Ocean city maryland

[mrsboz]

We are thinking of going somewhere this summer and was wondering about Ocean City Maryland. Does anyone know where to stay or what to do there or if its really nice.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I live in MD and have not been in 25 years. Some people love it and go every year, I've found that the cost of one week in Ocean City is the same as one week in FL including airfare. For me it was too crowded. The water too cold and beach too hot. The hotels way too expensive.

However please consult those that love going there.

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[Zhoen]

Hi there,

I'm a Maryland local as well, and I *DO* love OC... but I don't recommend it. Ocean City is the ultimate trashy-beach-town. That's what I LOVE about it... it's got character... but if I had to pay out-of-town money (we live close enough to day-trip) I would be P.O'd once I got there! It's safe enough for families, and plenty for families to do... just really expensive and you have the younger crowds running around in the same area... If you have a young son, be prepared to hear him talk FOREVER more about "That girl in the white bikini!" (nothing Rio, or anything, just some beautiful young people being young and beautiful while they still can... oh-- and some not-so-young, not-so-beautiful people with very poor judgement on what they can look "good" in...) My husband LOVES the boardwalk area-- he enjoys the view... and I"m not talking about the water...

If you decide to come, consider looking for a house-for-rent in Fenwick Island, Delaware. The island is not an island, they filled in the channel... it' actually attached to OC now, out past the end of the bus line. It's very Norman Rockwell out there, and you're still super-close to OC... You can stay in Fenwick, walk to the buses, and ride the bus allllll the way down (long ride, about 160 blocks through traffic) to the boardwalk and the inlet and not pay any parking.

If you MUST stay in OC, it's going to be EXPENSIVE. Like $300/night for the HoJo's (beachfront) expensive...

OC is long and skinny(about 3-4 blocks wide in places), with one side facing the ocean (oceanfront) and the other side facing the bay (bayside). If you're going to stay there, you'll need to know that... bayside places should always be cheaper, but they are more likely to be condos/apts/timeshares. The highrise hotels are mostly oceanfront, with lowrise hotels and older (kinda skanky) proprietary hotels in the middle.

There's a candy store on EVERY corner, pretty much, and more mini-golf than you could play in a year... but there's also always a partygoing somewhere if you know where to look... so *sometimes* it's not so family-friendly. They really do try, though.

Bottom line, as much as I love OC and hope it never changes, if I was going to shell out the money for an overnight and take the fam, I'd be looking at Virginia Beach or Rehoboth.

Either way, prepare like you would for Disney ie-BYO sunscreen... EVERYTHING's expensive at the beach. ANY beach.

Good luck!

 

[DizneyLizzy]

I second pretty much all of what the PP said. My husband's family goes on vacation every year to OCMD, so I have to go, but for my money, I would way rather vacation in one of the towns on the Jersey Shore - Avalon, Stone Harbor, Cape May, Sea Isle City, Brigantine, etc.

Trashiness aside (and yes, it is very trashy), the thing that bothers me most about OCMD is the highway that parallels the whole place. It makes a crowded, congested beach city (bc it is a city and not a town) feel even more crowded.

 

[mikehn]

I am very biased because of my fondness for sun, surf, and eye candy. I disagree with trashy. The boardwalk area of Ocean city tends to attract blue collar types, but that's not trashy. Otherwise there are plenty of million dollar homes, BMWs, and big yachts around. Get beyond the boardwalk area and it actually becomes pretty family oriented. Many marylanders take it for granted but Im really happy to have such a great resort so close by.

 

[mrsboz]

Thank you for being so honest. By the sound of it, I would not like it. It sounds VERY much like Hampton Beach, NH. I would not be happy paying Disney prices for going to either place. I am going to look into Virginia Beach next. Anyone been there?

 

[amomma23]

Yep. Hate it, too. We went with my husband's parents a few times when our first DS was little. The last time was a few years ago. They got the hair-brained idea to go over the 4th. Their timeshare was Sunday-Sunday, but DH and I packed up on Wednesday and haven't been back since.

 

[kirstenb1]

Thank you for being so honest. By the sound of it, I would not like it. It sounds VERY much like Hampton Beach, NH. I would not be happy paying Disney prices for going to either place. I am going to look into Virginia Beach next. Anyone been there?

Can help with Va Beach. The strip is mostly hotels. They make sense for 1-3 or 4 days stay. Lots of restaurants. tour attractions, salt water taffy, etc. Great for a short stay.

Sandbridge is at the southernmost part of Va Bch. It is exclusively condos/homes for rent. We go there for a week each summer. We do "4 blocks off the oceanfront", which usually puts you right on the bay. Great for fishing/kayaking/wonderful scenic sunset views. Less expensive. And the blocks are like 4 houses long, so it's a 3 minute stroll to the ocean. We use Siebert Realty for our rentals.

On the negative side, because this is sort of an isolated Outer Banks feel, it makes more sense to plan on cooking meals than going out. There are a few restaurants within 10 minutes, but most are 20 minutes away. Same with groceries. We love it, but it's not for everyone.

 

[Eureka]

OC for the most part caters to a younger crowd than other nearby beaches like Rehoboth, Bethany or Dewey. We go to Rehoboth every year for a week and while it can be busy, it never seems noisy or rowdy to me.

I meant to add that we have also been to VA Beach and still like the Delaware beaches better.

 

[olwyngdh]

I love OCMD, and spend every Thanksgiving and most 4th of Julys there. I used to live in Hampton, VA and spent a lot of time at VB--and hated it. If you are going to OC, I would recommend looking into getting a condo for a week rather than a hotel room--they are a lot less expensive, and although most are not right on the beach, they are usually within a block or two--like a previous poster said, OC is very narrow. You can also get a place on the mainland side for less money and use Park and Ride to get over to the beach. If you do decide to go there I can recommend some restaurants to go to and others to avoid, as well as things to do in the area. We don't stay in a hotel when we go because my in-laws live in Berlin MD, and we stay at their house.

If you camp, Assetique Island is always a good choice, and from what I understand, Frontierland is a good campground also, but is on the more expensive side because of the Wild West Park and Water Park there.

 

[Nina1]

I live in MD and have not been in 25 years. Some people love it and go every year, I've found that the cost of one week in Ocean City is the same as one week in FL including airfare. For me it was too crowded. The water too cold and beach too hot. The hotels way too expensive.

However please consult those that love going there.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

I totally agree with this. We went to Ocean City a few times, but when we realized we could spend two weeks in South Carolina or Florida for the price of one week in OC, we didn't ever go back. Plus, SC and FL water is warm and in my opinion, the beaches are so much prettier and cleaner.

 

[danygirl]

OC MD is honky tonk trashy. Virginia Beach will be a longer drive but not much better.

Bethany Beach, Delaware is the place to be. small beach town, known as the family resort, but close enough to OC or Rehobeth to enjoy Funland or the Boardwalk attractions. The beach is clean and wide, the atmosphere is great. There are almost no hotels there, so you will need to rent a house. The town is so cute, I could let me kids walk around it without me. Highly recommend it.

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

OC MD is honky tonk trashy. Virginia Beach will be a longer drive but not much better.

Bethany Beach, Delaware is the place to be. small beach town, known as the family resort, but close enough to OC or Rehobeth to enjoy Funland or the Boardwalk attractions. The beach is clean and wide, the atmosphere is great. There are almost no hotels there, so you will need to rent a house. The town is so cute, I could let me kids walk around it without me. Highly recommend it.

I was also considering Ocean City, MD but I think the Delaware beaches such as Bethany Beach would better suit our family. Can you recommend any hotel suites or rental home agencies for Bethany Beach?

 

[Eureka]

I was also considering Ocean City, MD but I think the Delaware beaches such as Bethany Beach would better suit our family. Can you recommend any hotel suites or rental home agencies for Bethany Beach?

You might want to look at a website for Jack Lingo. They handle our Rehoboth rentals and maybe have an office in Bethany too? Have no idea but thought I would suggest it.

 

[gracie1]

I work in Rehoboth beach and it is much quieter than ocean city. I would not recommend Dewey beach at all unless you plan on partying. It is a party town with lots of trouble. The boardwalk in Rehoboth is a mile long, so everything is within walking distance. You can rent condos in Rehoboth for under $2k for a week, right on the ocean. Bethany is nice but I don't see a whole lot going on there for things to do. Of course in Rehoboth you have the outlets and all tax free! There are many rental agency companies, long and foster, jack lingo, Coldwell banker and prudential gallo. If you go on their websites you can get virtual tours also.

 

[goofyfigment]

I have gone to OCMD a bunch of times and I Dont see where trashy is coming from. I find it to be no different than the jersey shore. I also recommend renting a condo, we use cold well banker and stay at the pryamid. The have a jitney that for one price you can ride all day. They have amusements for kids and lots of restaurants and of course plenty of bars, some that cater to families some that Dont. There are also a bunch of mini golf courses and let's not forget about the beach. We love sitting on the balcony of the condo and watch the dolphins swimming and you can always go over and see the horses on assetega ( not sure on spelling) island

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

Virginia Beach is working hard to class up the tourist area and it is working.

 

[disney1990]

I live in MD and have not been in 25 years. Some people love it and go every year, I've found that the cost of one week in Ocean City is the same as one week in FL including airfare. For me it was too crowded. The water too cold and beach too hot. The hotels way too expensive.

However please consult those that love going there.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

This is the same thing that we figured out. And, we would rather spend a week in Florida anyway.

 

[Iamthequeen]

Personally, I love OCMD. DH and I try to get there at least once every year, but I prefer to go in September. We love staying on the boardwalk. Trashy? not in my opinion. Expensive? yes. OC has some of the cleanest beaches around - much cleaner than VA Beach.

 

[tina.tina]

I grew up going mostly to Myrtle Beach. I've also been to several other NC/SC beaches as well as Daytona/Ormond Beach

I was sort of shocked when we went to OC MD for the day several years ago. DH was attending a nearby conference. We walked through the boardwalk area to the beach. The beach dropped off sharply near the water line and the water was absolutely freezing. Instead of driving over to OC the next afternoon we went shopping! Usually, we have to drag each other away from the beach!

From where I live, we're about the same distance from both VA Beach & Myrtle Beach. Most of the people I've talked to who have visited both beaches say they prefer Myrtle.

FYI- You can go to www.noaa.gov and look up coastal water temperatures. It's about a 12 degree difference between OC & Myrtle in July!