1. Make Sure You’ve Saved Up Your Mula Before Heading To Virginia Beach

According to City Data, the cost of living is slightly above national average, meaning when you move here you’ll be spending a tad bit more on gas, groceries, and activities. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but there’s good news too…

2. The Good News Is That You’ll Definitely Feel Safe

City Data cites that the crime index in Virginia beach is 30 percent lower than the national average, and has decreased every year since 2001, meaning VA Beach is a safe place to live (and only getting safer).

3. It’s Never Colder Than Low 50s

You’re going to love living in Virginia Beach for many reasons, but the biggest reason will definitely be that the weather is awesome. The coldest weather you’ll have to deal with will still only be the low 50s. You get a ton of sun and a ton of heat in VA Beach, giving you all the more time to surf those waves. Speaking of which…

4. If You Don’t Know How To Surf You Better Learn How

It is essential that you learn to surf before moving to Virginia Beach. After all, VA Beach is home to the annual East Coast Surfing Championships, where surfers conquer massive waves. Even if you’ve never been on a board, now’s the time to learn.

5. Get Ready For Dealing With Tourist Season

Tourism is the second largest industry in in Virginia Beach so, naturally, there are going to be a lot of tourists that flock here each summer. In fact, there are 137 hotels in the Virginia Beach area alone. So make sure you get in with a crowd of friends who have access to private beaches in the summer.

6. And The City Is Consistently Doing Well When it Comes To Job Growth

According to City Data, job growth has consistently swelled in Virginia Beach and the unemployment rates are lower than national average. So if you’re looking for opportunity, Virginia Beach is up and coming.

7. There Are Beaches Everywhere

As the name suggests, there are beautiful beaches everywhere in Virginia Beach. Tip: Head to Chick’s Beach or First Landing State Park beach to get away from all of the tourists at Oceanfront. Or head to Sandbridge if you want to bring your dog (it’s furbaby friendly there!)

8. But Not Everyone Lives Near The Beach

While the name “Virginia Beach” is correct in that there are many beaches, it doesn’t account for the fact that VA Beach is huge and therefore not everyone lives directly on the beach. Many VA Beach residents are actually about a 30 minutes drive from the shore. So if you’re moving here, you may want to google map the distance to the beach from your potential new address.

9. Swearing Is Strongly Discouraged

When you move here you may notice road signs everywhere that seem to be banning swearing. That’s because Virginia Beach takes respect really seriously and doesn’t want to have F-bombs dropped on their city streets. So mind your manners.

10. Neptune Festival is About To Be Your Favorite Time Of Year

Every year, after all of those pesky tourists finally get the eff out of VA Beach, the city holds the annual Neptune Festival, which is basically a big celebration of beach life for the 400,000 people who attend: there’s great music, sand art competitions, delicious seafood, and of course, wine, beer, and yummy cocktails.

11. Walking (Or Biking!) The Boardwalk Is Going To Be Your New Favorite Activity

Once tourist season dies down (or before it picks up) you really will enjoy long walks or bike rides on the VA Beach boardwalk. There’s something so quintessentially Virginia Beach about riding or walking the boardwalk, where you get the most picturesque views of the beautiful beaches.

12. Farmer’s Markets Are Where It’s At In Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach is full of incredible farmer’s markets. It may as well be the farmer’s market capital of the East Coast. Whether you go to the VA Beach Farmer’s market, the Old Beach Farmer’s Market, or Cullipher, you can’t go wrong. You’ll find the freshest produce, most beautiful flowers, and awesome baked goods at any one of these amazing markets.

13. Virginia Beach Supports Our Troops

The industry that supplies the most jobs in Virginia Beach is military: the Naval Air Station Oceana is the largest employer in the city, and there are several military bases in and around the VA Beach area as well. So, you better get a yellow ribbon bumper sticker on your car or you may get weird looks.

14. Speaking Of Which, Don’t Be Surprised If The Planes Keep You Up At Night

Because of the military bases, chances are you’re going to hear the military planes frequently flying over your home. Therefore, you’re gonna have to get some noise cancelling headphones. If you tough it out long enough though, the sounds of the planes will eventually become soothing to you after living here long enough.

15. You Better Get Used To Catching Your Own Seafood

With so many opportunities for great fishing, there’s really never an excuse to go to the grocery store for your fish. Catch it yourself, or shame on you.

16. Or At The Very Least You Have To Go To Tautog

If you’re too lazy to catch your own fish, at least go to Tautog where you know whatever you order off the menu is bound to be the freshest catch of the day.

17. Golfing Is A Lifestyle Here

Virginia Beach is a golf city. There are actually 11 golf courses open to the public in VA Beach and 36 military holes at NAS Oceana’s Aeropines course. Local favorites are Hell’s Point Golf Club and Virginia Beach National, which hosts the Virginia Beach Open every April.

18. And So Is Beach Volleyball

If golfing isn’t your thing, maybe you should try beach volleyball. It’s impossible to visit any one of the local beaches without coming across an intense game of beach volleyball. So join in and get ready to get sandy.

19. You’re Gonna Have A Crush On Orange Crush

If you’re moving to VA Beach, you better order the Orange Crush, a local favorite that blends orange vodka, triple sec, and Sprite. The drink was created at Waterman’s Surfside Grille, but you can get them pretty much anywhere now. Plus, there’s even a Crush N’ Country event hosted by Waterman along with Crushfest to celebrate the delicious, fruity drink. Yeah, VA Beach is serious about it’s vodka drinks.

20. Pocahontas Pancake House Will be The Only Place You’ll Want Breakfast

While literally everything is amazing at Pocahontas Pancake House, like the blue crab omelette, or the crepes, or the crab cake benedict, the star of the show is obviously the pancakes. You’re gonna want the full stack, not the short stack. Trust me.

21. People Are Always “Happy” Here (And I’m Not Just Talking About Pharrell)

Everyone knows Pharrell was born and raised in Virginia Beach, so the song “Happy” has kind of become a theme song of VA Beach. That being said, people here are actually happier here than anywhere else in the country. The weather is beautiful, the beaches are gorgeous, and the people are friendly. What more could you need? Like This Post? You’ll Definitely Love These:
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