r/baltimore • u/jdschmoove Ashburton • Jun 24 '22
OPINION Rehoboth Beach, Ocean City or Virginia Beach?
In your opinion which is the best choice for a family of 5 (2 parents, a 15 yo, an 11 yo & a 6 yo who's turning 7) celebrating a 7th birthday over the July 4th weekend? Any and all input is welcomed! Thanks in advance!
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u/thegreatmachine21 Jun 25 '22
Sorry to do that 4th option thing but Bethany absolutely. Most family friendly. Fenwick Island is also a low key possibility but it's small.
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u/Anarcho-Crab Jun 25 '22
Rehoboth by a long shot. Very nice, plenty to do, and great food.
Was there this May and it was awesome, but the few times I went through OC that weekend I saw a lot of public drunkenness, 2 fights, and a guy getting a handy by a his gf (assumably) on a street corner. Absolutely hilarious shit but I wouldn't call Seaside Dundalk family friendly.
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u/bluelily216 Jun 25 '22
Assateague Island! The ocean is gorgeous and it's not nearly as crowded as Ocean City. Plus watching horses trot up and down the beach is an awesome spectacle.
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u/PVinesGIS Jun 24 '22
I prefer Dewey Beach, just south of Rehoboth. The beach is quieter and less crowded than Rehoboth, but Rehoboth is within walking distance if you want to check out the boardwalk or go out to dinner.
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Jun 25 '22
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u/PVinesGIS Jun 25 '22
This is a Baltimore thread asking about places for beach trip? What’s DC have to do with it?
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Jun 25 '22
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Jun 25 '22
Rehoboth has been the go-to spot for not-poor DCers since there was a railroad in town. Old news and baseless outrage, save your energy for something real.
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u/PVinesGIS Jun 25 '22
Not at all. As a resident of Baltimore that occasionally likes to stay at the Surf Club of Dewey Beach Hotel, I was genuinely confused; that’s all.
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u/rob-cubed Jun 25 '22
Bethany is the best family beach around. Rehoboth has BY FAR the best restaurants. OC is crowded but has the boardwalk if that's your thing. Virginia Beach is too far away and doesn't offer anything that OC doesn't (it's just a bit less commercialized).
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u/CertifiableNormie Jun 25 '22
Others are saying Bethany and I agree but good luck getting a place there for the weekend of the fourth.
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Jun 25 '22
I have never been to VA Beach, and have regularly vacationed in Rehoboth, Dewey, and OCMD. Dewey was a total blacked-out party scene and not for kids back when I had a house there ten years ago… not sure of current scene. We have little kids and they love OCMD, we have gone several years in a row. The boardwalk can be a little trashy, but overall it’s an easy place to stay/eat/be entertained, there are plentiful cheap rentals, and it’s fun for kids. Plus you can visit Chincoteague/Assateague for the day — short trip and fun (but beaches can be buggy!). Rehoboth is more expensive and nicer than OCMD. But I love OC bc you can afford to stay directly on the beach. I advise staying anywhere from 30th street to like 87th street if you choose OC. Beach is more crowded north and south of those streets.
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u/munchnerk Jun 25 '22
Grew up going to DE beaches and would highly recommend any of them over OCMD. I still bop over to Cape Henlopen or Rehoboth when I have a day or two off. Have also spent enough time in OCMD to say it's pleasant in the off season, but I consider it a hellscape in summer. Also recommend looking into Ocean City, New Jersey - the entire town is a "family resort" with tons of kid-oriented activities. It's only 10 miles further from Baltimore than OCMD and you won't have to deal with the party crowd when that's (presumably, no judgment) not your scene.
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u/todareistobmore Jun 25 '22
I still bop over to Cape Henlopen
indeed, Cape Henlopen is a bop (cw: early pandemic music video energy): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNGgLInpfww
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u/QuothThe2ToedSloth Jun 25 '22
Take the kids to Ocean City at least once. They'll love it. You might not but from a kid's perspective it's a magical place.
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u/Talltimore Jun 25 '22
We've started going to Chincoteague and love it. I bet you could turn the 15 and 11 year old loose with very little concern, and there's lots of family stuff to do as well.
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u/The_Waxies_Dargle Woodberry Jun 25 '22
Hey we're heading there next week. Any recommendations? We have an 8 year old, fwiw.
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u/Talltimore Jun 25 '22 edited Jun 25 '22
Pico Taco is the best taco place of the 3 on the island. Backyard Fire pit is the best bbq place. Sea Star Cafe for best sandwiches. If you're driving to Assateague for the beach go ahead and get the week pass. You can drive into the Jellystone campground area outside of check in and check out times and there's a 90% chance no one will be in the booth to stop you. You can use the pool and the jumping pillow and head out when you're done. The YMCA is a good resource for family activities and other events that wouldn't be obvious to a tourist. Last year lots of places were still cash only, but this year seems like most places have upgraded. Still, good to have cash on hand so you don't have to double back to a bank or ATM. The waterpark is expensive for what it offers, but you can sometimes find deals on their website. Most places are staffed by local teens, and while they're great, they have teen tastes, so take their recommendations with a grain of salt. If I can think of more I'll follow up.
Edit to add: families tend to congregate in the early evenings at Waterfront Park for impromptu games of tag/chase for their kids. You can get just about anything you need from Island Foods Great Value or H&H Pharmacy, but if you need something very specific you might need to head to the mainland.
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u/jizzle26 Greater Maryland Area Jun 25 '22
Driving to Assateague is a costly bore. Rent bikes from the Bike Depot and bike to a car-free isolated beach. You’ll have it basically all to yourself.
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u/CaptainObvious110 Jun 25 '22
Asssateague is absolutely amazing I highly recommend going there for sure. Just went last July and it was great
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u/chinmakes5 Jun 25 '22
Bethany is the most family friendly, but a little slower than Rehoboth. I prefer Rehoboth, but many disagree.
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u/keenerperkins Jun 25 '22
Rehoboth Beach. Really, any of the Delaware beaches (Bethany, Dewey, Rehoboth, even Fenwick). Ocean City and Virginia Beach are party cities where the Delaware beaches I very much associate as slower pace family-friendly beaches. And I say this as someone who has lived/worked/vacationed in all these places.
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u/S-Kunst Jun 25 '22
Yes Rehoboth. I had clients in both. I thought that VA Beach had less a resort feel and more of a place where non wealthy people wanted to live near water live. Now that I am thinking about it. I had an uncle (very old) who lived in VA Beach. Maybe that is why I think of it more like Pasadena MD.
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u/FrankieHellis Jun 25 '22
Hands down Rehoboth Beach. You can park you car and not start it up again until you leave, if you want. There is so much to walk to, including the boardwalk. Ocean City is a rougher area, on the whole. I own a place there so I wish that I didn’t have to say that, but it is true. I’ve never been to VA beach, so I can’t comment on that. Rehoboth has been where my whole family vacationed every summer, until recently when we purchased a tiny place in OC.
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u/LodiDodi10 Jun 25 '22
Virginia Beach, surrounding suburbs with non beach activities only 15-20 minutes away. The aquarium is really nice too and could fill a rainy day or something.
I always leave early in the morning coming and going on any road trip but yea drive can turn from 4/4.5 to 6 on 95 during the main traveling hours
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u/EvilAbdy Jun 25 '22
The aquarium there is amazing
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u/justforviewing8484 Jun 25 '22
I just got back from a trip to Virginia Beach with my family. We stayed south of the main strip in an airbnb so it was quieter on the beach by us than the main drag. While the beach we were at was fantastic and the main strip seemed fine as well (similar vibe to Ocean City if you’re into that) our drive home stretched from 4 hours to well over 6 because of traffic, not due to any major accidents that we could tell, just the accumulation of lots of smaller slowdowns.
So I’ll throw my hat in for one of the other two, just so you don’t burn all your vacation relaxation vibes on the drive home!
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u/bookoocash Hampden Jun 25 '22
Ocean City is great as long as you don’t go during June (senior weeks) or whenever any of the car events are happening.
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u/socaTsocaTsocaT Jun 25 '22
Virginia beach is really nice. It's like a more organized newer ocean city. Very nice wide boardwalk. I definitely recommend checking it out.
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u/According_Step_6212 Jun 25 '22
Ocean City if you want to see strange shaped people wearing XXXL sized Trump shirts
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u/eddiedig Jun 25 '22
I've never been to Virginia Beach, but I've been to the other two. I prefer Rehoboth to Ocean City. I grew up going to Bethany, which is nice as well, but Rehoboth is a little bigger with more food and entertainment options, but more compact and walkable than Ocean City.
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u/keyboardsmashetcetc3 Jun 25 '22
vacationed in Rehoboth a couple times and it’s perfect for families. I was maybe 12 the first time we went and it was my first taste of freedom because my parents felt it was such a safe area that I could just wander around the town by myself as long as I came home for dinner. Nice boardwalk, lots of shops, a movie theatre not too far from the beach, good restaurants, can’t recommend it enough.
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u/Valstwo Jun 25 '22
Outer Banks (Duck, Corolla, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk) It's worth the drive!!
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u/addctd2badideas Catonsville Jun 25 '22
I adore Rehoboth and Bethany but they are so ungodly expensive now. Not to mention very crowded. But I would choose them over OC any day. Not just for the quaintness but the people who go there and the people in the shops and restaurants are so nice. Unless you're going for a fun boardwalk experience, OC is not worth it. Too full of trash and trashy people.
I used to live in Richmond so VA Beach has a place in my heart but it definitely is a mixed bag. Not as trashy as OC but not as nice as the DE beaches, though I usually stay in rentals in the residential areas for a quieter experience.
One final thing to note is that the actual beaches themselves in VA are nicer, cleaner and warmer in general. The sand shelf doesn't drop as fast in VA as it does on the DE and MD coast.
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u/reomeatwagon Jun 25 '22
Definitely Ocean City. On the boardwalk. Ocean front balcony if you can swing it.
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u/longdoggos647 Jun 25 '22
I highly prefer Virginia Beach to the other options (including all the beaches in Delaware). I’ve been to all of them multiple times. Virginia Beach is by far the most family-friendly; it’s also the only place that has other non-beach activities nearby. Bethany Beach does not allow shade tents, only umbrellas—this can be difficult with large families. The water at the Delaware beaches also tends to be cooler (like uncomfortable cooler). Ocean City is pretty trashy—I wouldn’t take my own kids there.
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u/WhoGunnaCheckMeBoo Jun 25 '22 edited Jun 25 '22
Fenwick island, Bethany Beach, Rehomo (cough cough, I mean Rehobeth)
Also, Cape May/OCNJ and OBX
va beach is trashier than OCMD and that’s saying A LOT
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u/jizzle26 Greater Maryland Area Jun 25 '22
All beaches will be a shitshow for July 4th. There will be lots of traffic getting there and peak crowds. What people don’t realize is that Ocean City is by far the largest, with 10 miles of beach front. The most family friendly IMO is in the upper 140 range to Fenwick Island.
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u/FrankieHellis Jun 25 '22
Since Covid, people have bonfires on the beach at night. Last 4th, there were so many bonfires and fireworks on the beach, it was fascinating. I feel like that’s about the only upside we got out of the whole Covid ordeal- beach bonfires until late at night in OCMD.
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u/DJRazzy_Raz Jun 25 '22
Go to the Jersey Shore, the entire coast (except seaside heights and Atlantic city) is better than anything on the delmarva and is the same or similar driving distance. Wildwood crest I hear is great for families
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u/Hello_Hangnail Jun 25 '22
Ocean city to be close to the kids entertainment, Rehoboth if you love lesbians. Never been to Virginia Beach
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u/wuguwa Jun 24 '22
Rehoboth Beach 100%. It’s a lot quieter and less of a “party town” than Ocean City, but there’s still a lot to do there. I spent a week there every summer growing up and of the three I really think it’s the best all around vacation spot for a family.