Anonymous wrote:We are Bethany people. While we do go to Rehoboth for an evening or two, I really do agree that the crowd has changed since I first started going to Rehoboth some 15 years ago.

I couldn’t stay in Rehoboth the entire time. A night or two is fine but I prefer making my base in Bethany and enjoying the low-key, quiet environment.

+1 to Bethany and more low key. Also if you go a few blocks away from the bandstand, beach is wide and not crowded, plenty of room. We were just there last week.

Anyone I know who goes there grew up in this area. Everyone I know who moved here as an adult doesn’t get it at all (including us.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are Bethany people. While we do go to Rehoboth for an evening or two, I really do agree that the crowd has changed since I first started going to Rehoboth some 15 years ago.

I couldn’t stay in Rehoboth the entire time. A night or two is fine but I prefer making my base in Bethany and enjoying the low-key, quiet environment.

ICYMI: America has changed. The demographics have shifted and you are seeing a more diverse crowd in Rehoboth (including socioeconomic demographics).

So all of this is code for not wanting to be around poor people or people of color? We like Rehoboth because the restaurants are good and inexpensive, I can walk along the boardwalk in the am, it's close in for a four day weekend, and my kids love hitting the arcade.

You are right. The only way to do Rehobeth is Henlopen Acres or North Shores, which have beach services. Beyond that, it is just the closest oven beach to DC.

When I first went to Rehoboth 25 years ago it was pretty empty. A few of the store fronts on the main street were shuttered.

Developers built up the outer suburbs (Millville etc) and Rehoboth is overrun now.

I mean, I prefer Rehoboth to OC but mostly agree with you. But I like Dewey and Lewes a bit more than Rehoboth. People romanticize the boardwalk in Rehoboth but it's pretty mediocre in terms of food and everything else is just your usual beach town claptrap.

The main appeal is proximity. I think Outer Banks and Jersey Shore are both better options but those are long drives. We'll do the DE beaches in the shoulder season on a weekday and can be there in a couple hours, which is really nice. We've also left super early on a Wednesday, spent the day, and driven home that day during the high season, but not since we had kids. The only other beaches you can do that with are some of the southern Maryland beaches and they are much rougher around the edges (like Flag Ponds, but it's hike in/hike out and no boardwalk at all, so it's a totally different thing).

I refuse to pay high season prices for hotels/AirBnBs in Rehoboth because the prices are insane for really awful accommodations. I learned the hard way. But that's true in OC too -- so many awful places that are mysteriously $500/night.

We usually go for a weekend. Morning on the beach, maybe a nap in the room, stroll down the boardwalk for junk food, old-timey rides at Funland, go home Sunday.

That's all the beach we need and all the boardwalk we need for a year. Rehoboth is just right!

Where did u go on the beach? Obviously it’s crowded right on the boardwalk. If you park in Gordon’s Pond and go there it’s not too crowded, and the other end near Queen street isn’t bad either.
Lots of restaurant options, nice area downtown to walk around, the bike trail, there is a lovely farmers market on a Tuesday morning next to the visitor center,

Anonymous wrote:We are Bethany people. While we do go to Rehoboth for an evening or two, I really do agree that the crowd has changed since I first started going to Rehoboth some 15 years ago.

I couldn’t stay in Rehoboth the entire time. A night or two is fine but I prefer making my base in Bethany and enjoying the low-key, quiet environment.

ICYMI: America has changed. The demographics have shifted and you are seeing a more diverse crowd in Rehoboth (including socioeconomic demographics).

We are Bethany people. While we do go to Rehoboth for an evening or two, I really do agree that the crowd has changed since I first started going to Rehoboth some 15 years ago.

I couldn’t stay in Rehoboth the entire time. A night or two is fine but I prefer making my base in Bethany and enjoying the low-key, quiet environment.

Anonymous wrote:Just got back from a week in downtown rehoboth. First time in about 5 years. I gotta say, what’s the appeal? What am I missing?

The beaches are overcrowded. No space. The boardwalk at night? Same crowd as ocean city. The hotels? Old and in major need of renovations. The houses? So many crap houses with no pools. Dining? Incredibly limited options.

I just don’t get it. Is it that much better than Bethany, Fenwick, North OC? Maybe it was at one point, but I’m not sure it still is.

The private beaches in Dewey and Rehoboth are not crowded. You’re going to the wrong spots with the beaches, hotels and restaurants. If you know how to do Rehoboth right, it’s very nice!

The gays love Rehoboth. So there’s that.

Anonymous wrote:You have to drive a long time to get what you are looking for. We drive 8 hrs to get to Pawleys Island, SC. Not crowded but also not much else to do if you have kids. You could drive 45 minutes north to Myrtle Beach for fun kid's stuff though. It's also much cheaper. We used to go to OCMD as kids but now that I'm old, I want quiet.

Nope.
Try the very wide and quiet beach at North End Va. Beach.
1st Landing state park to west limits the number of visitors that can easily access the beach to east (no available parking).
We loved Bethany and Rehobeth back in the day, especially Funland for the little guys, but the crowd temperament changed and nighttime partiers became something we wanted to avoid.

We were just in Bethany two weeks ago, but spent some time in both Rehobooth and OC. My take is that Rehobooth is a good balance between having a more upscale crowd than OC, but while still having some of the boardwalk amenities. It's also great that you can easily access other beach towns (Bethany, OC, Lewes).