Why Surfside Beach is the Best Vacation Neighborhood in the Myrtle Beach Area

Myrtle Beach is one of the top family beaches/vacation spots on the East Coast. With lots of attractions including amusement parks, beautiful beaches, seafood restaurants, and a children's museum, it is easy to see why families return to this area year after year. However, just four miles south of the main "Grand Strand" of Myrtle Beach is the smaller, quieter, more laid back resort town of Surfside Beach, South Carolina.

Surfside Beach is known as the "family beach." There are a few motels and condo units, but most of the lodging in this fast-growing town consists of beach cottages/house rentals. Depending on your accommodation desires, there are small beach houses or large beach houses that face the ocean with their own private pools. In the center of Surfside Beach is a little shopping area with the famous Painter's Ice Cream shop-be sure to sample their delicious homemade ice cream and milk shakes. There are also restaurants, souvenir shops, grocery stores, churches, and fireworks stores close by. Of course, it is only a short drive to all the main Myrtle Beach shopping places and attractions, if your preference is museums and outlets.

Last year our family vacationed in a house at Surfside Beach. We have been to many beach resorts along the East Coast, but Surfside was truly one of the best. The water was warm, and the sand was white. The weather was pristine. Apparently, this is common, as Surfside Beach averages 215 sunny days each year. The traffic was a bit congested coming into the town on the weekend, but lessened throughout the week.

Down further south, in Myrtle Beach there are more shopping centers, motels, and restaurants, but the traffic is so bad that you will probably want to spend most of your time in quieter Surfside, especially if you are a family with younger children. The beaches are far more crowded in the main section of Myrtle Beach, and the atmosphere is different altogether. Myrtle Beach has the feel of a large vacation metropolis, while Surfside Beach seems more like an upscale resort.

Surfside Beach is a small town, but there are a lot of retirees. It is known as a pleasant place to live. There are community events throughout the year ranging from an Easter Egg hunt to a blood drive. We were fortunate enough to vacation in Surfside over the Fourth of July, when the beach comes alive with fireworks. It was truly an experience to remember-to sit out on our beach house balcony and watch fireworks through the wee hours of the morning. I would recommend anyone looking at living or vacationing in coastal South Carolina to give Surfside Beach a try.