Best Areas to Live in North Myrtle Beach
North Myrtle Beach's four merged sections -- Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, Crescent Beach, and Windy Hill -- each carry real, distinct character, from Cherry Grove's quiet family orientation to Ocean Drive's historic shag-dance heart to Windy Hill's Barefoot Landing entertainment anchor.
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Learn moreCherry Grove: the most family-oriented, quietest section
Cherry Grove appeals strongly to families, second-home buyers, and anyone preferring a quieter beach experience away from busier tourist corridors. Cherry Grove Beach at the northern end is recognized as one of the best beaches in South Carolina, and the Cherry Grove Pier (nearly 1,000 feet over the Atlantic) is a beloved fishing and sunrise-photography spot.
Ocean Drive: the historic heart and Shag-dance spiritual home
Ocean Drive is North Myrtle Beach's historic heart and the spiritual home of the Carolina Shag -- Main Street comes alive with shag dancing, live music, and beach culture, a genuinely distinct cultural identity within the city.
Windy Hill: oceanfront condos and Barefoot Landing
Windy Hill is known for oceanfront condos and a strong residential vibe, home to Barefoot Landing -- a real entertainment, dining, and shopping village anchored by the Alabama Theatre and House of Blues, plus Alligator Adventure.
Crescent Beach: the fourth merged section
Crescent Beach rounds out the four originally separate towns merged into North Myrtle Beach in 1968 -- a further residential section within the unified city, sharing the same general beach-access lifestyle as its three sibling sections.
Key takeaways
- Cherry Grove is North Myrtle Beach's most family-oriented, quietest section -- popular with families and second-home buyers, home to the Cherry Grove Pier and a top-rated SC beach.
- Ocean Drive is the historic heart and spiritual home of the Carolina Shag, with a lively Main Street beach-culture scene.
- Windy Hill offers oceanfront condos and is home to Barefoot Landing (Alabama Theatre, House of Blues, Alligator Adventure).
- Crescent Beach is the fourth of the four originally separate towns merged into North Myrtle Beach in 1968.
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