Lagomar means "sea lake" in Spanish. And it's a very appropriate name for this community, which is located close to Lake Tecumseh, the Atlantic Ocean and also boasts access to the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge via a canal system. Lagomar -- which is also sometimes spelled Lago Mar and even LagoMar -- is a lovely, family-friendly community that is located in the southeast section of Virginia Beach. And while this peaceful neighborhood will make you feel as if you are a long way from the hustle and bustle of the city, it is actually just a short 15-minute drive from all of the excitement of Virginia Beach's oceanfront resort area.
In 1979, the City of Virginia Beach decided it wanted to keep suburban sprawl in check by establishing what it called a "Green Line," a boundary between urban growth to the north and agricultural, forested lands and rural areas to the south. The community of Lagomar Virginia Beach is located along this green line, and that is why it can offer its residents the best of both worlds -- quiet, almost rural living that is also close to the conveniences of an urban lifestyle.
Not surprisingly, Lagomar is popular with families seeking a serene place to raise their children. This neighborhood offers three community parks and a bike path for its residents, and its Civic League sponsors fun annual events, including a 4th of July Parade and picnic and an Oktoberfest. Lagomar, with its canal system and proximity to water, is also popular with anyone who enjoy fishing, boating and kayaking.
This is not, however, a neighborhood that would be particularly attractive to hipsters or young millennials. For one thing, this is not a community known for its vibrant and exciting nightlife. In fact, a hipster would probably substitute the word "boring" for "quiet" when describing this neighborhood to his buddies.
Lagomar, which is home to approximately 2,380 residents, is an upper middle class neighborhood, with almost 34 percent of its residents earning more than $150,000 a year. Renters are few and far between here, with 97 percent of the homes being owner-occupied. Lagomar's residents also tend to be highly educated, with 43.3 percent of residents reporting that they have a bachelor's degree and another 23.2 percent saying that they have obtained a graduate's degree. It is also a family-oriented neighborhood, so it's probably not surprising that the average age of the residents in Lagomar is 46 years and that the average number of family members is four to five. Finally, most of the residents in Lagomar -- 92 percent -- are white, 3 percent are Asian and another 3 percent are African-American.
There's a lot to love about Lagomar, especially if you're part of a family that likes to stay active. Why? Because this neighborhood is located very close to:
Sandbridge Beach. The beautiful beaches in Sandbridge are popular with families who don't want to deal with the large crowds that flock to Virginia Beach's resort strip and boardwalk area. And because Lagomar is the last community before you enter Sandbridge, some people even refer to it as "The Gateway to the Outer Banks" of Virginia.
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Lagomar is actually connected to this 9,250-acre refuge by a canal system, and some of this community's residents actually have homes that boast docks and deep water access. This refuge is an important resting spot for migratory birds and in the fall, birders can expect to see lots of their feathered friends, including thousands of tundra swans and snow geese. This refuge also boasts eight miles of trails for hiking and is also very popular with kayakers and fishermen.
Hell's Point Golf Club. Love to golf? Then you'll be pleased to learn that this 18-hole course, which was designed by golf architect Rees Jones, is just about a mile from Lagomar. And, no, the course isn't name because it's a torturous place to golf. It is actually named for Hell's Point Creek, which meanders through the course.
Lagomar also offers plenty of diversions for those who prefer retail therapy to spending time in the great outdoors. The Red Mill Commons Shopping Center and Red Mill Walk, for example, are located just a few minutes away and are home to a dizzying number of restaurants and stores, including Target, Home Depot, Red Robin and Petco.
And because Lagomar is only a short drive from Virginia Beach's oceanfront resort area, you can always make like a tourist and enjoy all of the festivals, free concerts and fireworks that are offered by the city during the summer months.
One of Lagomar's biggest draws for families is its excellent schools. Youngsters in this neighborhood attend Red Hill Elementary School and then move onto Princess Anne Middle School. At that point, the paths of the students diverge, with some heading to Floyd Kellam High School, while others move on to Ocean Lakes High School. Both schools have very good standardized test scores, and about a third of the students at each school took AP courses. It is also noteworthy to mention that in 2015, U. S. News and World Report ranked Ocean Lakes as the 31st best high school in all of Virginia.
Almost everyone in Lagomar drives or uses a carpool to get to work, which is not unusual for a suburban Virginia Beach neighborhood like this one. There is also a small percentage of residents who work out of their home, and a smattering that either walks or rides their bike to get to their places of employment.
