Garden City

Burgess is a quiet neighborhood sharing a zip code with Murrells Inlet and Myrtle Beach and a border with Garden City. It's in a grey area where development is on the rise, yet the community is still not widely known. "When you live here, you know it's considered the Burgess community, but not many people will be looking for it," says Shawn Robey, a Realtor who lives here and works with Realty One Group Dockside. Much of Burgess' growth happened between 1990 and 2020 when the rural community of 3,000 transformed into a suburban one with over 30,000 residents. The reason for its vast expansion was and still is the quiet life it affords near the beach. "You're a short drive away, but you're inland enough so you don't feel like you're in the middle of crazy touristy areas," adds Broker Brian Piercy, the founder of Real Estate Modo who's sold homes in Myrtle Beach since 2016. Burgess is also known for its educational opportunities, as students attend several highly regarded facilities in the Horry County Schools district. As Burgess transformed, planned communities with perks like pools and fitness centers moved in. "A lot of the big builders like D.R. Horton were finding spots and building in them," says Robey. "But then you also have Laurel Woods, a manufactured mobile home community," he says. Prince Creek is the largest development in Burgess. Built around the 18-hole TPC golf course, it has over 20 communities spanning its generous 2,000-plus acreage. Some of its subdivisions, like Longwood Bluffs, are still being built out. Prince Creek is so vast that it even contains a central shopping hub, so some locals call it a district. Architecturally, the community offers entry points for different budgets, from condos to townhouses to single-family homes and large estates in gated sections. Wilderness Plantation is another planned community with luxury homes along the intracoastal waterway. Properties here are custom-built and surrounded by 1 to 12 acres. Residents have access to a community pond and boat ramp, and some homes have private waterway access. The price range is naturally vast in Burgess, settling primarily between $200,000 to $650,000, but depending on location and architectural distinctiveness, home values can rise to over $1 million. Public school students may attend St. James Elementary, St. James Middle and St. James High. The middle and high schools score A-minus Niche grades, while the elementary school earns an A. Home of the Sharks, famous alumni from the high school include pro surfer, Cam Richards, who ranked fifth in the World Surf League in 2022. South Carolina Highway 707 bisects Burgess and connects to Highway 17, a gateway to greater Murrells Inlet, Garden City and Myrtle Beach. Traffic is picking up as the area grows, but it's not a significant inconvenience, according to Robey. "It continues moving. It's not a standstill backed up for miles and miles. It's just a slower moving traffic," he says. "For us locals, it has gotten bad. For people coming here outside the state, it's all relative." Prince Creek Village Center is home to everything from a dentist's office to a primary care facility to a CVS for everyday conveniences. Publix and Lowes Foods of Murrells Inlet also settle here for convenient groceries. Regional chains like Quigley's 707 Pint & Plate, the local spot Danny's Authentic NY Pizza and national chains like Zaxby's add to the mix. In Garden City, Hippie Hen House is the go-to for fresh crab cakes and creative cocktails, while Beer Belly Deli is a favorite for gourmet sandwiches. But like many areas near the coast punctuated by waterways, shopping, dining and entertainment often blend. The MarshWalk at Murrells Inlet is a place to kayak and stroll the boardwalk and Neptune Bistro & Raw Bar is a favorite pit stop for a mojito and locally sourced seafood. Other popular pastimes include heading to Garden City Beach for sunbathing, surfing and fishing. And with an easy 18-mile trip north via Route 31, entertainment on a larger scale awaits in downtown Myrtle Beach. Coastal Grand Mall is near the downtown area with a wide range of national retailers. As the area grows and changes, its community strengthens. The Greater Burgess Community Association meets quarterly to review the latest local happenings, and many of their pop-up community gatherings occur at the South Strand Recreation Center in Myrtle Beach. Events have included a hurricane preparedness workshop led by the director of Emergency Management and a community law enforcement presentation by the Horry County Police Chief. Crime in Burgess is exceptionally low by national standards, with a CAP Index Crime Score of 2 out of 10.