Virginia Beach, Virginia

Virginia Beach is best known as a major resort, with miles of beaches and hundreds of hotels, motels, and restaurants along its oceanfront. It is also home to several state parks, several long protected beach areas, three military bases, a number of large corporations, and two universities. It was the site of the first landing of English colonists bound for Jamestown.

The city is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having the longest pleasure beach in the world and is located at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, the longest bridge-tunnel complex in the world.

See also: History of Virginia Beach

[edit] Geography and climate

[edit] Geography

Image of the Chesapeake Bay shore.

Virginia Beach is located at 36°50′4″N, 76°5′13″W (36.834498, -76.087179)^GR1.

of 1,288.1 km² (497.3 mi²). 643.1 km² (248.3 mi²) of it is land and 645.0 km² (249.0 mi²) of it (50.07%) is water. The average elevation is 12 feet (4 meters) above sea level. A major portion of the city drains to the Chesapeake Bay by way of the Lynnhaven River and its tributaries.

The city is located at the southeastern corner of the tidewater region of Virginia (also known as Hampton Roads), bordering the Atlantic Ocean. The Hampton Roads Metropolitan Statistical Area (officially known as the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA) is the 34th largest in the United States, with a total population of 1,576,370. The area includes the Virginia cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Williamsburg, and the counties of Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Mathews, Surry, and York, as well as the North Carolina county of Currituck. While Virginia Beach is the most populated city within the MSA, it actually currently functions more as a suburb. The city of Norfolk is recognized as the central business district, while the Virginia Beach oceanside resort district and Williamsburg are primarily centers of tourism.

The Virginia tidewater area has grown faster than the local freshwater supply. The river water has always been salty, and the fresh groundwater is no longer available in most areas. Currently, water for the tidewater area is pumped from Lake Gaston, which straddles the Virginia-North Carolina border. The pipeline is 76 miles long and 60 inches in diameter.^[2] It is capable of pumping 60 million gallons of water per day(60MGD), Chesapeake is a partner in the project and is allotted 10 MGD.^[3]

[edit] Cityscape

When the modern city of Virginia Beach was created in 1963, by the consolidation of the 253 square mile (655 km²) Princess Anne County with the 2 square mile (5 km²) City of Virginia Beach, the newly larger city was divided into seven boroughs: Bayside, Blackwater, Kempsville, Lynnhaven, Princess Anne, Pungo, and Virginia Beach.

The city's roads are not arranged in any particular pattern, primarily due to the presence of many water inlets. Interstate 64, a portion of the Hampton Roads Beltway, forms a loop around the city of Norfolk, and is located just inside the western border of Virginia Beach. I-64 forms a junction with Interstate 264 (formerly the Norfolk-Virginia Beach Expressway) just outside of the city, which runs from west to east across the city to the oceanfront. Other major roads include Virginia Beach Boulevard (U.S. Route 58), Shore Drive (U.S. Route 60), which connects to Atlantic Avenue at the oceanfront, Princess Anne Road (State Route 165), Indian River Road (former State Route 603), Lynnhaven Parkway, Independence Boulevard, General Booth, and Nimmo Parkway. Streets in the oceanfront hotel and entertainment district are arranged in a fairly regular, gridlike pattern, with Atlantic Avenue parallel to the shoreline, then Pacific Avenue, and Arctic Avenue going further inland.

Virginia Beach has many distinctive communities and neighborhoods within its boundaries, including Chesapeake Beach, Great Neck, Kings Grant, Alanton, Green Run, Bayside, Blackwater, College Park, Croatan Beach, Doyletown, Greenwich, North End, Kempsville, London Bridge, Lynnhaven, Munden, Oceana, Ocean Park, Pembroke Manor, Pembroke Meadows, Pembroke Shores Princess Anne, Pungo, Salem, Sandbridge, Seatack, Shadowlawn, Thalia, Thoroughgood, and the Oceanfront.

[edit] Climate

The weather in Virginia Beach is temperate and seasonal. Summers are hot and humid with cool evenings. The mean annual temperature is 60 °F (15 °C), with an average annual snowfall of 7.4 inches and an average annual rainfall of 45 inches. The wettest seasons are the spring and summer, although rainfall is fairly constant all year round. The highest recorded temperature was 103°F (39°C) in August 1957, and the lowest recorded temperature was -11°F (-24°C) in January 1985.^[4],^[5]

Additionally, the geographic location of the city, with respect to the principal storm tracks, is especially favorable, as it is south of the average path of storms originating in the higher latitudes, and north of the usual tracks of hurricanes and other major tropical storms.

[edit] Points of interest

[edit] People and culture

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census year	Population

1790	7,793
1800	8,859
1810	9,498
1820	8,768
1830	9,102
1840	7,285
1850	7,669
1860	7,714
1870	8,273
1880	9,394
1890	9,510
1900	11,192
1910	11,526
1920	13,626
1930	16,282
1940	19,984
1950	42,277
1960	84,215
1970	172,106
1980	262,199
1990	393,069
2000	425,257
2004	440,098

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 425,257 people, 154,455 households, and 110,898 families residing in the city. The population density was 661.3/km² (1,712.7/mi²). There were 162,277 housing units at an average density of 252.3/km² (653.6/mi²).^[4]

The racial makeup of the city was 71.41% White (69.46% non-Hispanic white), 18.95% African American, 0.38% Native American, 4.91% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 1.51% from other races, and 2.75% from two or more races. 4.18% Hispanic or Latino of any race.^[4]

There were 154,455 households out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.14.^[4]

The age distribution is 27.5% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.^[4]

The median income for a household in the city was $48,705, and the median income for a family was $53,242. Males had a median income of $33,756 versus $25,979 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,365. About 5.1% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.^[4]

[edit] Museums and cultural arts

Old Cape Henry Lighthouse postal stamp United States Postal Service

The city is home to several points of interest in the historical, scientific, and performing arts areas, and has become a popular tourist destination in recent years. The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center (formerly the Virginia Marine Science Museum) is a popular aquarium near the oceanfront that features the 300,000-gallon Norfolk Canyon Aquarium, containing sand tiger, nurse and brown sharks, as well as sting rays and other large open-ocean dwellers. There is also a 70,000-gallon sea turtle aquarium, sea turtle hatchling laboratory, hands-on ocean exploration exhibits, jellyfish and octopus aquariums, and even a life-size model of a humpback whale. Other features include the Owls Creek salt marsh and a nature trail. (www.VirginiaAquarium.com)

The Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheather features a wide variety of popular shows and concerts, ranging from Kenny Chesney to Gretchen Wilson to Coldplay to Ozzfest. The city is also planning to build a 1200-seat performing arts theatre in the Virginia Beach Town Center by 2007.

Virginia Beach also is home to many sites of historical importance, and has 18 sites on the National Register of Historic Places. Such sites include the Adam Thoroughgood House (one of the oldest surviving colonial homes in Virginia), the Francis Land House (a 200 year old plantation), the Cape Henry Lighthouse and nearby Cape Henry Light Station (a second tower), Bayville Farm, DeWitt Cottage, Ferry Farm Plantation, Dr. John Miller-Masury House, Adam Keeling House, Old Donation Church, Pembroke Manor, Pleasant Hall, Shirley Hall (Devereaux House), Thomas Murray House, U.S. Coast Guard Station (Seatack), Upper Wolfsnare (Brick House Farm), Weblin House, and Wishart Boush House and Wolfsnare.

In 1928, the Edgar Cayce Hospital for Research and Enlightenment established in Virginia Beach, with 60 beds. Cayce was a supposed psychic from Kentucky who claimed healing abilities and made prophesies. Cayce resided in Virginia Beach until he died on 3 January 1945. His followers are still active in Virginia Beach.

[edit] Parks and outdoor recreation

Virginia Beach is home to 208 city parks, encompassing over 4,000 acres (16 km²), including neighborhood parks, community parks, district parks, and other open spaces. Each park is unique and offers something for everyone, from wide open spaces to playgrounds, picnic shelters, and ballfields.

Perhaps one of the most well-known parks is the world-renowned Mount Trashmore Park, clearly visible from I-264 as you're traveling to the oceanfront. The park is 165 acres (668,000 m²). The mountain is 60 ft (18 m) high and over 800 ft (240 m) long, and was created by compacting layers of solid waste and clean soil. The park also features two lakes: Lake Windsor and Lake Trashmore. Lake Trashmore is stocked with fish for fishing. A new skate park has also been opened here as well.

Another major park in the city is Great Neck Park, a 70 acre (283,000 m²) park located in the Lynnhaven District. Facilities include five large group shelters, mini-shelters, family picnic tables and grills, three playgrounds, horseshoe pits, volleyball courts, vending machines, walking trails, four baseball fields, as well as a gazebo located at the end of a scenic walkway overlooks the Lynnhaven River.

The Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1938, is an 8,000 acre (32 km²) fresh water refuge that borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and Back Bay on the west. The barrier islands feature large sand dunes, maritime forests, fresh water marshes, ponds, ocean beach, and large impoundments for wintering wildfowl. It is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

First Landing State Park and False Cape State Park are both located in coastal areas within the city's corporate limits as well.

Munden Point is a park located in the deep southern end of the city, which is known for being rural.

Additionally, the famous three-mile (5 km) boardwalk at the oceanfront is often packed with fascinating entertainment, outdoor cafes, concerts and people.

[edit] Sports

Virginia Beach has no major league professional sports teams or spectator sports. Since Norfolk contains the central business district of Hampton Roads, most of the major spectator sports are located there. While the Hampton Roads area has been recently considered as a viable prospect for major-league professional sports, and regional leaders have attempted to obtain Major League Baseball, NBA and NHL franchises in the recent past, no team has yet relocated to the area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the country without a professional sports team.

There are two soccer teams in the United Soccer Leagues - the Virginia Beach Mariners, a men's team in the second-level USL First Division, and the Hampton Roads Piranhas, a women's team in the W-League, the de facto top women's league after the suspension of the Women's United Soccer Association. The Mariners and Piranhas play at the main stadium of the Virginia Beach Sportsplex, which also contains the central training site for the U.S. women's national field hockey team.

The city is also home to the East Coast Surfing Championships, an annual contest of more than 100 of the world's top professional surfers and an estimated 400 amateur surfers. This is North America's oldest surfing contest, and features combined cash prizes of $55,000.

There are also eleven golf courses open to the public in the city, as well as four country club layouts and 36 military holes at NAS Oceana's Aeropines course. Among the best-known public courses are Hell's Point Golf Club and the TPC of Virginia Beach, the latter of which hosts the Virginia Beach Open, a Nationwide Tour event, each April.

There are some great gyms in Virginia Beach for those that are competitive gymnasts. Ocean Tumblers and Excalibur are two of the gyms that host competitions throughout the year.

[edit] Infrastructure

[edit] Government

Virginia Beach was chartered as a municipal corporation by the General Assembly of Virginia on January 1, 1963. The city currently operates under the council-manager form of government.

The city's legislative body consists of an 11 member city council. The city manager is appointed by the council and acts as the chief executive officer. Through his staff, he implements policies established by the council.

Members of the city council normally serve four-year terms and are elected on a staggered basis. General elections are held the first Tuesday in May in even-numbered years. All registered voters are eligible to vote for all council members. Three council members and the mayor serve on an "at large" basis with no district residency requirement. All others are required to live in the district they represent.

The mayor is elected to a four-year term through direct election. The mayor presides over council meetings, and serves as the ceremonial head and spokesperson of the city. A vice mayor is also elected by the city council at the first meeting in July following a council election.

[edit] Government Reforms

Recently, the city government of Virginia Beach has outlawed swearing of any kind at the Virginia Beach ocean front, which has been met with legal questions about infringing on first amendment rights.

[edit] Education

According to the U.S. Census, of the population over twenty-five, 28.1% (vs. a national average of 24%) hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and 90.4% (vs. 80% nationally) have a high school diploma or equivalent.

The city of Virginia Beach is home to Virginia Beach City Public Schools, the second largest school system in Virginia and among the 50 largest school divisions in the United States (based on student enrollment). Virginia Beach City Public Schools currently serves 74,682 students, and includes 55 elementary schools, 15 middle schools, 11 high schools which include Landstown, Princess Anne, Cox, Tallwood, Salem, First Colonial, Kellam, Green Run, Kempsville, Bayside, and Ocean Lakes High Schools as well as a number of secondary/post-secondary specialty schools and centers such as the Advanced Technology Center (ATC), which provides excellent courses for those trying to gain a place in the technology field. Ocean Lakes maintains a rigorous math and science academy, while Bayside houses a health sciences academy. Landstown High School contains a Technology Academy, which helps prepare students for jobs in Business Marketing and/or Information Technology. First Colonial High School is home to a legal studies academy, Tallwood has recently founded a world studies academy, and Princess Anne is an international Baccalaureate Diploma Programme school. Specialized courses are offered at all these academies, even though they occasionally overlap courses offered at other specialized centers, such as Landstown and the ATC - less than 1 mile away. Ocean Lakes High is also home to the Magnet Program.

There are also a number of private, independent schools in the city, including The Hebrew Academy of Tidewater, Cape Henry Collegiate School, Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School (formerly Norfolk Catholic), and Baylake Pines School.

Virginia Beach is home to one university, Regent University, a private university founded by controversial Christian Evangelist and Leader Pat Robertson which has historically focused on graduate education but is attempting to establish an undergraduate program as well. Old Dominion University is in nearby Norfolk and both the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech operate satellite campuses in Virginia Beach. Tidewater Community College, a major junior college, also has its largest campus located in the city. Virginia Wesleyan College, a private liberal arts college, is located near the border with Norfolk. Additional institutions of higher education are located in other communities of greater Hampton Roads.

[edit] Military bases

Virginia Beach is home to several United States Military bases. These include the United States Navy's NAS Oceana, FTC Dam Neck, NAB Little Creek, and the United States Army's Fort Story located at Cape Henry. NAS Oceana is the largest employer in Virginia Beach and currently under consideration to be shut down by the 2005 BRAC Commission. The BRAC Commission ultimately issued a decree giving Virginia Beach one last chance to maintain Oceana. The decree included a command to condemn houses in the APZ Zones. This action has never been the position of the United States Navy. A report in March 2006 was to determine whether the jets remain at Oceana or not; the issue remained unresolved 6 months later. Both NAS Oceana and FTC Dam Neck are considered to be the largest of their respective kind in the world. Furthermore, located in nearby Norfolk is the central hub of the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet, Norfolk Navy Base.^[6]

[edit] Transportation

Image:Cbbt bridges at north end.jpg

Aerial view of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel looking south from Cape Charles, Virginia. photo courtesy Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Commission

The city is primarily served by the nearby Norfolk International Airport (IATA: ORF, ICAO: KORF). Also located within an hour's drive away is the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (IATA: PHF, ICAO: KPHF). The city is connected to I-64 via I-264, which runs from the oceanfront, intersects with I-64 on the east side of Norfolk, and continues through downtown Norfolk and Portsmouth until rejoining I-64 at the terminus of both roads in Chesapeake. The city is also connected to Virginia's Eastern Shore via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which is the longest bridge-tunnel complex in the world and known as one of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World. Transportation within the city, as well as with other cities in the Hampton Roads area, is served by a regional bus service, HRT.

[edit] Sister cities

Virginia Beach has three Sister Cities:^[7]

[edit] Trivia

The resort strip area of Virginia Beach had been part of the same political subdivision as the rest of the current city of Virginia Beach since 1634 except for 11 years (1952-1963) when the 2 square mile area was a separate independent city, also named Virginia Beach, (before rejoining the former Princess Anne County by consolidation in 1963, when the better known name of the resort strip was retained for the greatly enlarged city).^{[citation needed]}

Until 2004, Emergency Medical Services in Virginia Beach was provided by the nation's largest all volunteer rescue squad system. However after a public battle with the president of the local Firefighter's Union regarding response times, city employees were hired to augment the volunteers with additional paramedics.

[edit] See also

List of famous people from Hampton Roads
Norwegian Lady Statues
Wash Woods at False Cape, one of the lost towns of Virginia

[edit] References

^ U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 Population Estimates, Census 2000, 1990 Census: http://factfinder.census.gov/
^ VA Places, Gaston Pipeline:[1]
^ VA Beach Government, Department of Public Utilities:[2]
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Climate information from NOAA.
^ Maximum and minimum temperatures from Yahoo! Weather
^ Worldwide Space A Handbook: ISBN 1-881341-13-5. www.nablc.navy.mil
^ Sister Cities designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI). Retrieved June 6, 2006.

[edit] External links

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Official Government Website
Virginia Beach Municipal Code
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Virginia Beach City Page Virginia is for Lovers
Tower Cam at the Old Coast Guard Station Museum at Oceanfront.
Pictures of Virginia Beach
City of Virginia Beach Online Geographic Information
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