It’s hard not to be happy in Pharrell Williams’s hometown, Virginia Beach
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — ”Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.” Yep, you know the tune, a guaranteed earworm: “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. The song is 10 years old now, believe it or not. Williams himself just turned 50. This is also the year that Something in the Water, the music festival Williams founded in 2019, returned to his hometown, Virginia Beach, April 28-30. (The third day of the festival was canceled due to the tornado that struck the city.)
The producer/musician/fashion icon “soaked up inspiration from Virginia Beach,” says SITW (www.somethinginthewater.com) executive producer (and phriend of Pharrell) Robby Wells. Along with big-name acts — Lil Wayne, Jonas Brothers, and Maren Morris among them — this year’s festival featured dozens of local musicians and vendors. “Pharrell loves showcasing his hometown,” Wells says. “One of the goals of SITW is to shine a light on the best of what’s here — food, music, creativity — and bring in the best of what Pharrell encounters in his travels.”
Come along if you feel like finding your Happy Place in Virginia Beach. As beach towns go, it’s affordable, accessible, and cool enough that Pharrell can enjoy his oysters and Snickerdoodles in peace.
If your happy place is . . . at the beach
Thirty-five miles long, the “world’s longest pleasure beach” is a broad, tawny strand that functions as the city’s backyard, lined with playgrounds, music stands, an outdoor fitness area, and a 3-mile boardwalk. Beach bicycles and surreys occupy a separate bike lane. High-rise hotels face the Atlantic, and include all the brand names, plus a few 1960s-era throwbacks. A block behind the beach, Atlantic Avenue is lined with restaurants, beach-y shops selling tees, towels, and (of all things) hermit crabs, a mix that reminded us of Main Street in Hyannis.
As beach destinations go, “We’re a bit undiscovered,” says Erin Goldmeier, PR director of the Virginia Beach CVB. But Boston is an emerging market, she notes, something that will likely increase now that budget-friendly Breeze Airways (www.flybreeze.com) offers direct service from T.F. Green International Airport in Providence to Norfolk International Airport (serving Virginia Beach) five days a week.
Speaking of air, you’ll quickly notice one of the city’s hallmarks: flyovers. Navy jets fly squadrons overhead, en route to Ocean Naval Air Station. They. Are. Loud. So, if your happy place is superquiet, Virginia Beach may not be your cup of Orange Crush (the city’s signature adult beverage).
If your happy place is . . . a cool hotel
Pharrell owns a waterfront manse on Chesapeake Bay Beach, but you don’t have to spend megabucks to get a great view. We found a modern beachfront room for $234 a night at the 305-room Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront (www.marriott.com). We woke up to glorious sunrises, lounged in beach chairs, and enjoyed the on-site fine dining restaurant, Orion’s Roof, known for sushi and sashimi. Bonus: complimentary beach bicycles.
Guests have reciprocal privileges at the historic 85-room Cavalier Virginia Beach Resort (https://cavalierresortvb.com/cavalier-hotel/; from $303) across the street; they share the same owner. On the National Register of Historic Places, this exquisite hotel has hosted 10 US presidents. Our favorite spot on-property was Becca, a gorgeous, foliage-fringed restaurant.
If your happy place is . . . a really good restaurant
“Pharrell is very food-centric,” Robby Wells told us. One of his favorites is the Snickerdoodle cookie served at farm-totable Commune (www.communevb.com), open for breakfast and lunch. You won’t go wrong with their apple-and-ham grilled cheese, a best-ofVirginia medley of country ham, sliced apples, and spicy pimento cheese on sourdough bread. The singer also stops in for dinner — and a raspberry sorbet for dessert — at The Atlantic on Pacific (www.theatlanticvb.com), a lively oyster/craft cocktail bar. Although Williams
chooses a quiet table, we love the action at the raw bar, where oyster shuckers ably deconstruct 12 varieties of the bivalve. Daily happy hours feature oysters for a buck. Another special worth mentioning: the fried chicken special on Wednesday nights, served with truffle mac and cheese, vegetable, and a glass of pinot noir for $28 at Terrapin (www.terrapinvb.com), a chic spot known for fresh pasta.
As mentioned, the classic VB cocktail is the Orange Crush. Made with fresh orange juice, Triple Sec, orange vodka, and Sprite, this drink originated at Waterman’s Surfside Grill (www.watermans.com), the perfect place to enjoy a beverage with a view (and an excellent crab cake).
If your happy place is . . . on the water
Home to the annual East Coast Surfing Championships, Virginia Beach is also a great spot for beginners. “It’s an easy place to learn to surf, because the conditions are very forgiving and it is culturally accepting,” says Nick Halleran, founder and head shaper at MAR Surf Exchange (www.marsurfexchange.com.) At MAR, surfers can hand-shape and design their own boards (now that’s a souvenir!), or buy or rent a board (new or pre-owned) to use on vacation. First Street is the go-to spot for most VB surfers, Halleran says. He hasn’t sold a board to Williams, but he has a Pharrell connection (as does seemingly everyone here): “His mom was the librarian at my school.”
Rather SUP than surf ? Head out into Rudee Inlet with owner Randy Harris of RISUP (Rudee Inlet Stand Up Paddleboard; www.standupvb.com). “This is my playground,” says Harris, who grew up at Rudee Inlet; now, the top-rated outfitter takes paddlers out (including newbies) to paddle with dolphins and humpback whales, do sound meditation and yoga on paddleboards, and simply enjoy being on the water minus a motor. His youngest client: rapper Pusha T’s 18-month-old son (Pusha T is also a VB native). The little man did well. “We have a rich tradition as ocean people,” Harris says.
For a more laid-back excursion, cruise on the Rudee Flipper (www.rudeetours.com; from $27) and watch dolphins frolic as you ply the Virginia Beach coastline.
If your happy place is . . . surrounded by art
Every visitor takes a selfie with the King Neptune statue, a Virginia Beach landmark. But there’s more art to discover in Virginia’s largest (geographically speaking) city. The ViBe District (www.vibecreativedistrict.org), set between the convention center and the oceanfront, was a desolate 15-block area of mostly empty storefronts until 2016, when a local developer and a small business owner saw the potential for a creative district. Now, the neighborhood boasts over 400 works of art and 58 new businesses. “It’s a real feelgood story,” says ViBe executive director Kate Pittman of this neighborhood in transition. Short-term rentals, boutiques, and coffee shops are cropping up amid the vibrant splashes of street art — here, parking lot spaces painted by local students; there, color-drenched parking meters, along with 56 murals. Local shops, a car wash, and even a chain drugstore feature mural-covered walls.
Mural artists — mostly from Virginia — get paid for their work, Pittman notes. A stretch along 17th Street is the most color-drenched. Visit during the Mural Festival in August and watch artists add 10 new murals to the mix. “It’s a great reason to get off the boardwalk and explore the city beyond the beach,” Pittman says.
If your happy place is . . . a good candy store
Any beach town worth its salt has a great candy store. After making salt water taffy in their basement, the Forbes family opened their first Forbes Candies (www.forbescandies.com) store on the Virginia Beach boardwalk in 1930. Now, they offer a variety of confections, including brittles, caramels, and fudge. We could resist the surfer tees and silly souvenirs — even the hermit crabs — at the tourist shops, but not the treats at Forbes.
After a couple of days absorbing the sunny vibe of Virginia Beach, you’ll probably feel like — dare we say it — a room without a roof. You know, happy.
Maybe there really is something in the water.
For information: www.visitvirginiabeach.com.