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Boardwalk Basks in Ranking

Posted on: Sunday, 20 July 2008, 09:00 CDT

By STACY PARKER

By Stacy Parker

Correspondent

oceanfront

Virginia Beach's path to paradise meanders not through the sand, but along the Boardwalk.

Benefits of wave-watching, breathing salt air, checking out people, experiencing live entertainment and exercising along the three-mile Oceanfront walkway has been recognized nationally.

The Oceanfront's Boardwalk has been ranked one of the top 10 boardwalks in America, by Sherman's Travel, a national travel guide magazine.

It made the list alongside the likes of boardwalks in Atlantic City, N.J., and Venice, Calif., among others.

Sitting at cafes that overlook the Boardwalk can be an adventure for the eyes. Milt Twisdale and his family, who live at the North End, dine at Ellington's for the food and the view.

"It a great place to people- watch," said Twisdale.

Sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and the resort area hotels and attractions, Virginia Beach's Boardwalk has grown up with the city.

The original Virginia Beach Boardwalk was a four-block-long wooden promenade built in 1888. It extended from 16th Street to about 12th Street.

By the mid-1920s, a plan was begun to finance the replacement of the original wooden boardwalk, according to "Wish You Were Here," by Joseph W. Dunn Jr. and Barbara S. Lyle.

Haycox & Co. of Norfolk was awarded a $222,661 contract to build a bulkhead and concrete walkway. The job took five months to complete.

In 1927, the Beach boasted a continuous seawall-promenade that stretched nearly three miles. The New Casino at 12th Street marked the southern end and Seaside Park the northern end. Sixty-one concrete lamps from Chicago Concrete Post Co. provided lighting for the walkway.

After 1938, a line down the middle of the Boardwalk divided bike traffic to the left and pedestrians to the right.

The 28-foot-wide concrete walkway now extends from First Street to 40th Street. It underwent improvements over the years, including widening and landscaping in the late 1990 s in conjunction with the Virginia Beach Hurricane Protection and Beach Erosion Control Project.

It bustles during the height of summer. Some of Virginia Beach's notable sites can be seen from a stroll along the Boardwalk. The Old Coast Guard Station and the Norwegian Lady Plaza are among landmarks that overlook the Atlantic Ocean.

Festivals are held on the public stages in the grassy areas adjacent to the Boardwalk, and several art shows, including the Boardwalk Art Show, are held on the pathway. They feature performances in the parks at 17th, 24th and 25th streets, with local and regional artists, military bands, dramatic one-man shows and musicals.

Virginia Beach's Boardwalk also draws thousands of participants and spectators Labor Day Weekend for the Rock 'n' Roll Half- Marathon and the Verizon Wireless American Music Festival where world-renowned artists perform. This year's concerts, Aug. 29-31, include Billy Idol and the B-52s.

During the winter holiday season, a light display takes over the Boardwalk and cars are permitted to drive down the path.

"We are thrilled as the City's entertainment contractor to hear Virginia Beach's Boardwalk has been nationally recognized," said Mike Hilton , Beachevents' director of marketing.

"The City has worked diligently to provide entertainment in all the parks adjacent to the Boardwalk, in an effort to enhance the experience that visitors and locals alike share at the resort."

The Boardwalk's flat terrain draws runners, walkers and bike riders. A bike path still exists and can be jammed with wheeled- traffic such as surry bikes - four-wheeled, family-sized contraptions with canopies.

"When asked what they like best about Virginia Beach, the beach and the Boardwalk are the two top things our summer visitors mention in our surveys," said Pamela M. Lingle , communications manager for the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"One thing our guests, both local and out of town, mention that they like about the Boardwalk is there are separate areas for bicycles and people walking or running or just enjoying the sights."

For out-of-towners, like Sonya Hurt and her mother, Minnie , of East Orange, N.J., Virginia Beach's Boardwalk is ideal for walking.

"I like that everybody can enjoy it," said Sonya Hurt, who added that she prefers Virginia Beach's oceanfront vista over the New Jersey spots because there is less focus on merchants on the Boardwalk.

It's an atmosphere that the growing city has strived to maintain.

"Since most of the retail area is on Atlantic Avenue, it is a more secluded Boardwalk than other areas of the country," said Lingle of the visitors bureau .

"This Boardwalk is the best of two worlds, it is a secluded Boardwalk that provides a great vantage point to view the beach and the ocean and gives people a chance to unwind in a more relaxed environment. But only steps away, people can shop or get something to eat."

Gone are the days when men strolled the Boardwalk wearing hats, coats and ties, and women were garbed in long dresses and carried parasols. Today, it's a sea of bikinis and stylish athletic wear.

But for the most part, activities haven't changed. Walking, sitting and people-watching never grow old.

Stacy Parker, stacyparker@cox.net

the top 10 (alphabetically)

Atlantic City, N.J.

Coney Island, N.Y.

Kemah, Texas

Mission Beach, Calif.

Ocean City, Md.

Ocean City, N.J.

Rehoboth Beach, Del.

Santa Cruz, Calif.

Venice, Calif.

Virginia Beach

- Sherman's Travel boardwalk trivia

America's first and longest boardwalk is in Atlantic City, N.J. It is 4.5 miles long. Virginia Beach's concrete walkway is three miles long and 28 feet wide. the top 10

(alphabetically)

Atlantic City, N.J.

Coney Island, N.Y.

Kemah, Texas

Mission Beach, Calif.

Ocean City, Md.

Ocean City, N.J.

Rehoboth Beach, Del.

Santa Cruz, Calif.

Venice, Calif.

Virginia Beach

- Sherman's Travel

boardwalk trivia

America's first and longest boardwalk is in Atlantic City, N.J. It is 4.5 miles long. Virginia Beach's concrete walkway is 3 miles long and 28 feet wide.

Originally published by BY STACY PARKER.

(c) 2008 Virginian - Pilot. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Source: Virginian - Pilot

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