Wedding Sites & Activities

A)   Courtyard By Marriott

B)   Waterside Marriott

C)   Town Point Club

D)   MacArthur Mall & Cinema

E)    Nauticus Naval Museum

F)    Town Point Park

G)  Waterside Festival Mall

H)   Granby St Bars & Restaurants

I)      Harbor Park

J)      Chrysler Museum of Art

K)   Moses Myers House

L)    MacArthur Memorial

Activities

 

Walking Distance

·        MacArthur Center Mall & Movie Theater (Letter “D” on Map) – Upscale shopping with stores like Nordstrom’s, Dillard’s, Pottery Barn, J Crew, Renovation Hardware, Aldo, Forever 21, Timberline, Sharper Image, and plenty more. An 18-theater Regal Cinema is on the third floor.

·        Nauticus Naval Museum (Letter “E” on Map) – Features more than 150 exhibits including computer and video activities, commerce and military-related displays, as well as sea life, touching pools, and shark petting. The highlight of the museum is a tour of the USS Battleship Wisconsin.

·        Town Point Park (Letter “F” on Map) – This downtown park is the host to festivals nearly every weekend of the summer. During our wedding weekend, the feature will be the “Bayou Boogaloo & Cajun Food Festival,” which celebrates Bayou flavor and culture as three stages host concerts, cooking demonstrations, entertaining shows and activities, all surrounded by Cajun cuisine. Admission is $5 per person per day. Children 12 and younger are free.

·        Waterside Festival Mall (Letter “G” on Map) – While a few shops still remain, this mall is known for its clubs, restaurants, and bars. It has Jillian’s (good for kids during the day), which is loaded with video games, a sports bar, pool room, and more. Other highlights include the Comedy Zone, Have a Nice Day Café, Hooters, and Bar Norfolk. Waterside is one of Norfolk’s three big nightspots.

·        Granby Street Bars & Restaurants (Letter “H” on Map) – The Granby St area from Main St to Charlotte St is loaded with locally-owned restaurants and bars. You will find American, Southern, Irish, Chinese, sushi, tapas, pizza, and other options along this strip. After about 8:00 or 9:00, most of the restaurants become popular hang-outs. This area is another of Norfolk’s three big nightspots.

·        Moses Myers House (Letter “K” on Map) – Built in 1792 by Norfolk's first permanent Jewish settlers, this elegant Federal period home is the only historic house in the U.S. that interprets the tradition of Revolutionary-era Jewish immigrants. It holds 70 percent of the furnishings that belonged to the first generation of Myers. Family guests include Henry Clay, President James Monroe, Daniel Webster and Commodore Stephen Decatur.

·        MacArthur Memorial (Letter “L” on Map) – Honors the life of the late general. The memorial gives a detailed history of his life through a short film and a number of exhibits. Among these exhibits are General MacArthur's famous corncob pipe, various medals, and his 1950 Chrysler Imperial. The main attraction is MacArthur's tomb, which is located in a rotunda in the front of the memorial.

 

Long Walk/Short Drive

·        Harbor Park (Letter “I” on Map) – Harbor Park is home to the Norfolk Tides, a NY Mets-affiliated AAA baseball club. There will be games Friday @ 7:15pm, Saturday @ 7:15pm, and Sunday @ 1:15pm during our wedding weekend. While I am no baseball fan, I must say this is the nicest minor league stadium I’ve ever visited.

·        Chrysler Museum of Art (Letter “J” on Map) – Permanent collection of more than 30,000 objects including a glass collection dating back 5,000 years (considered by many to be the best glass collection in the USA). Galleries include the glass collection gallery, Italian baroque, French Impressionism, Roman, Egyptian and pre-Columbian art. The museum is considered to be one of the best in the country for a city Norfolk’s size.

 

A few More Options (By Car Only)

·        Virginia Beach – If being only twenty-five minutes from the beach is killing you, it’s an easy drive from your hotels. Just take a right onto City Hall Ave and follow the signs to merge onto I-264 East. Stay on I-264 East until it ends. Stay on the same road, and you’ll fine yourself right at the waterfront. In June, all the summer activities are in full swing with the beach & ocean, restaurants & bars, putt-putt, a redneck boardwalk, and a tiny amusement park.

·        Virginia Zoo – To get to the Zoo, head north on Granby St for approximately two miles. You’ll then have to take a left at a light to stay on Granby St. After taking this left, you’ll see a park on your right and then signs for turning into the zoo. With more than 350 animals, from African elephants, white rhinos, lions and tigers to red ruffed lemurs and spider monkeys, the zoo encompasses a variety of species, some endangered, others thriving. This 53-acre zoo is a treat for kids who will love the animals, especially the monkeys.

·        Colley Avenue – Two of the three big nightspots in Norfolk are walking distance (see “G” & “H”). While Colley Ave is not, it is the third of these nightspots and happens to be just beside our house. To get there, head north on Granby St about 1.3 miles and then turn left onto Princess Anne Rd. About half a mile down the road, you’ll take a right onto Colley Ave. Find a parking spot and walk around. There are an abundance of locally owned bars & restaurants, including three of our all-time favorites: Colley Cantina, Szechwan in Ghent, & Azar’s. In addition, Colley has our local artsy movie theater, the Naro.

·        Old Dominion University – If you’d like to see Nataly’s school, head north on Granby St for about 1.5 miles. The streets will become numerical. Turn left when you reach 21st St. Stay on 21st St until it ends (about half a mile). Take a right onto Hampton Blvd. About half a mile up Hampton Blvd, you’ll hit the campus. The brand new basketball arena will be on your right, but you’ll want to turn left to drive through the heart of the campus.

·        21st Street Shopping – To get to the 21st St shopping district, head north on Granby St for about 1.5 miles. The streets will become numerical, so just turn left when you reach 21st St. After two blocks, you’ll cross Llewellyn Ave. Find a parking spot because you’ll then have some of Norfolk’s most eclectic stores on both sides of the street.