Any beach towns that time forgot?
March 1, 2006 10:04 PM   Subscribe

Help me find the perfect locale for some fiction I'm planning to write. I'm looking for a smallish beach town on the east coast of the US that has changed very little from the mid-70's until now.

In my head I see a boardwalk, pizza joints, shops selling beachwear, an arcade with old ski-ball games, teenagers hanging out - a friendly, unambitious little resort town that still feels like 30 years ago.
posted by davebush to Society & Culture (25 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
There are any number of places along the Jersey shore that more or less fit the bill.
posted by BackwardsCity at 10:12 PM on March 1, 2006


Misquamicut, R.I.

how can ya beat that name?
posted by darkpony at 10:18 PM on March 1, 2006


Daytona still feels like the 70s, but in a bigger, skeezier, tawdrier kind of way.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:49 PM on March 1, 2006


Perhaps the Outer Banks of North Carolina?
And darkpony, I'll see your Misquamicut, and raise you a Wequetequock, Connecticut.
posted by rob511 at 12:05 AM on March 2, 2006


Asbury Park, NJ.
posted by fixedgear at 1:15 AM on March 2, 2006


Second Misquamicut.
posted by knave at 1:42 AM on March 2, 2006


Except for the ambition and the ski-ball games, that would be one or all of (they're collectively referred to as "the Beaches" around here) the following: Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach and the City of Baldwin in northeastern Florida.
posted by paulsc at 4:48 AM on March 2, 2006


Old Orchard Beach, Maine. Arcades, rides, shops, pier, lobsters.
posted by mikepop at 5:25 AM on March 2, 2006


Definitely not the Outer Banks.
posted by clearlynuts at 5:25 AM on March 2, 2006


Agree about Old Orchard. It is right out of an old time beach movie. Pier fries! Clams! Ice cream! Ski-ball! Fireworks! I wish I were there right now!
posted by lampoil at 6:12 AM on March 2, 2006


Third Misquamicut (it's perfect for what you describe, though no boardwalk exactly), and seocond Old Orchard (totally unchanged, has boardwalk).

Asbury Park is not what you're looking for -- it's caught halfway between atrocious urban decay and slick stupid redevelopment. It's not the town you're describing at the moment.

Other Jersey towns (and I strongly feel you're describing NJ) that work: Bradley Beach, Point Pleasant, Seaside Heights, Margate (bonus: Lucy the Elephant), Ocean City.
posted by Miko at 7:03 AM on March 2, 2006


Rehoboth, DE
posted by frogan at 7:13 AM on March 2, 2006


Not sure if it makes a difference to what you will be writing, but I notice you are in Canada and a large amount of the summer visitors to Old Orchard Beach are Canadians.
posted by mikepop at 7:16 AM on March 2, 2006


Tybee Island, GA, adjacent to Savannah.
posted by kimdog at 7:59 AM on March 2, 2006


Or you can just make it up. That is, unless you're wanting to go visit one of these towns for research.
posted by Atreides at 8:18 AM on March 2, 2006


They say Rehoboth hasn't changed but I wouldn't know, was only there once, in 1968. But it does have a boardwalk, unlike anywhere on the Outer Banks. Many aspects of the key North Carolina beach towns have been updated (in some cases, to a grotesque degree), but one can find places there which haven't changed since the mid-1970s, when I lived in Nags Head (for example, the surviving fishing piers).
posted by Rash at 9:07 AM on March 2, 2006


Asbury Park, NJ.
posted by fixedgear at 1:15 AM PST on March 2 [!]


Part of me says yes, part of me says no...yea, Asbury Park hasn't changed much in the last 30 years (except for knocking down Tillie *sniff*) but I'm not sure it's really that typical because it's just so run-down at this point. There's still a boardwalk and I think there might be an arcade somewhere along it (although I think last time I was there they were all closed down...?) but I think there are probably better candidates out there.

In fact, Ocean Grove next door to Asbury Park might be better, it's atypical in its own fashion (the tent town, the huge-arse church, the Victorian B&Bs) but is much nicer, less run-down, and clearly has more people around.
posted by cyrusdogstar at 9:25 AM on March 2, 2006


Response by poster: Thanks to everyone - I'm researching all these suggestions. I might invent a destination but I'd rather use an actual location for the sake of authenticity. Time and memory are very important to my story. Middle aged guy revisits a "perfect summer" from his youth.
posted by davebush at 9:38 AM on March 2, 2006


is there any way to get in touch with you? I've been thinking about misquamicut since you posted this. i spent a month there every summer thru the 70's and it is bringing back so many memories. I tried to email some more info but the email I got thru your website keeps failing.
posted by darkpony at 12:26 PM on March 2, 2006


Pretty much the whole east coast of Florida north of Palm Beach and south of Daytona is like this. Fort Pierce or Vero Beach are probably the most accessible while still being a bit remote. Cost of living is low and everyone comes to get away from some sordid past or to retire.
posted by photoslob at 1:20 PM on March 2, 2006


Response by poster: darkpony - check your email (not the Hotmail account)
posted by davebush at 2:01 PM on March 2, 2006


Hey davebush,

I am getting your emails fine. but cannot reply! I have tried from the address you sent to as well as a gmail accoutn and all my attempts seem to bounce back now. i obviously got one email thru to you but it looks like they all bounce. do you have another email account I could try?
posted by darkpony at 2:58 PM on March 2, 2006


Hampton Beach, NH
posted by Soulbee at 7:01 AM on March 3, 2006


Salisbury Beach, NH is another good place to consider
posted by mickbw at 7:35 AM on March 3, 2006


Salisbury's actually in Mass.
posted by Miko at 7:56 AM on March 3, 2006


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