Is Virginia Beach Town Center safe?
Virginia Beach, Virginia · safety score updated nightly
Yes — it is one of the safer places in the metro to walk around.
VibeLoco rates Virginia Beach Town Center as “Go”.
Gogo's take on Virginia Beach Town Center
“Go. Town Center of Virginia Beach is a bustling, well-maintained commercial and entertainment core that offers a remarkably safe environment for dining, shopping, and attending shows. Standard awareness is sufficient, particularly around crowded parking garages and busy roadway crossings at night.”
About the area
Virginia Beach Town Center serves as the city's modern downtown district, featuring high-rise hotels, upscale residences, retail, and performing arts venues. It combines pedestrian-friendly internal streets with extensive dining and office facilities, surrounded by suburban corridors.
- Modern Urban Core
- Walkable Dining Hub
- Entertainment District
- Family-Friendly
Walking and biking in Virginia Beach Town Center
Walk score: 77/100 · Bike score: 52/100
Internal streets are manageable on a bicycle, though dedicated bike lanes are scarce and surrounding multi-lane arterials lack continuous protected bike infrastructure.
Reasons to go, and reasons to think twice
Pros
- Very low violent crime rate with frequent private security and Virginia Beach Police Department patrols
- Modern, high-occupancy residential and commercial properties with strong regional household incomes
- Extensively illuminated streets and public plazas designed specifically for pedestrian foot traffic
Cons
- Property crimes like vehicle break-ins occasionally occur in multi-level public parking decks
- Surrounded by high-speed arterial roads (Virginia Beach Blvd and Independence Blvd) that pose pedestrian traffic hazards
- Late-night weekend crowds around bars can occasionally lead to rowdy behavior
Homelessness: Visible homelessness is minimal within the Town Center development itself due to active private property management, though occasional panhandling occurs near major intersections along Virginia Beach Boulevard.
What Virginia Beach Town Center is like at each time of day
- Morning · 5a – 11a
- Peaceful and safe, with office workers grabbing coffee and residents walking dogs around the plaza.
- Afternoon · 11a – 5p
- Active and secure, seeing steady foot traffic from shoppers, business professionals, and lunch crowds.
- Evening · 5p – 10p
- Lively and welcoming, with well-lit streets full of diners, theatergoers, and families.
- Late night · 10p – 5a
- Generally calm with modest bar traffic; main corridors remain safe, though parking garages warrant typical late-night vigilance.
Transit, parking and getting around
Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) operates several bus routes through the district, including Routes 20, 27, and the 960 express. The nearest light rail (The Tide) is located approximately 5 miles west at Newtown Road Station.
Abundant free covered parking is available in multiple multi-level garages throughout Town Center, alongside limited metered and time-restricted street parking.
Things to do in Virginia Beach Town Center
- Catch a concert or theatrical production at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts
- Enjoy open-air shopping and dining along Central Park Avenue and Market Street
- Attend seasonal outdoor community events and live music at Fountain Plaza
Local favorites
- Sandler Center for the Performing Arts · Performing Arts Theater · 4.8★ (1950)A state-of-the-art 1,300-seat theater hosting touring concerts, comedy, and classical performances.
- Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar · Southern Restaurant · 4.5★ (3200)Popular eatery serving scratch-made Southern comfort classics and craft cocktails.
- The Royal Chocolate · Chocolatier & Dessert Shop · 4.7★ (340)Boutique chocolate shop known for handmade gourmet truffles and caramel apples.
Scores are safety-driven — recent reported crime and local news plus Census income, poverty, housing, education, household and access data — refreshed nightly. Walk and bike scores are shown separately and do not affect the safety score. A guide, not a guarantee — conditions change street to street.