East Coast Leisure

1.8 mi

There is a lunch with Santa held every year. Usually the first Saturday in December. Always a…read moregreat time! This is a well kept recreation center! I had never had a compliant about this center. The staff and facility are always in tact. I visited here last Saturday for their annual Lunch with Santa! The event started promptly at 11am and ended promptly a few minutes before 1pm. The City of Suffolk opens there doors to Northern Shores Recreation for a few hours of free fun for the kids. If adults want to participate (eat lunch) they are asked to pay $5 in advance (registration required). But I found out that the in advance registration is only to get a rough estimate of attendees. As a result, if you do not register prior to the event, there is certainly opportunity to register once you arrive. While adults are responsible to pay $5, children are asked to bring an unwrapped toy for a boy or girl to place under the Christmas tree. Now how awesome is that!! So once the adult pays and the child brings the toy...a day of fun begins. During this event you will experience: bounce houses, cotton candy, popcorn, pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus, holiday crafts, coloring, face painting, custom balloons, lunch from Chic Fil A and raffles drawn throughout the event. Now I love a great children's event and I must say Northern Shores has it put together very well!! This was my 2nd year attending and I plan to attend until my 7 yr old daughter tells me she's too old to go. Children ranged from toddlers to 11 years old. And even if your child isn't into Santa it's still a great time for a worthy cause!! I would definitely recommend you mark your calendar for the first Saturday in Decemeber 2015 (when the event usually takes place). You will definitely not be disappointed a Saturday of fun well spent... Also...the picture quality is great as well. If you wish to bring your own camera to take the picture that is totally acceptable! Have fun :)

Bounce houses, popcorn, cotton candy, face painting, balloons, coloring, crafts, wish lists, Santa, Mrs Claus, Chic Fil A!

The children are enjoying themselves. Free popcorn AND cotton candy

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Crafts...lunch with Santa

Bennets Creek Recreation Center

3.2 mi

This is a great addition to the area the state of the art rec center has so many activities for the…read morecommunity everything from seniors karaoke to a gym and walking trail outside There is plenty of parking in new activities added monthly you can check out the website for updates or pop in for a preview They are currently hiring a senior activity Director, which will then open up a lot of programs for our local community in the 55 and up range. The staff here are absolutely wonderful and the building itself is beautiful. The architecture is very unique and it's very clean. I am very glad they decided to build us in our neighborhood.

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Western Branch Community Center

4.3

(3 reviews)

3.2 mi

Just recently reconnected with the WB Community Center and I am happy I did. The staff have been…read morevery friendly and welcoming. Great place for adults and kids alike. We really enjoy playing pickle ball three mornings a week. Plenty to do inside, as well as, outside in the park connected to it. Free for Senior residents, and only $40 a year, I believe for resident adults. I believe it's a little extra for those living outside Chesapeake. Looking for a fun place to be active and meet new people, Check Them Out! PS Membership includes all Chesapeake rec centers :0)

My kids come to the Community Center for after school. They like it even though they sometimes get…read moreinto trouble. They like the staff and they say nice things about their experience there. The prices are affordable and I think the staff is patient with my kids. I'm hoping to get them enrolled for the summer and also for sports activities throughout the year.

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Splash Park

3.5

(2 reviews)

5.8 mi

My brother was visiting recently, and we were trying to come up with inexpensive ideas to take the…read morekids somewhere. Luckily, my bro had heard about splash parks in different states, and he found Portsmouth Splash Park (PSP) here in Hampton Roads. PSP is located on Elm and South in Portsmouth, and we decided to check it out. When we first drove by, we noticed there was no one around--no water running, no kids playing. I wondered if the place was closed, but then I saw two adults sitting on chairs. They were indeed open and we had the whole place to ourselves. The best part is it's free! When PSP opened 3 years ago, they charged $2 per person--which is still a bargain. It seemed that the turnout was low so they decided to do away with the fee. When you get to the desk, you will need to sign up and listen to the rules. Rule number one: no running! PSP has 15 interactive apparatus: giraffe, frog, dragon, crayon, flowers, pails, cattails, anchor and water blasters--fun and colorful. If you're planning to watch the kids instead of playing, there is no shade and no chairs, but there is a restroom. You are not allowed to bring in personal chairs and no food or drink (except water bottles--no glass please). PSP is clean, and a wonderful way to spend an hour or so during a hot summer day. Unfortunately, they are closed for the summer now--but bookmark this place for next year!

This is a nice little sprinkler for kids... even adults! The down fall is a couple of things: (1.)…read moreNo good working number on the internet for the weekend. (2.) No where to sit , no shaded benched areas. Other than that cool little place.

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Joseph E Parker Recreation Center

5.0 mi

This is my go to..linedance,yoga,and zumba class 3 times weekly..This place is very clean and my…read moreinstructor Policia is the best .These classes are targeted for seniors.

Joseph E. Parker Rec Center

Linedance

Linedance class

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Western Branch Park

4.2

(6 reviews)

3.3 mi

WB Park has a lot to offer. Tennis courts (4), pickle ball courts (2), soccer fields, dog park,…read moreplayground - so much fun outdoors for all to enjoy. Need a breath of fresh air, check it out!

Let's face it - the Western Branch area doesn't have all the amenities and fancy things that the…read moreother end of Chesapeake has. We're out here and we gotta work with what we have. This place does well with what they have. The dog park is simple.. it's a fenced in area for dogs to play.. what more do you need? The park area is kinda neat. It recently updated it's playground area with a new playground set and it's very respectful. They were able to keep their old stuff and the rope tower is kinda fun (adult approved). Then if you want, there's a small trail that people can walk. Travelers be warned - it outlines the perimeter of the marsh area... mosquito's are a plenty. If you go towards the back of the park (keep driving) there are other amenities that many people just don't utilize enough. If you're trying to find something to do during COVID life, give this place a try, it's totally worth a shot! =) Food Taste: n/a Overall Service: n/a Value of food to cost: n/a Facility: 4 Repeat customer: yes Dog Friendly: yes

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Dr. Melvin O. Marriner Family Life Center

0.7 mi

Looking forward to great things!…read more My church is opening it's doors even wider! I attended the Grand Opening events for the newly built Family Life Center! This establishment offers: a full basketball court gymnasium, seating in the gym, a full kitchen, meeting rooms, a fitness center, office space etc. It is beautiful inside. Consider this place for all your event space needs at a great price. The Family Life Center is located adjacent to the main sanctuary. Plenty of parking and the entrance is handicap accessible as well. I attended the Grand Opening on a Friday night and the gymnasium was transformed into a reception area for 100+ attendees. There was still room to feature a live band that consisted of at least 5 members. I am loving it! The vibe is awesome and I cannot wait to use all the amenities this center offers. This two level center has stairs as well as elevator access. Have fun and enjoy life :)

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Bennetts Creek Park

4.1

(24 reviews)

4.1 mi

Pretty spot! I took a walk along the trail for the frisbee golf. Pleasant area. I saw a park area,…read moreskate park, fishing pier, frisbee golf, it has a boat launch.

This park is much loved by our family. They offer a little something for everyone. Whether you just…read morewant a stroll, or to catch a beautiful sunset overlooking the water, tennis or pickleball, playground for kids, several picnic areas, skate park & a disc golf course!

Pollinator Garden

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Old Dominion University

4.5

(10 reviews)

5.6 mi

The student rec center is a HUGE sports center that caters to students and members of the community…read moreof all abilities. All activities are scheduled so don't forget to check the ODU web site before venturing over. From the pool to the locker rooms everything is kept neat and clean. There is ample parking here but it may be a short walk to the facility. There is so much to see and do at the SRC. There is always a practice, or game happening. The students, employees, and volunteers are friendly and very helpful if you need help navigating the SRC. Happy Sporting Yeeps!!!

I usually go to the rec centers in VB cuz I live in VB area but since I'm an Odu student and the…read moremembership is included in my tuition, so why not use it you know. I'm not sure if there's a parking lot near this place but I just park at the garage where the parking office is, it should be a 5-10 min walk(Walking with friends talking gossip stuff maybe 20 mins lol). The check-in process was fast, for first-timers, you'll have to go to the desl and they'll show you how to register, as I remember you have to put your hands on the check-in thing 3 times then you're good to go. Well they'll teach you. After that you just have to punch in your UIN then put your hands on the check-in thing then you're good to go. I didn't have time to use the machines but they look amazing and new, and there is a big variety of machines. There's also a track on the secomd floor for people to jog. And there's a swimming pool, a climbing wall(not always open, look for the schedule online), many rooms for classes(some of them are free, look for them online), squash rackets etc. There's a place where you can rent all the equipment to play, I came here to play basketball so I rent a basketball, and it is a Nike. The reason I took one star off is because of the basketball court. Although it is huge and I like how they put a thing to block the farthest court so the intense games on the other side won't worry about us the chill people having our ball rolling into their court, the floor is slippery, which means it is dirty. The floor is also weird because the ball won't bounce back, I guess they are some cheap materials. Overall, it is a good recreation center to workout, especially it's free for students so you cannot ask for more.

Rock climbing wall in lobby

Pool

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Oak Grove Lake Park

4.6

(96 reviews)

11.5 mi

Absolutely love this place! It's the perfect place to go for a walk or run, there is plenty of…read morespace for walkers, runners and even bikers! ‍ There's a decent size playground. Oak Grove is definitely on the pretty side, and even if it's hot out, you are mostly in shade! There are smaller, shorter trails inside the woods you can walk through too if you'd like. Plenty of fishing spots!

Free Parking. Porta Potties available. This park has a cement walk way leading up to the…read moreplayground, porta potty, and a picnic area that would be great for wheelchairs. This park is great for adults, kids and dogs. The views are of a crystal clear lake NO swimming and NO boating. Plenty of trees. Great for bird watching. They have a nice size children's playground. Covered picnic tables throughout the park. a few fitness stations on the 1 1/2 mile hike. VERY easy loop hike. Starts out with a cement trail and turns into fine gravel trail around the lake. Lots of people running, kids playing and dogs walking. My favorite thing I found a bench dedicated to their sweet dog Savanna. And they offer doggy poop bags. Encouraging a nice clean park. Nice easy walk and if you time it right there are a lot of great places in that area to eat and a nice shopping area

Mile post markers

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East Beach

4.8

(12 reviews)

12.9 mi

East Beach has quickly become one of my favorite spots, especially since it's so close to home. I…read moretake my dog, Lexi, here quite a bit, and it's the perfect place for long walks--especially now that the busy season is over. The beach is usually quiet with just a handful of people, which makes it such a peaceful escape. The views at sunset are beautiful, and it never feels crowded, which is a huge plus. It's also very clean and extremely dog-friendly, which makes it even better for us. Convenience is key, and being able to hop over here in just a few minutes is something I really appreciate. If you're looking for a calm, relaxing beach that's perfect for both people and pups, East Beach is definitely worth a

I love this location. It is a beach that is very close to my home. This beach is public but does…read morenot have much parking availability. I come here multiple times a week like many other locals... from 5 miles walks to beautiful sunsets. This beautiful gem has become my sanctuary and one of the main reasons I love being a local... Coastal Living at its BEST! #beachbum #mermaidLyfe

The beach where they fish at

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Marlin Club

(3 reviews)

3.7 mi

Nice place to come for the day and cool off. Like all pools, it has it's busy times, but also more…read morerelaxed down times. There's plenty of seating, both at tables and lounge chairs, and umbrellas, and even a picnic area you can rent for parties or get togethers. There are 2 diving boards, a slide, bathrooms/changing rooms/showers on site, plenty of lifeguards on duty, and the concession stand is reasonably priced with decent options. A good way to spend the day!

This may come as a surprise, but the Marlin Club Concession Stand has outstanding prices and…read moreservice. The manager, Aidan, has clearly trained the staff well. Although my daughter received an incorrect flavor of Pop Tarts, the error was promptly corrected, and they let her keep the wrong one! (Since it was already opened.). My son's two bags of popcorn were microwaved to perfection, and the candy was on point, as always. We love the Marlin Club Concession Stand and will definitely be back! Probably tomorrow.

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Great Bridge Swim & Racquet Club

4.0

(3 reviews)

15.7 mi

This review is based only on the pool for which I have been to over a dozen times. This is a six…read morelane competition pool with two bump outs. One of the area's is bumped out for a slide, the other for a diving board during Summer months. You must pay a membership in order to use this facility. Currently the pool has a bubble over it and is heated for Winter swim meets. ODAC runs it's USA 8&U circuit meets out of this facility once a month until February. The bubble will be taken off in Spring and will return to an outdoor pool. Then the reverse occurs in the Fall with the bubble being put back up. Practices for year around USA swimming club Old Dominion Aquatic Club, or ODAC are conducted at this pool in the morning and evening. There is a very large concrete deck which is very nice and one of the bigger assets the pool has. The facility has always been kept in good shape every time I have seen it. However, there is nothing really special here. Parking is an extreme challenge during events. This is a nice functioning pool that serves the area well and for that it is A-OK.

I've only been here to watch my daughter's swim competitions, but my younger kids have been…read moreswimming here with friends in the summer. They say that the water is freezing- even in July. The parking are is small. If you park on the main road, make sure all four wheels of your car are in the grass. We were warned that you will get ticketed if they're not. The air inside the bubble felt warm to me, but I was dry. The restrooms and shower areas were clean and well stocked with paper towels, tp, etc. They have metal bleachers set up for spectators, but I'd bring a cushion for the long meets. There are also some tables and chairs scattered around, but you can't see the action from that area. There was a concession stand, as well. Bring cash!

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Virginia Beach Watersports

(11 reviews)

29.1 mi

Amazing time as always! John was very patient and wonderful teaching our son to wakeboard. The…read morestaff is very friendly. Best place to go if you are looking for an afternoon on the water

My first experience was a great experience with Virginia Beach Watersports! A group of 8 of us went…read moreout on a Friday evening for a sunset pontoon ride, and it was honestly the perfect way to kick off the weekend. The location couldn't be better! They're located right in Sandbridge next to Baja, so it was super convenient to grab a couple of pizzas to bring along for the ride. We even brought cupcakes to celebrate a birthday. Highly reccomend this. Ryan was our boat driver, and he couldn't have been nicer. He made sure we were comfortable, gave us just enough info about the area, and let us enjoy the views at our own pace. The back bay is stunning. The peaceful water, gorgeous skies, and when the sun started to set, it was absolutely beautiful. I think we all had one of those "wow, we live here" moments. I'd recommend bringing a sweatshirt, since it does get chilly once the sun goes down! One thing I loved was how many options Virginia Beach Watersports has. Besides the pontoons, they've got jet ski rentals, watersports, kayaks, stand up paddle boards ... you name it. One day I'll definitely be back to try a jet ski day, just not quite yet! And the location. Being right next to the Baja is great if you want to continue the fun after your boat ride! If you're looking for something fun to do with friends or family that feels a little different but relaxing, I can't recommend this enough. Great location, great staff, and a gorgeous night on the water.