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.

I would recommend the Rec center in Kempsville to anyone looking to be fit and healthy without…read morecosting you an arm and a leg. The staff is really friendly and helpful. They have lots of classes to keep you fit.

A community center is supposed to be a place where you can hold club meetings, throw a birthday…read moreparty, enjoy the pool, and, yes, take a class and work out in the gym. This place is just a gym with too many rules. Here's what I've been asked to stop doing or even leave for: Swimming too slowly in the pool lanes Not playing tennis in the tennis court (my child and I were the only ones there, and we were playing) Bringing a child younger than 9 or 14 onto the track Playing basketball with a basketball brought from home. All the others are ALWAYS taken. They confiscated my ball. Going the wrong way in the pool. The lifeguard didn't realize that going against the current is a form of exercise. Walking the track instead of running Stopping next to the track Sitting on the exercise equipment. It had a chair that I chose to sit on for two minutes. No one was around. Today, two fellow members kicked me out because I had flip-flops on. They were right about it being against the rules, but it just reminded me of the pervasive culture of entitlement and snobbery that exists at this location. For context, I have memory issues, which is why I had flip-flops on at the gym.

I visited this center for a private event last weekend…read more I heard about this center before and wanted to check it out, but never got around to it. I still really didn't check it out last Saturday. I only walked in the front door - to the right - and the event was in the banquet rooms to the right. If I had to guess about two rooms were used to accompany about 100 people. Overall, I was please with the center. I did see young boys enjoying the facility. I did notice this center is only open from 12p-4p on Saturdays. Unlike most recreation centers in the area, this one looks to be the the largest or in close competition with others in the city. Plenty of parking! Check them out when time permits. Have fun and enjoy life :)

This center is huge and so amazing. I came here because of tge google reviews and they were so on…read morepoint. Greeted with kindness, everything is spotless, seniors are working out, I mean really pumping iton. I am motivated. The parking lot is wonderful too. Spaces are wider than usual to accommodate newer vehicles. The mixture of ages is very nice. I am jazzed by the positive attitudes and smiles. Loving it.

It was only the second time I had been to this Rec Center. Neither time included activities. The…read morefirst was to check out the walking lanes in the pool. This time was for an event being held in a large meeting room off the lobby. The location is on the portion of Newtown Road where the road turns east & the remainder is called Diamond Springs Road. This portion of the road actually runs between Haygood Road and that split. On the campus of buildings are also two elementary schools. The land, previously a farm, was donated to the city by the Williams Family, There are definite positives & negatives to the indoor pool. It appeared from my viewpoint to be slightly smaller than that of Bayside Rec Center. The walking lanes are fantastic for those who enjoy or need that experience for therapeutic reasons. But it does take away from the pool space for those who go to swim or just splash. There are outside activities that aren't available at Bayside. A large connected & fenced splash area was great for younger kids running through the water on a hot day. It gave the feel of a series of stationary underground sprinklers. I viewed an enclosed skate board ramp. Adjacent to that was something being used that was below ground level. I'm not sure what type of activity was involved. I didn't venture further down the meeting room hall. But the large glass window room in which my event was held was great & very accessible. One big flaw was the lack of handicapped parking spaces. I only saw four & had to park in hinterlands in terrible heat. This Rec Center is a great addition to this part of Bayside. It's walking distance from a lot of condo's & apartments. So kids can get there very easily in the summer. The Williams family's land donation is being put to good use.

it's been a year and change since I wrote my last review. We did get a security officer for a while…read morebut he retired and once again no security. But since then the situation has gotten better. The new building supervisor has a different way of handling the center and the problems have subsided. There is only so much we as employees can do when parents aren't responsible enough to raise their children properly and adults who lose their temper like children, but we are doing our best to keep our patrons safe.

This pool is Norfolk's newest recreational center and is a real beauty. For those outside the…read moreswimming community you would never know about the shortage of swimming pools this area has, but it's true. This new facility was a very welcome addition to Norfolk and the surrounding communities. The complex is almost a year old and looks it too. The building is a looker from the outside with all glass and clean lines. A really cool bronze statute greets you out front of a woman with long legs and arms stretched out. Parking is good, but not sure I would say great if they were really busy. One thing that will not be too much of an issue is this facility is not really set up for swim meets. Could they do a small one... YES! They even have a scoreboard. I really don't see it. Also a drawback is no exercise room that would have been a sweet enhancement. As you enter the check in desk is in front, a nice lobby with TV to the left and lockers to the right. Also to the left and down the corridor a bit is a large multi purpose room with kitchen. This was an important aspect of the facility to hold meetings and accommodate parties etc. The locker rooms are very small, with only two benches to change on. This was one of the missed opportunities I will speak to in this review. They had plenty lockers, but few stalls and a small showering area. However, I found them to be spic and span. Let's get to the exciting part. The pool is a six lane with a two story water slide that swirls you outside and back in and down into the pool. They also have a basketball hoop. I was impressed with pool and deck, it was really done nicely. There are blocks at the end of the lanes for diving starts. I am unsure if the length is in meters, or yards. The size of the pool was the biggest missed opportunity of the complex. An eight lane pool is standard for running swim meets. A six lane is completely inadequate to hold a swimming competition. There is a score board, but my assumption is not one meet has taken place. They most certainly had the land to expand. There is probably two acres out back. It will be interesting to see if this land is ever developed. The spectator area is first class. Just off the deck on three tiers. It is comfortable and parents can easily see there swimmers play, take lessons etc. This is something they gave some thought to and I score this high having seating just off the pool and close to children. The lifeguards that I encountered were approachable and nice to talk to. The evening that I attended a lifeguard not on duty was providing private lessons to a young swimmer. The guards have there own room which is state of the art with exam table and plenty of cabinet for storage. I also saw the must have defibrillator. I like the location of this aquatic center, especially in Norfolk where the greatest need was. The city had the foresight to seek the funding and got it built. However, the lack of a eight lane pool was just not smart at all! Compare what the City of Virginia Beach does at there recreational centers. Everyone is an eight lane competition pool. If your a resident of Norfolk you can get in for a discount, other pay more. Of course they have membership and I would recommend. Since they offer lessons parents should take notice of when classes are being offered to make sure the little one can swim. There is so much water in our community and programs like this are perfect to educate on water safety and have fun.

Slide is awesome! pool is very clean staff is very nice. restrooms, locker room etc always stay…read moreclean

Bayside Rec has become my home away from home. From swim, to cardio, to lift, to basketball and now…read morea bit of pickleball. It's also a place of community where I now have friends. Cannot recommend Virginia Beach Rec centers more.

When my 11 year old Grandson comes from Brooklyn he doesn't want to go to the Beach. He wants to…read morego to the pool at the Rec Center. He loves it. That says it all about the pool. A wonderful benefit of my Medicare Supplemental plan is free access to lots of gyms, including the Rec Centers. So I get free cards without having to pay the city resident's annual fee. Recently my use has been limited to watching from the bleachers while my son & grandson swim. Also I love early voting at the Rec Center. In my earlier pre knee replacement days & before retiring I would walk to the Rec Center to both swim & use the machines in the work out room. The pool is great for water walking & other non impact exercises that I learned in a pre knee surgery physical therapy program at another facility. The machines in the weight room were also knee strengthening learned from previous Physical Therapy. Because of the swim teams & classes offered I learned the best time for the pool was when the Rec Center first opened for the day. There were always tons of people waiting for the door to open. The crowd mainly consisted of seniors who would go to the pool every day or do gym walking decked out in fashionable sweatsuits, probably widows or widowers trying to attract a new spouse. The Senior crew that chose the pool didn't interfere with any of my exercises. There was a group who spent their time in a circle treading water & gossiping. Since I knew a few I was invited to join, which I did from time to time. Those sessions provided me with all the scoop on everything happening In Bayside at the time. The crowd left when classes began, which gave me time to get home & ready for work. The weight room is well stocked with equipment on which one had to do a short training session before using. The early crowd there consisted of buff guys who wanted to work out before work. The Rec Center consists of much, much more. There are a plethora of classes ranging from Crafting to Yoga & Pilates, which I really should take advantage of. Workout groups are offered. There is a racquet ball court that seems very popular. Adjacent is a disc golf center. The very large indoor pool offers an open area, swimming lanes, diving section & much, much more. I wish it had built when my son was young & was on a nearby Bayside neighborhood swim team. The bleachers & lounging area outside the pool window wall offer a great view for parents to watch. It's such a wonderful facility to be in the neighborhood. Thank you Virginia Parks & Recreation.

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.

Everything, staff members were very helpful. Very organized. Building was clean. Large facilities.read more

This local facility is utilized for educational and recreational programs. The opportunity to use…read morethe facilities is always appreciated. It's tough trying to find programs for the kids to participate in that has good coaching and available facility to use. I do believe this location also hosts several Nonprofit entities as well. The location also provides adult training programs too.

Small park that's hidden away from the public. It's small and next to homes, which means the…read moreneighbors are watching. It has a lot of trees that may be a bit messy.

Virginia Beach is well known for the extensive parks and recreation areas. This little…read moreneighborhood park... not sure why its in my feed. I think my child while walking the dog was playing with the Yelp app and must have checked in. Anyway, this is a simple park area tucked in the Bellamy Plantation sub division. There is a child safe play set for those wanting a nearby play and outdoor time for the kids. Several large trees keep it shaded throughout the day. The backside runs up against the waterway so watch those young ones close... don't need them wondering into risk or thinking the wildlife is a cute kitty to pet.