Virginia Beach Oceanfront

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. It is located North of the Rudee Inlet Bridge and includes the boardwalk itself, Atlantic Avenue, and Pacific Avenue.Virginia Beach is a resort city, and the Oceanfront is 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.

With the construction of the rail system in 1883 tourism in Virginia Beach began to grow. Soon after the Virginia Beach Hotel was opened, offering tourists the first overnight accommodations. As more tourists began to spend their summers in Virginia Beach along the coast, construction began on the boardwalk in 1888. It was first built from wooden planks and expanded a mere five blocks. During the gilded age the boardwalk was home to the famous Peacock Ballroom, who held performances by such artists as, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and Tommy Dorsey. By the early 1900s, Virginia Beach became a well-known vacation destination. In 1927, The Cavalier opened its doors. This was Virginia Beach’s first grand hotel. The Cavalier was host to 7 US Presidents: Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. The hotel was also an attraction to national celebrities such as, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Bette Davis, Jean Harlow, Judy Garland, Will Rogers and Fatty Arbuckle. During the 1930s through the 1950s the Cavalier hosted the most popular big bands in the world. Some of these performances included: Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Xavier Cugat, Cab Calloway and Lawrence Welk. The Cavalier even contributed to World War II. In 1942, the United States Navy asked for the hotel’s help. They converted the stables into sailor’s living quarters, drained the pool for training purposes and even had the hotel chefs feeding the Navy trainees. In 1973 in response to the growing number tourists visiting the area The Cavalier built an 11-story oceanfront hotel. In the following years the hotel was visited by President Gerald Ford, George Bush, and then Ambassador to China, to address the Virginia Bar Association and President Jimmy Carter to speak before the Southern Baptist Convention.

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