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We move in four more days - from cold cold Alberta to VB.......We have found and secured a nice rental a few steps from the beach - in Chic's Beach...but a mile from any bus stop. Some questions:
- How is transit in VB? Can I count on the bus to come when it says it will arrive? Or should I buy a car?
- If I buy a car where is the best place to go to buy a used car for say $10G or less?
- Looking for an office / admin job in the area......the salaries are very low compared to here.....any ideas on sites to check out? (I am used to making $55G/yr but similar jobs in VB are about $25G)
- Is it okay to ride a bike from Pleasure House Road to Creeks Edge Drive? Is it safe? There is a gym down there (Inlet Fitness) that I want to check out but wonder about the bike commute?
- What are some fun things that we should do being newcomers to the city?
- Finally, rip currents.....are they that dangerous? Does one often encounter them while swimming in the ocean? Is there a water safety course we (and the teenager) should take first?
Welcome to Virginia! I've spent a considerable amount of my life in Chick's Beach, so I figured I'd try to answer some of your questions. First of all, no one really knows the correct spelling for Chick's. As you can see, I always put a "k" in there, some spell it with just the "c" like you have, and sometimes you'll see an "x" at the end. Either way, most people will know when you say "Chick's Beach" what you mean.
Transit in VB is not so great. Definitely not good enough to rely on. I would recommend getting a private automobile if you can. I've been seeing a lot of scooter/Vespas around, and have thought of getting one myself since I mostly use surface streets anyway. Plus, as far as I know, you don't have to get a special license for them. I would check craigslist for a used car. I don't know any specific car dealer to recommend since I've never bought a car from one. Craigslist and hand-me-down cars have served me well.
Cycling in the Chick's Beach area is improving. Shore Drive used to be extremely dangerous to ride on, but the speed limit has lowered to 35mph and new bike lanes/pedestrian paths have been put in to make the area more walkable/bike-friendly. The ride from Pleasure House to Creeks Edge probably wouldn't be too bad. Once you cross the Lesner, you can use Lynnhaven Drive instead of Shore Drive to get to Creeks Edge. There's also a bike lane that runs parallel to Shore Drive that will take you directly to First Landing State Park from right near the Lesner. Here's a map of what I'm talking about:
You can see Lynnhaven Drive too.
Fun things to do in Chick's Beach is usually centered around the restaurants, bars, and clubs in the area. For late night spots, Cabo Cafe and Hot Tuna are popular spots. Restaurant wise, there's lots of choices. I think Chick's Beach is the best place for seafood in all of Hampton Roads. Be sure to check out Dockside, Lynnhaven Fish House, and One Fish Two Fish. Some of my other favorites are Zia Marie's (Italian), Jenna's Deli, Chen's Wok (NY Chinese), Sal's and Mamma Mia's (pizzerias), Rita's Italian Ice, Shorebreak, Sakura, and Flour Child Bakery. First Landing State Park (also called Seashore by many locals) is a good place to go for a hike/mountain bike. And of course there's the beach!
Rip currents are dangerous when you don't know what to do. Since Chick's Beach is actually the Bay, rip currents shouldn't be too common. However, if you do find yourself stuck in one you can swim parallel to the beach to get out of it. Most common mistake is to swim against it which is tough, then people freak out and drown. Also, rip currents don't usually go offshore very far, so if you let it take you out it will eventually stop and you can swim back to shore. Overall, they're not extremely dangerous if you understand how they work. Common sense tells you to abide by the signs and lifeguard warnings when rip currents are bad too.
I hope you enjoy Chick's Beach. I always have. It's definitely one of VB's best areas.
Very good review xgrendlx! I grew up in VB and go to Chick's Beach whenever I visit. The best area of Va. Beach if you ask me (The north area of VB - lynnhaven colony, pleasure house).
Awesome map , and a nice bike ride for sure for the newcomer from the North!
Thank you so much for that great information!! I had heard (through reading local news etc) that there was a new bike path but had not been able to find any info on that - so your map is great!
We are looking forward to trying out the restaurants in the area....mmmm I love seafood and it will be nice to have it fresh and much less expensive than we pay up here.
For a car, I will probably wait until I have a job offer (which will take a few months just to get my employment authorization card) then check out local dealerships. Any thoughts on Halls Automotive (it seems to be the one that pops up in my google searches)?
Silly question I am sure but I just want to make sure I follow the rules - can one drink a beer on the beach or would I risk being arrested? (obviously I absolutely cannot have any police interaction while we are down there or I am pretty sure my sorry butt will get shipped back to Canada)....
And one other question - in the area of Pleasure House Drive near the beach - is crime relatively low? We have a 17 yr old daughter and want her to be as safe as possible (like any parents would want)...is there anything we should be concerned about? She is pretty mature, and independant and likes to do her own thing such as taking a bus all over the city (well we also bought her a long board since the bus stop is so far away). If she is not hanging out with a bad crowd she should be relatively safe correct?
Thank you so much for that great information!! I had heard (through reading local news etc) that there was a new bike path but had not been able to find any info on that - so your map is great!
We are looking forward to trying out the restaurants in the area....mmmm I love seafood and it will be nice to have it fresh and much less expensive than we pay up here.
For a car, I will probably wait until I have a job offer (which will take a few months just to get my employment authorization card) then check out local dealerships. Any thoughts on Halls Automotive (it seems to be the one that pops up in my google searches)?
Silly question I am sure but I just want to make sure I follow the rules - can one drink a beer on the beach or would I risk being arrested? (obviously I absolutely cannot have any police interaction while we are down there or I am pretty sure my sorry butt will get shipped back to Canada)....
And one other question - in the area of Pleasure House Drive near the beach - is crime relatively low? We have a 17 yr old daughter and want her to be as safe as possible (like any parents would want)...is there anything we should be concerned about? She is pretty mature, and independant and likes to do her own thing such as taking a bus all over the city (well we also bought her a long board since the bus stop is so far away). If she is not hanging out with a bad crowd she should be relatively safe correct?
I know you're not supposed to have an open container of alcohol on the beach, but Chick's Beach is known for being more laid back since it's mostly locals that hang out there. At the Oceanfront I wouldn't recommend it, but at Chick's you could probably get away with it. Just keep it low-key.
Crime along Pleasure House would mostly come from people getting rowdy at the bars or house parties there. I know many of the apartment complexes there have security that patrols them, and I see young people around your daughter's age hanging out all the time. It's not a dangerous area, but things can happen anywhere unfortunately. If your daughter is mature like you say, I wouldn't worry too much. Street smarts should be used wherever you are, but rest assured that Chick's Beach is known for being a laid-back area for locals to enjoy the beach, not crime. I'm sure she'll like it.
Great! Thanks for the info. Sounds like we picked a great area to move to. I am super excited to be moving back near the water (I grew up on the Pacific Ocean)- and really looking forward to trying new (or long forgotten) things.
One more question: we have a cat, is it okay to let a cat roam free down there or do we need to keep him in the house all the time? He is both an indoor and outdoor kitty here....And since we don't have fleas here, and I hear that can be an issue there, do flea collars work or is there something better for him to use?
Again thank you all for your information - it's a little scary moving so far away (military posting which I should be used to by now) - to a place we know nothing about - so it is very nice to have all of your help on my questions....
As far as car dealerships VB has tons of them especially on VB Blvd stretching a good 2.5 miles from Newtown Road going east. I personally have not had a good experience with Hall but only because an overtly zealous salesman kept calling me begging me to buy a car from them. But this was in 2004 and he is probably long gone. I have been dealing with Checkered Flag and have been treated well. Your mileage may vary. Welcome to the Beach!
Thank you all for the warm welcomes - this is great!
I will check out Checkered Flag - thank you. Car prices are much less down there than here so that is a good thing for me....gas also is really low (along with alcohol which one can buy at the corner store yayy). I am actually leaving my car here and giving it to my adult son....
When we were down in May to find a rental I looked everywhere for a wine store and had not much luck but noticed one can buy wine and others at the 7/11 and grocery store....much more convenient.(and much less expensive)
For grocery stores we are thinking Food Lion....any thoughts on that? We see ads for that place and Kroger....Food Lion seems less expensive but is the quality and freshness the same? Farm Fresh was another I saw but had higher prices....
Also - when we were down we went shopping at Macys - but boy the prices were high - is Macys normally so high priced and if so, what other clothing stores are around that are better priced? Looking at clothes for a teen and an adult couple who try to dress semi trendy....
Fleas can be pretty bad, yes. My dog just had a flea bath on Wednesday and he's still scratching. Flea medications usually work, though, and lots of people have indoor/outdoor cats so I imagine your's would do okay. I don't know too much about cats, so someone else may be able to elaborate more.
Food Lion is hit or miss. If you're talking about the one at Lake Shores Plaza, I'd recommend going to Kroger instead. Not that that Food Lion is horrible, but it is kinda dumpy. The Food Lion at East Beach is pretty nice. Farm Fresh is one of the nicer grocery stores in Hampton Roads, but they aren't as common and more expensive. Like you said, you can get wine just about anywhere, but there are a few Total Wine stores that may be worth checking out too.
I'm not too sure about the clothing stores, but Lynnhaven Mall and MacArthur Mall have trendier stores than most other places. There's an H&M at MacArthur, and they sell trendy clothes at cheaper prices.
Thank you. We did check out Lynnhaven mall but only for a bit as we were in a rush (why we ended up in Macys). Have to check out the others you mentioned.
We did stop at Food Lion I think it was at Lake Shores Plaza (it was near Pleasure House Rd) but we will check out the Krogers too. Also going to find a Total Wine store - going to google it now.
Are ticks an issue there for the cat? I am sure there must be meds we can buy so will look into that as well.
I am just starting to really stress now about the move - it's coming up so soon - but VB does seem like a very nice place to live so not stressing too badly. I guess more worried about the summer heat but since we do like hot weather I think we will be ok. Temps here in summer rarely get above 74F so looking at the temps down there it seems high....must make for nice beach weather!!
Few more days and we fly down - excited for sure to learn more about US culture and doing fun things. Everyone seems so nice!!
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But this was in 2004 and he is probably long gone. 
I have been dealing with Checkered Flag and have been treated well. Your mileage may vary. Welcome to the Beach!
