North Beach

[NOTSMC]

It's my turn to plan a short day trip. I was thinking North Beach and wonder if anyone here on the forum could make some suggestions. I've looked at the pictures and see they have a boardwalk, saw something about a garden with a mermaid sculpture maybe, souvenir shops, antique stores, restaurants...is this all relatively nearby the boardwalk maybe? And where's the railroad museum; that looks interesting. Thanks in advance.

 

[rio]

The shops and restaurants are all in a walkable area from the boardwalk. Not positive about the museum, but I think it's a little further to the southern end near Chesapeake Beach. Just enough to do there for a day trip that isn't a terribly long day.

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

The shops and restaurants are all in a walkable area from the boardwalk. Not positive about the museum, but I think it's a little further to the southern end near Chesapeake Beach. Just enough to do there for a day trip that isn't a terribly long day.

The Museum (Bayside History) is at the old fire hall at the corner of 4th and Dayton, across from the Senior Center and Boys and Girls Club. You can see it from the Boardwalk at 5th.

Be aware that the Museum has short hours, Wednesday-Sunday, 9-Noon.
Many of the very few businesses are closed Monday and/or Tuesday. Nice and Fleazy Antiques is now mostly empty, the owner is 85 and liquidated most of the stuff through Bunting Auctions and the building is going through a very convoluted sale process (if you knew the owner you'd know why, although it's still open at random times.

Although the retail business owners don't like to hear it most people come to Town for the beach or the restaurants and not their businesses. They whine a lot about it but most don't want to make the effort to change that. They'd rather be closed on days (Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Dragon Boat races, holiday Mondays), hundreds of people are in Town than actually have product to sell or workers to sell it.

Just as another example or two: one business a couple years ago advertised a big Christmas sale the week before Christmas, weekdays (when everyone is at work) 10 to Noon. The wine store is closed the three days before Christmas and the three days before New Year's.

The Railway Museum is at the Rod and Reel in Chesapeake Beach, not really walkable from North Beach .

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

Allow me, I'll try to be as an open minded observer:

As you walk down the sun baked boardwalk, be sure to look to the east for a variety of beached whales from Washington DC as they seem to have grown out their 14 year old daughters bikinis. The sounds of urban music and smell of a variety of simmering vegetation waffles through the breeze. The rustic antique shop that has been going out of business for 14 months now has the distinct aroma of grandma mold & mildew like an 19th century mattress.
Multi-culture? Sure!!!!! You will witness Pakistani's, Iranians, Jamaican troubadours taking solace from the Sun under the large shelter, daring passerbys access!!! Oh, those funny people!!!

Just keep in mind that the only reason there is even a beach is that those people are willing to pay $25 a pop to get on it. We tried the free beach thing for decades and the tax base can't support it (well, it can if everybody is willing to have their property tax rates raised a $1.50).

 

[rio]

The Museum (Bayside History) is at the old fire hall at the corner of 4th and Dayton, across from the Senior Center and Boys and Girls Club. You can see it from the Boardwalk at 5th.

Be aware that the Museum has short hours, Wednesday-Sunday, 9-Noon.
Many of the very few businesses are closed Monday and/or Tuesday. Nice and Fleazy Antiques is now mostly empty, the owner is 85 and liquidated most of the stuff through Bunting Auctions and the building is going through a very convoluted sale process (if you knew the owner you'd know why, although it's still open at random times.

Although the retail business owners don't like to hear it most people come to Town for the beach or the restaurants and not their businesses. They whine a lot about it but most don't want to make the effort to change that. They'd rather be closed on days (Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Dragon Boat races, holiday Mondays), hundreds of people are in Town than actually have product to sell or workers to sell it.

Just as another example or two: one business a couple years ago advertised a big Christmas sale the week before Christmas, weekdays (when everyone is at work) 10 to Noon. The wine store is closed the three days before Christmas and the three days before New Year's.

The Railway Museum is at the Rod and Reel in Chesapeake Beach, not really walkable from North Beach .

I didn't remember the Bayside History museum, but the RR museum is about where I thought. I haven't been to North Beach in several years, sounds like the businesses are going downhill which is a shame, because it was a nice little day trip for us.

Thanks for the clarification!

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

I didn't remember the Bayside History museum, but the RR museum is about where I thought. I haven't been to North Beach in several years, sounds like the businesses are going downhill which is a shame, because it was a nice little day trip for us.

Thanks for the clarification!

It's not that they're going downhill so much, many of them were never on the hills, but that the owners are lazy/stupid/have no clue about business/can't decide who their customer base is. Pick as many of the previous that you wish and I could even add a couple more.

 

[NOTSMC]

The shops and restaurants are all in a walkable area from the boardwalk. Not positive about the museum, but I think it's a little further to the southern end near Chesapeake Beach. Just enough to do there for a day trip that isn't a terribly long day.

Thanks for responding. Do they have at least one souvenir shop I hope. We're suckers for souvenir shops. What about the restaurants - any recommendations for lunch?

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

Thanks for responding. Do they have at least one souvenir shop I hope. We're suckers for souvenir shops. What about the restaurants - any recommendations for lunch?

North Beach:
Plaza de Mexico $
Hook and Vine $$
Vaughan Cheese $$
Neptune's $$ 1/2
City Sliders $$$ (only because it's a hamburger joint with $18 burgers)
Dairy Freeze
Jango's non-dairy frozen treats
Cold Penguin ice cream

Chesapeake Beach:
Trader's $$ has slot machines
Abner's $$ has slot machines
Baia Coastal Italian Kitchen $$$
Lido's
Rod and Reel $$$ has slot machines
1936 $$ 1/2 has slot machines
McDonald's
Peking $-takeout only
Little Panda $ (I've never seen anyone ever eating at its tables)
Domino's
Papa John's

 

[NOTSMC]

Allow me, I'll try to be as an open minded observer:

As you walk down the sun baked boardwalk, be sure to look to the east for a variety of beached whales from Washington DC as they seem to have grown out their 14 year old daughters bikinis. The sounds of urban music and smell of a variety of simmering vegetation waffles through the breeze. The rustic antique shop that has been going out of business for 14 months now has the distinct aroma of grandma mold & mildew like an 19th century mattress.
Multi-culture? Sure!!!!! You will witness Pakistani's, Iranians, Jamaican troubadours taking solace from the Sun under the large shelter, daring passerbys access!!! Oh, those funny peo

Allow me, I'll try to be as an open minded observer:

As you walk down the sun baked boardwalk, be sure to look to the east for a variety of beached whales from Washington DC as they seem to have grown out their 14 year old daughters bikinis. The sounds of urban music and smell of a variety of simmering vegetation waffles through the breeze. The rustic antique shop that has been going out of business for 14 months now has the distinct aroma of grandma mold & mildew like an 19th century mattress.
Multi-culture? Sure!!!!! You will witness Pakistani's, Iranians, Jamaican troubadours taking solace from the Sun under the large shelter, daring passerbys access!!! Oh, those funny people!!!

Wow - thanks for the helpful review.

 

[NOTSMC]

North Beach:
Plaza de Mexico $
Hook and Vine $$
Vaughan Cheese $$
Neptune's $$ 1/2
City Sliders $$$ (only because it's a hamburger joint with $18 burgers)
Dairy Freeze
Jango's non-dairy frozen treats
Cold Penguin ice cream

Chesapeake Beach:
Trader's $$ has slot machines
Abner's $$ has slot machines
Baia Coastal Italian Kitchen $$$
Lido's
Rod and Reel $$$ has slot machines
1936 $$ 1/2 has slot machines
McDonald's
Peking $-takeout only
Little Panda $ (I've never seen anyone ever eating at its tables)
Domino's
Papa John's

Ohh I think I read about Hook and Vine on this forum. What's the difference between Chesapeake Beach and North Beach and is there a mermaid sculpture at one of them?

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

Ohh I think I read about Hook and Vine on this forum. What's the difference between Chesapeake Beach and North Beach and is there a mermaid sculpture at one of them?

They're two different towns. North Beach is walkable, Chesapeake Beach isn't really. The mermaid is in North Beach (driftwood sculpture done by Larry Ringgold) at the 3rd Street Park/Sunrise Garden. Other artwork/interpretive sculptures by other local artists. The mermaid and a lion (another by Ringgold) are permanent, as are a couple others, the rest rotate in and out.

Mark R. Frazer Sunrise Garden | North Beach MD

The Mark R. Frazer Sunrise Garden is located at 8930 Bay Avenue (at the corner of 3rd Street and Bay Avenue). Sunrise Garden is a passive, neighborhood park located near the town waterfront area.

www.northbeachmd.org

 

[NOTSMC]

They're two different towns. North Beach is walkable, Chesapeake Beach isn't really. The mermaid is in North Beach (driftwood sculpture done by Larry Ringgold) at the 3rd Street Park/Sunrise Garden. Other artwork/interpretive sculptures by other local artists. The mermaid and a lion (another by Ringgold) are permanent, as are a couple others, the rest rotate in and out.

Mark R. Frazer Sunrise Garden | North Beach MD

The Mark R. Frazer Sunrise Garden is located at 8930 Bay Avenue (at the corner of 3rd Street and Bay Avenue). Sunrise Garden is a passive, neighborhood park located near the town waterfront area.

www.northbeachmd.org

Looks perfect. Thanks for the information!

 

[Gilligan]

When I was a young lad hanging out in a cottage on Holland Point, back in the mid 70s, Wwe jokingly called it "Nof Beesh", It was a total slum. You could buy any lot/small house right downtown facing the water for 18 grand. There were like three bars..two were biker bars and one was a gay bar.

I dearly wish I'd bought a couple of those 18 grand waterfront properties in the middle of downtown. ;-(

 

[RoseRed]

This is pretty neat. We went to a lecture about this at the NB Firehouse a few years ago. Believe it or not, a few people that helped with the rescue and recovery of bodies spoke.

Levin J Marvel

The story behind the 1955 shipwreck on the Chesapeake Bay

levinjmarvel.com

Interesting story. Thanks for sharing.

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

When I was a young lad hanging out in a cottage on Holland Point, back in the mid 70s, Wwe jokingly called it "Nof Beesh", It was a total slum. You could buy any lot/small house right downtown facing the water for 18 grand. There were like three bars..two were biker bars and one was a gay bar.

I dearly wish I'd bought a couple of those 18 grand waterfront properties in the middle of downtown. ;-(

It some ways I liked it better then, better class of people.

 

[Historybuff]

Thanks for responding. Do they have at least one souvenir shop I hope. We're suckers for souvenir shops. What about the restaurants - any recommendations for lunch?

There is a small shop next to the North Beach
post office that might have some souvenirs for sale. I forget the name of the shop but it’s right next door to the PO in a little house.

 

[NOTSMC]

There is a small shop next to the North Beach
post office that might have some souvenirs for sale. I forget the name of the shop but it’s right next door to the PO in a little house.

Thank you and welcome aboard!

 

[Historybuff]

 

[Mavis]

There used to be a farmer's market every Friday evening. Live music vendors and classic cars. It was a good evening out ...... until covid. Now in its place they have a First Friday, not so good but O.K.

 

[Historybuff]

On Saturday, September 9, from 12 noon til
5 pm there will be an event at Abner’s Crab House in Chesapeake Beach called “Taste the Beaches.” There will be food there from many of the local restaurants.

Chesapeake Beach Announces Taste The Beaches 2023 - The BayNet

CHESAPEAKE BEACH, Md. – Taste the Beaches 2023 will be held on Saturday September 9th from 12-5 – and this year we have an exciting announcement to make: Taste the Beaches will be hosted at a new venue! The Chesapeake Beach Economic Development Committee is taking Taste the Beaches on tour to a...

thebaynet.com