Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Beach is the largest city in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. The city is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having the longest pleasure beach in the world. It is also home to several state parks, several long-protected beach areas, military bases, a number of large corporations, Virginia Wesleyan University and Regent University. The international headquarters and site of the television broadcast studios for Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), Edgar Cayce's Association for Research and Enlightenment, and numerous historic sites. The Chesepian were the historic indigenous people of the area now known as Tidewater in Virginia at the time of European encounter. In 1607, three ships headed by Captain Christopher Newport, and carrying 105 men and boys, made their first landfall in the New World on the mainland. They named it Cape Henry, after Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of King James I of England. These English colonists of the Virginia Company of London moved on from this area, as they were under orders to seek a site further inland, which would be more sheltered from ships of competing European countries. They created their first permanent settlement on the north side of the James River at Jamestown. Adam Thoroughgood (1604-1640) of King's Lynn, Norfolk, England is one of the earliest Englishmen to settle in the area, which was developed as Virginia Beach.

History

Virginia Beach is the primary city name, but also Fort Story, Virginia Bch are acceptable city names or spellings, Little Creek Naval Amphibiou, Nav Amph Base, Naval Amphib Base, Naval Amphibious Base on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is City of Virginia Beach. The Chesepian were the historic indigenous people of the area now known as Tidewater in Virginia at the time of European encounter. Little is known about them but archeological evidence suggests they may have been related to the Carolina Algonquian, or Pamlico people. In 1607, after a voyage of 144 days, three ships headed by Captain Christopher Newport, and carrying 105 men and boys, made their first landfall in the New World on the mainland. They named it Cape Henry, after Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of King James I of England. Adam Thoroughgood (1604-1640) of King's Lynn, Norfolk, England is one of the earliest Englishmen to settle in this area, which was developed as Virginia Beach. The Virginia Beach Hotel was opened and operated by the Norfolk and Virginia Beach Railroad and Improvement Company at the oceanfront, near the tiny community of Seatack. The hotel was foreclosed and the railroad reorganized in 1887. In 1891, guests at the new hotel watched the wreck and rescue efforts of the United States Life-Saving Service for the Norwegian bark Dictator. The ship's figurehead, which washed up on the beach several days later, was erected as a monument to the victims and rescuers. In the 21st century, it inspired the pair of matching Norwegian Lady Monrnulfs, sculpted by Ørnulf fs.

Geography

Virginia Beach is located at 36.8506°N 75.9779°W (Virginia Beach) It is the largest city in Virginia by total area and third-largest city by land area. The Hampton Roads Metropolitan Statistical Area (officially known as the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA) is the 37th largest in the United States, with a total population of 1,707,639. Virginia Beach is 19 miles (30km) east of Norfolk, 24 miles (38km) northeast of Chesapeake, 107 miles (172km) southeast of Richmond, the state capitol, and 209 miles (336km)outheast of Washington, D.C. The mean annual temperature is 59.6 °F (15.3 °C), with an average annual snowfall of 5.8 inches (150 mm) at the airport to around 3.0 inches (76 mm) in the southeastern corner around Back Bay. The wettest season is summer, specifically July to early September, with August averaging over 5.5 inches (1,300 mm) of rain. The highest recorded temperature to date was 105 °C (41 °F) in July 2010, and the lowest recorded temperature was 3.7 inches (41.1 °C) in January 2010. The coldest daily record was 12 °C in December 1917, whereas the warmest night averages 80 °C from July 1942. Summer nights are sometimes hot and humid, sometimes all-time record low is 84 °C.

Demographics

As of the 2000 Census, there were 425,257 people, 154,455 households, and 110,898 families residing in the city. The city of Virginia Beach has a lower crime rate than the other regional cities of Hampton Roads, Newport News, Norfolk, and Portsmouth, which all exceed national average crime rates. In 1999 Virginia Beach experienced 12 murders giving the city a murder rate of 2.7 per 100,000 people. For 2007, Virginia Beach had 16 murders, which was lower than the national average that year of 6.9. According to the Congressional Quarterly Press '2008 City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America', Virginia Beach, Virginia ranks 311th in violent crime among 385 cities containing more than 75,000 inhabitants. There are 146 different religious congregations and 184 different religious adherents in the City. The median income for a household in theCity was $48,705, and the median income. for a family was $53,242. The per capita income for the city was $22,365. About 5.1% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of people age 65 or over. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.14. The age distribution was 27.5% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and8.4% who were 65 years of age or older.

Economy

Nearly 200 foreign firms have established a presence, an office location or their North American headquarters in Hampton Roads. Virginia Beach was ranked at number 45 on Forbes list of best places for business and careers. 54% of the 171,000 people working in Virginia Beach live in the city, 12% live in Chesapeake, and 10% living in Norfolk. Unemployment has been cut almost in half over the past two years going from a high of 4.2% in January 2017 to 2.8% in June 2019. The city has a large agribusiness sector which produces $80 million for the city economy. One hundred-seventy-two farms exist inVirginia Beach, mostly below the greenline in the southern portion of the city. The U.S. Navy's NAS Oceana and Training Support Center Hampton Roads are considered to be the largest of their respective kind in the world. Furthermore, located in nearby Norfolk is the central hub of the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet, Norfolk Navy Base. In addition, Virginia Beach is home to a number of small, innovative companies, such as Morphix Technologies, who cater for military industry. It was decreed by the 2005 BRAC Commission that NAS Ocana must close unless the city of Virginia Beach condemns houses in areas designated as "Accident Potential Zones" This action has never been the position of the U. S. Navy; indeed, the Navy had not recommended NAS Oocana to the BRAC commission for potential closure.

Culture

The city is home to several points of interest in the historical, scientific, and visual/performing arts areas. The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center (formerly the Virginia Marine Science Museum) is a popular aquarium near the oceanfront. The Edgar Cayce Hospital for Research and Enlightenment was established in Virginia Beach in 1928 with 60 beds. The traditional beach-architecture headquarters building features massage therapy by appointment. The city's largest festival, the Neptune Festival, attracts 500,000 visitors to the ocean front and 350,000 to the air show at NAS Oceana. Every Labor Day Weekend, the American Music Festival provides festival attendees with live music performed on stages all over the beach on Fifth Street. The festival ends with the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, which is held in the Town Center area of the city on the last day of the festival. The Sandler Center, a 1200-seat performing arts theatre, opened in the Virginia Beach Town Center in November 2007. One of the world's largest collections of World War I and World War II aircraft is located at the Military Aviation Museum in the Pungo area of Virginia Beach. Such sites include the Adam Thoroughgood House (one of the oldest surviving colonial homes in Virginia), the Francis Land House (a 200-year-old plantation), the Cape Henry Lights and nearby Cape Henry Light Station (a second tower), De Witt Cottage, Adam Keeling House, and others. Virginia Beach has 18 sites on the National Register of Historic Places.

Sports

Hampton Roads is the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a club in a major professional sports league. The city is also home to the East Coast Surfing Championships, an annual contest of more than 100 of the world's top professional surfers and an estimated 400 amateur surfers. There are eleven golf courses open to the public in the city, as well as four country club layouts and 36 military holes at NAS Oceana's Aeropines course. Virginia Beach also hosts the Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, founded in 1973 with over 24,000 participants. It is an annual race over St. Patrick's Day weekend and was recognized by Runner's World as one of the Top 20 marathons in the country in 1992. The Virginia Destroyers, a UFL franchise, played at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex until the league's collapse in 2012. The Kingsmill Resort in nearby Williamsburg hosts the Kingsmill Championship, an annual LPGA Tour tournament. The Hampton Roads Piranhas, a men's team in the USL Premier Development League, play at the Hampton Roads Sportsplex. The Norfolk Admirals won the AHL Calder Cup in 2012, and the U.S. women's national field hockey team plays at the same facility. The final 3 miles (4.8 km) are on the boardwalk. The City of Norfolk is home to a Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon each year on Labor Day weekend in conjunction with the American Music Festival. The latter of which hosted theVirginia Beach Open, a Nationwide Tour event from 2000 to 2006.

Parks and recreation

Virginia Beach is home to 210 city parks, encompassing over 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) Mount Trashmore Park is clearly visible from I-264 when traveling to the oceanfront. Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1938, is an 8,000-acre (32 km²) fresh water refuge that borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and Back Bay on the west. In its 2013 ParkScore ranking, The Trust for Public Land reported that Virginia Beach had the 8th best park system among the 50 most populous U.S. cities. The city's extensive park system is recognized as one of the best in the United States, according to ParkScore's 2013 ranking of the top 50 cities for parks and recreation in the country. The park system has been named one of America's best by the National Park Service and The Trust For Public Land. It was named the best city park system in the nation in 2013 by ParkScore and the Washington Post's 2013 rankings of the nation's top 50 parks and rec systems. The parks are located in the east-central part of the city, very close to Oceana Naval Air Station. Red Wing Park, a 97 acres (39 ha) park, is a unique feature of this park is the Miyazaki Japanese Garden, which is a result of its interactions with its sister city Miyazaki, Japan. First Landing State Park and False Cape State Park are both located in coastal areas within the city's corporate limits as well.

Government

Virginia Beach was chartered as a municipal corporation by the General Assembly of Virginia on January 1, 1963. The city's legislative body consists of an eleven-member city council. The mayor presides over city council meetings, and serves as the ceremonial head and spokesperson of the city. Citizens of Virginia Beach also elect five constitutional officers, and candidates for these offices are permitted to run with an affiliated political party. Virginia Beach is located entirely in Virginia's 2nd congressional district, served by Democrat Elaine Luria. In 2020, Joe Biden became the first Democrat to carry Virginia Beach since 1964, and only the third to do so since Virginia Beach became an independent city. In 2008, general elections are held the first Tuesday in November in even-numbered years. All registered voters are eligible to vote for all council members. Three council members and the mayor serve on an at-large basis. All others are elected by district (and must live in the district they represent): Bayside, Beach, Centerville, Kempsville, Lynnhaven, Princess Anne, and Rose Hall. The two other offices are concerned with fiscal policy: the city treasurer and the commissioner of the revenue. In 2004, President George W. Bush was the first presidential candidate to win at least 51% of the vote in the city since 2004. John McCain and Donald Trump only managed to win a plurality of the City's votes in 2008 and 2016, winning the city despite losing statewide. In 2016, the city voted for Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama.

Education

The city of Virginia Beach is home to Virginia Beach City Public Schools, one of the largest school systems in the state. The city is also home to three universities and branch centers for several other universities. According to the U.S. Census, 28.1% of the population over twenty-five (vs. a national average of 24%) hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and 90.4% have a high school diploma or equivalent. There are also a number of private, independent schools in the city, including Chesapeake Bay Academy and Tidewater Collegiate Academy (both on the campus of Virginia Wesleyan University), Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic School and Parish, Strelitz International Academy (formerly the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater), Catholic High School (formerly Bishop Sullivan Catholic and, before that, Norfolk Catholic), Baylake Pines School, (closed in 2014), and Virginia Beach Friends School. Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University are in nearby Norfolk but operate a joint Center in Virginia Beach. Both the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech operate satellite campuses inVirginia Beach. The Virginia Beach Public Library System provides free access to accurate and current information and materials to all individuals, and promotes reading as a critical life skill. The Library system has a collection of more than 1 million items including special subject collections. Virginia Beach has a large number of non-profit colleges, including ECPI University's, a for-profit career college, has its headquarters in Virginia beach.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Virginia Beach, King George County, Virginia = 36.5. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 61. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 99. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Virginia Beach = 4.3 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 459,470 individuals with a median age of 35.9 age the population grows by 2.23% in Virginia Beach, King George County, Virginia population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,877.53 residents per square mile of area (724.92/km²). There are average 2.63 people per household in the 162,598 households with an average household income of $63,288 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.60% of the available work force and has dropped -1.52% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 31.26%. The number of physicians in Virginia Beach per 100,000 population = 221.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Virginia Beach = 47.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 7.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 102. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 213. 87 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 31.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 35, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Virginia Beach, King George County, Virginia which are owned by the occupant = 61.78%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 26 years with median home cost = $202,360 and home appreciation of -4.14%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $11.13 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,251 per student. There are 13.8 students for each teacher in the school, 243 students for each Librarian and 382 students for each Counselor. 7.64% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 19.24% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 8.74% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).