North End vs. Chic's Beach: Ocean Side or Bay Side?
North End and Chic's Beach are Virginia Beach's two quiet, locals-favorite beach neighborhoods — both a deliberate step away from the Resort Strip's crowds — but they sit on opposite sides of the city and opposite bodies of water. North End is the same Atlantic sand as the Oceanfront, just north of the Boardwalk where the crowds thin out. Chic's Beach faces the Chesapeake Bay instead, on the other side of town near the Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Here's how they actually differ.
North End vs. Chic's Beach
| Dimension | North End | Chic's Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | The Atlantic Ocean, immediately north of 42nd Street where the Boardwalk ends — same wide sand as the Resort Beach with none of the crowds. | The Chesapeake Bay, near the Bay Bridge-Tunnel off Shore Drive — a genuinely different body of water on the opposite side of the city. |
| Water & Waves | Real ocean surf and waves, same as the Oceanfront proper. | Gentle, shallow bay water with small waves — better suited to small kids than the ocean side. |
| Where You Stay | 1 hotel listed in this guide (Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront) — a rare full-service exception in an otherwise residential, no-hotel stretch; its own listing notes North End has no restaurants or shops within walking distance. | No hotels listed in this guide — vacation rentals and residential streets, same as North End, but paired with an actual local dining and bar scene along Shore Drive. |
| Dining & Nightlife | Effectively none — 0 restaurants and 1 bar listed in this guide. | A real local scene despite the quiet reputation — 3 restaurants, 2 bars, and 1 brewery listed in this guide, mostly along Shore Drive (C.P. Shuckers, Mermaid Winery). |
| Parking | Free but scarce street-end parking. | Street parking only, and tight — no free-parking advantage over North End. |
| Best For | A quiet morning walk or low-key beach day on real Atlantic sand, with a single upscale hotel option if you want to stay right on it. | Families with small kids (calmer bay water), sunset views facing west over the Bay, and an actual bar/restaurant scene to walk to afterward. |
The Verdict
Pick North End if you want genuine Atlantic beach and surf without the Boardwalk crowds, and don't mind having nowhere to walk to for dinner. Pick Chic's Beach if you're bringing small kids who'd do better in calm water, want a sunset-facing beach, or want a real (if low-key) local bar and restaurant scene within the same neighborhood.