Virginia Beach, VA homes for sale
Virginia Beach, VA homes for sale
Resting comfortably where the Atlantic Ocean meets the southern mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, glowing with sunshine splashing off the world’s longest pleasure beach (just ask the good folks at Guinness World Records), the metro area of Virginia Beach stretches for almost 500 square miles, with a little more than half of that being water.
According to the 2010 census, metro Virginia Beach is home to more than 438,000 people. Now, when you’re shopping around for homes in the area, don’t let its large size and population intimidate you. Its overall crime index for 2009 (215.7) was more than 100 points lower than the U.S. average (319.2). And if that’s not enough to convince you, Newsweek named it America's safest city in 2004.
Virginia Beach is not only a great place to live, but it’s also an outstanding long-term investment for home buyers.
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Shopping and Dining
Shopping in Virginia Beach is just as idyllic and magical as the oceanfront and beach. Quite simply put: it has everything.
If you want one-stop shopping, check out Lynnhaven Mall. It’s got more than 150 specialty stores, four department stores, a double-decker carousel, elaborate play area for the kids and a complete food court. If you can’t find it here, chances are you don’t need it.
If you want to browse some local boutiques and gift shops and other unique retail options, you can take a short jaunt west of the oceanfront to Hilltop North, East & West, or head downtown to the Town Center and Pembroke Mall.
With its Oceanside location, Virginia Beach is naturally a great place to find excellent seafood. Dive into such local delicacies as Chesapeake Bay crab cakes, Lynnhaven River oysters and fresh local tuna.
There are literally too many amazing restaurants in Virginia Beach to mention even half of them here; however, some hometown favorites include Tautogs, Mahi Mah’s and Rockafeller’s.
Parks and Recreation
The City of Virginia Beach’s Parks and Recreation Department has taken advantage of the area’s lush beauty and innate wonders to create more than 200 parks, covering more than 4,000 acres, not including Mother Nature’s gifts like the Chesapeake Bay and Cape Henry.
Each of these neighborhood, community, district and city parks provide the homeowners and visitors to Virginia Beach with a wide variety of passive and active opportunities to get outside and enjoy this incredibly beautiful region of the country.
Some of the attractions in Virginia Beach include family picnic shelters with tables and grills, tennis courts and ballfields, walking trails, wide-open spaces and playgounds.
Living
Virginia Beach home buyers will enjoy the 3-mile-long oceanfront boardwalk. Along this breathtakingly scenic pathway, you can take a romantic sunset stroll or a vigorous morning jog. Stop at any of the myriad beachside venues for some live, free entertainment or casual shopping and dining.
Mild winters, great summers, outdoor living, vibrant culture and a location out of the storm belt are only a few reasons why buying a home in Virginia Beach is a great idea. Interestingly, the geographic location of the city is especially admirable. It lies south of the common path of storms originating in the higher latitudes, yet north of the usual courses of hurricanes and other major tropical storms (with the exception of Hurricane Isabel in 2003).
Jobs are available in tourism, agribusiness, retail, and the military and government sector. The largest military bases are Oceana in Virginia Beach; Langley in Hampton; Fort Eustis in Newport News; and Little Creek and the Navel Operating Base in Norfolk. Other bases include Fort Story and Fort Monroe.
Schools, Health, Transportation
Virginia Beach City Public Schools provides K-12 public education for the city. It currently serves more than 65,000 students with 56 elementary, 14 middle and 11 high schools. The metro area is also home to several private, independent schools, as well as Regent University and Atlantic University.
Residents of Virginia Beach have a number of exceptional healthcare facilities available to them, including Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, Sentara Bayside Hospital, and the newly created Sentara Princess Anne Medical Campus. It’s also home to the Portsmouth Naval Hospital and V.A. Hospital.
Public transportation in Virginia Beach and its surrounding metro area is primarily accomplished via the Hampton Roads Transit bus system, Norfolk International Airport, Amtrak train service and a Greyhound/Trailways bus terminal.
