I live in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
It’s a great place to live – I am not from here, but between the weather, the golf and things to do, it’s a great place. There’s a decent job market here, while many jobs have peaks and valleys of demand, it’s not hard to find work. The weather is consistently great – except for the summer afternoons that reach 100* or more. With all of the tourists coming in, there’s always an influx of cash, lower property taxes and costs for residents of the area. Nearby, there’s Coastal Carolina University (you’re looking at the Class of 2013 here) and other smaller community colleges too. Of course, there’s an ton of things to do, restaurants to eat at and miles of beaches to see, too.
Below are my recommendations for the most commonly asked questions I get when my friends or family are visiting Myrtle Beach. If you’re just looking to relax on the beach and not break the bank on your vacation, North Myrtle Beach is a great option!
Places To Stay
If you’re looking for a place to stay, it’s not hard at all to find. Along the Grand Strand, you can find hundreds of hotels and resorts as well as vacation rentals. Depending on where you’re looking to stay, you can kick back in your own beach house or stay in a more resort-style accommodations offering.
Condo Rentals – Grand Strand Resorts
Through working with Grand Strand Resorts over the past two years, I’ve come to learn they’re a top-notch run property management company. If you’re look for condo style rentals, you can’t do much better. My favorite place to send friends and family is The Ashworth, which is a very short walk from Main Street in North Myrtle Beach. Great spot and beachfront views too!
Resorts – Myrtle Beach Seaside Resorts Group
If you want more resort or hotel style accommodations, check out the Myrtle Beach Seaside Resorts Group. Their main offices are in North Myrtle Beach at the Avista Resort, but they have 6 total resorts along the Grand Strand. All of them are fantastic places to stay. They sell out quickly due to the large demand for their rooms, so you’ll want to book early to make sure you get the dates you wanted.
Hotel – Sandy Beach Resort
If you’re going a bit further down the beach, check out Sandy Beach Resort. In my opinion, it strikes the perfect blend between a great price and top-notch accommodations. Yes, there are cheaper places but they’re simply not the same quality as Sandy Beach Resort. It overlooks the ocean and is in a great spot, minutes from the pier and other family attractions like Family Kingdom.
Things To Do
Hard to miss all of the fun things to do in North Myrtle Beach! While more nightlife trends down in Myrtle Beach proper, you can still find fun things to do here as well. In North Myrtle Beach, you can go on a more adventure or ocean-style activity or stay in and have a blast too. Here are some of my favorite attractions:
Reel Action Fishing Charters
Okay, well I guess I have to say this as it’s run by my father in law! But, seriously, if you want to catch fish and you have a family, all of the Captains are great at taking you out and having a great time.
Alligator Adventure
Alright, if you’re going to do a fun tourist trap activity, this is what I’d recommend. You’ll have fun here looking at all of the wildlife and other animals in addition to the alligators. There’s no rush to get through the park, and you and the family can spend time just relaxing while walking through the large park.
Part of me does worry that in the event of a hurricane all of the animals would get loose though. I’ll keep an eye out for that.
Barefoot Landing Shopping
If you’re looking to shop a bit, check out the Barefoot shopping center where you’ll find all types of stores and other shops. It’s the quintessential North Myrtle Beach shopping experience.
Golf Courses
By far, my favorite course isn’t in North Myrtle Beach, but King’s North is a great spot. Just a 20-minute drive, King’s North is sure to impress. In North Myrtle Beach proper, the Barefoot string of courses is the best spot. I’ve heard good things about the Surf Club (and even was married there), but I’ve never played it myself.
Local’s Spots
You’ve made it this far – here’s a few local recommendations on places to eat and a few spots you probably won’t see plastered all over TripAdvisor but are worth finding.
Seafood Restaurant – Sea Merchants
The parking lot is awful – but don’t let that fool you because the food is great. More of a local’s spot, you’ll find couples and people avoiding the summer heat in here most days. My favorite? The Chicken Oscar is great, but for seafood you can’t go wrong with Grouper Parmesan.
Pizza Place – Gino’s Pizza
I love pizza. So much you can check out my ongoing project to eat at dozens of local pizza restaurants over at Grand Strand Pizza. But, to save you a click and get to the good stuff, the best spot in North Myrtle Beach is Gino’s Pizza. It’s next to TGI Fridays in the WalMart shopping center, so it’s not the most regular spot you’d expect to find a place like this, but it’s great. I used to always eat here after work back in high school and I love it. Highly recommended.
Beach Access – Private Spot
My final tip.
Go to Cherry Grove (the very north end of NMB) and go to the turn around spot. There’s a small lot where it’s free to park. There, you’ll find a small trail through that opens up to the northern most part of the beach. Here, you’ll find locals and other tourists that are at about half of the density of beaches that are down south. There’s people every 25 feet instead of every 5 feet and its a relaxing calm spot. There’s no lifeguards so don’t swim unless you’re 100% alert.
Any other comments? Hit me up here and I’d be glad to add up your questions!