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Ocean City, MD
DH and I were thinking of spending a week this summer in Ocean City. DD will be about 7 months old, and it will be our first family vacay.
Thinking we could rent a condo, this way we could cook lots of our meals there and not worry about bringing DD to restaurants every day.
We've never been there before, but we hear it's very family oriented.
Suggestions on where to stay? When to book? Things to do with LO? Thanks!
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Re: Ocean City, MD
i have been to OCMD every year of my life. Yes, it is very family friendly. I would opt not to stay on the boardwalk with a baby however - it is noisy and crowded at night but makes for great people watching.
It is hard to give a good rec without more info - budget, when are you going, do you care if you are oceanblock, oceanside, oceanfront, bayside, etc?
There are literally thousands of condos on the 10 mile stretch of land. We typically stay in a condo on the boardwalk which stretches from the inlet to about 28th st. Off the boardwalk, we've had nice stays at Castle in the Sand (in the newer section) Diamond Beach, Carousel, Sandy Ridge.
If you aren't 100% sold on a condo, the Hilton is hands down the nicest hotel in OC with a really nice kiddie pool / area.
I have a place in OCMD, so of course I'm a little biased towards it
You'll also hear from a lot of people that it is too commercial/touristy/big/party town. My opinion is that the town is big and offers pretty much whatever your bag is for vacation!
I would definately aggree with renting a condo, it can be a big cost savings over the hotels, especially when you factor in having a kitchen and laundry at your disposal. Also, if you aren't sure you want to commit to a full week of vacation you can usually book a condo for a mini week- Mon-Fri or Fri-Mon. It's a nice way of getting a break while being kinder to the wallet.
For a family with an infant I would highly recommend staying at place that is on the north end of the island, which are the higher numbered streets and avoiding anywhere really low or by the boardwalk. The north end is a lot quieter, while the south end tends to have the big bars and more of a party type atmosphere. There is Northside park on 125th st and that is just a lovely place for walks and playgrounds.
There is a development called Sunset Island, it's freaking great. Right on the bay with tons of amenties. I think it would be a great place to look for a rental for a family IMO.
It's not family friendly in the way that Ocean City, New Jersey is family friendly ( which is a dry town), but it's a very nice beach town with lots of things to do for a variety of ages. I'd guess the biggest complaint is that there is no real center of town, so if you imagined a quaint downtown with lot of strolling to coffee shops/ice cream- you are better off looking for a place in Rehobeth or Bethany DE.
I don't have a kid, so no advice on what to do with a wee little baby in OC- Sorry!
I agree that OC, NJ is definitely more family friendly.
Honestly, I don't care for OCMD. I've been there probably 6 times, and it just seems like it's really grown into a huge party town, with annoying drunks being loud and acting stupid at night. During the daytime it's fine. The people watching is fun and there is a lot to do, but once night falls, it's a whole other story. DH and I stayed on like 91st street, far from the boardwalk b/c we figured it would be quieter, but we were still woken up at 3am by drunks outside our window on the beach. Super annoying. I really don't need to ever go back.
Now, obviously OCMD isn't the only place w/ annoying drunk people, but it's a huge draw for college and high school aged kids, especially for senior week. I just think there are nicer, quieter beaches that you could go to, especially if you have a little one.
I'm a huge fan of Cape May, NJ. Beautiful quaint little beach town and a lot quieter then OC. If you want the boardwalk atmosphere, Wildwood is only 3 miles up the road, so you can have the best of both worlds.
If you can, I would go in May (before Memorial Day), the first week of June, or in September. To me, those are ideal times to go where the weather is good, but the main crowds are not there.
I agree with a pp about staying in a higher numbered street, not only because of possible noise but also because the beach is not as crowded like it is on the lower numbered streets. If you stay in a lower numbered street, I would suggest looking on the bay side. The beach/ocean would only be a few minutes walk.
No kids, so I have no clue what to do in OC with them.
That is true! July- mid- August is peak time for crowds, so if you wanted to lessen the amount of people but still be during the season I'd shoot for early June.
September down the shore is wonderful as well, but you'd have to make sure you don't book on Bike Weekend... unless you love the sound of reving motorcycle pipes 24/7.
We live in Maryland, and go to OC all of the time. We went last year with our DD (who was 13 months old at the time), and had a wonderful week! We rented a condo through cbvacations.com. We went with two other couples and their kids, so we had a four bedroom place with a pool, kitchen, etc. I think a condo is definitely a better choice when traveling with a LO so that you have laundry and kitchen capabilites and aren't spending money to eat out at every meal.
We stayed on 57th St., which was a great location. We were not on the Boardwalk (too noisy and crowded), but were close enough to get to it easily on the night we decided to head down there.
DD loved being on the beach, so we spent three full days doing that. We also went to Assateague for 1/2 day, mini golfed (pushed DD around in the stoller while we golfed), and just relaxed the rest of the time.
We were there in August, and it was crowded but not unbearable. We actually were evacuated due to Hurricane Irene though, so our trip was cut short by two days. Boo!
Anyway, I think it's a great choice for your first vacation. Have fun!!