A Hidden gem in Newport News Victory Landing Park, located…read morein Newport News, Virginia, is a waterfront spot hidden from view by an office building and a memorial arch. Newport News near this part seems a little run down. It is a very nice place for relaxing or taking in scenic views of the James River. Nestled near the city's downtown area, this small park offers a peaceful retreat for locals and visitors alike. There is not much parking right next to the park but there seems to be street parking up the hill. The surrounding area is not the nicest area but if you can get to it, I think it is worth it. One of the nice features is the wide, unobstructed view of the river, where you can watch boats and ships pass by. The park is often quiet, making it an ideal spot for reflection or reading. Benches and picnic tables are scattered throughout, offering seating options for those who want to enjoy the fresh air. A paved walking path is also great for a leisurely stroll. While the park doesn't have a playground or large recreational facilities, it's well-maintained and offers clean surroundings. A short walk brings you to a beautifully landscaped area with neatly trimmed grass and thoughtfully placed flowers. There is an aircraft carrier to one side and 2 large support ships to the other. Informational plaques in the park provide historical context about Newport News' maritime heritage. The plaque tells the story of how ¼ of all the soldiers returning from World War I came through this park to come home. You can visit the large arch just up the hill if you want to learn more of the history of this spot. Overall, Victory Landing Park is a hidden gem for anyone seeking tranquility or waterfront beauty. While small, it's a charming spot to unwind and appreciate the natural and historical significance of the area.

A solid park that gives you water views. It also has a nice wide sidewalk that is clearly marked…read more Where you get to the water you can see some of the big military boats. The sidewalk is tree lined with old oak trees that are pretty and unique looking. This is a nice place to go for a walk.

This is a pretty decent park, especially for a Navy base. There's a lot of shade from the tall…read moretrees, which helps a lot during the summer. I came here for a command picnic and a lot of near bay commands to the same. There are swings and a playground for kids; also covered mostly by shade, which is good. There are plenty of tables and a canopy. The lot itself is a decent size to spread out. There is a little water park across the street, so if that sound good, there is always that option to walk over. Parking is ok but if you can't find any, there is plenty within walking distance. Overall not bad.

Nice toddler and children park, it's well kept, trash cans, picnic tables, boat launch , lots of…read moreswings, lots of grass area for children to run. Porta potty on site. Ample parking . I have been here several times and it's never crowded, usually only on or two other families. We really like this park! Just wish there was an actual bathroom . Update: park is open. Park was empty besides park workers taking their lunch break in the parking lot. No children at the playground. Park is still well kept. Park is not covered so depending on time of day, the sun beats down intensely. Picnic tables are accessible, drinking fountain is also available as well as a spot to refill your water bottle. They have a small area to exercise on the metal bars provided. Two porta potties on site. The side trail is somewhat overgrown now covering some of the path, luckily there are plenty of branches that can be used as a walking stick to move the overgrown shrubs out of the way.

I love it here! I…read morehaven't visited this park in years. And I must say, when I visited last I do not remember it looking as it did when I visited about a month ago. I toured the park on an early evening during the week. I am looking to host an event here soon and figured I'd check it out first before reserving. One must contact Parks & Rec to reserve the shelters located here. There is a huge shelter towards the back of the park that looks to be perfect for a party size of 100 or less. The park is beautiful. There is a body of water in which one can sit or stand and enjoy the views. Super quiet and I love it. There is also an area in which one can exercise by following the posted exercises in a sand pit. I love this feature! There is a playground for the younger and older children. Swings are even featured here! I love the swings :) This park isn't super huge but I think it's a great size and you are lucky if you are the only one renting a shelter... it's small enough to feature an intimate setting... like a private party but you only rented one shelter. Parking seems decent. I think 20 cars can fit into the parking lot without worry but if more start to show up, this could be a problem. I am not sure if overflow parking is nearby. There is a narrow street leading to the park so one may be able to park on one side of the street... if not...not sure what the back up plan is. I'd say there are plenty of trees at this park so shaded areas are definitely present. At least one grill is located near each of the three shelters. I'd recommend you visit this hidden jewel in Chesapeake. I'm looking forward to returning soon. Have fun and enjoy life :)

I don't think I can add anything that Hungry in his marvelous First To Review did not cover. It's a…read morehike to get to but a very pristine area. Come cast a line, bring the dogs and take advantage of a beautiful Pungo Sunset one evening.

This is a new boat launch in VB. There is plenty of parking for cars and for vehicles with…read moretrailers. The ramp is concrete and there are plenty of cleats on the ramps if you need them. There are also poop bags provided by the city so if you bring your furry friend please pick up after them. Just to the side of the parking lot there is a "sandy beach" area where you could skip stone or cast a line. On the opposite side of the parking lot there is a small pond that has 2 picnic tables. Additionally about 100 ft from the entrance there is a dock with built in benches where you could just relax and enjoy the view.

This is a small park that is pretty simple. It consists of a small lake that has a decent paved…read morewalking path around it. It is well shaded and has benches and a picnic table placed along the trail. You will also see the statue of a man and a woman sitting down on a bench near the road. The park is situated between some old train tracks and a main road. The park gets a name from the Peace Pole that can be found between the park and main road. It looks like a crowded street sign. There are tens of thousands of those poles spread across 180 countries. Each blade of the pole points to one of Virginia Beach's sister cities. It is a very cool concept if you ask me. Parking here can be a bit of a challenge. I took my chances and parked in the lot of the bank the borders the park. This is a decent park to hang out at or walk a dog if you are in the area. There is not much to this park and would definitely not be a destination park or somewhere that you would drive specifically to see.

Most often generically called Town Center Park. However the formal name is Virginia Beach Peace…read morePark. There is a super cool reason for the name and I will explain. The area is designated one of the several Meadow Managements in Virginia Beach and is pretty in the Fall with foliage. I come here often. The idea of the name comes from the Peace Pole that was placed just off Columbus Ave. you have probably driven by it hundreds of times and possibly never taken notice. It's been in place close to inception of Town Center over a decade ago. The Peace Pole is a handcrafted monument which displays the message. "May Peace Prevail on Earth". It reads... Linking the community with people internationally. There are tens of thousands of peace poles in 180 countries all over the world. The tradition began in Japan in 1955 by Masahia Goi. Each blade on this pole represents a sister cities Virginia Beach and depicts the name of the city with the distance in miles from this point to that international city. On one side is the name and distance in English and miles; on the other side is the same information shown in that countries language showing the distance in kilometers. The sign blades are mounted so as to point in the direction of that International city. If you reside in Town Center and have a dog this is your go to for walking the approximate quarter mile paved track around the man made pond. Of course great for residents to exercise with, or without a pet. I always feel I'm transported to a tiny taste of Central Park with trees, benches and wildlife. The negative is litter that can often be seen by disrespectful guest. There are a couple can on the trail. Parking is off nearby street, or parking garage. So now you know, there is a park in Virginia Beach Town Center with a cool name that ties us to our sister cities. Again not unique, so look for these on your travels. Check this local gem out.

I live less than a mile from this park and never knew it existed until very recently. This city…read morepark is very small occupying only 3.13 acres. The only entrance is off of Pond Lane in the Plymouth Park section of SoNo in Chesapeake. The park is surrounded on three sides by trees, bushes and undergrowth. The rear of the park borders on Indian River but there is no boat ramp and the area is not accessible by car. There is no dedicated parking area for Plymouth Park, if you come by vehicle you will need to park on the street. There is a nice sidewalk around the perimeter of the park. The sidewalk is a great place to get a little walking exercise as it is well maintained and drainage is good so that water does not flood the sidewalk or pool in other areas of the park after a hard rain. There is a small children's playground area with very basic equipment featuring mostly swings and slides. There is one very small pavilion which houses two picnic tables. There are no grills and no bathroom facilities, there is one park bench. Like all city parks in Chesapeake, Plymouth Park is open daily from Sunrise to Sunset. I really appreciate how well this small city park is kept. There is never any litter and the park is always clean. All the equipment and facilities are attractive and appear to be in good working order. This tiny park is definitely an asset for those who live in the community.

A very nice relaxing park with amenities to boot. Spent all day outside cooking out and relaxing…read moreunder huge oaks and pine trees! Lots of room for activities and games. The perfect gathering spot for large families!

Lakewood Park offers much more than meets the eye. It may not be the most scenic, but I bet it's…read morethe most functional. This is one park if unfamiliar you should know more about. More over if you reside in Norfolk this should be a recreation area that you frequent. The park is in one word expansive and stretches wide and long. I think you will love hearing more about this Norfolk gem. Although not a new park by any stretch, as a matter of fact it's a petty old park. Located off of Tidewater Dr. a quarter of a mile in a residential area. However, it is well maintained with newer equipment and some extras in the rear that I will elaborate on. I will work myself from front to back of property for this review. Parking is huge! I have never seen it even a quarter full even with events. It is well maintained, but usually has some amount of debris around. The park office is also located up front too. You will find older clean restrooms that are used by not only park goers, but during the week it acts like a rest stop. There are two ball fields to the right. Two all purpose fields to the left used for football and soccer. Both are used for Norfolk Recreation League. Since I am not a resident of Norfolk I am unsure how the sign up process works, however there is info at the park office. All the way to the left is a full court basketball court, however the surface is in horrid condition.. Directly to the rear is the huge tennis center with nine courts, you read correctly NINE and it's lit. There is also league play for adults. The court is kept in great condition. In the center are the playgrounds which have anything but regular equipment. Slides, swings and unique items you will NOT find in any other park. One of my daughters favorite is one that you get on and slide back and forth. Another one twirls you around, so hold on tight. There are also three nice shelters with bbq grills. All of this is in close proximity of each other. Now let's move to the rear of the property close to the water. The Lakewood Dance and Music Studio offers classes, clinics etc. through the Norfolk Parks and Recreation system. If you are not a Norfolk resident there is an up charge. My daughter who is a dancer at a VB studio attends clinics. The Tidewater Rowing Center is at the very rear of the grounds. It's main build is very large and two stories. This is also home to ODU Rowing. Two good size out buildings house rigging and row equipment for the club and ODU. Two drawbacks to this park are debris, it seems like no matter how hard the staff clean up its around. On a visit tonight someone had pushed over a can apparently on purpose. Another issue is an element of homeless/transients. They have never bothered me, but I don't like it. Lakewood has a lot to offer and is a terrific facility in the Norfolk park system. Come see for yourself.

This little section of park has some cool signage about the ecology of the river it overlooks. It…read moreadjoins with a paved trail, but I was surprised that there was no real easy access from the medical center, forcing one to take a long way around or walk through traffic (not an appealing idea given that someone ran off the road and took out a light post on the day I stopped by). The space has an odd-looking playground that seemed quite well-cushioned for the clumsier kiddos, and some views out over the water, but without easy access, its value to me seemed limited.

Little park with a nice very of the water and benches all around. Can probably get a mile in with 4…read moreor so laps.