# Norfolk/Hampton/VA Beach-area Dopers - beaches? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 15, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norfolk-hampton-va-beach-area-dopers-beaches/460139 "2008-08-15T20:18:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norfolk-hampton-va-beach-area-dopers-beaches/460139/1 "2008-08-15T20:18:34Z")
The Zappa/Knig kids are at summer camp on the Eastern Shore, not too far away from Norfolk. We pick them up tomorrow morning. Depending on how everyone is feeling, we **might** want to pop by a beach and paddle in the ocean for a few hours before heading home late afternoon. Well, we know _nothing_ of the area around Virginia Beach and have no idea where there is public beach access - parking, restaurants, whatever. The kids have never actually swum in the ocean; despite living just 3ish hours away, we’ve never made that a vacation destination. So anyway - suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norfolk-hampton-va-beach-area-dopers-beaches/460139/2 "2008-08-16T01:23:23Z")
The Virginia Beach oceanfront area (Atlantic Avenue) is pretty nice. A little urban compared to somewhere like Nags Head, but it has a long wide sandy beach, and clean water. Shouldn’t be too crowded on a weekday. Lots of different restaurants, including unique pizza places, a Greek restaurant, various seafood restaurants, etc. I’m not sure there’s any free parking, but I stayed near the fishing pier and that lot didn’t seem to get too full. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norfolk-hampton-va-beach-area-dopers-beaches/460139/3 "2008-08-16T01:50:54Z")
[QUOTE=control-z] The Virginia Beach oceanfront area (Atlantic Avenue) is pretty nice. A little urban compared to somewhere like Nags Head, but it has a long wide sandy beach, and clean water. Shouldn’t be too crowded on a weekday. Lots of different restaurants, including unique pizza places, a Greek restaurant, various seafood restaurants, etc. I’m not sure there’s any free parking, but I stayed near the fishing pier and that lot didn’t seem to get too full. [/QUOTE] Thanks! We’ll be there tomorrow (Saturday) so it may be a bit more crowded but we’re looking forward to it (if we get the chance). ---
**Author:** ![MissMossie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@MissMossie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissMossie)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norfolk-hampton-va-beach-area-dopers-beaches/460139/4 "2008-08-16T02:09:56Z")
If you drive up the main road (Ocean Blvd?), you’ll see signs for free parking. I think it’s around the 34th street block, but I could be completely off on that. I do know that there’s public parking. ---
**Author:** ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norfolk-hampton-va-beach-area-dopers-beaches/460139/5 "2008-08-16T02:12:59Z")
If you’re looking for a more relaxed and calm atmoshpere (and keep in mind even the main beach at Va Beach is rather tame), [Chicks Beach](http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=36.914318,-76.11238&spn=0.016264,0.029998&t=h&z=15) is natural, quiet and non-commercialized (I typically prefer commercial, but I know some don’t). And there’s plenty of free parking. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2008, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norfolk-hampton-va-beach-area-dopers-beaches/460139/6 "2008-08-17T17:16:57Z")
[QUOTE=flyboy] If you’re looking for a more relaxed and calm atmoshpere (and keep in mind even the main beach at Va Beach is rather tame), [Chicks Beach](http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=36.914318,-76.11238&spn=0.016264,0.029998&t=h&z=15) is natural, quiet and non-commercialized (I typically prefer commercial, but I know some don’t). And there’s plenty of free parking. [/QUOTE] Is that on the Chesapeake rather than the ocean? We wound up going to the main ocean beach area; found a public parking lot at 25th and Pacific and walking the block and a half to the beach. The boardwalk there didn’t look too commercialized; probably just as well as we didn’t feel like wrestling the kids out of crappy souvenir shops. The kids a blast swimming in the ocean (and Typo and I realized we hadn’t swum in the ocean since our honeymoon, 25 years ago!). We’re definitely planning on heading down there next summer at some point so we can have a more relaxed visit.