I always suggest looking at the waterfront communities in Annapolis. Makes it easy to get to on the weekends with the convenience of a normal city. Look at Bay Ridge, Hillsmere, Oyster Harbor areas. Find an agent for that area that can help.

Boy this thread has gotten way off track.

OP is looking for beaches 3 hours and under driving wise with young kids. The obvious answer is Bethany.

I have no idea why people are going on and on about Hamptons and OBX.

Rehoboth is trashy and full of poor, fat ass losers with low intelligence.

Hatteras island is a pristine National Seashore.

Enough said.

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Anonymous wrote:OP, have you considered Duck, NC? It is 4.5 hr drive if you time it right, which if you owned a place (so aren’t subject to the Sat-Sat rental hours), you could do. I think the beaches are so much nicer and quieter there than DE. Also, town of Duck is small but cute. Before the haters come in, it is definitely a quieter scene than DE, no boardwalk, mini golf, less restaurants. But the beaches are quiet and nice, the area is great for biking, the sound is fun for paddle boarding, kayaking, etc., and there are a handful decent to good restaurants, plenty of options for ice cream, coffee, etc.

Neither Duck nor the Hamptons makes sense for a DC-based family. They're both too far.

Duck and Corolla are filled with DC area families (which is somewhat of a drawback ☺️). It is 3 hrs to Rehoboth, 4.5 hrs to Duck (both drives can be much worse on a Saturday in summer - we always try to come and go on Fri or even better a Thurs night). You can hire a property manager if you won’t get to your house for awhile or need it checked on after a storm.

You're comparing DC>Rehoboth with some traffic to DC>Duck with no traffic.

DC to Rehoboth is usually around 2.5 hours without major traffic. I've made the drive several times very early in the morning with no traffic in 2 hours and 5-10 minutes. DC to Duck is 4.5 hours also during very off hours with zero traffic. It would take much longer heading there on a Friday afternoon.

That’s fine, I haven’t done the Rehoboth drive as often. And it’s also fine if OP doesn’t want to look in the OBX, of course My response was meant to the comments saying that the OBX is too far for a second home for people in the DC region, which I don’t agree with.

It is too far because lots of people with houses at DE beaches like us use it as a weekend getaway which is great. It takes us 2 and 1/2 hours door to door to get to Bethany.

We travel to Caribbean in winter. That’s when it’s best for beaches. International in spring/summer.
There is nothing need to deal with any summer traffic to DE beaches. And if we decide to go down in summer, don’t go on Friday or Saturdays

What people are here don’t get is that the wealthier crowd don’t use their DE house as a beach house. The draw is it is close for a weekend house especially in spring and fall which is the best time at DE beaches.

No one is doing a weekend getaway to OBX. Plus there is nothing to do down there. Lastly, the 95 corridor in the summer is terrible because thousands of people are going south on vacation, much more than DE beaches.

Except, fishing, crabbing, sailing, jet skiing, swimming, diving, beach driving, parasailing, surfing, kite boarding......

You can do all that at the DE beaches in addition to:

Boardwalk
Dozen golf courses
Winery
Bookstore and author signings and story time (Bethany)
Free live concerts many
Amusement park and rides for kids
Farmers markets
Mini-golfs
Movies on beach
Movie theaters
Shopping outlets
Dozens of hiking trails and numerous state parks and nature preserve
museums and nature centers
fireworks
parades

I could go on and on, so much more. It’s not just beaches and water activities. Just so much other things going on which is part of the appeal. Lastly, quite a few quaint small town downtowns such as Lewes, Berlin, etc…

I had a Hampton House for 10 years straight and went every weekend and the last two weeks of July every year. That list above is not things anyone in the Hamptons actually does. I went to a movie once or twice on a raining day but the rest of list looks like the Low Brow type cheesy stuff. I go to be seen and to see people, eat at amazing restaurants, go to fantastic beaches, go clubbing and great bars. Hiking? Really? Discount shopping outlet? Really? Parades? Come on. Catch me Flying Point Beach, Lunch at Drivers Seat, Sunset at Dockers, Breakfast at Hampton Maid, maybe a show at Stephen Talkhouse and then off to the hot club at that time.

Bless your heart.

We live in NYC and have a house in Southampton. I have spent plenty of time in Bethany Beach, where my parents owned a home that we eventually sold a few years ago. Some thoughts about the two areas:

Driving from the DC area to the Hamptons--especially during the summer--is not fun. You will encounter heavy traffic the entire way. Yes, there is public transportation, but beware that the trains to and from NYC in the summer are crowded and often standing room only during peak weekend travel times.

The local traffic during the summer season can be insane and much worse than you'd encounter at the MD and DE beaches. There is also the whole scene out there that---while avoidable---can make eating out, shopping, and other normal kinds of things more difficult and somewhat unpleasant from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Our home in Southampton needs a lot more maintenance than the Bethany house did. Landscaping in particular requires a lot of upkeep, and it's expensive. It's also much more common for people to have pools (and you will want one), so add that to the list of things that need attention.

Unless you have an 8-figure budget, your home will likely not be walking distance to the beach. Residents can get cheap parking permits for their town/village beaches, but it was a lot less of a hassle to get back and forth to the beach in Bethany.

The beaches are beautiful and the towns have lots of charm. I think that Bethany was more fun for my kids when they were little---they loved mini golf, quick access to the beach, the boardwalks, the rides, water slides, kid-friendly restaurants, crabbing, etc. As teens and older, they prefer the Hamptons---namely because their friends from the city are there and they get to hang out with them.

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Anonymous wrote:OP, have you considered Duck, NC? It is 4.5 hr drive if you time it right, which if you owned a place (so aren’t subject to the Sat-Sat rental hours), you could do. I think the beaches are so much nicer and quieter there than DE. Also, town of Duck is small but cute. Before the haters come in, it is definitely a quieter scene than DE, no boardwalk, mini golf, less restaurants. But the beaches are quiet and nice, the area is great for biking, the sound is fun for paddle boarding, kayaking, etc., and there are a handful decent to good restaurants, plenty of options for ice cream, coffee, etc.

Neither Duck nor the Hamptons makes sense for a DC-based family. They're both too far.

Duck and Corolla are filled with DC area families (which is somewhat of a drawback ☺️). It is 3 hrs to Rehoboth, 4.5 hrs to Duck (both drives can be much worse on a Saturday in summer - we always try to come and go on Fri or even better a Thurs night). You can hire a property manager if you won’t get to your house for awhile or need it checked on after a storm.

You're comparing DC>Rehoboth with some traffic to DC>Duck with no traffic.

DC to Rehoboth is usually around 2.5 hours without major traffic. I've made the drive several times very early in the morning with no traffic in 2 hours and 5-10 minutes. DC to Duck is 4.5 hours also during very off hours with zero traffic. It would take much longer heading there on a Friday afternoon.

That’s fine, I haven’t done the Rehoboth drive as often. And it’s also fine if OP doesn’t want to look in the OBX, of course My response was meant to the comments saying that the OBX is too far for a second home for people in the DC region, which I don’t agree with.

It is too far because lots of people with houses at DE beaches like us use it as a weekend getaway which is great. It takes us 2 and 1/2 hours door to door to get to Bethany.

We travel to Caribbean in winter. That’s when it’s best for beaches. International in spring/summer.
There is nothing need to deal with any summer traffic to DE beaches. And if we decide to go down in summer, don’t go on Friday or Saturdays

What people are here don’t get is that the wealthier crowd don’t use their DE house as a beach house. The draw is it is close for a weekend house especially in spring and fall which is the best time at DE beaches.

No one is doing a weekend getaway to OBX. Plus there is nothing to do down there. Lastly, the 95 corridor in the summer is terrible because thousands of people are going south on vacation, much more than DE beaches.

Except, fishing, crabbing, sailing, jet skiing, swimming, diving, beach driving, parasailing, surfing, kite boarding......

You can do all that at the DE beaches in addition to:

Boardwalk
Dozen golf courses
Winery
Bookstore and author signings and story time (Bethany)
Free live concerts many
Amusement park and rides for kids
Farmers markets
Mini-golfs
Movies on beach
Movie theaters
Shopping outlets
Dozens of hiking trails and numerous state parks and nature preserve
museums and nature centers
fireworks
parades

I could go on and on, so much more. It’s not just beaches and water activities. Just so much other things going on which is part of the appeal. Lastly, quite a few quaint small town downtowns such as Lewes, Berlin, etc…

I had a Hampton House for 10 years straight and went every weekend and the last two weeks of July every year. That list above is not things anyone in the Hamptons actually does. I went to a movie once or twice on a raining day but the rest of list looks like the Low Brow type cheesy stuff. I go to be seen and to see people, eat at amazing restaurants, go to fantastic beaches, go clubbing and great bars. Hiking? Really? Discount shopping outlet? Really? Parades? Come on. Catch me Flying Point Beach, Lunch at Drivers Seat, Sunset at Dockers, Breakfast at Hampton Maid, maybe a show at Stephen Talkhouse and then off to the hot club at that time.

Anonymous wrote:It’s amazing how provincial this forum is that people are debating that the Outer Banks are preferable to the Hamptons or that Rehobeth is nice. Such hillbillies.

Oh, the irony of you calling people hillbillies.

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Anonymous wrote:OP, have you considered Duck, NC? It is 4.5 hr drive if you time it right, which if you owned a place (so aren’t subject to the Sat-Sat rental hours), you could do. I think the beaches are so much nicer and quieter there than DE. Also, town of Duck is small but cute. Before the haters come in, it is definitely a quieter scene than DE, no boardwalk, mini golf, less restaurants. But the beaches are quiet and nice, the area is great for biking, the sound is fun for paddle boarding, kayaking, etc., and there are a handful decent to good restaurants, plenty of options for ice cream, coffee, etc.

Neither Duck nor the Hamptons makes sense for a DC-based family. They're both too far.

Duck and Corolla are filled with DC area families (which is somewhat of a drawback ☺️). It is 3 hrs to Rehoboth, 4.5 hrs to Duck (both drives can be much worse on a Saturday in summer - we always try to come and go on Fri or even better a Thurs night). You can hire a property manager if you won’t get to your house for awhile or need it checked on after a storm.

You're comparing DC>Rehoboth with some traffic to DC>Duck with no traffic.

DC to Rehoboth is usually around 2.5 hours without major traffic. I've made the drive several times very early in the morning with no traffic in 2 hours and 5-10 minutes. DC to Duck is 4.5 hours also during very off hours with zero traffic. It would take much longer heading there on a Friday afternoon.

That’s fine, I haven’t done the Rehoboth drive as often. And it’s also fine if OP doesn’t want to look in the OBX, of course My response was meant to the comments saying that the OBX is too far for a second home for people in the DC region, which I don’t agree with.

It is too far because lots of people with houses at DE beaches like us use it as a weekend getaway which is great. It takes us 2 and 1/2 hours door to door to get to Bethany.

We travel to Caribbean in winter. That’s when it’s best for beaches. International in spring/summer.
There is nothing need to deal with any summer traffic to DE beaches. And if we decide to go down in summer, don’t go on Friday or Saturdays

What people are here don’t get is that the wealthier crowd don’t use their DE house as a beach house. The draw is it is close for a weekend house especially in spring and fall which is the best time at DE beaches.

No one is doing a weekend getaway to OBX. Plus there is nothing to do down there. Lastly, the 95 corridor in the summer is terrible because thousands of people are going south on vacation, much more than DE beaches.

Except, fishing, crabbing, sailing, jet skiing, swimming, diving, beach driving, parasailing, surfing, kite boarding......

You can do all that at the DE beaches in addition to:

Boardwalk
Dozen golf courses
Winery
Bookstore and author signings and story time (Bethany)
Free live concerts many
Amusement park and rides for kids
Farmers markets
Mini-golfs
Movies on beach
Movie theaters
Shopping outlets
Dozens of hiking trails and numerous state parks and nature preserve
museums and nature centers
fireworks
parades

I could go on and on, so much more. It’s not just beaches and water activities. Just so much other things going on which is part of the appeal. Lastly, quite a few quaint small town downtowns such as Lewes, Berlin, etc…

ANo you can't. Surfing and fishing and crabbing are prohibited/ highly restricted.

And Rehoboth is packed and you cant even take your dogs on the beach.

Dog crap on the beach is frowned upon in Delmarva

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Anonymous wrote:OP, have you considered Duck, NC? It is 4.5 hr drive if you time it right, which if you owned a place (so aren’t subject to the Sat-Sat rental hours), you could do. I think the beaches are so much nicer and quieter there than DE. Also, town of Duck is small but cute. Before the haters come in, it is definitely a quieter scene than DE, no boardwalk, mini golf, less restaurants. But the beaches are quiet and nice, the area is great for biking, the sound is fun for paddle boarding, kayaking, etc., and there are a handful decent to good restaurants, plenty of options for ice cream, coffee, etc.

Neither Duck nor the Hamptons makes sense for a DC-based family. They're both too far.

Duck and Corolla are filled with DC area families (which is somewhat of a drawback ☺️). It is 3 hrs to Rehoboth, 4.5 hrs to Duck (both drives can be much worse on a Saturday in summer - we always try to come and go on Fri or even better a Thurs night). You can hire a property manager if you won’t get to your house for awhile or need it checked on after a storm.

You're comparing DC>Rehoboth with some traffic to DC>Duck with no traffic.

DC to Rehoboth is usually around 2.5 hours without major traffic. I've made the drive several times very early in the morning with no traffic in 2 hours and 5-10 minutes. DC to Duck is 4.5 hours also during very off hours with zero traffic. It would take much longer heading there on a Friday afternoon.

That’s fine, I haven’t done the Rehoboth drive as often. And it’s also fine if OP doesn’t want to look in the OBX, of course My response was meant to the comments saying that the OBX is too far for a second home for people in the DC region, which I don’t agree with.

It is too far because lots of people with houses at DE beaches like us use it as a weekend getaway which is great. It takes us 2 and 1/2 hours door to door to get to Bethany.

We travel to Caribbean in winter. That’s when it’s best for beaches. International in spring/summer.
There is nothing need to deal with any summer traffic to DE beaches. And if we decide to go down in summer, don’t go on Friday or Saturdays

What people are here don’t get is that the wealthier crowd don’t use their DE house as a beach house. The draw is it is close for a weekend house especially in spring and fall which is the best time at DE beaches.

No one is doing a weekend getaway to OBX. Plus there is nothing to do down there. Lastly, the 95 corridor in the summer is terrible because thousands of people are going south on vacation, much more than DE beaches.

Except, fishing, crabbing, sailing, jet skiing, swimming, diving, beach driving, parasailing, surfing, kite boarding......

You can do all that at the DE beaches in addition to:

Boardwalk
Dozen golf courses
Winery
Bookstore and author signings and story time (Bethany)
Free live concerts many
Amusement park and rides for kids
Farmers markets
Mini-golfs
Movies on beach
Movie theaters
Shopping outlets
Dozens of hiking trails and numerous state parks and nature preserve
museums and nature centers
fireworks
parades

I could go on and on, so much more. It’s not just beaches and water activities. Just so much other things going on which is part of the appeal. Lastly, quite a few quaint small town downtowns such as Lewes, Berlin, etc…

ANo you can't. Surfing and fishing and crabbing are prohibited/ highly restricted.

And Rehoboth is packed and you cant even take your dogs on the beach.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, have you considered Duck, NC? It is 4.5 hr drive if you time it right, which if you owned a place (so aren’t subject to the Sat-Sat rental hours), you could do. I think the beaches are so much nicer and quieter there than DE. Also, town of Duck is small but cute. Before the haters come in, it is definitely a quieter scene than DE, no boardwalk, mini golf, less restaurants. But the beaches are quiet and nice, the area is great for biking, the sound is fun for paddle boarding, kayaking, etc., and there are a handful decent to good restaurants, plenty of options for ice cream, coffee, etc.

Neither Duck nor the Hamptons makes sense for a DC-based family. They're both too far.

Duck and Corolla are filled with DC area families (which is somewhat of a drawback ☺️). It is 3 hrs to Rehoboth, 4.5 hrs to Duck (both drives can be much worse on a Saturday in summer - we always try to come and go on Fri or even better a Thurs night). You can hire a property manager if you won’t get to your house for awhile or need it checked on after a storm.

You're comparing DC>Rehoboth with some traffic to DC>Duck with no traffic.

DC to Rehoboth is usually around 2.5 hours without major traffic. I've made the drive several times very early in the morning with no traffic in 2 hours and 5-10 minutes. DC to Duck is 4.5 hours also during very off hours with zero traffic. It would take much longer heading there on a Friday afternoon.

That’s fine, I haven’t done the Rehoboth drive as often. And it’s also fine if OP doesn’t want to look in the OBX, of course My response was meant to the comments saying that the OBX is too far for a second home for people in the DC region, which I don’t agree with.

It is too far because lots of people with houses at DE beaches like us use it as a weekend getaway which is great. It takes us 2 and 1/2 hours door to door to get to Bethany.

We travel to Caribbean in winter. That’s when it’s best for beaches. International in spring/summer.
There is nothing need to deal with any summer traffic to DE beaches. And if we decide to go down in summer, don’t go on Friday or Saturdays

What people are here don’t get is that the wealthier crowd don’t use their DE house as a beach house. The draw is it is close for a weekend house especially in spring and fall which is the best time at DE beaches.

No one is doing a weekend getaway to OBX. Plus there is nothing to do down there. Lastly, the 95 corridor in the summer is terrible because thousands of people are going south on vacation, much more than DE beaches.

Except, fishing, crabbing, sailing, jet skiing, swimming, diving, beach driving, parasailing, surfing, kite boarding......

You can do all that at the DE beaches in addition to:

Boardwalk
Dozen golf courses
Winery
Bookstore and author signings and story time (Bethany)
Free live concerts many
Amusement park and rides for kids
Farmers markets
Mini-golfs
Movies on beach
Movie theaters
Shopping outlets
Dozens of hiking trails and numerous state parks and nature preserve
museums and nature centers
fireworks
parades

I could go on and on, so much more. It’s not just beaches and water activities. Just so much other things going on which is part of the appeal. Lastly, quite a few quaint small town downtowns such as Lewes, Berlin, etc…

Anonymous wrote:It’s amazing how provincial this forum is that people are debating that the Outer Banks are preferable to the Hamptons or that Rehobeth is nice. Such hillbillies.

You are a rube who can’t spell Rehoboth properly.

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Anonymous wrote:OP, have you considered Duck, NC? It is 4.5 hr drive if you time it right, which if you owned a place (so aren’t subject to the Sat-Sat rental hours), you could do. I think the beaches are so much nicer and quieter there than DE. Also, town of Duck is small but cute. Before the haters come in, it is definitely a quieter scene than DE, no boardwalk, mini golf, less restaurants. But the beaches are quiet and nice, the area is great for biking, the sound is fun for paddle boarding, kayaking, etc., and there are a handful decent to good restaurants, plenty of options for ice cream, coffee, etc.

Neither Duck nor the Hamptons makes sense for a DC-based family. They're both too far.

Duck and Corolla are filled with DC area families (which is somewhat of a drawback ☺️). It is 3 hrs to Rehoboth, 4.5 hrs to Duck (both drives can be much worse on a Saturday in summer - we always try to come and go on Fri or even better a Thurs night). You can hire a property manager if you won’t get to your house for awhile or need it checked on after a storm.

You're comparing DC>Rehoboth with some traffic to DC>Duck with no traffic.

DC to Rehoboth is usually around 2.5 hours without major traffic. I've made the drive several times very early in the morning with no traffic in 2 hours and 5-10 minutes. DC to Duck is 4.5 hours also during very off hours with zero traffic. It would take much longer heading there on a Friday afternoon.

That’s fine, I haven’t done the Rehoboth drive as often. And it’s also fine if OP doesn’t want to look in the OBX, of course My response was meant to the comments saying that the OBX is too far for a second home for people in the DC region, which I don’t agree with.

It is too far because lots of people with houses at DE beaches like us use it as a weekend getaway which is great. It takes us 2 and 1/2 hours door to door to get to Bethany.

We travel to Caribbean in winter. That’s when it’s best for beaches. International in spring/summer.
There is nothing need to deal with any summer traffic to DE beaches. And if we decide to go down in summer, don’t go on Friday or Saturdays

What people are here don’t get is that the wealthier crowd don’t use their DE house as a beach house. The draw is it is close for a weekend house especially in spring and fall which is the best time at DE beaches.

No one is doing a weekend getaway to OBX. Plus there is nothing to do down there. Lastly, the 95 corridor in the summer is terrible because thousands of people are going south on vacation, much more than DE beaches.

Literally no one is getting from DC to Bethany in 2 hours. You are soo full of sh*t it's laughable. I'm 51, grew up in Old Town, and had tons of friends that had condos at Sea Colony. I can't even begin to count how many times I did that drive. Google maps has it at 2 hours and 51 minutes with a hypothetical 1030pm departure on a Tuesday in June.

Why the urge to lie to strangers on an anonymous board?

Get help.

JFC. You realize not everyone lives by you. I’m the PP, live in DC in NE, easy hop of BWI to 50 and YES it takes us 2.5 door to door.

It’s unbelievable that you are in denial about how easy it is to get to the DE beaches.

I suggest you eat your words and get a life.

DP who also used to live in NE DC and yes, can be done in less than 2.5 hours. Can't speak to Bethany, but Rehoboth most definitely.

The claim being denied is its doable in 2 hours, not 2.5 hours, dumbass.

You might want to read more closely, PP. And perhaps do whatever necessary to lighten up.

We bought a condo on the east side of Sea Colony shortly before the pandemic and are very happy we did so. I was put off at first by the ugly buildings and summer crowds, but it’s a really nice place to be overall. The gyms, tennis courts, and indoor pools are great to use year round, and the outdoor pools are nice in the summer. When you are inside the (very solidly constructed) condos, the ocean views are incredible. I love being there in the winter and watching the migrating seabirds, and I love watching the ospreys return in the spring. The summer activities for families are a big plus if you have little kids.

I also really value being able to walk to town. We go days without using our car when we’re there. We find it relatively convenient to get to. It’s 2 hours and 40 minutes from our MoCo house when traffic is normal, and around 3 or 3.5 when we go in the summer. I think some people on here who complain about the drive are remembering long ago trips before 404 was widened.

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Anonymous wrote:OP, have you considered Duck, NC? It is 4.5 hr drive if you time it right, which if you owned a place (so aren’t subject to the Sat-Sat rental hours), you could do. I think the beaches are so much nicer and quieter there than DE. Also, town of Duck is small but cute. Before the haters come in, it is definitely a quieter scene than DE, no boardwalk, mini golf, less restaurants. But the beaches are quiet and nice, the area is great for biking, the sound is fun for paddle boarding, kayaking, etc., and there are a handful decent to good restaurants, plenty of options for ice cream, coffee, etc.

Neither Duck nor the Hamptons makes sense for a DC-based family. They're both too far.

Duck and Corolla are filled with DC area families (which is somewhat of a drawback ☺️). It is 3 hrs to Rehoboth, 4.5 hrs to Duck (both drives can be much worse on a Saturday in summer - we always try to come and go on Fri or even better a Thurs night). You can hire a property manager if you won’t get to your house for awhile or need it checked on after a storm.

You're comparing DC>Rehoboth with some traffic to DC>Duck with no traffic.

DC to Rehoboth is usually around 2.5 hours without major traffic. I've made the drive several times very early in the morning with no traffic in 2 hours and 5-10 minutes. DC to Duck is 4.5 hours also during very off hours with zero traffic. It would take much longer heading there on a Friday afternoon.

That’s fine, I haven’t done the Rehoboth drive as often. And it’s also fine if OP doesn’t want to look in the OBX, of course My response was meant to the comments saying that the OBX is too far for a second home for people in the DC region, which I don’t agree with.

It is too far because lots of people with houses at DE beaches like us use it as a weekend getaway which is great. It takes us 2 and 1/2 hours door to door to get to Bethany.

We travel to Caribbean in winter. That’s when it’s best for beaches. International in spring/summer.
There is nothing need to deal with any summer traffic to DE beaches. And if we decide to go down in summer, don’t go on Friday or Saturdays

What people are here don’t get is that the wealthier crowd don’t use their DE house as a beach house. The draw is it is close for a weekend house especially in spring and fall which is the best time at DE beaches.

No one is doing a weekend getaway to OBX. Plus there is nothing to do down there. Lastly, the 95 corridor in the summer is terrible because thousands of people are going south on vacation, much more than DE beaches.

And this is why the Hamptons are as convenient as the Outer Banks unless you live somewhere like Woodbridge or Fredricksburg. The traffic on 95 below DC on Friday afternoon and on the weekends at any time in the summer is brutal.

And if traffic backs up from NYC to the Hamptons I can always take a break and explore Manhattan or Brooklyn on the way. Where can I stop on the way to Nags Head? Richmond? Chesapeake? Please.

Totally! Just find a parking spot with all your beach gear, kids and dog and go hit up Smorgasburg in Prospect Park for a few hours while traffic calms!

Do you have any idea how stupid you sound?

My beach gear is at the house and I don’t have a dog. You sound unhinged. The route to the Hamptons goes right through Brooklyn. I stop for great Italian seafood in Sheepshead Bay all the time.

If you want to drive through places with Dixie flags and trailer parks on your way to subpar beaches in Nags Head and the Eastern Shore be my guest. That’s not my thing and is depressing imo.

None of these beaches are even approaching the beauty of the best beaches in the Hamptons. Nags Head and Rehobeth are backwater s-holes compared to Sag Harbor and Southampton. There is a reason hedge fund managers and celebrities go to the Hamptons and not Duck. It’s because the beaches, towns, and homes are that nice. If Nags Head and Rehobeth were nicer, prices and tastes would reflect that.

I've seen way more Dixie flags in New York state than I have in North Carolina.

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Anonymous wrote:OP, have you considered Duck, NC? It is 4.5 hr drive if you time it right, which if you owned a place (so aren’t subject to the Sat-Sat rental hours), you could do. I think the beaches are so much nicer and quieter there than DE. Also, town of Duck is small but cute. Before the haters come in, it is definitely a quieter scene than DE, no boardwalk, mini golf, less restaurants. But the beaches are quiet and nice, the area is great for biking, the sound is fun for paddle boarding, kayaking, etc., and there are a handful decent to good restaurants, plenty of options for ice cream, coffee, etc.

Neither Duck nor the Hamptons makes sense for a DC-based family. They're both too far.

Duck and Corolla are filled with DC area families (which is somewhat of a drawback ☺️). It is 3 hrs to Rehoboth, 4.5 hrs to Duck (both drives can be much worse on a Saturday in summer - we always try to come and go on Fri or even better a Thurs night). You can hire a property manager if you won’t get to your house for awhile or need it checked on after a storm.

You're comparing DC>Rehoboth with some traffic to DC>Duck with no traffic.

DC to Rehoboth is usually around 2.5 hours without major traffic. I've made the drive several times very early in the morning with no traffic in 2 hours and 5-10 minutes. DC to Duck is 4.5 hours also during very off hours with zero traffic. It would take much longer heading there on a Friday afternoon.

That’s fine, I haven’t done the Rehoboth drive as often. And it’s also fine if OP doesn’t want to look in the OBX, of course My response was meant to the comments saying that the OBX is too far for a second home for people in the DC region, which I don’t agree with.

It is too far because lots of people with houses at DE beaches like us use it as a weekend getaway which is great. It takes us 2 and 1/2 hours door to door to get to Bethany.

We travel to Caribbean in winter. That’s when it’s best for beaches. International in spring/summer.
There is nothing need to deal with any summer traffic to DE beaches. And if we decide to go down in summer, don’t go on Friday or Saturdays

What people are here don’t get is that the wealthier crowd don’t use their DE house as a beach house. The draw is it is close for a weekend house especially in spring and fall which is the best time at DE beaches.

No one is doing a weekend getaway to OBX. Plus there is nothing to do down there. Lastly, the 95 corridor in the summer is terrible because thousands of people are going south on vacation, much more than DE beaches.

Except, fishing, crabbing, sailing, jet skiing, swimming, diving, beach driving, parasailing, surfing, kite boarding......