Ok so I was one of those who didn’t like the idea of a downtown being erected after the fact; considering that Virginia Beach, in its current incarnation, has been around at least since the earlier part of the last century, yet quickly grew to eclipse all of the other surrounding cities in population and density. Plus it is part of a “Town Center” project, which means that it won’t be a traditional downtown, and unlike current downtown areas in most metropolitan areas, this one will be planned. Where other downtowns have been town down and rebuilt numerous times, the Beach is just getting started.
Armada Hoffler is building this monstrosity on new streets in a neighborhood that appeared across from the Pembroke Mall a few years back, virtually overnight. Some buildings are complete other’s aren’t. The reason I refer to it as a monstrosity is because Virginia Beach, for the most part, is full of short buildings you wouldn’t even consider skyscrapers, much smaller than what you’d typically see even in D.C. or Richmond. So you’re traveling along looking at short structures that are 8 stories or less, and then you stumble upon Town Centre, which can be seen from the edge of Norfolk, and you’re like, “oh”.
The place seems to be anchored by the Hilton Garden Inn and the Weston Hotel. The web site says that the Weston Hotel is only 10 stories but to look at it there are at least 30 floors in this building. You wouldn’t know it, but there are actually 15 stores and 17 places to eat, with another 3 in the works. There are also 3 apartment complexes, one of which sits on top of the Weston Hotel, (as I mentioned earlier, the hotel is 10 floors but the building is much taller), and two other complexes, the smaller Studio 56 lofts (5 floors), and the Cosmopolitan apartments, with over 300 units. At the end of the day, perhaps a thousand or more people can live in these few blocks, and will have a self contained micro-city, within Virginia Beach, to spend their time in.
There’s more though; The Sandler Center for the Performing Arts may offer a viable alternative to theaters elsewhere in the region. It’s clear that Virginia Beach is offering a viable, if not conspicuous, alternative to downtown life in Norfolk. I for one tend to believe that if this project is a success they’ll actually expand it into the rest of the immediate surrounding area, except perhaps for the high school that sits a few blocks away from it. Pembroke Mall persists, it would appear, perhaps for sentimental reasons because it is the first in this area. It is worth taking a look around, though most of the upscale department stores have moved to more promising destinations, such as Lynnhaven or MacArthur’s.
If you’re new to the area no you do not have to go to Norfolk for everything, though you should check it out because it has changed a lot, particularly if you haven’t been around here since the 80s. But to see the Weston Hotel, it is a remarkable sight, and tends to look pretty good from all angels regardless of what street you’re on. If this is a sign of things to come, and whether you’ll see a plethora of skyscrapers from the highway in the future, is still anyones guess. Yet it does show how far the city has come, in such a short period of time …
okay so the skinny jeans didn't work out for me so well ... 
Getting used to the idea of downtown Virginia Beach
Posted by: goofy328 on: March 28, 2007
Ok so I was one of those who didn’t like the idea of a downtown being erected after the fact; considering that Virginia Beach, in its current incarnation, has been around at least since the earlier part of the last century, yet quickly grew to eclipse all of the other surrounding cities in population and density. Plus it is part of a “Town Center” project, which means that it won’t be a traditional downtown, and unlike current downtown areas in most metropolitan areas, this one will be planned. Where other downtowns have been town down and rebuilt numerous times, the Beach is just getting started.
Armada Hoffler is building this monstrosity on new streets in a neighborhood that appeared across from the Pembroke Mall a few years back, virtually overnight. Some buildings are complete other’s aren’t. The reason I refer to it as a monstrosity is because Virginia Beach, for the most part, is full of short buildings you wouldn’t even consider skyscrapers, much smaller than what you’d typically see even in D.C. or Richmond. So you’re traveling along looking at short structures that are 8 stories or less, and then you stumble upon Town Centre, which can be seen from the edge of Norfolk, and you’re like, “oh”.
The place seems to be anchored by the Hilton Garden Inn and the Weston Hotel. The web site says that the Weston Hotel is only 10 stories but to look at it there are at least 30 floors in this building. You wouldn’t know it, but there are actually 15 stores and 17 places to eat, with another 3 in the works. There are also 3 apartment complexes, one of which sits on top of the Weston Hotel, (as I mentioned earlier, the hotel is 10 floors but the building is much taller), and two other complexes, the smaller Studio 56 lofts (5 floors), and the Cosmopolitan apartments, with over 300 units. At the end of the day, perhaps a thousand or more people can live in these few blocks, and will have a self contained micro-city, within Virginia Beach, to spend their time in.
There’s more though; The Sandler Center for the Performing Arts may offer a viable alternative to theaters elsewhere in the region. It’s clear that Virginia Beach is offering a viable, if not conspicuous, alternative to downtown life in Norfolk. I for one tend to believe that if this project is a success they’ll actually expand it into the rest of the immediate surrounding area, except perhaps for the high school that sits a few blocks away from it. Pembroke Mall persists, it would appear, perhaps for sentimental reasons because it is the first in this area. It is worth taking a look around, though most of the upscale department stores have moved to more promising destinations, such as Lynnhaven or MacArthur’s.
If you’re new to the area no you do not have to go to Norfolk for everything, though you should check it out because it has changed a lot, particularly if you haven’t been around here since the 80s. But to see the Weston Hotel, it is a remarkable sight, and tends to look pretty good from all angels regardless of what street you’re on. If this is a sign of things to come, and whether you’ll see a plethora of skyscrapers from the highway in the future, is still anyones guess. Yet it does show how far the city has come, in such a short period of time …