Ocean Drive Beach – North Myrtle Beach

✓ Last Updated: March 2026

About Ocean Drive Beach

Ocean Drive Beach — known universally as “O.D.” to locals and regulars — is the cultural center of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It sits in the middle of the city’s four historic neighborhoods, bordered by Cherry Grove to the north and Crescent Beach to the south, with Main Street running directly from the beach to Ocean Boulevard.

What makes Ocean Drive unique on the Grand Strand is not just what it has, but what it represents. This is where the Carolina Shag — South Carolina’s official state dance — was born in the 1940s. The clubs, the music, the dance floor camaraderie, and the sheer joy of live beach music on a warm evening have been drawing people to Main Street for over 80 years. The tradition is alive and active today, and it makes Ocean Drive unlike any other beach neighborhood on the East Coast.

The Carolina Shag: Born Right Here

The Carolina Shag is South Carolina’s official state dance — a smooth, six-count partner dance blending elements of swing and beach music into something distinctly Southern and unmistakably coastal. It developed on the Grand Strand in the late 1930s and 1940s, when college students on spring break would flock to Ocean Drive Beach, tune into the rhythm and blues playing from beach club jukeboxes, and invent their own version of swing dancing on the packed sand and wooden dance floors of Main Street.

The clubs they danced in are still here. The music is still playing. And the people who grew up shagging at Fat Harold’s or Duck’s are still coming back — some of them for fifty or sixty years running. That continuity of culture is what makes Ocean Drive genuinely special and unlike anywhere else in the country.

The Shaggers Hall of Fame, housed at the Ocean Drive Beach & Golf Resort, preserves the history of the dance and honors those who have shaped it over the decades. It is open to visitors and is worth a stop even if you have no intention of hitting the dance floor.

Main Street: The Neighborhood’s Soul

Main Street is the spine of Ocean Drive — a walkable strip that runs from the beach west to Highway 17, lined with shag bars, casual restaurants, souvenir shops, local boutiques, and the unmistakable energy of a community that genuinely loves where it lives. Unlike the commercial strip of Myrtle Beach’s Ocean Boulevard, Main Street feels organic and local rather than built for tourists.

The Horseshoe at the eastern end — where the road meets the ocean — is an outdoor gathering space with a permanent concert stage, public restrooms, and direct beach access. During summer, Sounds of Summer and Music on Main bring free live music to The Horseshoe and Main Street weekly, organized by the City of North Myrtle Beach. These free concerts are open to any age, require no cover, and are among the most enjoyable events on the entire Grand Strand.

Shag Clubs & Nightlife

SOS Festivals: Spring Safari & Fall Migration

The Society of Stranders — known universally as SOS — is a membership organization dedicated to the shag dance and beach music culture of the Grand Strand. Twice a year, SOS brings thousands of dancers to Main Street for the largest adult beach party on the East Coast.

The Beach & The Horseshoe

Ocean Drive’s beach is accessed directly from Main Street at The Horseshoe, making it the most pedestrian-friendly beach access in all of North Myrtle Beach. You can walk from your condo or hotel, down Main Street, and onto the sand without touching a car. The beach here has the same wide, clean character as the rest of NMB’s shoreline, with the added advantage of the oceanfront stage and public facilities at The Horseshoe right behind you.

Dining on Main Street

Ocean Drive’s dining scene is a satisfying blend of casual beach classics and locally-owned restaurants with real personality. Main Street is home to Hoskins Restaurant — one of the oldest and most beloved breakfast and lunch spots in North Myrtle Beach — and Melt, famous for creative grilled cheese sandwiches and a walk-up window that has become a late-night institution. During SOS festivals and summer events, Main Street restaurants fill up early — reservations are strongly recommended during peak event weeks.

Vacation Rentals in Ocean Drive

Staying in Ocean Drive means being within walking distance of everything the neighborhood has to offer — the beach, Main Street, the shag clubs, and the free summer concerts. For visitors who want a true pedestrian-friendly vacation where the car stays parked, Ocean Drive delivers it. Rental inventory includes oceanfront condos along South Ocean Boulevard and North Ocean Boulevard, as well as beach homes within a short walk of Main Street.

Getting Around & Nearby Attractions

Frequently Asked Questions