Ocean View East Beach occupies a peculiar stretch of Norfolk's northern shore where military vessels glide past weekend sunbathers with almost comedic nonchalance. The beach arcs along a mile of Chesapeake Bay frontage, its compacted sand ideal for barefoot runs at dawn when the water mirrors the pale steel of destroyers moored across the channel. The adjacent boardwalk hums with roller skaters and retired Navy officers walking terriers, all framed by modest bungalows and corner delis that have served fried flounder baskets since the Eisenhower years.
“The only Chesapeake Bay beach where destroyer silhouettes double as your swimming lane markers and shipping schedules dictate the horizon's entertainment.”
Credit: FlickrOcean City 75
The bay's shallow gradient makes this a forgiving swim for restless children and tentative waders; you can walk thirty yards out and still brush bottom with your toes. Sailboats tack lazily beyond the designated swimming zone, their white canvas stark against the industrial cranes of Portsmouth's skyline. On weekends, the percussion of beach volleyball games mingles with the nasal squawk of gulls competing for dropped French fries near the picnic pavilions.
Sunset here lacks the drama of open-ocean coasts but rewards patience: the sky bleeds coral and persimmon as freighters inch toward the Atlantic, their running lights winking on one by one. You'll leave with sand in your car floor mats and the faint diesel scent of a working waterfront clinging to your beach towel—a reminder that not every shoreline pretends to be untouched.
