Myrtle Beach/North Myrtle beach whats the difference

Looking to book a family vacation this year at Myrtle Beach. This will be our first time down to MB and am wondering is the a difference or a preference over Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach?

Myrtle Beach/North Myrtle beach whats the difference

North Myrtle beach has a lot of the newer hotels/condo buildings. Also, North Myrtle is more family oriented, as is south of Myrtle. Myrtle Beach proper is more lively, and usually attracts the younger crowd.

Myrtle Beach/North Myrtle beach whats the difference

What many people refer to as ';Myrtle Beach'; is actually the Grand Strand. 60+ miles of towns and beach sections stretching from NC border to Pawley%26#39;s Island/Georgetown depending on how technical you want to get.

Myrtle Beach is the city in the middle. Where it all began and things have spread out through the years.

To the south you have the towns/communities of Surfside, Garden City, Murrell%26#39;s Inlet and Pawley%26#39;s Island.

To the north you have City of North Myrtle Beach. NMB is made up of four beach sections.

One of the main attractions in Myrtle Beach. Broadway At The Beach. Rest of your attractions are scattered all along the Strand. On any given night you will drive 15-30 minutes to get to attraction no matter where you stay.

Really up to individual what area is best for them. Through the years the center of Myrtle Beach has been known for being crowded and congested. Geared more to the younger teen cruising set.

North end of Myrtle Beach(higher Ave numbers) is a little less congested and has grown in popularity. Area around Kings Road is very well liked.

Many, including myself, swear by North Myrtle Beach. Much less crowded. Less traffic. Drive to attractions not all that bad.

To the south of MB. Surfside and Garden City are very similar to NMB only more houses than condos.

www.myrtlebeachskytour.com/2006/swf/p4_14.htm

First section shown is Cherry Grove. Upper beach section in NMB. Top right of page you can switch to other beach sections to compare.

My personal preference is North Myrtle in the Cherry Grove section. Its more laid back and much less crowded than Myrtle and with the Hwy 31 Bypass completed all the way south to Hwy 544 you can get to anywhere within 20 minutes or so. Its really convenient to get to Broadway, Myrtle Waves, NASCAR SP, the State Park etc...

I pretty much consider Myrtle and North Myrtle all the same area since its all so close together and we dont mind a short drive. You will basically find the same kinds and brands of restaurants and attractions on either end, but if you want something in particular, like I said before, its just a short drive away. Also ';AND THIS IS ONLY MY OPINION';, since the old Pavilion is gone there is not really anything there to draw me to the boardwalk and Ocean Blvd area. I prefer the attractions like Broadway, Barefoot, Myrtle Waves etc... I think the only thing I really miss are the old arcades along the strip.

So in my opinion it would depend on what you want in accommodations. We have stayed in the same house for the last 15 years and the same condo before that and have never had the pools, lazy rivers etc... that a big hotel offers to compare anything too.

I never stayed NMB but I do like more central Myrtle Beach better than further south due to the driving. If you go during June or July it will be somewhat crowded no matter where you are but the traffic to me is really bad during those months and I prefer the shorter drive for things like Broadway, Family Kingdom, etc. I have teenagers too so they like that area better. Of course everyone has a different opionion on what area to stay in. If you do stay in the central or old pavillion area just carefully pick your hotel/condo. There are some very good ones but some are really old and getting pretty dumpy and of course the websites do not reflect that.

Thanks everyone for the input. One more question, how far away is Murrells inlet from the fun at MB or NMB?

15 to 20 and 20 to 30 minutes respectively.

If Murrell%26#39;s Inlet is where you plan on spending a lot of time you might look into staying Garden City/Surfside.

If you would stay in Cherry Grove. It would be quick hop out Rt 9 to Rt 31. South on Rt 31 to Rt 544 which puts you at south end os Strand. Just a few miles from Murrell%26#39;s Inlet.

Rt 31 is limited access 65mph highway with no stoplights. Smooth sailing the length of Strand. Couple of get offs.

One at Rt 22 that drops you into Kings Road area.

Another at Grissom Parkway that drops you into MB near Broadway At The Beach.

And one other at Rt 501.

';IF'; they ever finish it. There will be a new one at Main Street in Ocean Drive section of NMB. Has been a very slow work in progress.