Garden City, also known as Garden City Beach, is Myrtle Beach’s quiet, laid-back neighbor. Situated along a 5-mile stretch of sandy Atlantic shores, Garden City’s 11,000 residents enjoy a coastal lifestyle, complete with ample fishing spots, watersports, fresh seafood and a beautiful beach. “Garden City is awesome,” says Merrill Bryan, a local Realtor with Dunes Realty Sales. “I’m a local girl; I grew up here. It’s a great place to raise a family with all the outdoor activities. People have started to discover it, but compared to Myrtle Beach, it’s away from the hustle and bustle. Myrtle Beach has more tourist attractions like Ripley’s Aquarium and the Hollywood Wax Museum. Garden City’s more like a family beach than a spring break beach.” Located 10 miles south of Myrtle Beach, the small community of Garden City is similar to its neighbors and other beach towns when it comes to population fluxes. “Outside of May through September, there are like a fourth of the people left,” Bryan says. “We have seen a large increase in snowbirds coming in for January and February.”
The Grand Strand and green space
Along the entirety of Garden City’s east side is Garden City Beach — part of the Grand Strand, a 60-mile stretch of beaches on the South Carolina coastline. It's perfect for popular pastimes, including sunbathing, surfing, crabbing and fishing. Right by the oceanfront, the Pier at Garden City is the hotspot to cast a line during the day and catch live music and a cocktail at night. Visiting surfers rent boards from Village Surf Shoppe. This staple surf shop opened in 1969 and offers private and group surfing and paddleboarding lessons.
Of course, the beach isn’t the only place in Garden City for outdoor recreation. Wedged between Garden City Inlet’s banks and a neighborhood cul-de-sac, Sanford D. Cox Community Park offers a tree-shaded playground for kids to tire themselves out on. Locals also fish and enjoy the glittering horizon views at the end of the park’s pier. At Tupelo Bay Golf Course, locals and visitors alike enjoy a variety of sporty activities. The facility features an 18-hole executive course — par 4’s and par 3’s — and a 9-hole par 3 course, as well as a tennis court.
Longstanding local businesses abound
U.S. Highway 17 Business, the business route of U.S. 17, runs north to south, almost bisecting Garden City. This major thoroughfare not only provides a simple route north to Myrtle Beach, but it’s also a commercial corridor lined by locally owned businesses and nationally recognized chains. Out-of-towners can easily head to their favorites like Cracker Barrel, Texas Roadhouse and Krispy Kreme, but locals hit up longstanding spots like Crab Daddy’s Seafood, a Calabash-style seafood buffet. By the beach, many start their day off with freshly made pastries and coffee at Benjamin’s Bakery Café on 3rd Avenue South. Sam’s Corner has been a go-to spot to grab a foot-long chili dog and a cold beer since 1976. For dessert, icy and creamy goodness awaits at Drippy’s Homemade Ice Cream. Despite its name change from Painter’s to Drippy’s, this tried-and-true ice cream shop remains family-owned and full of charm.
U.S. 17 is the primary avenue for running errands as well. Walmart Supercenter, The Home Depot, Kroger and other convenient retailers can be found along it, toward the south side of Garden City.
Garden City is “a big second-home area”
While some properties in Garden City date back to the 1960s, the majority of the area’s housing stock, including condominiums, townhouses and single-family homes, cropped up in the late ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. Dominant single-family architectural styles include Minimal Traditional ranch-style homes, bungalows and airy, raised beach houses. Colonial Revival influence can be seen across many beach homes. Early 2000s-built residences and new construction can be found as well. Common features include double porches and hurricane shutters. Properties typically rest along quiet, sidewalk-free streets with compact yards adorned by sea oats, palmetto trees and other local flora. “Homes are taking longer to sell than in the last couple of years. The average days-on-market is about 80 or 90 days,” Bryan says. “Homes in bigger cities are still selling pretty quickly, but we’ve pretty much balanced out. It’s a big second-home area. That’s why they take a bit longer to sell.” A one-bedroom, two-bathroom condo on the beach can cost $300,000 in Garden City, while a single-family, two-bedroom, two-bathroom a few blocks from the beach can cost $450,000. On the higher end of the list price range are 8- to 10-bedroom beach houses costing upward of $1.5 million.
The Myrtle Beach International Airport
The Myrtle Beach International Airport is 10 miles away from Garden City via U.S. 17 Business, which is the area’s main road.
Horry County Schools
Garden City is served by Horry County Schools, ranked No. 14 on Niche’s list of South Carolina’s best school districts with an A-minus rating. Students can start school close to home at Seaside Elementary, rated A-minus, before going to St. James Intermediate, rated A, for grades 5 and 6. St. James Middle is the next stop for grades 7 and 8; it has an A-minus rating. Also rated A-minus, St. James High is No. 2 on Niche’s list of the best public high schools in the Myrtle Beach Area. Home of the sharks, famous alumni from the high school include pro surfer Cam Richards, who ranked 5th in the World Surf League in 2022.
Crime
Since 2020, the state of South Carolina has seen an uptick in violent crime, especially in Horry County. The violent crime rate is almost 40% higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 78% higher than the national average. Horry County may be struggling with some crime, but the CAP Index puts its overall crime score as a 3, which is lower than the national average.
Risk of Flooding
Unlike the coastal communities next door, Garden City has a low flood risk. Still, weather extremities, such as hurricanes, superstorms and the like, can increase the risk exponentially, as can king tides, leading to street closures.
After 12 years as an Elementary School Teacher, I left teaching to become a Realtor with RE/MAX Southern Shores in 2014. In just two short years, I have been awarded RE/MAX Executive and 100% Club awards, the "Hustle" award, and "Rising Star" award. On my off time, I am involved in many business and civic organizations including Toastmasters International, Girl Scouts, and BNI where I serve as my chapter's Education Coordinator. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the State University of New York College at Cortland and a Master of Science Degree in Education Technology from IONA College. Being a Realtor along the Grand Strand in South Carolina is more than just a career, it's a lifestyle that I'm passionate about. Helping buyers and sellers achieve their goals is a true joy for me. I look forward to assisting you to reach your goals one day soon!
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
