Wedding & Event Venue Near Myrtle Beach, SC.

Reaching retirement age can be a very exciting time for new beginnings and, perhaps most importantly, to find somewhere relaxing to enjoy the golden years of life's journey. Unfortunately, this also raises a lot of questions like location, housing type, and much more. Many may relocate to a different city or state while others opt for a new country altogether for retirement. Perhaps a house or senior living community is the most typical, but some have lived out their later decades in hotels or resorts as a retirement home alternative.

One method of narrowing the search can simply start with the landscape and weather. For perhaps obvious reasons, beach towns are a top choice for many retirees. The Carolinas have proven to be a prime prospective area for retirement as peaceful beachside communities are plentiful, the cost of living is typically reasonable, and tax policies on property and social security funds are quite lax if they even exist at all.

Famous Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, with its many things to do and see, is often what first comes to mind in this region, but the Carolinas offer much more than that. Here are some of the best beachside towns for retirement across the Carolinas.

New Bern, North Carolina

A beautiful street view in New Bern, North Carolina

The 300-year-old city of New Bern is nestled upon the Neuse River and has many claims to fame. It is the former capital of North Carolina, Pepsi has its origins there, and renowned author Nicholas Sparks has cited this city as an inspiration for his work.

This city plentiful in outdoor recreation is based on the riverfront and the Atlantic coast is just a quick drive away, yet beachfront prices are nowhere to be seen. Historic homes downtown and some gated communities could make for a cozy place to settle down for retirement, as New Bern is officially a Certified Retirement Community of North Carolina.

Related: 10 U.S. Cities That Are Great To Visit, But Not Good For Retirement

Carolina Beach, North Carolina

A view of a boardwalk in Carolina Beach, NC

Carolina Beach is a well-rounded package to consider for retirement as it provides the feeling of a relaxing escape along expanses of sandy beaches with great fishing while still having much-needed modern amenities for retirees including nearby Medicare hospitals.

After a day of fishing or lounging at the beach, residents of the range of housing types in the area from modest stilt houses to more lavish condominiums tend to hit the vibrant tiki bars for live music or enjoy the boardwalk at sunset.

8 Duck, North Carolina

A beach in Duck, one of the best towns on the Outer Banks, North Carolina

The town of Duck in North Carolina's Outer Banks, which is full of overlooked gems great for summer getaways, provides a coastal village atmosphere and has for some time been known as a wonderful place to settle down and retire in.

Although small and quiet with a population of around 758, there are ample shopping and dining options and outdoor activities with which to enjoy the easy-breezy beach days. Nature lovers can also enjoy the guided walks along the boardwalk exploring the flora and fauna.

Related: Golden Season Getaways: 10 Small Towns Perfect To Visit In The Fall In North Carolina

7 Emerald Isle, North Carolina

Emerald Isle, North Carolina

Emerald Isle is found in Carteret County—which has been deemed the best place to retire in North Carolina based on overall living conditions, activities, and cost of living, and the isle itself—was rated Best Beach by USA Today in 2018.

This town spans only 12 miles of white sand beaches that sea turtles call home along with the human population of around 4,000. Emerald Isle offers a dreamy beach escape for retirement that feels like a far-off island but still has easy-to-reach shopping centers for anything the residents could need.

6 Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Boats on Hilton Head Island dock

Hilton Head Island is yet another gorgeous option in South Carolina for those seeking serenity in their golden years. It has some of the best pristine beaches and golf courses one could hope for as well as a long list of events, nightlife, and cultural activity.

Healthcare is plentiful on the island along with the renowned Medical University of South Carolina just a short drive away in Charleston.

5 Surfside Beach, South Carolina

Splendid Surfside Beach in South Carolina at sunset

The nickname "Family Beach" gives a valid summary of what life is like at Surfside Beach. It offers the expected water sports and beachfront dining all with an inspiring Atlantic backdrop which serves as a more secluded location compared to famous Myrtle Beach, which is a convenient 15-minute drive away.

Residents here enjoy frequent community events like outdoor movies and concerts as well as the annual Surfside BBQ Festival.

4 Isle of Palms, South Carolina

Tourists relaxing under a beach umbrella on Isle of Palms

Isle of Palms is a stunning beachfront suburb of Charleston with a population of around 4,000. It offers a retirement full of some of the best swimming and sailing around.

Despite the small population, shopping centers are plentiful, there are 10 hospitals, and some of its 27 golf courses have been rated in the top 40 of the entire country.

Related: These Are The 10 Best Islands To Retire In The World

3 Kiawah Island, South Carolina

Kiawah Island, South Carolina

Retirees seeking a luxurious lifestyle on the coast could find a fitting home in Kiawah Island. The island provides a variety of upscale accommodations and lifestyle offerings to match it.

Kiawah Island particularly excels in keeping its residents active and offers a variety of activities including hiking and biking trails, top-notch golf, fitness centers, and yoga on the beach.

The island has already become a popular retirement destination and a lavish senior living community specifically to accommodate this is continuing to develop.

2 Sullivan's Island, South Carolina

Small catamaran on the beach with Sullivan's Island lighthouse in the background

Sullivan's Island is another suburb of Charleston that is continuing to rise in popularity for retirement due to its quiet beachside lifestyle while still being mere minutes away from all that Charleston has to offer.

The average home price is quite high, but the reward is a truly quiet life of seclusion in a very small community. In contrast to other retirement destinations, no golf courses or fitness centers are to be found here.

Aside from some historical landmarks, there is nothing but upscale accommodations and dining along with a few nice places to get a drink.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

The sunset over Cherry Grove Beach, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Renowned Myrtle Beach hardly needs an introduction as it is one of the most recognized names in the Carolinas. Aside from its endless options in dining, entertainment, arts, and culture, it also has a rather close proximity to Charleston which makes for some great road trips.

Although Myrtle Beach is a hot destination, its cost of living is 8% lower than the national average.

With all of these beautiful beach towns to retire to in the Carolinas, there is something for everyone—but they all include sandy beaches and surf.

From unsanitized cups to month-old sauce, South Carolina health inspectors found numerous violations at Myrtle Beach-area restaurants this week.

The state releases grades and inspection reports for food establishments across Horry and Georgetown counties.

Here are the restaurants that received some of the lowest ratings in the last two weeks.

The inspector found rodent chew marks and droppings at this restaurant, located inside the Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort. Some shelves had black mold on them and the handwashing sink in the server area had been removed. Clean plates were stored alongside an employee water bottle and keys. A required followup inspection has not yet been held. Read Webster’s full report.

The inspector observed moldy pepperoni stored in a cookline cooler. Paint peeled from the kitchen walls and ceiling. The dishwasher did not use any sanitizer and there was standing water underneath it. A required follow-up inspection was held on Oct. 12 and the restaurant got a B grade. Read Copacabana’s full report.

An inspector found a bucket of water sitting in the hand sink of this downtown Myrtle Beach location. The food warmer did not keep food cold and the inside of the door had duct tape on it. The required follow-up inspection was held on Oct. 12 and the restaurant got an A grade. Read Waffle House’s full report.

An inspector found month-old cream sauce in the walk-in cooler. Employees washed the cups, but did not sanitize them. Seafood soup did not cool down fast enough in the refrigerator. The required follow-up inspection was held on Oct. 11 and the restaurant got an A grade. Read La Ceiba’s full report.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) — A new report from online lending marketplace LendingTree shows the cost to fly in and out of Myrtle Beach is seeing the 7th largest increase coast to coast, and while fewer passengers flew in and out of Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) in September, a spokesperson said they're still up from pre-pandemic levels.

LendingTree analyzed the 100 largest airports, and MYR tied with Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Colorado Springs, CO with a 15.8% price increase among domestic flights.

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MYR data shows this September, the airport saw 17,126 fewer passengers than September last year, and 7,835 fewer than two years ago.

Ryan Betcher, the airport's spokesperson, said the most recent month doesn't show the whole picture, though, because those were historic and unprecedented years.

“Even the FAA, as we’re working through different documents, cautioned us about using 2021 and 2022 as a baseline year. It’s going to take a little while to kind of stabilize and I think 2023 is probably the first real baseline year post-pandemic that we can really start using," he said, adding that they were able to use 2021 and 2022 as leverage to attract airlines to Myrtle Beach.

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We always knew and expected that this was going to normalize, as the rest of the country kind of came back and rebounded. I think we’re fully into that recovery period now. It’s a good thing though that our market has been able to retain almost all or a significant portion of the air service that we attracted in 2021 and 2022.

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In comparison to before the pandemic, this September saw 102,087 more passengers than September 2019, which Betcher said is a better example of the increase in people moving to the region, flying during the fall and winter. He said that's why they built the parking expansion, which is set to come online within the next couple of weeks.

Editor’s note: What Myrtle Beach people, places or things make you nostalgic? Tell us more about this story or other notable stories that our journalists should know about our community. Email us at online@thesunnews.com.

In the last week, 75 Sun News readers nominated their favorite closed restaurants from Little River to Garden City and everywhere in between.

In our form, readers shared their memories of kind staff, unforgettable flavors and irreplaceable atmospheres at 55 Grand Strand eateries.

Four restaurants rose to the top, with multiple reader nominations each. Now it’s your turn to vote for the most missed restaurant in the Myrtle Beach area. Reader submissions were lightly edited for clarity.

While they didn’t make it into the top four, each of these eateries received two nominations from Sun News readers.

Black Thai

Address: 710 Main St., Myrtle Beach

Readers enjoyed nights with friends over panang curry and drunken noodles at Black Thai. A recently departed favorite, Black Thai in downtown Myrtle Beach closed this August after 16 years in business.

Reader Alex wrote that, in addition to weekly Tuesday dinners, “every birthday for myself and my group of friends was spent here.” Tiffany of Forestbrook worked at Black Thai and fondly remembers the crispy chili chicken and her fellow employees.

Santa Fe Station

Address: 1101 Highway 17 N., North Myrtle Beach

The train car in the center of the building and a model train chugging on an overhead track made Santa Fe Station’s atmosphere unforgettable. So were the hush puppies and honey butter, said our readers.

The North Myrtle Beach restaurant was located where the Mellow Mushroom is now. In 2008, local restaurateur Ed Cribb bought the business, turning it into a steakhouse and renovating the one-of-a-kind building, according to Sun News reporting.

K&W Cafeteria

Addresses: four locations in the Myrtle Beach area

Sun News readers feasted on chicken pan pie and egg custard at K&W Cafeteria, which at its height had four locations in Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet and North Myrtle Beach. Starting in 2017, the area cafeterias gradually closed, according to The Sun News.

The low prices and kind employees stood out to our readers. Penny from Surfside Beach remembered, “At breakfast time, the wonderful lady that worked there had the best way of calling out ‘WAFFles!!’” Reader Susan loved “the little lady that called out ‘I need a shor stack.’”

You can still taste that beloved roast beef – 11 K&W Cafeterias are still open in North Carolina and Virginia, with one in Wilmington.

J. Edwards

Address: 2300 S. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach

For almost 40 years, owner J. Edward Fleming owned the Myrtle Beach steakhouse, which Sun News readers remember for their prime ribs. Located on South Kings Highway by the Myrtle Beach Airport, the restaurant closed in 2011 following Fleming’s passing, according to Sun News reporting at the time.

Nan went to the restaurant yearly for two decades while on vacation and remembered “meeting the owner who so graciously came to every table.” The Ohio resident described the atmosphere as “old-school” and “very classy,” while reader Les of Socastee recalled the “private gazebos for that special function with a loved one.”

You have until Oct. 25 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time to vote for your favorite. Please note this poll is just for fun and isn’t scientific.