Tom Shean
The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
Take that, San Francisco. Here’s a bean in your eye, Boston.
Bloomberg Businessweek ranked Virginia Beach No. 8 in its listing of America’s 50 Best Cities. The Beach beat out such metro areas as New York City (14th), Seattle (13th), San Francisco (9th) and Boston (16th).
"Endless miles of sandy beaches and a happening three-mile boardwalk, along with thousands of acres of parks, make Virginia Beach a beautiful place to live," the magazine noted.
The rankings were based on criteria such as the number of restaurants, unemployment rates, public school performance, crime, recreational opportunities and museums.
Raleigh, N.C., came in first. Irving, Texas, squeaked in at No. 50.
Chesapeake also got a nod - No. 21.
Bloomberg Businessweek noted Chesapeake's well-heeled residents and low poverty.
The city is also benefits from amenities in nearby Virginia Beach and Norfolk (which, did not make the cut), the publication noted.
"I think it's deserved. I think we've got something going that people recognize," Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms said Wednesday.
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
AD MAN TALK
Regardless if it meets the coastline, if it were titled Virginia Gulch or Virginia News, it wouldn't stand a chance. Packaging is key.
VBTA
I find it interesting that some here ( ok usually one ) feel the need to attack the VBTA at every turn. Even in articles where they are not mentioned you can rest assured the attack will come.
Personally I have never met any of them. I am somewhat familiar with their platform however. Some I agree with and some I do not. But irregardless they are productive citizens of the city who choose to be engaged in the politics of the city and take an interest in it.
In an era where less than 20 % of those who are registered even choose to vote my only wish is that there were more like them out there regardless of their view. We need more people engaged in our city and how it is governed.
The constant attacks on the VBTA are getting old.
There you have it Russ
You are on your way to become one of the many and proud Moribund Boo-Birds. You have raised the ire of His Moribundship. That fact that you have come to the defense of VBTA in the slightest way, has moved you forward to eminent membership. Qualifications for this branding require that you be opposed to: anything Mike Barrett disagrees with; LRT;regional or appointed government; wasteful spending; developer subsidies; govt use of eminent domain; higher RE taxes; new fees; and Soviet Gulag Allotments (SGA). BTW, you can thank Mr. Barrett and Light Rail Not when your business is condemned for an LRT ice cream store. While VB may have come in 8th, Bloomberg didn't see all of VB. Just what the developers wanted them to see.
hypocrisy revealed
Well of course, the point is that the moribund VBTA is so poorly regarded that its President has resigned so the moribund reputation of the VBTA won't damage his election chances and the few remaining members post herein anonymously with fictitious names, thereby trying to create the impression that there are more supporters of their policy of extreme austerity. In this case, those who post that they still like the Beach but just don't want to pay more taxes reveal their profound hypocrisy; that is, the Beach is highly rated because it has low tax rates and high quality services, both of which would be threatened if they attained elective office.
So now any citizen that demonstrates a concern for how
tax dollars are spent is guilty of "extreme austerity". Your obvious campaign to denigrate tax burdened citizens is pathetic. As the master of spin you have now officially posted 4000 blogs not to mention the countless blogs you submit using an alias. Mike, you continue to insult the intelligence of these readers by rearranging material facts & making sweeping allegations that are not only untrue but unconscionable. I take it you wrote the opinion letter for Vision members that championed retaining BPOL tax until you had a replacement for the extortion that is taking place with ALL retailers & 29,000 small businesses! You support paying a percent of "gross receipts" which means the "massive costs" of doing business is NOT deductible.
Bizarre and irresponsible suggestions
No Al I support those who responsibly participate in budget hearings and make suggestions about how to save but I deplore the childish antics and circus environment created by the moribund VBTA whose members are apparently not smart enough to write their own comments. Further, no others to my knowledge have made such fiscally irresponsible suggestions as the moribund VBTA; that is, close schools, recreation centers, libraries, parks; replace all city and school board employees with government contractors; withdraw from every regional organization; withdraw support from all arts and cultural organizations; contract out economic development; close the V.B. Convention Center. Only the irresponsible VBTA has advocated these bizarre ideas.
Actually withdrawing form
Actually withdrawing form all arts and cultural organizations, as well as appointed quasi government are actually good ideas.
Mike, you can't resist fabricating events
The VBTA goal was to create a level playing field for all taxpayers! Incidentally nothing could be more egregious than the unsupported comments you made to preserve the BPOL tax. You did this knowing full well that the retailers who are members of Visions would never support your convoluted notion that its okay bleed 29,000 businesses by supporting a tax on gross receipts rather than net profits. The policy of charging a tax on components that include non-deductable costs vital to doing business is indefensible & cripple business development. Did it also slip your mind that the Ciy Mgr proposed to balance the 2011 budget by "PRIVATIZING a number of City services? Looks like your seeking risk free subsidies for SGA's w/o interference
usually one...sometimes two
In addition to the inept developer with the inane comments, do not overlook the lemming henry that parrots the same nonsense.
Embarrassed by the rating!
Perhaps those who are surprised by the nagativity expressed by so many of the anonymous posters will realize that at the last budget hearing in Virginia Beach, about thirty citizens got up to speak, all of whom expressed very negative opinions about the beach budget, yet afterwards, it was determined that the remarks of all the speakers were written by John Moss, then President of the VBTA. I guess the VBTA could not take a risk that one of its members could express themselves in a civil manner, so Moss wrote for all of them. Seems to me a similar situation is presented herein as the negative voices by anonymous posters may of course just be a few posters who are members of the moribund VBTA. They are embarrassed by the positive rating.