A MILITARY SPOUSE'S GUIDE TO THE BEST NEIGHBORHOODS IN VIRGINIA BEACH
Did you know that the Hampton Roads, Virginia region is home to fifteen military bases and over 80,000 active duty personnel and their families? Virginia Beach alone is home to three of those bases: Naval Air Station Oceana, Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek/Fort Story, and NAS Oceana Dam Neck Annex.
Our family was fortunate enough to call Virginia Beach home while my husband, Ben, was stationed at NAS Oceana from 2009-2017. Over the course of our almost ten years there, we bounced between a few different neighborhoods, plugged in with the local community, and met the most amazing friends that we now look forward to visiting when we return to our old stomping grounds year after year.
Deciding where to live when a new set of orders is placed in your lap can often be one of the most stressful and time consuming parts of a PCS move. To help sift through the many options, I’ve broken down my favorite neighborhoods in Virginia Beach here, in this “best of the beach” guide.
7 of the Best Neighborhoods In Virginia Beach, Milspouse Approved
A PCS move is admittedly stressful, especially if you're not very familiar with where you are moving to. With a range of neighborhoods in Virginia Beach offering diverse lifestyles, varying home types, and different price points, it’s important to understand what areas best suit you and your family's unique needs.
Below, we’re breaking down some of the best neighborhoods in Virginia Beach for military families.
The North End
The North End is not only an idyllic neighborhood lining the prettiest part of the oceanfront from 42nd-89th streets, but it is also zoned for some of the best public schools the city has to offer:
- Linkhorn Park Elementary School
- Virginia Beach Middle School
- Frank W. Cox High School
Home sizes on The North End range from cottages and duplexes, to large beachfront estates, and everything in between. It is important to note that the median price of homes in the North End is higher than average.
The North End technically “ends” where the oceanfront wraps around to meet the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, making it a sought after neighborhood for service members stationed there.
It is also a quick 10-15 minute drive to both Naval Air Station Oceana and Dam Neck.
Additionally, tucked away in The North End is First Landing State Park, which residents and tourists can access from the park gate just off 64th Street. The park boasts a calm bay-front beach perfect for small children, boat ramps and some of the city's best hiking and biking trails!
Shadowlawn
The Shadowlawn neighborhood has an ultimate “laid back beach vibe,” while also being perfectly located to all three Virginia Beach bases.
Shadowlawn sits between Rudee Inlet and Norfolk Avenue, conveniently located near the on-ramp to I-264 which is a straight shot to Norfolk and other points in Hampton Roads.
Home to the ViBe, a.k.a. the Virginia Beach Arts District, Shadowlawn also boasts some of the city's coolest locally owned restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and surf shops.
Shadowlawn is also zoned for great schools:
- W.T. Cooke Elementary School
- Virginia Beach Middle School
- First Colonial High School
Our close friends through the Navy love it so much there that they kept their home as a rental when they had to PCS out of the area, and moved right back into it when they returned for a follow-on tour just a few years later!
In Shadowlawn, you’ll find a number of housing options, including condos, apartments, and homes.
Beach Borough
Beach Borough has a special place in our hearts, as this is the neighborhood we called “home” for three years. It’s also where we welcomed our first two children.
Nestled between Shadowlawn and Bay Colony/The North End, Beach Borough sits just a few blocks off the Virginia Beach Boardwalk, but is still tucked enough away enough to feel like a quiet escape.
With a Harris Teeter grocery store and several coffee shops just a walk or bike away in the neighborhood, we often felt like we never had to leave or use our cars!
The neighborhood also has great schools as options including:
- W.T. Cooke Elementary
- Virginia Beach Middle School
- First Colonial High School
Ocean Park
Ocean Park, just up the road and around the bend from The North End, is one of the most sought after neighborhoods for service members getting stationed in the area, and for good reason.
It is especially popular amongst service members that may live solo or with a roommate, due to its many upscale apartment and condo complexes, restaurants and beach bars in the area, and close proximity to the Dam Neck, Little Creek, and Oceana bases.
The neighborhood boasts a grocery store, bike lanes on main roads and beautiful, wide streets in the residential areas.
It sits on the Chesapeake Bay, just south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, which connects the southernmost point of Virginia’s eastern shore to Virginia Beach.
Ocean Park also offers several high-quality education options including:
- Great Neck Middle School
- Frank W. Cox High School
- Thoroughgood Elementary School
Thoroughgood
Thoroughgood is another great neighborhood just “off the beaten path” that many of our friends that are active duty call home.
Located just behind Shore Drive and the infamous Chick’s Beach neighborhood, Thoroughgood is less than a five minute drive to the Little Creek base, 5 minutes to Chick’s Beach and nearby restaurants, 15 minutes to Naval Air Station Oceana and just 20 minutes to Norfolk International Airport, downtown Norfolk, and more.
The neighborhood is known for its large lots with gorgeous rancher-style homes, most of which are newly renovated, and vast lawn and yard spaces.
Thoroughgood Elementary School is close by and is a great public school option for local families.
Bay Colony
Bay Colony is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Virginia Beach because it is tucked away and peaceful, but also a quick golf cart, bike ride, or drive away to the action of the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
Bay Colony sits just behind the Princess Anne Country Club on the oceanfront, nestled between The North End and Beach Borough neighborhoods.
Similar to The North End, home sizes and prices vary from quaint cottages to sprawling waterfront estates. This diverse mix of homes makes the neighborhood feel both eclectic but also cozy and welcoming.
Most residents have golf carts to shuttle themselves down to the beach, to nearby oceanfront restaurants, the grocery store, and more.
The public schools that Bay Colony feeds into are also top notch, with residents able to attend the following schools:
- Linkhorn Park Elementary
- Virginia Beach Middle
- Frank. W. Cox High School
Great Neck Corridor
Last but definitely not least, the Great Neck Corridor is a stretch of Virginia Beach that often gets overlooked, but is worth adding to your list.
With several individual subdivisions conveniently located just off of the bay on both sides of Great Neck Road, this area is close in proximity to I-264, all three Virginia Beach military bases, multiple grocery stores, recreation, great public and private schools, and more.
Alanton, Linkhorn Park, Kings Grant, and Broad Bay Point are just four of the desirable subdivisions that are great options for busy military families seeking community and convenience in a desirable location.
Residents feed into the following schools, which are all great options:
- Alanton Elementary
- Great Neck Middle
- Frank W. Cox High
Virginia Beach Has Much to Offer Military Families
Virginia Beach is a beautiful city that we are grateful to have had the opportunity to call home for almost ten years. Fortunately, my close friend and prominent real-estate agent, Julie Liebler, confirmed my list of neighborhoods best-suited for military families.
She shares, “The North End, Beach Borough, Shadowland, Ocean Park, Thoroughgood, Bay Colony, and the Great Neck Corridor are all great neighborhoods for military families! All close to the various bases, and zoned for some of the best public schools in Virginia Beach. These neighborhoods also have a strong sense of community with tons of planned outdoor activities, and are overall very well suited for busy families.”
Choosing the right neighborhood is such an important decision, and Virginia Beach offers a variety of neighborhoods that tend to the unique needs of military families, including proximity to bases, quality school options, and family-friendly activities. As you begin to plan for your next PCS move, we hope that you’ll keep some of these neighborhoods in mind.
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