The Local Guide to Virginia Beach
Restaurants, beaches, parks, breweries, and things to do across Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads — browse by what you're looking for, or by where you are.
Browse by Category
Restaurants
Where to eat in Virginia Beach — from Rudee Inlet seafood houses and Oceanfront brunch spots to the locally-owned kitchens locals actually line up for.
Bars
Virginia Beach's bar scene — rooftop decks over the Boardwalk, locals' dives off Shore Drive, and cocktail rooms in Town Center.
Breweries
Virginia Beach's craft beer scene — taprooms with food trucks, dog-friendly patios, and beach-town IPAs, concentrated around the ViBe District and beyond.
Coffee Shops
Independent cafes and local roasters — ViBe District espresso bars, laptop-friendly workrooms, and beach-morning coffee stops.
Beaches
More than one beach town in one city — the busy Resort Strip, residential Sandbridge, calm Chesapeake Bay sand at Chic's Beach, and the surf breaks at Croatan.
Parks
First Landing State Park's maritime forest, Mount Trashmore's kite hill, Back Bay's wildlife refuge, and the neighborhood parks and trails in between.
Attractions
The Virginia Aquarium, the three-mile Boardwalk, the Military Aviation Museum's flying warbirds, and everything else worth planning a day around.
Hotels & Stays
Where to stay in Virginia Beach — Oceanfront towers, Sandbridge vacation rentals, and quieter bayside options.
Outdoor Recreation & Watersports
Kayaking with dolphins off Rudee Inlet, surf lessons at 1st Street, paddleboarding the Lynnhaven, and the deep-sea charters that leave every summer morning.
Events & Festivals
The Neptune Festival, the Boardwalk Art Show, holiday lights at the beach, and the annual events that anchor Virginia Beach's calendar.
Browse by Neighborhood
Oceanfront
The Resort Strip — three miles of boardwalk, Atlantic Avenue hotels, and the King Neptune statue. Virginia Beach's tourist heart, busiest May through September.
ViBe Creative District
The arts district a few blocks inland from the Oceanfront — murals, indie coffee, craft breweries, and a monthly First Friday night market.
North End
The quiet residential beach north of the Resort Strip, from 42nd Street up to Fort Story — no boardwalk, no hotels, just beach houses and uncrowded sand.
Croatan
The surf-culture beach neighborhood south of Rudee Inlet — residential streets, serious waves at the Croatan Jetty, and a quieter stretch of sand than the Strip.
Sandbridge
Virginia Beach's 'Outer Banks in miniature' — five miles of residential beach backed by vacation rentals, with Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park at its southern end.
Pungo & Blackwater
Rural southern Virginia Beach — farm stands, you-pick strawberry fields, and country roads, plus the Military Aviation Museum's flying WWII warbirds.
Red Mill & General Booth
The corridor between the Oceanfront and Sandbridge — home to the Virginia Aquarium, Ocean Breeze Waterpark, and the everyday shopping centers serving the southern beaches.
Hilltop
Virginia Beach's dining-and-shopping crossroads at Laskin Road and First Colonial — a dense cluster of locally-owned restaurants a five-minute drive from the Oceanfront.
Great Neck
Established residential Virginia Beach between the Lynnhaven River and First Landing State Park — leafy neighborhoods, water access, and the northern route to the bay beaches.
Chic's Beach
The Chesapeake Bay beach neighborhood by the Bay Bridge-Tunnel — calm, shallow water, sunset views, and a laid-back local bar scene along Shore Drive.
Bayside
Northwest Virginia Beach along Shore Drive and Northampton Boulevard — First Landing State Park's main entrance, Lynnhaven fishing piers, and the neighborhoods between the bay and the interstate.
Town Center
Virginia Beach's downtown — high-rises, the Sandler Center for performing arts, and the city's densest concentration of upscale dining and nightlife, eight miles inland from the beach.
Kempsville
Virginia Beach's suburban heart — family neighborhoods, Mount Trashmore Park's famous converted-landfill hill, and everyday dining along Kempsville and Princess Anne roads.