|
|
|
Located on the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Beach is the largest city (in acreage) in Virginia. This major eastern U.S. resort city welcomes travelers with a boardwalk full of ice-cream shops, fast-food outlets, nightclubs, and places to rent water-sports equipment. The majority of Virginia Beach hotels are located in the central portion of the oceanfront, while thousands of houses (many available for rent by the week) can be found within walking distance of the beach to the north (North Virginia Beach) and to the south (the Croatan and Sandbridge areas).
Abundant fishing and fertile soil assured the area's success. In the late 1800s, Virginia Beach developed as a resort following construction of a hotel and a railroad linking it with Norfolk. After World War I it became an important base in the national coastal-defense system and today is home to Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, Oceana Naval Air Station, and Fleet Combat Direction Systems Warfare Training Center at Dam Neck.
