What Are the Pros and Cons of Living in Virginia Beach?

By Megan Luker  |  September 20, 2026

A viewer told me this city is unremarkable except for the ocean. Part of that is fair. Part of it is not, and the part that is not fair is what visitors never get to see.

Here are my honest pros and cons after 35 years of living here: the water in this city that is not the ocean, the three cons nobody puts in a permanent change of station (PCS) brief, and the one fall weekend that answers that comment better than I can. Hear the comment that started this video at 0:00. The three things I cover start at 0:53.

If you are new here, I introduce myself and my background at 1:58.

The Water in Virginia Beach That Is Not the Ocean

The best part of living in Virginia Beach is water that most visitors never find. When people picture this city, they picture the oceanfront, the boardwalk, and the hotels. Locals turn around and look north. See the water I mean at 2:32.

Chic's Beach, Ocean Park, and the Lynnhaven River

Virginia Beach also sits on the Chesapeake Bay. Chic's Beach and Ocean Park sit right on the bay, where the water is usually calmer than on the ocean side. Just inland, the Lynnhaven River and Broad Bay run in and around the neighborhoods, where you see paddleboards, kayaks, and people fishing off their own docks at sunrise.

First Landing State Park

First Landing State Park sits right off Shore Drive. It covers 2,888 acres, has 20 miles of trails, and has 1.5 miles of its own Chesapeake Bay beach. It is the most visited state park in Virginia, and when somebody tells me there is nothing here but the ocean, this is where I take them. Walk through First Landing State Park at 3:16.

Are You an Ocean Person, a Water Sports Person, or a City Person?

Decide which one you are before you pick a part of town, and ask your spouse too, because the answers are not always the same. Virginia Beach makes the first two easy: the ocean side and the bay side feel like two different cities, and that choice shapes your home search. The third takes more work, and that is where the cons come in. Answer the question along with me at 3:42.

The Three Honest Cons Nobody Puts in a PCS Brief

The three real cons of living in Virginia Beach are the driving, the limited nightlife, and hurricane season. None is a deal breaker for most families, but all three are easier to handle when you know them first.

Con 1: You Drive for Almost Everything

The city is built in pockets and the pockets are spread out. Your grocery store, your gym, your kids' practice, and your favorite restaurants can sit in four different directions. Most errands happen in a car, and you will plan your Saturday around that drive. I covered the tunnels and commute traps in my video on the 10 mistakes military families make when they move here. Hear con one at 4:30.

Con 2: The Nightlife Lives in a Couple of Places

There is no true downtown here. In my opinion, the closest thing we have to walkable neighborhoods is the ViBe Creative District, along with Old Beach and Shadowlawn right next to it. That is where you can park the car once and walk to dinner and a night out. If you want that walkability every day, look hard at Norfolk before you decide. I compared the three cities side by side, commute times included, in my Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Chesapeake comparison. Hear con two at 5:11.

Con 3: Hurricane Season Runs June 1 Through November 30

Hurricane season is part of life here, and we are in the middle of it. Most years that means watching the forecast and bringing in the patio furniture. Some years it means knowing where you would go if you had to evacuate. Virginia has a system called Know Your Zone, where you type in an address to see whether it sits in an evacuation zone. Look it up at vdem.virginia.gov/know-your-zone before you write an offer, not after you unpack. The families who plan for it handle it calmly. Hear con three at 6:11.

Notice What Is Not on That List

Boring is not on that list. Another viewer left a comment on my February video that I kept thinking about. Their recruiter told them in 1983 that Virginia Beach is all that you make of it. After 35 years here, I think that is the most accurate thing anyone has said about this city. That video, Virginia Beach Looks Perfect on Paper, covers the flat ground and the summer crowds. Hear what is not on the list at 6:55.

My Real Answer Is One Fall Weekend

The Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend runs Friday, September 25 through Sunday, September 27, 2026, along the oceanfront from 1st Street to 35th Street. Hear the whole weekend at 7:12. Here is what fits into those three days:

• An international sand sculpting championship with 22 sculptures built by sculptors from around the world
• An art and craft show with more than 200 artists on the boardwalk
• Two music stages, at 24th Street and 31st Street, with more than 20 performances
• A parade, an 8K race, surfing and volleyball competitions
• A play area for the kids

Almost all of it is free. The sand sculpting tent costs $7, and kids under 12 get in at no charge with an adult. That is one weekend, but it shows how fall works here. The summer crowds thin out after Labor Day, the bay beaches get quiet, and the festivals take over.

Who Living in Virginia Beach Actually Fits

It fits you if you are the ocean person or the water sports person, if you like a suburban place, a yard, and a city that gets quieter when the visitors leave, and if you are willing to go find things instead of waiting for them. The families who love it here build a life outside the gate. Hear who this city fits at 9:21.

It may not fit you if you want to walk out your front door to restaurants and nightlife every weekend, if you would rather not think about a hurricane plan, or if doing every errand in a car sounds like a deal breaker.

Three Things to Settle Before You Write an Offer

So is Virginia Beach unremarkable except for the ocean? Only if the ocean is the only place you look. If you are deciding whether to move here, settle these three things first. Hear my closing thoughts at 10:17.

1. Decide which water you want. The ocean side and the bay side feel like two different cities, and that answer narrows your search before you tour.
2. Be honest about the car. You will drive for almost everything here. If that is a deal breaker, say so now, not after you are under contract.
3. Look up the evacuation zone. Run the address through Know Your Zone before you write an offer.

If you are weighing Virginia Beach against a neighboring city, I broke that choice down in my post on Virginia Beach vs Chesapeake for a military PCS.

The Questions I Hear Most About Living in Virginia Beach

What are the pros and cons of living in Virginia Beach?

The pros are the water most visitors never see, including the Chesapeake Bay side, the Lynnhaven River, and First Landing State Park, plus a city that quiets down after Labor Day. The cons are that you drive for almost everything, the nightlife sits in a few spots, and hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30.

Is Virginia Beach boring if you are not a beach person?

Only if the ocean is the only place you look. The city sits on the Chesapeake Bay too, and the Lynnhaven River and Broad Bay run in and around the neighborhoods. First Landing State Park covers 2,888 acres with 20 miles of trails and is the most visited state park in Virginia.

Do you need a car to live in Virginia Beach?

For almost everything, yes. The city is built in pockets and the pockets are spread out, so your grocery store, your gym, your kids' practice, and your favorite restaurants can sit in four different directions.

Which Virginia Beach neighborhoods are walkable?

In my opinion, the closest thing we have to walkable neighborhoods is the ViBe Creative District, along with Old Beach and Shadowlawn right next to it. That is where you can park the car once and walk to dinner and a night out. There is no true downtown here, so walkability sits in a couple of places.

What should military families PCSing to Virginia Beach know about hurricane season?

Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Most years that means watching the forecast and bringing in the patio furniture. Virginia has a system called Know Your Zone where you type in an address and see whether it sits in an evacuation zone. Check it before you write an offer, not after you unpack.

One family relocating from out of state toured homes with Megan over FaceTime because they could not travel.

If you want your next PCS move to be truly seamless, download the complete Military Relocation Guide I put together for you — or book a Zoom call with me and we'll talk through your move one-on-one.

Welcome home. This is real-life Virginia Beach.