Has Rehoboth Beach changed for the worse ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I no longer like MV either, WAY too crowded, just like all the other beaches. The best is Mansion Beach on Block Island and 2nd Beach at Newport, RI. You literally have a beautiful beach with warm weather ( slight chilly NE breeze), and the view of pastoral estates in the background. No trashy people to be found ANYWHERE.

If you only go to South Beach and State Beach this is true. Go up island and you’ll have a different experience. Not all are public but Lovsterville and Moshup are two we love. Limited parking though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do the Ocean City/Myrtle Beach type people of Massachusetts go to the beach? Everyone talks of how upscale MV/Nantucket are so where do the lower socioeconomic Massholes go? They are not infiltrating MV or Nantucket.

They can't afford to--MV and Nantucket are extremely expensive. They go to the local beaches: Duxbury, Scituate, Hull etc.

You take the ferry to MV and Nantucket, the ferry books months in advance so skews toward folks who plan their vacation a year in advance.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Rehoboth has declined as the gay community left it. Not sure of cause and effect. Ocean City has risen in stature and regained some prestige as an old time beach.

Where do they go now?

Gay person here, we still go to Rehoboth. We try not to go in the summer too much but love in the off season.

Rehoboth is great in the off season, especially the Fall. Did you ever go to the Sea Witch Festival?

Shhhh!!!! It’s bad enough in summer, please don’t ruin the off season, too!

Right?!? hellloooooo!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I started going to Rehoboth about 10 years ago with my IL's. I never saw it as the upscale place as they kept saying it was. Those beach trips stopped a few years ago. Now DH, kids and I go to Bethany. There is a difference in people who visit both beaches. Bethany is decidedly more white, upscale preppy. Rehoboth - especially on weekends - does seem to have the Ocean City crowd vibe to it.

I wouldn't want to spend a week in Rehoboth, but it's still fun to go there one evening while we are at Bethany.

We are a black MD/PhD couple new to the area. We've been to Rehoboth once before with our toddler, but it seems that the presence of people who look like us is reason for some to avoid the area. We're heading to MV this year instead.

Sorry to derail - I am close with 3 black upper middle class families who all vacation in Martha's Vineyard every summer (not together)...I know it's beautiful but does it have a reputation for being particularly welcoming to black families? Just curious as I don't seem to have any white friends that vacation there and I've always thought of it as the pinnacle of WASPy. Is it because it was the Obama's preferred vacation destination on the east coast that it gained popularity for black families?

I assume they are going to Oak Bluffs.
https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a6668/oak-bluffs-african-american-community/

PP here. We won’t be in Oak Bluffs, but close by. We’re going with extended family, and friends and neighbors will also be there.

I used to think it was a bit snooty to go there, but after reading a little more of the history, I’m looking forward to it. It'll be nice to relax and not feel conspicuous, as we’ve felt on occasion in other vacation spots as the only visible minorities.

The NMAAHC also has a piece on MV:

http://www.mvtimes.com/2017/02/14/oak-bluffs-african-american-history-featured-smithsonian-exhibit/

Thanks! I’m the PP who asked the question and I really appreciated learning about this piece of African American history and culture. Much nicer response than “oh my, Google Sag Harbor.”

No prob. Oh, and for the record, I actually enjoyed our trip to RB. I didn’t really notice who else was around; I just remember our toddler had fun. She danced with my husband outside to a band playing Motown hits. We booked last-minute and paid way too much for a not very nice hotel, but it was still a nice time.

Same PP here. We’ve been RB with out kids too and have always had a fun time. Would love to check out MV someday too. Is the ocean not cold up there? I’m cold water wimp

Oh my God soooo cold and the beach is rocky!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started going to Rehoboth about 10 years ago with my IL's. I never saw it as the upscale place as they kept saying it was. Those beach trips stopped a few years ago. Now DH, kids and I go to Bethany. There is a difference in people who visit both beaches. Bethany is decidedly more white, upscale preppy. Rehoboth - especially on weekends - does seem to have the Ocean City crowd vibe to it.

I wouldn't want to spend a week in Rehoboth, but it's still fun to go there one evening while we are at Bethany.

We are a black MD/PhD couple new to the area. We've been to Rehoboth once before with our toddler, but it seems that the presence of people who look like us is reason for some to avoid the area. We're heading to MV this year instead.

I'm a DP, but I think the "change" in Rehoboth isn't related to color, but perceived socioeconomic status. More directly: white trash covered in piercings and tattoos. 20 years ago, you didn't see that in Rehoboth---you saw it only in OC.

Candidly, it was upscale when the gay community was more heavily present. They seemed to have moved on to other vacation spots.

+1. Continuing the candid trend - it is not people of color causing the difference in Rehoboth Beach. It is the white trash. I am the poster who mentioned Bethany being white. I didn’t mean to imply that people of color were causing the decline in Rehoboth but to point out that there is no diversity in Bethany.

DP. Agree with your assessment. However the post that PP was responding to was very clearly equating non-white with low class

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where do the Ocean City/Myrtle Beach type people of Massachusetts go to the beach? Everyone talks of how upscale MV/Nantucket are so where do the lower socioeconomic Massholes go? They are not infiltrating MV or Nantucket.

They can't afford to--MV and Nantucket are extremely expensive. They go to the local beaches: Duxbury, Scituate, Hull etc.

You take the ferry to MV and Nantucket, the ferry books months in advance so skews toward folks who plan their vacation a year in advance.

Only the car ferry Thursday - Monday books months in advance. The day trippers take the fast ferry which doesn’t need to be booked ahead of time at all. Issue is housing is so pricey & scarce, especially on Nantucket, that it rules out overnights for lots of people. It’s a long trip for the day when the cape is a lot easier to get to