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Known as "the Walmart" of beach towns... I haven't been there in a few years, but used to go every summer as a kid and always enjoyed it. Arcades, taffy, ice cream, catching starfish and shell hunting- all good fun for a kid. Revisiting as an adult was rough though. On a busy weekend, I can't think of a worse way to spend the day in the area. Hours of traffic. No parking. Huge crowds. Just not my cup of tea.
It's not all that bad. The beach is nice. The town is pretty junky and low-rent, yeah but there's all that good trashy beach shit like fried dough and salt water taffy and shit, and nobody's looking for trouble. And there's other nice towns like right next door.
There's towns like Hampton all down the Easy Coast, like Wildwood NJ and Dewey Beach DE and Ocean City MD and Virginia Beach and Nags Head NC and all the way down. Go have fun but don't just stay in Hampton, move around a little.
I went to Myrtle Beach once and it seemed like the Hampton Beach of the Carolinas, only more recently built.
Yeah Myrtle Beach is another one, there must be at least one in Georgia, down in Florida there's the whole panhandle, plus Daytona, Key West, I'm sure there's more...the Redneck Rivieras of America would make a fun tour if you could take a week or two off after each one to work out and eat healthy before you do it again.
Old orchard ME has come a long way, but definitely the Hampton beach of Maine
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I've never actually been there but isn't Salisbury Beach a lot like Hampton Beach? That's always been my impression.
thats where we went last year....maybe i should look at alternatives mentioned here. old orchard was ok at best....very nice beach though.Quote:
Originally Posted by My Pet Powder Goat
WDG...we're you drunk when you typed that? :) North Hampton abuts Hampton...to the North. Now Rye...where you have roots?...is two towns away to the North.Quote:
Originally Posted by WaistDeepGroomers
Although Hampton Beach is considered a "precinct" within the town of Hampton, I've always called it the "armpit" of Hampton. Hampton, the town, is a decent middle to upper class town. Well, the downtown on rt 1 is kinda typical rt 1 shite. Beachfront is multi-million and off the immediate beach is anywhere from a low of maybe 250 for practically a tear down to a million+ for a house. Hampton Beach precinct...I have no idea costs...they're mostly fucking summer rentals that turn into crack houses for the winter. Same assholes have owned them forever.
Yes, similar, but Salisbury was historically a level below Hampton Beach, but today it might be a notch above. SPS is buying much of the property there and is trying to make a difference. And of course 'tens' the strip club is much nicer than the old 'bowery' strip joint...so I'm told. :smile:Quote:
Originally Posted by iceman
Here's a little demographic map of the NH seacoast.
Seabrook and Seabrook Beach are as extremely different as Hampton and Hampton Beach. Both are somewhat separated from each other by marshland. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...09b3a61a78.jpg
As in it is socially acceptable to fuck your cousin in Seabrook?
let's take it north a little.....york beach, long sands, ogunquit, maine. better off?
Some good eats just south in Newburyport too, and good local music at the Grog
hmmmmm salisbury beach seeeeems nice.....glad im able to cancel hampton if need be.
Don't forget Moody and Wells.Quote:
Originally Posted by cinnepa
That's why there's only five surnames in Seabrook.Quote:
Originally Posted by AdironRider
Yep. Even rye beach/Wallis sands/odiorne are much better. Jackstraw is mostly right, just add "yuppies" to the hipsters in Portsmouth.Quote:
Originally Posted by cinnepa
Go to York. That’s where everyone in NH goes.
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Go to York beach. Plus a maggot has a brewery there.
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^^^which brewery? A few in York. Is the new tasting room at the beach loop open yet?
York is less expensive than Ogunquit or Wells even. Much more locally if you are into the old style beach town. Rent surfboards on long sands. Ask Rog to show you around MTB trails. Arcade on short sand. Take trolley up to Ogunquit. Walk Marginal Way. Eat lobsters by the draw bridge. Buy tourist t shirt. Trolley back to Wells. Decent food overlooking long sands at stones throw. Good beer list. Enjoy Lunch from Maine brewing. Good beer and lunch and games place kid friendly Kittery. $3 pints before 3pm, $4 pints before 4pm, etc. good afternoon stop after shoppig outlets or just rainy day activity. Salt water taffy machine at Goldenrod back in York. Basket ball courts. Candle pin bowling. Haddock Rueben at Union Bluff (pub side. The popcorn is free and serve yourself. Next to bar). Walk out to Nubble. Or sunset at Nubble and ice cream at not Browns (they place went away a decade ago, can’t recall name of new place next door).
Or spend the ones to be in Wells Beach. Way nicer beaches. Drake’s Island has no businesses but is my favorite. Or day trip to Parsons. Visit Kennebunkport for the day.
Let me know if you end up in southern Maine. Spent my childhood on Wells beach and been going back to the area with my kid for eight summers.
Switching to Chatham for next season
Never liked Hampton even as a teenager. To much noise.
And Key West is no way in the same category. Way better town. Only cross over is biker bars. But way more culture and history down there than any of the other shit hole towns listed.
Mallory Square and Duval street etc. are firmly part of that scene. But yeah there's a lot more there than just that.
Portsmouth may be hipster but it's still pretty rad. Saw my first big mountain ski movie there. Friendly Toast was fun for late night eats.
York beach beer co. I haven’t been since it opened but the guy that owns it has been a long time maggot but doesn’t post much. Great people though so hit it up when you’re around. Rog knows the owner and can make introductions if you know him.
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Drake's island is cool. So the question is, which jetty is better to fish from? Drake's side or Wells Beach side? Heh. Is there a right answer? As a kid I fished off the bridge out to Ogunquit beach when the tide brought the fish up the river and back down. Going to Moody memorial day weekend. I like early season.
This made me laughQuote:
Originally Posted by iceman
Yup York/Kittery should definitely be on your list but I thought the rooms there were kinda pricey. IME as you go north of there on the coast the traffic can be overwhelming on Rt 1 along the beach.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iceman
I like Salisbury beach a lot, thats my default beach. Parking is nowhere near as much of a problem as Hampton, Rye, Wallis Sands, etc (and Odiorne doesnt even have a beach?? just a park) because there are 3 or 4 massive lots. I love that you can sit on the river side and look at plum island (so the sun isnt directly behind you if you're facing the ocean) and the surfcasting is great. Also decent eats nearby, the Seaglass is awesome. Yes its a little bit white trashey but like Iceman said, redneck rivieras exist all down the coast, they ALL are to some degree.Quote:
Originally Posted by cinnepa