Myrtle Beach "Lifestyle"? (Charleston, Conway: high crime, how much, theater)
Myrtle Beach - Conway areaHorry County
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm constantly toying with my dream of one day moving to the beach, and Myrtle is my sentimental favorite, but what is there to actually DO there for a young, active retiree? It seems in the middle of nowhere with no urban center conveniently close and basically a tourist destination, not to say trap, surrounded by wasteland and desolation. What's your MB life like?
Well, "wasteland and desolation" are probably not the words most people who live here would use to describe the areas outside of MB/Grand Strand. The areas outside MB/GS are mostly farmland of small to mid-size farmers, forests (some of which are owned by the paper/building industry), and some swamps. To people no familiar with these occupations, the land may look desolate (especially during winter) but it's far from it.
As far as what to do in MB for a young active retiree, you are right...there is no close urban center nearby (closest is Charleston about 2 hours easy drive away). However, our MB life consists of:
--The primary reason we moved here....the BEACH
--Concerts at the local vineyard, at Brook Green Gardens, at downtown MB and North MB, Surfside Beach, Conway (sponsored by the town and featuring local bands)
--Golf
--Pickleball
--Bowling
--Going to Farmers Markets
--Going to various town fairs, wine strolls, chocolate walks
--Kayaking on the river (we don't actually do this but it's available)
--Activities and enjoying the gardens at Brook Green Gardens
--Our community has multiple activities including game nights, food trucks, happy hours, bingo, book club, bridge club, mah johgg, trivia night, holiday parties, etc.
--Conway has a very good local theater group
--Fishing (fresh and saltwater)
--There's a very nice hunt/gun club about an hour from MB where one can shoot skeet, clays, target practice and hunt birds and deer/boar
--I personally like to go to Broadway at the Beach and sit and watch the crazy tourists (people watch)...LOL
--And, of course, all the touristy activities
What types of things are you looking to be able to do?
No, we are not in a 55+ community although many of the residents are 55+. Our community just has a very active social committee and residents interested in activities. We moved to this community about a year ago from another one about 10 miles away which had a similar demographic but was no where near as active. Different community residents have different levels of interest in community activities.
If you're trying to escape a small town, MB is probably not for you. It is, indeed, a small town (actually a series of small towns strewn together) even though many people thinks it's bigger than it is due to the draw of the beach/tourists. If you want to be near the beach and in a more urban area, look toward Charleston or further south into the cities of Florida.
We spend a good bit of time at the beach although we have found that it's not as big a draw as we thought it would be. You get busy with every day life things and think...."We'll go tomorrow" but then something else comes up tomorrow. Knowing that the beach is always there and available any time we want to go makes getting there less of a priority. Don't get me wrong, we still enjoy it very much, but some days there are just other things to do....LOL.
We love the beach too.We moved to the Hilton Head area to be near the beach. We go less now, then when we lived 2 hours away. To much traffic in a resort area.
Seems to have a lot of crime and homelessness, from what I've been hearing. I guess if you have to be homeless, why not the beach? Better than Cleveland!
Seems to have a lot of crime and homelessness, from what I've been hearing. I guess if you have to be homeless, why not the beach? Better than Cleveland!
I needed to start visiting there regularly for the past couple of years now. Some individuals moved there. I haven't seen any evidence of high crime or homelessness. Not even in the slightest. I'm mostly in the Market Common-Surfside-Garden City-Murrells areas.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
