Virginia Beach Oceanfront refers to the three mile (4.8 km) long (27 feet wide) boardwalk area in South East Virginia Beach on the Atlantic Coast

East Coast of the United States

The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...

. It is located North of the Rudee Inlet Bridge and includes the boardwalk itself, Atlantic Avenue

Atlantic Avenue

Atlantic Avenue may refer to:* Atlantic Avenue in Massachusetts* Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn and Queens, New York* Florida State Road 806 in Palm Beach County, locally known as Atlantic Avenue...

, and Pacific Avenue. Virginia Beach is a resort city with the Oceanfront being a main tourist attraction. The current version of the boardwalk was first constructed in 1988. It is made of concrete; the boardwalk links over forty hotels and other attractions and has a bike path.

Features

The oceanfront features many monuments to Virginians whom have impacted the history of the state. Some of the monuments are located at the Naval Aviation Monument Park which was formally dedicated on May 6, 2006, by the Hampton Roads Squadron of the Naval Aviation Foundation Association. Planned since 1997 in partnership with the City of Virginia Beach, the park features heroic-scale statuary and reliefs to tell the history of Naval Aviation. The Virginia Legends Walk features famous historical Virginians such as Pocahontas

Pocahontas

Pocahontas was a Virginia Indian notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, the head of a network of tributary tribal nations in Tidewater Virginia...

, Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...

 and George Washington

George Washington

George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

. Many other monuments are scattered between hotels. A main monument is the statue of King Neptune

King Neptune

King Neptune may refer to:* King Neptune , a pig that was used to raise $19 million in war bonds during World War II* King Neptune, an officiator in a naval Line-crossing ceremony...

 - a colossal 34-foot-high bronze statue that rises from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

 at 31st Street & Atlantic Avenue, overlooking Neptune Park. Other attractions include various forms of artwork between hotels and other buildings. Many are sculptures including different starfish, dolphins, and sea turtles painted in many colors for people's viewing pleasure.

Entertainment

The Virginia Beach Oceanfront is home to Beach Street USA which lines up entertainment events during the summer months for tourists. Most events are free and include local and visiting performers from magic shows and musical talents, to psychics and palm readers. Some events do cost money, though. One of the most well known events at the ocean front hosted by Beach Street USA is McDonald's Holiday Lights at the Beach where guests can sit in their car and drive along the boardwalk to view many different holiday light setups. There are bikes for individuals and families for rent all summer which are accommodated to on a bike path that stretches the entirety of the boardwalk. There are over forty hotels which are interspersed between small restaurants, photo studios, and other random shops. Night clubs are also in abundance all over the boardwalk to Pacific Avenue. Another big tourist attraction at the Oceanfront would be the 14th Street Fishing Pier. It is one of many fishing piers located in the state of Virginia, and the only pier accessible from the boardwalk.

Awards

The Virginia Beach Boardwalk has received national acclaim in recent times as one of America's favorite boardwalks by the Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...

, and in magazines such as Coastal Living, Southern Living

Southern Living

Southern Living is a widely read lifestyle magazine aimed at readers in the Southern United States featuring recipes, house plans, and information about Southern culture and travel...

, and National Geographic Traveler

National Geographic Traveler

National Geographic Traveler is a magazine published by the National Geographic Society in the United States. It was launched in 1984. Local-language editions of National Geographic Traveler are published in Armenia, Belgium/the Netherlands, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Latin America,...

.