s/o Ocean City..

[omeomi]

MD, that is.

Tell me about it. General feel of the place, what all is there to do, anything.

I may be going there for a week or two sometime soon. I've never been there before, so I'd just like to get a general 'feel' of what it's like there and what to expect.

TIA

[osumelissa]

My parents live 30 minutes from OCMD and I spent three summers there working at a restaurant so my view is probably somewhat jaded because of that. To me it has the feel of a party beach town where people go to drink and get crazy. Of course there is a boardwalk, mini golf, and other stereotypical beach town activities. But most people I know who go to OC, go to party and go to the bars.

The OCMD beach itself is fine, but not spectacular. When I go, I will only go to the beach north of 54th street since it's quieter and not as crowded. The closer to the boardwalk you are, the more crowded it is.

Personally I think there are much better beaches and beach towns on the East Coast.

[balbacm]

i agree with much of what the pp said.

I live in Pittsburgh, so it is one of the closest drivable beaches.... pretty much everyone in Pittsburgh as been to OCMD at one point in their lives! I grew up vacationing here with my extended family (and still do) so I have a lot of sentimental ties to it.

It is a both a big party destination and a big family destination if that makes any sense. It is a barrier island off the coast of MD with about 10 miles of beaches, a huge ass highway, and the bay on the opposite side. that's it. The beaches are very nice (wide) and are kept very, very clean.

The boardwalk is kitchy and fun - we typically stay on 5th street (on the boards) and I really prefer this area as I don't have to drive my car the entire trip if I don't want to. You can walk to lots of bars and food. The beaches are definitely more crowded at this end (there are many public lots near the boards and this is where the day trippers park). My niece is 10 and she loves the boardwalk!

The food is nothing amazing - typical beach fare with a handful of good places. Shopping is so-so. Lots of mini golf, go karts, etc.

OCMD is a bit honky tonk - definitely not for everyone. Like I said, I've been there a million times so it's pretty much ingrained in me. Lots of families.

If you are going in the next few weeks it's going be deserted, which would be nice! I also prefer other beaches on the East Coast - I love Hilton Head and that is definitely a much classier resort town experience if that is a concern. It is a fun place - you'll have a good time!

[monkeygirl18]

Pp's have it about right.

We go every Labor Day and tend to stay around the 28th st area (ocean front,one block from the boardwalk so it's not as loud). We have stayed at The Lighthouse Club which is amazing! (adults only) as well as the Hilton but prefer Dunes Manor hotel (not motel) as it's in our price range for the time of year we go.

[lollielg]

I'm also in Pittsburgh and it's a pretty popular beach destination for folks around here. I've been there a few times and agree with the PPs. The beaches are pretty nice for the East Coast and the boardwalk area is a fun vibe. There's definitely lots of partying and it's a big "senior week" destination but also families renting houses.

I will also recommend a drive over to nearby Assateague Island which is a state or national park with very unspoiled beaches and dunes, as well as wild horses!

[EloiseWeenie]

I grew up 30 miles from there, and went all the time. It's packed during the summer, and dead the rest of the year. The beach is nice, yet very crowded during the summer. There is lots to do- boardwalk, rides, mini golf, and there are some outlets. I prefer Bethany Beach to OC because it's quiet. Rehobeth Beach has lots of outlets, and some other fun stuff going on.

Fager's Island is a good restaurant- they have a casual section and then also a more formal dining room. Seacrets is a really fun bar.

[omeomi]

You ladies are awesome! This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for.

I'm a west coaster, so the east coast beach/tourist areas seem to be a bit different than what I'm used to. Should be interesting to see the difference.

Looks like I'll probably be going sometime in early October, so yay for it being out of full blown tourist season then.

[jennistarr1]

There is an AWESOME wine festival in the inlet if you could swing going the weekend of September 28-30. Really after that, most things are closed...you'll be able to find some places to eat/drink...but I'm not sure the weather will even be beach-y enough.

winefest.com

[shorty20]

I'm in PA too, and whenever anyone from here says they're going to the beach, 95% of the time it's OCMD. I don't care for it though, to be quite honest, but I'm old and the appeal of being drunk and stupid has lost it's luster

The pp are right, definitely a party place, especially more towards the boardwalk. DH and I went there about 6 years ago though and we stayed far away from the boardwalk (but still on the ocean) and still got woken up by stupid drunk asses at 3am right outside our window on the beach.

If you're young and like to party, it's a great place. If you don't care much for that atmosphere, there are much nicer beaches to go to.

I'm a huge fan of Cape May, NJ, personally. Beautiful beach, nice little Victorian town, shops, not that crowded (especially off season) and not a party town. However, Wildwood is only 3 miles up the road, and they have a boardwalk and a ton of bars, etc, so you can kind of get the best of both worlds there.

[omeomi]

jenni - That sounds awesome. I love wine festivals. If I can swing getting out there sooner, I'll definitely try to make that!

shorty - I'm definitely not looking for the nightlife scene. I'm well beyond those years lol. I don't mind a night or two out at the bars just hanging out, but that's definitely not the main premise of what I want to do while I'm there. After all of the advice here, I'm sure I'll be taking some trips to some of the outer lying areas for the more relaxed, peaceful vacation that I like.