DH calls it the McDonalds of beaches. (And we’re not anti-McDonalds, fwiw. Just had a 6-piece today, actually.)

It has all the ingredients of a beach -ocean, sand, waves. Are there nicer, more upkept relaxing beaches? Very much yes. But if you want a close beach, Virginia Beach will do fine.

Anonymous wrote:I used to live in Va Beach and I loved it.

It's great if you can rent a house on the North End, which is very quiet and family-oriented.

Terrific beaches, wide and not crowded, lots if dolphins.

From there, you can bike easily to the boardwalk but leave when it is hectic.

Va beach has some truly good restaurants tucked away, off the boardwalk.

+1 Also used to live in Va Beach and completely agree. If you prefer a hotel, I’d recommend the Cavalier, Marriott, or Embassy Suites on 41st St/42nd St

I used to live in Va Beach and I loved it.

It's great if you can rent a house on the North End, which is very quiet and family-oriented.

Terrific beaches, wide and not crowded, lots if dolphins.

From there, you can bike easily to the boardwalk but leave when it is hectic.

Va beach has some truly good restaurants tucked away, off the boardwalk.

The north beach is quieter and calm for families. Very delightful beach. There’s plenty to do, too. An excellent aquarium nearby. Outside ropes course. On the beach massive, accessible playground. A lighthouse to climb. A clean boardwalk to stroll on. A pirate ship cruise for fun. The beach works hard on fighting erosion every couple of years with dredging up sand from the ocean and replacing the beachfront sand. There are many great affordable restaurants. Excellent get away for the kids. You also could spend time at Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens on the way to or fro the beach. .

the cavalier is really nice and across from the beach, the beach itself is very nice/ Va Beach is very casual if thats what you are looking for.

I’ve stayed at the Marriott, which is on the nicer end. Not much to do on the boardwalk but it’s fine for a stroll. Beach sand has an almost orange tint to it (maybe it’s imported)? Cute restaurants far from the main drag if you know where the locals go. The beach has fighter jet traffic. My son loved it. It’s fine if you want a shorter drive and are able to stay in a good hotel (like the Marriott). Worth it if you’re into boating too or have a friend with a boat.

Easier than renting a house in OBX and spending tons of money + having to cook/clean/grocery shop/do laundry.

VA boardwalk is cleaner than OC. I prefer oceanfront so I can walk just right before the sun is up start walking near 5:30am . I can not afford the best hotel. I heard Marriott at the end of the boardwalk near street 38 ? Is very nice. Cleaner beach than OC for me.

OC is a lot better than VA beach.

I have only been to VA Beach twice, so I’m far from an expert. Last time we stayed oceanfront, on the boardwalk, on the main drag. It’s more crowded here and at night, it’s quite the scene- lots of people, lots of loud cars and motorcycles, not really family oriented. I’m not sure what this section of town is called- South VA Beach?? Anyway, I think The northern part would be more to our liking, or way south, in Sandbridge, which I’ve heard good things about, but have never been.

Is this beach nice? I have heard varying degrees.
Is it best to stay at hotel? What are the ideal neighborhoods? Is the boardwalk gross or cleaner compared to Ocean City?