North Myrtle Beach, SC

In 1968 four small beach towns – Windy Hill Beach, Crescent Beach, Ocean Drive Beach and Cherry Grove Beach joined forces and formed the city of North Myrtle Beach. The goal of these four storied towns located on the northern edge of the Grand Strand, was to provide unmatched service, offer top-notch recreational activities and create a unique, safe community for its residents and the thousands that visit the city each year.

Each year two weeks of Shag festivals transform Ocean Drive from a sleepy little beach town to the world’s largest dance and social club.

The plan was an overwhelming success, and the area is now home to over 12,000 fulltime residents and is one of the most popular retirement communities on the Grand Strand.

The area is proud to claim itself as the birthplace of the Shag, the official state dance of South Carolina. The dance is a Southern, more subdued cross of swing dancing and the jitterbug. Danced to beach (50s era) music, the dance is incredibly popular with residents and visitors alike. Each year, Ocean Drive hosts two weeklong Shag festivals in April and September. Sponsored by the Society of Shagger(SOS), the events bring in thousands of devoted shaggers to the area. During those two weeks Ocean Drive is transformed from a sleepy little beach town to a huge outdoor dance and social club. Main Street is closed to traffic and opened up to the dancers becoming one of the biggest dance floors in the world.

The area is full of unique boutiques and locally owned businesses as well as regional and national chain department stores and restaurants to meet any taste and budget. The incorporated towns also offer state of the art medical facilities.

Besides the quaint beach houses, beautiful beaches, fabulous golf and other recreational options, Cherry Grove is known for having some of the best fishing in the Grand Strand. Several Marinas offer deep-sea charters to fish the warm waters of the nearby Gulf Steam. For those a little less adventurous, there is fishing on the Intracoastal Waterway and the many creeks and marshes that make up the landscape of the area.