It seems like there’s always something new going on around the Grand Strand year after year, and this year a big change is taking place in downtown Myrtle Beach. A brand new world-class boardwalk is set to be completed in Myrtle Beach this June! Visitors will be able to enjoy a 1.2-mile beachfront stroll between the 2nd Avenue Pier and 14th Avenue Pier.

Three sections will make up the new boardwalk. The northern section will be a calming walkway on a raised wooden deck, surrounded by peaceful views of dunes, palm trees, and the ocean. The central section will adjoin plenty of beachfront stores, sidewalk cafes, and shops for a fun atmosphere. The south section will be a wide park promenade winding between the beach and natural landscaping. Beach access points will be located all along the boardwalk and promenade.

Want to keep an eye on the progress? View the Boardwalk and Promenade construction cameras here!

Snow is usually an infrequent event in Myrtle Beach, with flurries being sighted only once every couple of years. Inches of snow on the ground is even scarcer, with major accumulation happening only once every ten years: 5.8 inches on December 23 1989, 3 inches on January 25 2000, and Saturday’s snowfall. So those of you who book Myrtle Beach winter rentals to escape from the snow have very little to worry about!

We’ll be preparing for our next major snowfall sometime around 2020! Until then, we’ll be saying goodbye to the last of our near-freezing weather as high temperatures start heading into the 60s for a warm and comfortable spring.

Even so, it’s not just one article, but a few good ones about the different aspects of Myrtle Beach, from golf to business to a “best of Myrtle Beach section”.  Let’s start with the fun stuff, shall we?

The named the Best Golf Hole as “The Gambler”. It’s at MBN’s Kings North course. Par 5, designed by Arnold Palmer. They say the best route is just a roll of the dice.  Best Ice Cream? Despite a mixture of good and bad reviews on the Myrtle Beach Restaurants website, Painters Homemade Ice Cream in North Myrtle holds the title for excellent ice cream.  Best Souvenirs? The Gay Dolphin on the ocean drive section of Myrtle Beach. And Collector’s Cafe brought the title for fine dining.

Now I have to throw facts out at you about Myrtle Beach. Some of these are pretty staggering.  The Grand Strand area has more than 47,000 hotel ROOMS, 1,700 restaurants, 1,800 golf holes, 15 million annual visitors and 60 miles of beaches.  Pretty nifty huh? There were also 3,387 marriage licenses issued in 2008 from Horry County, according to the article.

New Boardwalk

One of the articles even touched on the new Boardwalk that should open next summer. It will be 1.2 miles and connect the two piers in the downtown Myrtle Beach area.  The boardwalk will be broken down into three sections, a) a nature trail, b), a “nostalgic reverie with mom-and-pop shops and restaurants”, and c) the promenade, which will have larger areas for special events and concerts. This new boardwalk should add another who dynamic to the Myrtle Beach vacation. And since it is close to many Myrtle Beach hotels and condos, access to it will be quite easy for the tourists.

Some Pavilion History

Ready for a Myrtle Beach history lesson? Did you know the Myrtle Beach Pavilion was lost in a fire, not once, but twice? The first in 1920 (rebuilt in 1925) and then again in 1944.  Then in 1948, Burroughs and Chapin rebuilt it for the third time, but used reinforced concrete walls. The park was host to 40 seaside rides, including a carousel that was 1 of 15 in the United States. It also included South Carolina’s tallest, fastest, and longest wooden roller coaster.

Like I said, these articles covered quite a bit in the Myrtle Beach area and were well written. It’s good to see Myrtle Beach noted and on the map.  We don’t  just have Myrtle Beach condos and hotel rooms, but a history of golf, games, amusement and much more.

Performances
The Carolina Opry’s Christmas Special lasts all November and December. This holiday show features music, comedy, and dance all themed around Christmas and the holiday season. Another winter classic, The Twelve Irish Tenors, will be performing at the Palace Theatre this winter as well.

Concerts
Myrtle Beach is lucky to have a professional orchestra, The Long Bay Symphony Orchestra. They will be performing their concert series this month on November 8 at Myrtle Beach High School. And don’t miss the Youth Orchestra’s fall concert on November 19th, also at Myrtle Beach High School.

Christmas
It’s never too early to start enjoying Christmas at Myrtle Beach! Broadway at the Beach holds its Christmas tree lighting on November 7th, while Market Common will have its own tree lighting on November 27, along with free carriage rides starting November 28 every Saturday until Christmas. Little River will be holding a Christmas Market with a parade on November 28th.

And don’t forget, we offer plenty of Myrtle Beach winter rentals for those who want to beat the rush and get a great deal!

The are many North Myrtle Beach condos and hotels that still describe their location using these markers. “It’s located in the Ocean Drive section,” they say.  So this addition will help tourists familiarize themselves with the sections of North Myrtle Beach.

According to the story on WMBF News, Cherry Grove signs are red, Crescent Beach is taupe, Ocean Drive is blue, and Windy Hill, well, we don’t know quite yet.

This local option sales tax will offset the property tax levied by the school district for debt service.  The tax will most obviously provide a revenue stream for building needs of local public schools and the two schools of higher education, Coastal Carolina and Horry-Gergetown-Tech, but will also provide opportunities for more collaboration between the public school system and the two  institutions of higher learning.

Specifically the local option sales tax will:

“Add a revenue source for debt service”;

“Rolls back debt service millage on all property including houses, businesses, vehicles, land, and personal property”;

“Generates over $1 billion for school facilities for K-12 public education and the county’s two post secondary schools”;

“Broadens the base of tax payers by allowing everyone, including non-residents, to help pay for school facilities”;

The impetus for this local option sales tax is multi-fold, but one of the main factors for adapting this new tax structure is the the accelerated growth of our local educational community. Of the 85 school districts of South Carolina, Horry County has sen the most rapid growth and is the third largest school district overall. Horry County schools have added 10,000 students in the past decade.  The anticipated growth rate would see 17,000 more students over the next decade and a half.

Coastal Carolina has seen similar growth and is currently the fastest growing four-year university in the state accounting for more than 60 percent of enrollment growth of all state-wide comprehensive  institutions of higher learning. Horry-Georgetown Tech is similarly the fastest growing two-year public university, almost doubling enrollment over the same ten tear span.

As with all tax proposals there are many points to be considered, questions to be answered, and difficult tax language to be understood. Here are a few FAQ’s:

What will this penny do?

The penny will allow an additional revenue stream allowing the school systems to retire existing debt for school construction and emerging building needs for the rapidly growing school system. Property owners will be relieved of some of the tax responsibility to provide for our educational system, allowing the masses of people who visit and vacation here along the Grand Strand the opportunity to contribute to these escalating costs.

How much money will the sales tax generate?

Current conservative estimates have this local option sales tax generating over a billion dollars for our growing educational system over the 15 year life span of the tax.

What will be taxed?

The one cent sales tax would apply to most all taxable goods and services that a consumer currently pays tax on at the time of purchase. Exempt from this sales tax would be groceries, gas, and prescription drugs. As well most weekly or monthly recurring payments like mortgages or rent, childcare and insurance are not subject to current sale taxes. This also means an additional 1 percent tax added to Myrtle Beach vacation rentals as well.

There are a few additional FAQ’s that you might want to explore in further detail in order to educate yourself about the new tax law that will go into effect next month. Please feel free to view the full PDF.

New this year in the guide is an extensive Myrtle Beach condo rental section from the new CondoLux office in Myrtle Beach. The new office already has a large inventory of resorts to choose from, including Paradise Resort, Atlantica, Bay View, and much more.

You can download the PDF rental guide from here: Click This Link

You may also request a printed rental guide for when they become available on that page as well. They will be printed soon and shipped out soon!

CondoLux, who for over 23 years has been an industry leader in vacation rentals in North Myrtle Beach, has opened a new office in Myrtle Beach, offering some of the top vacation rental resorts and condos the area has to offer. Some of their top resorts include: Bay View, Paradise Resort, Sands Ocean Club, The Atlantica, Grande Shores, The Breakers.

The new office opened only a month ago, but they already have a large list of Myrtle Beach condo rentals for next year. Guests can check-in at the office on 21st Avenue North in Myrtle Beach and go straight to their condo, all within a very short drive.

“CondoLux already offers some of the best condos and beach homes in North Myrtle Beach,” said David O’Connell, who is overseeing the new office in Myrtle Beach. “Now with this office here, guests have a choice of either North Myrtle Beach or Myrtle Beach rentals through CondoLux.”

That means more of a variety for guests to choose from. The new office will offer luxury Myrtle Beach condo rentals, golf packages, and real estate sales. Along with a new office, the company also launched a fresh new website www.myrtlebeachluxuryrentals.com to display their Myrtle Beach properties.

Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach are two seperate cities, often confused by tourists as being the same. Generally speaking, Myrtle Beach has more attractions, but North Myrtle Beach offers a quieter atmosphere with less congestion along Ocean Blvd during the busy season.

Myrtle Beach has been voted as a “Top Family Destination” by Ask.com, “Overall Value For Money Destination” by Golf Digest, “Top 10 Places for Families to Visit in the U.S.” by Yahoo!, and the list goes on and on.  Popularly known as the Grand Strand, the Myrtle Beach area actually encompases 12 cities with over 60 miles of beach that was voted as “World’s Best Beach” by Yahoo! Travel.

For more information on Myrtle Beach Paradise Resort or any other Myrtle Beach condos mentioned, please visit www.myrtlebeachluxuryrentals.com or www.condolux.net.

Situated between two North Myrtle Beach condos, the park includes a drop-off area, handicapped access over the dunes,  restrooms, showers, seating, some very nice lightscaping and lighting.  It’s definately one nice looking park!

The article says that T&J development donated this 120 x 80 foot section of their property to help meet goals set out by both North Myrtle Beach and the developer. The park is located right next to the new Towers on the Grove and Spring Towers.

Either way, it’s an excellent addition to the community! There isn’t any parking at the park, except a few spaces that are only handicapped accessible. And public parking is three blocks away.

Cherry Grove is one of the most sought-after sections of North Myrtle Beach. Since a large portion of the area is residential, it’s generally a little bit quieter. And since there aren’t as many Myrtle Beach vacation rentals or mainstream attractions as in other sections, traffic congestion usually isn’t as bad either.  Be sure to check out the Cherry Grove Pier, though — the second longest pier on the east coast! (And also, home to the largest shark ever caught on a fishing rod!)

The USLBA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country.

Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2008 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided by third parties.

U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USLBA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USLBA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

CondoLux has been in the Myrtle Beach condo rentals and vacation industry for 23 years. They also specialize in Myrtle Beach real estate.

SOURCE: U.S. Local Business Association

You see, in 1968 North Myrtle Beach merged the four beach towns of Cherry Grove, Ocean Drive, Crescent Beach and Windy Hill that incorporated as North Myrtle Beach. Each of these sections still exist today, each with its own characteristics.

Many people classify North Myrtle Beach as the “quieter” beach, with less traffic and pedestrians on Ocean Blvd. Some North Myrtle Beach vacation rentals are also a bit newer. You can really see the age in some parts of Myrtle Beach while driving along Ocean Blvd. Of course, all cities have some age to them where it shows.

But now, North Myrtle Beach is expanding again. According to an article in the Sun News, NMB is gaining another 1,300 acres! The project, called the Parkway Group Planned Unit Development, includes multifamily homes, single-family homes, commercial space and a marina. It would stretch from the southeast corner of the intersection of S.C. 31 and S.C. 22 and also extend to the Intracoastal Waterway and border the Grande Dunes neighborhood in Myrtle Beach.

Although developers anticipate the construction to be complete in another 20 years, it’s still a good step forward for Myrtle Beach real estate, and of course, North Myrtle Beach’s 40th Birthday!