American shores. The tourism boom wouldn't kick into overdrive for another 200 years, beginning with the construction of a rail system in 1883 that brought visitors to the oceanfront from Norfolk and points north. A year later, the Virginia Beach Hotel opened, offering the first overnight accommodations, with such modern amenities as gas lighting and indoor lavatories. Summer vacation cottages became popular along the oceanfront as early as 1888, the same year the original Virginia Beach Boardwalk was built. By 1907, Virginia Beach was becoming a well-known oceanfront resort, and the Boardwalk was center stage for history in the making, from Prohibition and German U-boats, Big Bands and surfer girls, shag contests and roller blades. Built from wooden planks during the nation’s "gilded age", the five-block Boardwalk promenade attracted thousands of Victorian vacationers. Today's Boardwalk is now a 28-foot wide and three-mile long concrete promenade, and the beach destination remains a popular choice for families and friends to relive old memories and create new ones along its shores.