ocean city vs delaware beaches (Newark: fit in, cheap apartments, rent)

[conall-doc]

hi guys, 1st post here, posted another in the delaware section but wanted to get more feedback from maryland residents, hope thats alright!

my name is conall, and im a 21 year old student from ireland. although you may say its rediculously early to be discussing this i just wanted to get a general idea of peoples thoughts.

myself and a few friends are planning on moving to one of the aforementioned places for the summer of next year. we went to toronto this summer (because of the drinking age) but didnt manage to secure a job and didnt really like living in a huge city. had to return home after 6 weeks because of money issues.

what has been your experience of irish students coming out to your towns to gain employment for the summer? we were very well recieved in toronto and met alot of fun people.

where do you think of the above places would be a gd destination for us based on housing, cost of living, employment and general partying/fun.

cheers in advance for replies

[North Beach Person]

Ocean City businesses employ a large number of non-US workers in the summer, many from Ireland. Cost of housing is the major problem. Many kids end up working long hours and not really making much money after the cost of living is factored in. Many also end up living with a bunch together.

This past year didn't seem to have as many kids working, mostly due to the economy.

[J_Lurk]

There is a specific visa program for summer work, the J-1 program. You really need to come in on that program because with the strong feelings in the US right now about undocumented workers, you have pretty much no chance of finding a job if you come in on a regular tourist visa.

A lot of overseas students come over to work at the beaches, not just at Ocean City or Rehoboth, but all up and down the East Coast. Any beach town would be fun. I'd find a job and a sponsor before you come, so you are probably starting to think about it at the right time.

Info on the J-1 program:
Summer Work/Travel: Frequently Asked Questions (http://exchanges.state.gov/jexchanges/private/swt_faq.html - broken link)

A list of program sponsors:
J1 Visa Sponsors: CIEE, Intrax, CENET, Interexchange, CCUSA, CETUSA, GeoVisions, CHI, Wise, Aspect, AWE

[htownterp]

Ocean City to work would be a better fit in my opinion, though for relaxing I enjoy the quieter Delaware beaches.

[GoPhils]

In order to get a better cost of living, you might want to go further south. I would maybe check out Myrtle Beach

[conall-doc]

excuse my ignorance, but what is a visa sponsor? do they pay for your visa and help you get sorted with a job?

thanks for the replies, i have researched myrtle beach but it just seems a little harder to get to from the major airports and ocean city seems a great base to do a bit of travelling during and after the work experience.

does delware being tax free make it a much cheaper place to live than maryland?

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by conall-doc

does delware being tax free make it a much cheaper place to live than maryland?

No not really.

[J_Lurk]

Originally Posted by conall-doc

excuse my ignorance, but what is a visa sponsor? do they pay for your visa and help you get sorted with a job?

thanks for the replies, i have researched myrtle beach but it just seems a little harder to get to from the major airports and ocean city seems a great base to do a bit of travelling during and after the work experience.

does delware being tax free make it a much cheaper place to live than maryland?

A visa sponsor doesn't pay for your visa -- you do that, plus probably a fee to them. They are "sponsoring" you to the US government -- essentially, vouching for you and promising that you will adhere to the terms of the visa and not overstay it.

They do help you find a job. If you look at the web links different ones specialize in different areas of the country and different types of jobs.

[raven302]

Originally Posted by HandsUpThumbsDown

No not really.

It can, you can buy a decent small house in Southern Delaware for half of what we payed here in New Castle County. We looked at all of the options last year when we purchased up state and down state for reference. My taxes here in suburban Newark are $1100 a year for a .38 acre lot and a nice 2 story house. $220k out the door.

Rent is generally relative... Owners cost higher = so will the rent. Check it out. Theres lots of "vacation" mobiles down in south Delaware near the beaches, you might find someone who would rent it because they could use the cash. My In laws did just that last year and I'd have bought that house for the rent price in Ocean View if my job was not in Philadelphia.

.02 Good luck!

[HandsUpThumbsDown]

Originally Posted by raven302

It can, you can buy a decent small house in Southern Delaware for half of what we payed here in New Castle County. We looked at all of the options last year when we purchased up state and down state for reference. My taxes here in suburban Newark are $1100 a year for a .38 acre lot and a nice 2 story house. $220k out the door.

Rent is generally relative... Owners cost higher = so will the rent. Check it out. Theres lots of "vacation" mobiles down in south Delaware near the beaches, you might find someone who would rent it because they could use the cash. My In laws did just that last year and I'd have bought that house for the rent price in Ocean View if my job was not in Philadelphia.

.02 Good luck!

I get what you're saying but I think it has more to do with availability. There are a ton more "crash pad" apartments for international students in varying states of disrepair in downtown OC than anywhere in lower DE. That's probably the cheapest option. Wherever they work may arrange housing for international students as well - most of the big employers set up their employees. Renting one of those trailers isn't cheap, either. I've rented cheap apartments in both OC and Bethany and in general, OC is a better fit for students coming over to work and party. More to do, better access to things.