# Mid-Atlantic East Coast Dopers: Where Is Your Beach? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 17, 2017, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-east-coast-dopers-where-is-your-beach/789156 "2017-06-17T02:56:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-east-coast-dopers-where-is-your-beach/789156/1 "2017-06-17T02:56:48Z")
If you’re an East Coast Doper living in the state of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, The District of Columbia, or Virginia (maybe West Virginia also), where are you and what beach is generally considered to be your “local” beach? I’ll tell you up front what I’m interested in is where, if there even is one, are the lines dividing what beach is considered the default beach destination that near everyone in your area goes. For example, in the DC metropolitan area the default destination for most people is Ocean City, MD, Rehoboth Beach, DE, Chincoteague, VA, or anywhere in between. I’d imagine the dividing line between Delmarva beach people and Jersey Shore beach people is somewhere just south of Wilmington, Delaware because that’s the first bridge across the Delaware River, but I’m completely just WAGing there. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-east-coast-dopers-where-is-your-beach/789156/2 "2017-06-17T04:22:43Z")
I grew up in northern NJ and live in NYC now. I suppose my local beaches now would be the Rockaways, Coney Island, Jones Beach, Jacob Riis, etc. but I never go to those. When I think of beach, it’s usually the Jersey Shore. People with means around here spend time out in the Hamptons on Long Island or up in Maine and Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, etc. It’s not as much geographical dividing lines as it is socio-economic ones. Also, there are so many different places on the Jersey Shore it can depend on what mood you’re in. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-east-coast-dopers-where-is-your-beach/789156/3 "2017-06-17T08:02:17Z")
Grew up in Norfolk, VA and in my youth spent most of my beach days at Ocean View Beach which oddly is a beach adjacent to the Chesapeake Bay as opposed to the Atlantic Ocean. It was a wide clean beach visited by mostly locals attracting few tourists. Today, if someone says they’re going to “the beach”, they are most likely referring to Virginia Beach which is a basic tourist attraction lined with hotels, motels, and bars. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-east-coast-dopers-where-is-your-beach/789156/4 "2017-06-17T11:04:12Z")
Since you seem to be defining beach as ocean, then Ocean City, MD is the closest to us. But what I’d consider the nearest beach would be something along the Chesapeake Bay - maybe Point Lookout Park or Chesapeake Beach, MD, or maybe Drum Point or Cove Point. But we’re not really beach people, so it’s a non issue for the most part. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-east-coast-dopers-where-is-your-beach/789156/5 "2017-06-17T11:18:17Z")
In western Pennsylvania our go to beach back in the day was Ocean City, Maryland and Asseateaque Island. Then, we switched to Hilton Head, South Carolina for a few years. The horrible, blatant racism of Hilton Head soured me on the south in general and we stopped going there. Today I’d never consider a US beach as a vacation spot. Caribbean is where it’s at. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-east-coast-dopers-where-is-your-beach/789156/6 "2017-06-17T11:42:58Z")
I live in the greater Philadelphia area and I suppose one of several beaches at the jersey shore is our local. That or Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. I haven’t been to Rehoboth yet, but I haven’t cared for the Shore beaches I have visited. In my heart my beach will always be somewhere in California where I grew up. Probably Point Dume or Pismo Beach. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-east-coast-dopers-where-is-your-beach/789156/7 "2017-06-17T12:17:31Z")
We go to Rehoboth beach most often. We make a day trip of it – drive early in the morning (about 2 and a half hours), get a good parking spot if we arrive before 10 AM, and stay until we get tired. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-east-coast-dopers-where-is-your-beach/789156/8 "2017-06-17T13:40:31Z")
I live in Massachusetts. The closest decent beach is…the Virgin Islands or the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. The panhandle of Florida in places like Destin will also do in a pinch. I don’t see the point of cold water beaches. Even Oahu, Hawaii is a little chilly for my taste. Maine can work because they don’t even pretend that their beaches are anything but freezing water, rocks and lobster shacks. ---
**Author:** ![Tiktaalik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@Tiktaalik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiktaalik)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-east-coast-dopers-where-is-your-beach/789156/9 "2017-06-17T14:18:15Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > In western Pennsylvania our go to beach back in the day was Ocean City, Maryland and Asseateaque Island. > > Then, we switched to Hilton Head, South Carolina for a few years. The horrible, blatant racism of Hilton Head soured me on the south in general and we stopped going there. > > Today I’d never consider a US beach as a vacation spot. Caribbean is where it’s at. Pretty strong statement about Hilton Head, a place I’ve spent a bit of time over the last 35 years. Care to expand on your statement? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-east-coast-dopers-where-is-your-beach/789156/10 "2017-06-17T14:35:57Z")
> [@Tiktaalik](#): > > Pretty strong statement about Hilton Head, a place I’ve spent a bit of time over the last 35 years. Care to expand on your statement? The last two times I vacationed in Hilton Head (maybe 20 years ago?) there were protest parades made up of mostly pick-up trucks flying the confederate flag. People in these impromptu parades screamed various racial epithets that I then had to explain about to my kids. I also met a “cute as a button” little girl, the daughter of the condo maintenance dude, who, when I told her we were from Pennsylvania, said (in the cutest southern accent), “my daddy says you Yankees all love treat your n\*\*\*\*rs too good”. I’d rather spend my money elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-east-coast-dopers-where-is-your-beach/789156/11 "2017-06-17T14:39:10Z")
New Jersey as a kid and currently. Grew up out on Sandy Hook, but these days it is Sea Bright, Spring Lake or down to Cape May. We’ll be in Cape May mid July. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-east-coast-dopers-where-is-your-beach/789156/12 "2017-06-17T15:56:25Z")
Baltimore metro resident here, our go-to beach is Topsail Island, NC. Very laid back place and worth the seven hour trip. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mid-atlantic-east-coast-dopers-where-is-your-beach/789156/13 "2017-06-17T16:23:42Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > For example, in the DC metropolitan area the default destination for most people is Ocean City, MD, Rehoboth Beach, DE, Chincoteague, VA, or anywhere in between. I’d imagine the dividing line between Delmarva beach people and Jersey Shore beach people is somewhere just south of Wilmington, Delaware because that’s the first bridge across the Delaware River, but I’m completely just WAGing there. Grew up first in DC area, then Philly area. I’d say you have it about right. You might go south from further north in Delaware or central southern PA.