Ocean View (Norfolk) facts for kids
Ocean View is a fun coastal area in the city of Norfolk, Virginia, in the United States. It has miles of beautiful shoreline along the Chesapeake Bay to the north. It stretches from Willoughby Spit in the west to the Joint Expeditionary Base -- Little Creek in Virginia Beach in the east.
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How Ocean View Became Part of Norfolk
A long time ago, the whole area of South Hampton Roads was part of a very old county called Elizabeth River Shire, formed in 1634. A "shire" was like an early version of a county. Over many years, this big area was divided into smaller counties.
Ocean View was part of Norfolk County for over 225 years. Then, in 1923, Ocean View and the nearby Willoughby Spit area officially became part of the City of Norfolk. Virginia has special "independent cities" that are not part of any county. A small part of East Ocean View was later added in 1988 through a land swap with the city of Virginia Beach.
Trolleys, Trains, and an Awesome Amusement Park!
The area we know as Ocean View City was once a large piece of land called the Magagnos Plantation. It had lots of space along the Chesapeake Bay.
In 1854, a young engineer named William Mahone surveyed this land and planned out streets and lots for what would become Ocean View City. Later, around 30 years after that, a small steam train started running between Norfolk and Ocean View. This train was called the Ocean View Railroad, and it brought many people, especially on weekends, to enjoy the beach.
Eventually, electric-powered trolley cars replaced the steam train. This made Ocean View a very popular place for people to visit and even live, like a "streetcar suburb" of Norfolk. At first, there was just a swimming beach and some cottages. It was a favorite spot for Sunday trips from Norfolk!
A famous hotel called the Nansemond Hotel was built around 1928, but sadly, it was destroyed in a fire in 1980.
With more electric streetcars in the late 1800s, a fun amusement park was built right at the end of the trolley line. A boardwalk was also added along the beach. Sailors on leave from the Norfolk Navy Base loved to visit these spots. Buses took over from the streetcars in the late 1940s. For many years, a radio station named WGH even broadcast live from a booth under the roller coaster!
In 1957, the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel was finished, connecting Ocean View to the Virginia Peninsula. However, this and other new highways made it easier for visitors to go straight to the Virginia Beach resort area on the Atlantic Ocean. This caused Virginia Beach to grow a lot, especially after it merged with Princess Anne County in 1963.
Changes and New Beginnings
After some tough years in the 1970s, the Ocean View Amusement Park closed in 1978. It was torn down soon after. A TV movie called The Death of Ocean View Park was even filmed there in 1979. A famous scene showed the landmark wooden roller coaster "The Rocket" being blown up. It took a few tries to get it to fall! The roller coaster was also featured in the 1977 movie Rollercoaster.
In the early 2000s, Ocean View started to change for the better. Many old beach cottages and small motels were replaced with new, nicer homes. Property values, especially for homes right on the bay, went up a lot.
Today, U.S. Route 60 (Ocean View Avenue) is the main road along the bay. U.S. Route 460 starts near where the old amusement park used to be. Now, a city park and a tall condominium building stand there.
East Beach: A Beautiful New Neighborhood
In the 1990s, the city of Norfolk started a big project to create a new, fancy waterfront neighborhood called "East Beach" in East Ocean View. The city spent over $50 million on this project. They bought and tore down more than 1,600 buildings and helped hundreds of people move to new homes.
The plan for East Beach was designed to look like classic coastal villages in the southeastern United States. It has about 700 homes, local restaurants, small shops, a Bay Front Club, offices, parks, and public spaces.
In 2003, a huge beach restoration project was finished. The city, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Virginia Port Authority worked together. They rebuilt sand dunes, planted plants, and put 10 offshore walls (called breakwaters) in the water. These breakwaters help slow down erosion and protect the neighborhood from big storms. In 2007, East Beach was even named one of the nation's top seven restored beaches!
Ocean View Fishing Pier
Besides the amusement park, Harrison's Fishing Pier was also very well known. It was badly damaged during Hurricane Isabel in September 2003. A new pier was built and named the Ocean View Fishing Pier.
Now owned by Ronnie Boone Jr., it's still a popular landmark and attraction in Ocean View. This fishing pier is 1,690 feet long, making it one of the longest fishing piers in North America!
