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sooo is surfside beach a small town...everyone knows everyone ect. or is it a huge tourist attraction?
im 21 planning on making the big move to the south, and I want to experience the "south". so is surfside beach the place to go or should i look more away from the coast? if so where should i look? it has to be within an hour from coastal carolina university. THANKS!
Location: Lakewood NJ/Murrells Inlet SC/ N. Naples FL/Swainton NJ
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Surside beach is a nice tourist location. With that said, there are also nice residential areas, close to the beach. I would definately not think of it as a tipical "southern" town. Actually I cannot think of any area within ten miles of the ocean along the Grand Strand as a tipical southern town. You need to look more west for the small town vibes.
I agree 110% with tmozer. Coastal SC around Myrtle Beach has neither a Southern feel nor a small town feel. You'll meet a lot of wonderful people here, but the majority will not be Southern. The area is all about tourism. If you can weave your life around that, you may enjoy it, but you will not get the "Southern small town experience" you keep talking about. You'll struggle to find that anywhere east of Conway. Georgetown may be a possible exception, but it's an area in transition.
BTW, Briarcliffe Acres is a gated town in the North MB area. I seriously doubt there are any apartments there, but perhaps a rental condo or two. I don't know how hard they've been hit by the housing market debacle, but the last time I saw property listings there, they started around $500K. It definitely ain't small-town South.
Be careful what you wish for. I grew up and lived most of my life in small Southern towns. If I moved to a new one today, folks would be polite, even friendly, but I would always be an outsider because I did not grow up there. If you really want Mayberry, cable TV is your best option. Regardless, you're not going to find your perfect town on the Internet. The only way to know a place is to visit, decide whether it's worth a try, and live there at least a year. Otherwise, it's merely typing on the keyboard. Good luck in your search.
sooo is surfside beach a small town...everyone knows everyone ect. or is it a huge tourist attraction?
im 21 planning on making the big move to the south, and I want to experience the "south". so is surfside beach the place to go or should i look more away from the coast? if so where should i look? it has to be within an hour from coastal carolina university. THANKS!
So, you are going to attend Coastal Carolina, thats wonderful. It is a beautiful University. There are some nice apartments just up from there that look quite charming.
For a town feel, I think Conway would do just fine. When I am missing that small town feel that I had in a little town in NJ, I head to Conway. There are quite a few big box stores and a nice movie theater location. For bigger and grander there is always the many areas of Myrtle Beach. The Coastal Grand Mall and Market Commons are two good places to head.
Surfside Beach is certainly a tourist location but many months are non-tourist like. You will find the fall months and winter months to be full of locals and all the summer action comes to a close.
It isn't townlike, but it is a great area.
Be careful what you wish for. I grew up and lived most of my life in small Southern towns. If I moved to a new one today, folks would be polite, even friendly, but I would always be an outsider because I did not grow up there. If you really want Mayberry, cable TV is your best option. Regardless, you're not going to find your perfect town on the Internet. The only way to know a place is to visit, decide whether it's worth a try, and live there at least a year. Otherwise, it's merely typing on the keyboard. Good luck in your search.
I know that when I do find that small town I will be an outsider especially when I say "wicked" lol. But thats the experience I want...I want to see how it is in the South....And so far for the next 20 days ill be just typing on the keyboard because I am "wicked" excited to visit on the 24th. Thats when hopefully all my research will help me narrow my search. I know anywhere near a college and beach will not be mayberry, but its the closest I can get now....then in A few years re-locate to texas.
For a town feel, I think Conway would do just fine. When I am missing that small town feel that I had in a little town in NJ, I head to Conway.
That is where my main focus is....what worries me is the fact that everyone says its an extension of MB....so Im looking at surrounding towns. But conway sounds beautiful can not wait to visit in 20 days!!!
... its the closest I can get now....then in A few years re-locate to texas.
You might want to think twice about Texas! Been here over 20 years and cannot WAIT to get back to the MB area - probably Surfside or Little River. Texas is HOTTER than you can imagine and last year we had a horrible drought - 30 days+ of over 100 degree heat, not counting the heat index.
And as the commercial says, Texas is a whole 'nother country. Just my opinion
You might want to think twice about Texas! Been here over 20 years and cannot WAIT to get back to the MB area - probably Surfside or Little River. Texas is HOTTER than you can imagine and last year we had a horrible drought - 30 days+ of over 100 degree heat, not counting the heat index.
And as the commercial says, Texas is a whole 'nother country. Just my opinion
Ya I just said Texas....I have no idea where life will take me haha
Well just got back from a glorious neighborhood hunt along the Grand Strand - hated coming back to Texas where it is now a "cool" 98+ degrees (but must say the beach was unseasonably warm last week but always has that great ocean breeze).
Hubby and I went from Sunset Beach/Calabash, NC to Pawley's Island and we kept returning to Surfside. We spoke with the police, shop and restaurant owners, the friendly locals in SB and made four trips back to that lovely little village.
Decision is made - Surfside for sure. We love the quiet surroundings and the regulations preventing a conglomeration of high rises along the ocean front. It is very much like the beach I knew from the 1960s-1980s.
Now the decision has to be made whether we move to Deerfield (older part) or Caropines. Both have advantages/disadvantages. But we are at peace with our decision and I now have a calendar on my home office wall where I can mark off the days that I have left in my little Texas "prison"
Thank you to everyone who posts here - this board educated me more than the realtor we met!!
One thing you might want to know is that unless you live east of business 17 and between Melody Lane and 17th Ave. N. you will not actually be living in Surfside Beach. The actual town is only that part - which is about 2 miles long and 1 mile wide. You will not be able to vote in Surfside Beach local elections and you won't be eligible for the parking sticker which allows you to park for free anywhere in the town.
These things may not matter to you, but they are things that you should be aware of and that your realtor should have told you.
The community called Surfside Beach Club is not even in Surfside Beach!
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