View along the resort area (Atlantic Avenue)

OVER the last five years, the Virginia Beach City Council made this section of the city from about 9th Street and Atlantic to 40th Street and Atlantic a priority on the redevelopment list. Large signs were banned, ordered taken down, and millions were spent on the streets, brick sidewalks, a complete tear-down and rebuild of the boardwalk into a massive 3 mile long 18 foot wide, 5 foot high landscaped and concrete-stamped attraction and new in 2001 is a widened, 300 foot wide beach. To put it shortly, the Virginia Beach you remember no longer exists. Only Las Vegas, Nevada has gone through such a metomorhisis as this section has.

You can rest safely in your hotel, because Virginia Beach was recently named the second safest large city in the country, and Hampton Roads was named this year by Kiplinger's as the #1 place in America to live and work. In case that doesn't settle you, the entire resort strip has 24 hour cop patrols and face recognition software is installed in cameras up and down Atlantic Avenue to keep criminals at bay. New development such as the Turtle Cove Resort and new hotels such as the Hilton scheduled to be opened in early 2003, have without a doubt transformed the resort area into a four-seasons destination.

A few attractions and things to do along th strip:

> 17th Street Surf Shop

> Jewish Mother Restraunt, Dairy Queen

> Resort Hotels

> BeachStreet USA Nightly fireworks during the summer every Friday and Sunday weather permiting by Dominion Fireworks, producers of pyrotechnics for movies such as "Cannibal" and "Doc Hollywood" Catch the show at 20th Street boardwalk

> Bungee Jumps

> Mini Coasters

> Cruising Watch out... cruise too much and you will be ticketed, yet it remains a popular thing to do amoung the kids

> Town Center Already being built, this massive new district will add nearly 3 million square feet of resort hotels and restraunts, in addtion to new office space