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My family and I thought we might take a road trip down to Myrtle Beach for a summer vacation. Up until yesterday I had not heard of anything bad regarding the area but after talking to a few people - everyone has said stay away! Various people I have since talked to said the area has gone downhill and that it's not worth going to. Some people have suggested Hilton Head instead. We were going to stay somewhere near the Grand Strand...I think we were looking at Compass Cove. It seems nice but now I am having second thoughts...can anyone offer some insight here? We would be traveling with 2 small children and our dog. I definetly want a safe place for a vacation! I understand many tourist spots harbor crime but it seems like the negative reviews I have received seem a little alarming. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
unless tackiness recently became a crime, i'd say that myrtle beach is fine.
myrtle beach has a surplus of drunk tourists, and they commit crimes, which makes the place look statistically unsafe. if you take your kids to clubs and strip joints, you might run into these types. otherwise, i think the area is pretty safe.
hilton head is like a big resort. you basically pay a premium to be behind gates and feel exclusive.
my recommendation has always been pawleys island and litchfield beach for the MB area, which is ideal for families with kids. edisto for somewhere more remote. any of the charleston beaches are good, but not as fun for the kids.
Been to Myrtle Beach several times, never had an issue ever. My family and I did alot of walking all around the area, never had a problem. I say go, Hilton Head is ok, but we liked Myrtle Beach better, believe it or not is was more crowded at Hilton then Myrtle. Go wherever u want to go, don't let people discourage you to do something u want to do. We love it in the Carolinas every where, ocean and Mountains, just waiting till hubby can find the right job and hope to relocate. Best of luck.
And also their are so many things for a family to do, u guys will have a blast.
trevi,
Unfortunately, these days you can't escape crime ANYWHERE. That being said I have found Myrtle Beach to be safe and the "crime" hype completely exaggerated. Come and enjoy a nice vacation.
We have not had any problems either in all the years that we have been going. That is where we have stayed many, many times too! The kids will love Compass Cove with all the pools etc. We even go downtown to let our little boy play in all of the arcades at night. I think you will be just fine. Don't forget to check out the zoo. The kids will really get a kick out of Chico the chimpanzee that is treated like a king!
Most of MB's bad reputation comes from skewed statistics that reflect a high crime rate in MB. Unfortunately, those statistics are almost always calculated on a "per capita" basis, using the numbers of permanent residents. The MB metro area has somewhere around 200,000 residents, and maybe 12-14 million visitors per year. It's safe to assume that visitors contribute to the crime rate, but that's never reflected in the relative numbers.
At the same time, much of the crime is based on opportunity, and tourist areas offer a lot of opportunities. Every week, I read about golf clubs, GPS units, laptops, etc being stolen from unlocked vehicles, usually at hotels, resorts and restaurants. It's awfully hard for law enforcement to protect individuals who are not willing to protect themselves. Also, some folks tend to carry more money and perhaps drink a little more when on vacation than at home, which makes them more attractive targets.
Common sense is an excellent deterrent to crime, whether at home or on vacation. The overwhelming majority of visitors have a great time and encounter no problems at all. There have been extensive threads on this same subject in the past. One of the better ones is: Crime in Myrtle Beach - shocking numbers
Go, go, go! Myrtle Beach is wonderful and once you go I can almost guarantee you'll want to return. We've been going every year, sometimes twice a year, since 1992 and we have never felt unsafe anywhere. It's a tourist area, so you have to be careful and watch out for people who prey on tourists - don't leave purses unattended, lock your car and hotel room, and stuff like that - but that's nothing more than you'd do anywhere you're vacationing, and maybe even at home.
Here's the web site for the zoo mentioned above. My kids love it and want to go back every year.
We have been to Myrtle Beach several times and never felt the least bit unsafe. I think it has to do somewhat with which part of the beach you stay at. We always stay at a place called Forest Dunes, which is in a quiet, residential area on N. Ocean Blvd. and all is peaceful and safe, or at least has always been for us. The southern end of Ocean Blvd. tends to be the party place, and has a more spring break-like atmosphere. Even though some of the resorts along S. Ocean Blvd. look really nice, we have avoided them for just that reason. However, I'm sure that you will find people here who will tell you that S. Ocean Blvd. is the only place to stay. Either way, like the previous posters all said, use basic common sense. Lock up your possessions, don't walk in unlit areas after dark...basically the same safety precautions you would take in any city, town, or village in modern day America.
Just a note about Hilton Head: We have also stayed there a couple of times and it is very nice. However, my nephew used to date a girl who had recently relocated after living in the Bluffton/Hilton Head area for several years, and she told us that crime in HH is definitely there, it just tends to get swept under the rug, as HH is a very upscale area and it would look bad to see reports of crime there. She specifically mentioned a few store parking lots where there have been incidents and where she felt that no one would be 100% safe walking, especially after dark. It actually surprised me, because HH gives the impression that nothing like that could possibly happen there.
We are going back to Myrtle Beach in less than two weeks. I'll let you know when we get back how safe it felt and if we feel that it's going downhill quality wise, since we haven't been there in a few years. I realize that we are only one family, but FWIW, you may have our opinion.
My family and I thought we might take a road trip down to Myrtle Beach for a summer vacation. Up until yesterday I had not heard of anything bad regarding the area but after talking to a few people - everyone has said stay away! Various people I have since talked to said the area has gone downhill and that it's not worth going to. Some people have suggested Hilton Head instead. We were going to stay somewhere near the Grand Strand...I think we were looking at Compass Cove. It seems nice but now I am having second thoughts...can anyone offer some insight here? We would be traveling with 2 small children and our dog. I definetly want a safe place for a vacation! I understand many tourist spots harbor crime but it seems like the negative reviews I have received seem a little alarming. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Mrytle Beach is terrific!!! Go enjoy yourself, if i could move there i would in a heartbeat!!!!
The issue of safety never crosses my mind when I'm down in MB. Of course I spend most of my time in the "touristy" areas during the busy summer season, but I never felt uncomfortable. Come on down. You'll have a great time. Great place for families.
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