Editorial: Myrtle Beach "funky" charm gone with Pavilion

Myrtle Beach is now "just another beach town." While strict business would indicate this is the correct move for the owners (I would probably do the same)...you cannot deny that this is another move to "be like everybody else."

They've taken away any unique reason to visit. All beach towns are full of condos and shopping. I'm sure finances made it impossible, but the community "might" have been better served to find "a way" to entice the owners to stay put "as is."

Then again...I'm sure the "year-round" property taxes, income taxes, et al will more than make up for the loss of atmosphere. Sometimes reality just sucks...

Exactly. I wrote this elsewhere, but it bears repeating:

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Once upon a time, different places in the country were *different*. Now, I bet I could plunk you in any one of 20 completely different places in the US, and unless you heard a local accent, you'd have NO IDEA where you were.

Of course, McDonalds, WalMart, and BestBuy have become ubiquitous because they give the masses what they want, and that's the name of the game. Wishing that this wouldn't happen is like wishing that day wouldn't follow night.

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Agreed about the "uniqueness"...

Well, I'm sure that the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce really doesn't care about my individual travel plans... but my sole trip to Myrtle Beach was to visit Pavillion (in 2005... hearing that 2006 may be the end) and Family Kingdom.

Had Pavillion still been there, while I might not make a specific trip to the area, any trips through that region in the future may have warrented a return visit. As it is now... why bother?

It was Pavillion that got me there in the first place. If I want to go to a cookie cutter beach area, I have the New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland shore points all with in a 4 hour drive... no need to go all the way to SC.

Same can be said about Panama City FL and the defunct Miracle Stirp Amusement Park... and in the near future, many of the Jersey Shore points too. (Come on Morey's... HANG IN THERE!)

*** This post was edited by SLFAKE 9/27/2006 11:31:42 AM ***

At least we have HRP to look forward to (hopefully) and FK to carry on in MB. Otherwise, with me not being much of a beach person, I'd have no reason to return to that area much like Panama City Beach now.

It's a shame, to be sure. The pavilion has a lot of classic rides: Calypso, Mad Mouse, two dark rides, and more. It's one of those places that, sad to say, if I didn't know it was the last season for it, I might have missed it all together. I'm glad I didn't miss it.

If you take away amusement rides from a beach town, what do you have left? Condos, hotels, (themed and un-themed) restaurants, and shops. Not exactly unique, since that's how most seaside communities look.

They don't need to be unique, though---they are full to bursting anyway.

Dowdy's on the Outer Banks in NC was gone this summer, as well.

The cost of oceanfront/beachside property is SO out of control, hard to believe anyone can make enough to stay in business...

We still have Morey's and SCBB, ad to some degree you could count Belmont...and I guess Pacific Park (Westcoaster RULES, hehe).

...and Coney and Rye Playland.

^^ yeah thank goodness the locals realize what a jewel they have with SCBB. The locals here definitely cherish their state and national historic landmark and would go balistic if anyone ever tried to bulldoze it over for more condos (ya for all the hippies!). We do get a few freaks that protest any new park additions, but for the most part, the city knows they'd be just another faceless overpriced seaside community without the nationally recognized Boardwalk.

*** This post was edited by jomo 9/27/2006 1:29:55 PM ***

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The cost of oceanfront/beachside property is SO out of control, hard to believe anyone can make enough to stay in business...

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Which is strange to me, because it's like everyone forgets that hurricanes come through every decade or so and wipe one of these towns off the map.

The difference between Myrtle Beach and any other beach town is the amount of golf that is available in the area. For someone that likes to play golf MB is Mecca in the US, if not the world. Golf is why MB is growing at such a rapid pace and driving up the property values.

Before I was married I used to go down every April with about 2 dozen buddies. We stayed at one of the high rise condos and played a different golf course each day for a week. I did this for about 7 years and didn't even make a dent in the number of courses available to play. Of course I hit the Pavillion and Family Kingdom, but that was because I was there already.

I'm sure the Grand Strand area will survive the demise of the Pavillion, but it is sad just the same.

-Tambo

If you expand it to breachfront dont forget to add the midwestern lake parks, CP, GL, IB, etc.

^ Thanks thrillerman1, certainly didn't mean to omit either of the NY-area hotspots....

Thank you Tambo for pointing out what everyone else has missed. Mrytle Beach has been known for it multiple golf courses for decades. And not to play second fiddle to the big golf courses, the mini-golf courses are outrageous! These are highly-themed mini-golf courses, some with two different courses, different levels, caves etc. The Baltimore Sun even did an article about the mini-golf courses recently in its travel section.

So while I'm sure the Pavillion will be missed (I went there a lot as a kid when still going on family vacations), the family will still have plenty to do. They'll still have Family Kingdom, Mrytle Waves waterpark and soon enough they'll have the Hard Rock amusement park to go to.