TheLaskin Road Gateway project is under way in Virginia Beach. A multiuse development with restaurants, shops and residences, it's near major convention and meeting hotels. The first phase of the project is scheduled to open in early 2012.
The Tide (757.222.6100) is a new $338 million, 7.4-mile light rail system in Norfolk that runs between Newtown Road and Eastern Virginia Medical Center. Included are 11 stations, five in downtown Norfolk, at destinations like Norfolk State University, Harbor Park, City Hall and MacArthur Center.
Peninsula Town Center (757.826.912) in Hampton recently added Cinebistro, a luxury movie theater and dining experience, the brand's fourth U.S. outlet. The center is a new lifestyle base with shopping, dining and entertainment stops.
Colonial Williamsburg created Live After Five! (800.447.8679), a program to enliven the evening scene. Great Hopes Plantation offers a cresset lighting ceremony nightly; family dinner theater is on stage behind Shields tavern; and there's a Friday night musical show on the Palace Green. Chowning's Tavern transforms each evening into a beer garden with artisanal beers and music on the menu. By day, it offers a family atmosphere and casual bill of fare.
Williamsburg Pottery (800.POTTERY) is undergoing a renewal and will complete its new design in spring 2012 with a traditional European Market theme. Shoppers will continue to enjoy pottery products like gourmet foods, house wares and award-winning framing and silk floral arrangements.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg (800.343.7946) completed a rejuvenation of its Oktoberfest village. New restaurants, games and performance areas are part of the new mix. Included is Mach Tower, now the tallest ride in the park, lifting riders up 246 feet above ground for views of the James River.
Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport (757.877.0221) now has nonstop service to Denver via Frontier Airlines. The airport now connects with 75 destinations, including nine international cities.
Virginia Green, a statewide program that recognizes facilities that reduce environmental impact, now lists nine hotels in Newport News. Included are Country Inn & Suites by Carlson; Courtyard by Marriott Newport News Airport; Hampton Inn & Suites; Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites; Holiday Inn Express; Mulberry Inn; Newport News Marriott at City Center; Point Plaza Suites; and Super 8 Newport News.
The Children's Museum of Virginia (757.393.5258) in Portsmouth plans to finish a major renovation and expansion this summer. The venue, which is popular for private events of up to 1,000 guests, will receive new exhibits and educational elements, as well as 12,000 additional square feet of space.
