This evening National Night Out will take place.  This will be the 33rd year of bringing neighborhoods and the police that serve to protect them together.  38 million neighbors within 16, 000 plus communities will work in conjunction to support this event nationally.

The idea behind it is to: heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support and participation in local anti-crime efforts, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community relations, and send a message to criminals letting them know local communities are organized and are fighting back.  In other words, often the best way to prevent crime is to know your neighbors & your surroundings.  Preventing and solving crime is truly a community endeavor.  The overall goal is to forge better connections between law enforcement and neighborhood residents as well as connect neighbors.  In many locations, this is the one time all year that the community mingles and many people end up meeting their “neighbors” for the first time.

Due to the current landscape I believe this is critically important and will be especially beneficial to have neighborhoods throughout Hampton Roads see police officers in a new light.  As one US Senator has stated…”National Night Out triumphs over a culture that isolates us from each other and allows us to rediscover our own communities.”

With efforts from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities, and military bases worldwide, the National Association of Town Watch estimates  the 2016 National Night Out to be the LARGEST ever!   For instance, Norfolk’s police department has called all residents together for the biggest neighbor's meet...

Norfolk, VA is home to one of the most sought after waterfront community neighborhoods on the East Coast.  It’s ideally located with only a short commute to the Norfolk International Airport and a quick 20 minutes to downtown Norfolk.  Two major military bases (including the world’s largest naval base) are less than 9 miles away.

East Beach was first developed in 2002 as a “Traditional Neighborhood Development” (TND), otherwise known as New Urbanism {a movement in urban planning that reflects a return to the classic American hometown, with mixed uses and pedestrian scaled streets.}  It was designed and built in the style of traditional Atlantic coastal villages with a master plan that encourages a sense of community as it weaves the natural features of the neighborhood with mixed uses of retail, office space, schools, and restaurants.  Streets are intimate and narrow to slow down the traffic and encourage residents to walk. Any part of the neighborhood is accessible in less than a ten minute walk so you will find plenty of tree lined streetscapes throughout that were designed with walking, running, and biking in mind. This is a village created to bring people together….whether you’re on the beach, playing in one of the many neighborhood parks, rocking on your porch, or pushing a baby stroller down one of the sidewalks. A neighborhood planned for pedestrians so that shops, amenities, and schools are all within easy walking distance.

You will find East Beach situated right on the Chesapeake Bay where the Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean.  This waterfront community is the only place where one can walk just a few short blocks to the Chesapeake Bay and walk in the other direction to Pretty Lake’s deep water marinas and the various shops and restaurants along Pretty Lake Avenue.  ...

 Last Saturday I found out that my local Farmer’s Market in downtown Norfolk was closing for good. My heart instantly sank to the floor when I first read it because I thought how is this even possible? How did my neighborhood not embrace (or get behind enough) this wonderful mission?  I mean we all have to eat, right?  And they have food...and not just any food, but really good food.  All locally grown from local farmers in our backyard with pop-ups shops, breakfast food trucks and a diverse group of talented local musicians performing.

But then it occurred to me that it’s really important for any business (even farmer markets) to thoroughly understand and effectively communicate to their neighborhood.  Although “farm to table” markets are growing in large numbers not just in Hampton Roads but throughout the country, surprisingly a sizable number of them end up failing. Now you may be thinking to yourself, there's never been a better time for farmers' markets!  Exactly, I mean food consciousness is at an all-time high and people are seeking out healthier lifestyles which include organics and fresh produce.  BUT even with all that said, it’s quite easy for markets to enter a downward spiral in which they have difficulty attracting additional customers because they do not have enough variety, yet cannot attract additional vendors to offer more variety because they don’t have enough NEW customers every week.  I saw this happen first hand with my farmer’s market.  Vendors were constantly pulling out last minute or canceling because the previous time they were there they did not make enough money to...

As you know, not too long ago, we were all on a hurricane watch.  Fortunately the most we got was heavy torrential rain combined with tidal flooding.  But for a few days I was panicked that we were going to be hit with a category 4 hurricane so like the rest of Hampton Roads I found myself rushing to the store to buy a ton of water, bread and other basic necessities.

Being that during a hurricane, homes can be easily damaged or even destroyed by high winds and high waves as well as debris possibly breaking windows and doors, I was fearful that I was not fully prepared for Hurricane Joaquin and on high alert.

Thus, I thought this might be the perfect time to refresh how exactly to prepare for a hurricane and tropical storm.  When your local meteorologist warns you to take cover because a hurricane is on the way, the very last thing you want to do is worry about whether or not you’re prepared. With a little effort now, you can yield big savings (and lots peace of mind) in the future.

A hurricane is a severe tropical storm that forms in the southern Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico or eastern Pacific Ocean. To form, hurricanes need warm tropical oceans, moisture and light winds. They gather heat and energy from the warm waters.  Evaporation from seawater increases their power.  Every year in the Northern Atlantic Ocean, hurricane season is June 1 - November 30.

Hurricanes rotate in a counterclockwise direction around an "eye." They have winds at least 75 mph. When they come onto land, they can bring heavy rain, strong winds...

This weekend the annual Neptune Festival is kicked into high gear, a month long celebration that's one of the biggest and successful festivals along the East Coast.

Neptune's Surfing Classic takes place Saturday, September 12 @ 7:30pm through Sunday, September 13 @ 5pm from 1^st to 8^th St at the oceanfront where old and young surfers face-off in this popular surf classic.

Also Saturday & Sunday, the 19th Annual Neptune's Fall Wine Festival 12pm-5pm @ Neptune’s Park (31^st St/Atlantic Avenue).

The festival gains momentum with local favorite End of Summer Bay Bash on Friday, September 18^th.

There are over 40 Neptune events per year, but the majority runs throughout September culminating with the flagship event Boardwalk Weekend, 9/25 – 9/27 which always begins on the last Friday of September.  It’s actually the largest annual special event in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The Festival annually generates approximately $21 million in economic impact, approximately $700,000 of direct municipal taxes, and shares over $100,000 with partnering charitable organizations such as EQUI-KIDS, Virginia Beach Rotary, Virginia Beach Jaycees, and the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society among others.

See you this weekend…

In a little over 3 weeks the Virginia Beach oceanfront will transform itself into the American Music Festival.  Every year since 2001, Labor Day weekend on the beach has been a fun-filled 3 days of live music, raising money for charity, a world-class Health & Fitness Expo (approx 100,000 square feet of trade show) and of course running!

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon is one of the country’s most popular races of its kind, averaging 10,000 plus runners every year.  The Marathon Series tries to make running exciting and fun year after year with more athletes participating in Rock ‘n’ Roll running events than any other running series in the United States. 

Born in 1998 out of San Diego, CA the marathon originated as a traditional marathon while incorporating bands along the course to celebrate each runner/participant.  The brand itself has since transformed the running landscape while igniting a new love of running.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series combines running, travel and entertainment while providing a world-class event atmosphere for both participants and spectators.  The series now visits more than 30 cities each year; such as Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington DC, Nashville, Madrid and Mexico City.  Some of the biggest names in music have been associated with the weekend long festival.  Past performers include Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Pitbull, Goo Goo Dolls, All-American Rejects,...

Something is always happening around town in Virginia Beach or just a short drive away.   Go fishing, play a round a golf,  or head to the beach and enjoy the festivals and music throughout the year.   Have some fun and share your experiences with your friends and family.

Qualify for the Boston Marathon at the March Shamrock Sportfest’s annual 26.2 mile challenge, or run for fun in one of the shorter races.  There are a lot of races in the area, so come train with The Hampton Roads Runners.

Every spring, the Virginia Arts Festival welcomes internationally-acclaimed dancers, musicians, actors and other performance artists in one of the premier cultural events in the mid-Atlantic region.

In May, the oceanfront goes Caribbean during the annual PANorama Caribbean Music Fest, featuring steel bands and “pan” virtuosos, followed by a giant beach party at Beach Music Weekend. 

Redskin fans flock to the beach in May to mingle with players and cheerleaders during the Redskins Beach Blitz, while wine lovers sample vintages from around the world at the Spring International Wine Tasting.  Or, you can just go fly a kite - at the Atlantic Coast Kite Festival.

Remember the Music, Remember the Heroes honors our military heroes during the Memorial Day festival featuring special performances on multiple boardwalk stages.

The pulsating rhythms of salsa and mambo explode from the beach during the Latin Fest...

Topgolf is coming to the beach!  Virginia Beach will serve as the first Hampton Roads lo­­­cation for Dallas-based Topgolf International Inc. The golf entertainment company plans to open a 65,000-square-foot, 12-acre facility off Greenwich Road between Interstate 264 and Newtown Road.  In addition to the near 30 million investment into the city over the next several years, 450 jobs will be created with 125 being full time positions.

Construction has already begun on the three-level driving range, restaurant/bar and entertainment complex with an anticipated fall 2015 open date.  Design plans include 102 hitting bays, 200+ HDTVs, a rooftop terrace, space for group events, and a game area with billiards, shuffleboard and Xboxes as well as free Wi-Fi throughout. 

 Topgolf is the premier golf entertainment complex where the competition of sport meets your favorite local hangout.  It’s a unique category of entertainment that mixes the energy and excitement of a Dave and Buster’s with the activity component of a traditional bowling alley.

Golfers hit balls at targets on an artificial turf fairway and earn points for accuracy and distance through microchips embedded in the balls. All points appear on the television screen at your bay. The farther the target and the closer you hit to its center, the more points you get (very similar to darts in that regard). Prices will range from $10 to $45 per hour per bay depending on the time of day and each bay can hold up to six people. 

...

Friday January 9, 2015 Hampton Roads became home to the newest and brightest place to read and learn!  The much anticipated Slover Memorial Library in downtown Norfolk encompasses 138,000 square feet of space which includes the beautifully restored Seaboard Building and showcases three centuries of architecture the 19th, 20^th and 21^st century.  The library is named for Col. Samuel L. Slover, who founded The Virginian-Pilot and its parent company, Landmark Communications, the predecessor to Landmark Media Enterprises and briefly served as Norfolk's mayor in 1933 and died in 1959.  Mr. Slover helped raise Frank Batten Sr. (the retired chairman and chief executive officer of Landmark) after his father died. Jane Batten, along with her late husband (Batten Sr. died at the age of 82 in 2009), provided $40 million for the library.

The design of library is definitely something to marvel at.  The nationally praised Kent Bloomer Studio created ornamental metal leaf sculptures in the six-story tower that connects the Seaboard Building and Selden Arcade which includes a glass-enclosed atrium, as well as a leafed trellis for a terrace overlooking Plume Street. 

A region that embraces public art and architecture is one that is much sought after and now the Slover Library is a destination for...

Exciting news took place Monday, October 13^th, when San Diego based Green Flash Brewing Co. officially broke ground for the construction of their 20 million dollar facility at the northwest corner of General Booth Boulevard and Corporate Landing Parkway.  The site is only a couple of miles south of Oceana Naval Air Station, home to a fleet of roaring F/A-18s and on 9 acres in the Corporate Landing Business Park.  Green Flash bought the land from the Virginia Beach Development Authority for $1.35 million.

Mike Hinkley, who founded Green Flash with his wife, Lisa, originally had settled on Wilmington, a seaside city in North Carolina for the site of their second brewery, but a last-minute trip to Virginia Beach changed their minds.  Green Flash initially decided against Virginia because, at the time, brew pubs were not allowed to sell pints in their tasting rooms. They reconsidered when the law changed in 2012 under previous Governor Bob McDonnell.  Green Flash and others credit the law change with the monstrous growth Hampton Roads has seen.

Virginia Beach, which is Virginia's largest city, has a lot in common with San Diego.  Virginia Beach has an oceanfront location, is home to a major U.S. Navy base and is a tourist magnet, drawing more than five million visitors each summer. The city is also centrally located and offers second-day freight service to two-thirds of the U.S. population, from Boston to Miami.  

The Hinkleys wanted to build a brewery in the mid-Atlantic so they could deliver fresh beer to about two-thirds of the U.S. population. As a matter of fact, a third of Green Flash's beer is sold on the East Coast.

Currently, Green Flash markets beer in 38 states and sells about 30...