? As a native Marylander from MoCo who works in DC, my peer group (solidly Gen X) has a family beach house (either their own or their parents’ house or a sibling’s house). Everyone still goes—and many still rent. It’s a generational nostalgia. We know OBX and Sandbridge are cheaper, but we want to go to our old haunts for crabs, pizza, ice cream, Minigolf, etc. And we take our “real” vacations elsewhere. |
You don’t have to drive in OC. We stay for a week every summer and really only drive to the grocery store at the beginning of the week, and maybe once down to the boardwalk if we go. We walk to the beach and everything else. |
What rehoboth has that the others don’t is walkability. Once you get there you don’t have to drive anywhere.
However, it appears that you stayed in a non walkable area. Nothing wrong with that. It is an expensive area to stay downtown. Personally if my budget only afforded staying off route 1 I would choose a different beach. |
This is precisely why OC is better: you can stay oceanblock or bayside if you can’t afford oceanfront, and you can easily walk to the beach…and restaurants, etc. |
We went to Lewes which I guess is next to rehobeth? I think we were told Lewes was quieter. I was suprised how many drunk pellle there are in the evenings. The beaches are also pretty crowded and the water is freezing. But the beaches are nice and wide with nice sand and it’s a lot closer tjn the Carolina’s. I also appreciate being able to walk out for burgers or ice cream. |
"rehobeth" 🙄 |
We love Rehoboth but our Condo is only a mile from the beach and has a lovely pool. We don’t go to the beach right by the boardwalk either, we go farther down.
We also love Funland, Browseabout books, the bike trail, Gordon’s Pond, and have a few fav restaurants. We bike or walk around so don’t deal with traffic. It’s lovely in the Spring and fall when there are less people there. If you don’t like it OP don’t go. |
Maybe not a lot of fine dining, but pizza, crabs/seafood, and other casual fare is usually ok for the beach. |
I agree (as someone who used to rail against the dining options). |
Oh, c’mon, your standards are too high! |
It's not a status symbol - most of us go because it's th closest beaches to DC by driving. It's totally fine but also you can find stuff to complain about anywhere. |
I love Browseabout Books! |
Seems more like a 2 night stay than 7. I didn’t grow up going and it doesn’t feel tony in anyway to me. |
Op I’m from California and will never understand east coast beaches/lifestyle. Seems like a lot of hyper over dirty crowded beaches. |
Eh, it’s a fun week if you do it right. Rent a condo in Sea Colony in Bethany so you can walk/bike to town. Let the kids run around the boardwalk, the arcade, etc. Beach bonfires, movies on the beach, music on the bandstand, etc. Head to OC one night. Head to Rehoboth one night. Head to Lewes or Henlopen for bay swimming. And hang out with other families you know who are down there at the same time. Swap kids for an evening or let the kids run around while you hang out on the beach after dinner. It’s not about fancy; it’s about family fun. But I get how someone who didn’t grow up around here wouldn’t understand the appeal. |