10 Prettiest Main Streetscapes on the Atlantic Coast
Whether you prefer New England charm to southern hospitality, these pretty streets will keep you busy from public art in the park in Chatham, Massachusetts, to playgrounds themed as giant dinosaur bones in Ocean City, Maryland. There are vintage shops selling clothing with personal photographs of the former owners in East Hampton, New York, and saltwater taffy made with a 140-year-old recipe in Cape May, New Jersey. In Fernandina Beach, Florida, take a two-person catamaran on a tour of the local wildlife, or play rooftop miniature golf in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. These towns highlight a wide diversity of experiences along the coast, all set on the prettiest downtown streets.
Bar Harbor, Maine
A sandy bar emerges at low tide between Bar Island and Bridge Street in downtown Bar Harbor, Maine. Originally named Eden, the town changed its name in 1918 in honor of the land bridge. Hiking out to the island on the Bar Island Trail takes between 45 and 90 minutes, but be aware that visitors who lose track of time can end up stranded on the island until the changing of the next tide. Rescues by water taxi can be expensive.
Agamont Park overlooks the town pier and Frenchman Bay at the end of West Street. From here, visitors can watch the coming and going of ships from the harbor and cruise ships docked in the bay. Wednesdays in the park, the Seaside Cinema presents free movies after sunset.
Independent shops and restaurants fill the colorful storefronts along Main Street. For a drink, stop in at The Barnacle, serving up Maine-produced craft beer and a snacking menu that includes fresh raw oysters. For local gifts, stop in The Acadia Shop for locally made foods and art objects, and artwork and apparel celebrating Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. Further down Main Street, In The Woods features a huge selection of hand-crafted wood products, including cutting boards, bird statues, candlesticks, and other essential and not-so-essential wood products.
The Village Green hosts summer concerts and serves as the center of Village Holidays, which features Santa's arrival, a tree lighting, crafts, and late-night shopping downtown. Santa even makes an appearance.
Chatham, Massachusetts
Twin lighthouses once stood overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on the south end of Chatham, Massachusetts. The second light eventually relocated further north on Cape Cod, becoming Nauset Light in Eastham. Today, the remaining light sits opposite Lighthouse Beach. Main Street follows the shore from the lighthouse with cedar-shingled cottages, hedge rows, and white picket fences lining the street.
Further into town, Main Street bustles with women's apparel shops, but the more unique, like The Mayflower, a general interest gift store, offers a curated selection of home goods and handmade objects, where there is always something of interest. Where the Sidewalk Ends Bookstore provides a curated selection of locally focused nonfiction, new fiction, and children's toys.
Along Main Street, Kate Gould Park hosts Art in the Park, an annual outdoor art show. Local artists design handcrafted whales and sharks that are on display in the park throughout the season. There are also public restrooms at the back of the park for added comfort while walking this pretty main street. A few doors down, set back from the road behind big shade trees, the Eldredge Public Library, built in 1896 in the Romanesque Style, regularly hosts author readings.
Continuing up Main Street through the circle, Veterans' Field is the home stadium of the Chatham Anglers, who play in the Cape Cod Baseball League. The collegiate-level summer league has been played on the Cape since 1885. Attendance is free, but arrive early for a good seat.
Edgartown, Massachusetts
In the 1975 film Jaws, Chief Brody, played by Roy Scheider, walks around the pretty streets of Edgartown, Massachusetts, the film location used as the fictional Amity Island. Today, many of the locations, like City Hall, remain more or less unchanged, and highlight why Edgartown has one of the prettiest main streetscapes on the Atlantic Coast. Across from town hall on Main Street, Edgartown Cinema 2 shows first-run movies and occasionally screens Jaws.
The red-brick sidewalks frame this ideal New England business district. Many of the shops sell summer essentials for Martha's Vineyard, including Summer Shades, whose walls are lined with sunglasses. Backwater Trading Co is a general store with an emphasis on apparel and home goods.
At Edgartown Books, it has long served as a community hub as much as a bookshop. Author readings and book signings are common events. And the shop also operates a cafe, Behind the Bookstore, at the rear of the shop's yard. The cafe serves fresh-baked goods in the outdoor courtyard.
For a waterfront dining experience, check out Atlantic Fish & Chop House, where Main Street hits the harbor. The menu includes both fresh, local seafood and dry-aged steaks.
East Hampton, New York
Tall shade trees line Main Street in East Hampton, New York, where upscale national chains mix alongside exclusive boutiques. Louis Vuitton has a corner location across the street from Prada East Hampton. But for the truly timeless look, head to Grandma Did It Better, an upscale vintage shop with a curated selection of garments. The shop is selling more than clothing, with many of the pieces in their collection accompanied by personal mementos of the previous owners.
Herrick Park, just off Main Street, hosts the annual East Hampton Art Affair. The artworks include paintings, glass sculpture, photography, and mixed media pieces from contemporary artists. On Fridays, the park also hosts the Herrick Park Farmer's Market with produce from local farmers, handmade goods, and artisan-crafted home goods.
Just off Main Street on Mill Road, an early salt-box style home from the early 18th century has been converted into the Home Sweet Home Museum. The interiors of the house are set into scenes with antiques from the period through the 19th century.
Just north of the center of town, the Hook Windmill dates to 1806, though it has been restored several times since then. It actually operated seasonally through the 1950s, though today it is merely a showpiece open to tours in the summer months.
Cape May, New Jersey
In 1976, the entire town of Cape May, New Jersey, became a National Historic Landmark, preserving the late Victorian era architecture. The main business district is the brick-paved, car-free Washington Street. The Museum of Fine Arts & Popular Culture sits at 507 Washington Street, but its opening days are limited, so it is worth checking before going. The museum's collection runs to around 190 works, ranging from abstracts and sculpture to contemporary surrealism and social-statement pieces, alongside some Victorian art. Impressionist paintings from the 19th century can be seen alongside Vivien Leigh's white lace blouse from Gone With the Wind.
No trip to the Jersey Shore would be complete without saltwater taffy, invented just a few exits up the Garden State Parkway in Atlantic City. Fralinger's Original Salt Water Taffy on the corner of Washington and Jackson Street is a classic confectionery shop with taffy, fudge, and retro candies. Fralinger's has been selling candy since 1885, after founder Joseph Fralinger visited Atlantic City on his honeymoon. He later became known as the "King of Saltwater Taffy." Atlantic City-based competitor James Candy Company, also selling saltwater taffy since the 1880s, acquired Fralinger's in the 1990s, but the store retains the charm of an old-fashioned candy shop.
There's plenty of live entertainment in Cape May, too. A block off Washington Street, the Cape May Rotary Park hosts free music in the park throughout the summer and early autumn. And across the street, the Cape May Stage is a professional theater with live stage productions of straight plays, new show readings, and movie nights featuring historic films.
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Across the Delaware Bay from Cape May, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, started out as a Christian seaside bible camp known as the Rehoboth Beach Camp Meeting Association. The railroad's arrival brought other, less religious amusements to the Victorian seaside resort. Today, a plaque on the historic Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk commemorates the Christian camp.
The pretty streetscape of Rehoboth Avenue ends at the boardwalk overlooking Rehoboth Beach on the Atlantic Ocean. The first boardwalk was installed in 1873. Today, the path is a mile long running alongside the beach. At Rehoboth Avenue, the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand hosts the annual Summer Concert Series with 40 bands performing open-air concerts, Friday through Sunday.
Overlooking the bandstand, iconic Rehoboth Beach foods can be found at Grotto Pizza, known for pizza topped with swirled sauce, and Thrasher's French Fries, made from fresh-cut potatoes. A few doors down, Fisher's Popcorn is available by the bag, tin, or tub. The flavored popcorn is sweet and salty, with combinations like Old Bay Caramel and Pumpkin Spice Caramel.
A block down the boardwalk from Rehoboth Avenue, Zelky's Beach Arcade has family-friendly, classic mechanical and digital arcade games. There is also a rooftop mini-golf course overlooking the beach with 19 holes.
Ocean City, Maryland
Just over the Maryland state line, Ocean City's pretty streetscape runs along Atlantic Avenue - the town's boardwalk. At the southern tip of the Boardwalk, the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum occupies a 1891 former US Life-Saving Service station. The museum showcases historical equipment and local history.
Amusement park rides are a big part of Ocean City's appeal, and these come alive at night with bright lights, like the OC Big Wheel. The Ferris Wheel rises 150 feet over the boardwalk, part of the Trimper Rides amusement park that includes carnival games and mechanical rides like bumper cars. The historic Grand Carousel, built in 1912, was once a steam-powered ride. The mechanical equipment has been modernized, and the beautifully crafted animals can still be ridden.
A few blocks up, Jolly Roger at the Pier operates the Giant Wheel overlooking the Boardwalk. The other amusements on the pier include a slingshot ride, drop and twist, and a looping star roller coaster. Also attached to the Jolly Roger is the OC Fishing Pier extending over the water.
Further up the boardwalk on the beach side, Dinosaur Bones Playground is a unique twist on the climbing equipment. Rather than installing ladders, slides, or monkey bars, the playground equipment looks like giant dinosaur bones, a head, ribs, tail, and egg shapes sticking out of the sand.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Since 1993, thong-style swimsuits have been officially banned at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The ban is commonly a voluntary compliance measure, meaning the town rarely actively enforces the rules, but it is one of the few beaches on the East Coast with such a rule in place.
A block from the beach, palm trees line pretty Ocean Boulevard, with numerous beach-themed gift shops like the iconic Gay Dolphin, operating here since the 1940s. The shop claims to be the nation's largest gift shop with an average of 70,000 items divided across 50 sections. One section dedicated to Elvis Presley includes a life-sized Elvis for photos.
Plyler Park, in central Myrtle Beach, links North Ocean Boulevard with the Boardwalk and Promenade. Since 1951, Myrtle Beach has held an annual Sun Fun Festival. The family-friendly festival includes live music and activities in Plyler Park, while a 61-foot-tall giant rubber duck appears nearby at Burroughs & Chapin Pavilion Place.
And another block up Ocean Boulevard, the SkyWheel Myrtle Beach is a 187-foot-high observation wheel overlooking the ocean. The gondolas rotate four times per ride, though watching the wheel turn from the ground with the flashing, shimmering lights is an equally memorable experience.
Tybee Island, Georgia
In 1958, a collision between a B-47 bomber and F-86 fighter jet accidentally released a 3.8 megaton nuclear bomb into the waters near Tybee Island, Georgia. Luckily, the bomb did not detonate. Unfortunately, the bomb still hasn't been recovered. Atomic Bar on a corner of Tybee Island's pretty main street makes light of the incident with themed cocktails like Plutonium Sunset, Radioactive Daiquiri, and Uranium Buck.
Tybrisa Street runs towards the water, lined with the kinds of casual bars and restaurants common in laid-back beach towns like Doc's Bar, operating since 1948. Doc's claims to be the oldest bar in town. The divey beach bar hosts live music and has outdoor seating. Across the street, Bernie's Oyster House serves up assorted seafood, including raw oysters, with exotic selections like gator tail bites. Tybee Island has plenty of gift shops with coastal souvenirs, including T.S. Chu Department Store on Tybrisa Street.
The Tybee Beach Pier and Pavilion stands at the end of the street extending into the Atlantic Ocean. Originally built in 1891 by the Central Georgia Railroad, the pier soon became a seasonal destination, and today it regularly hosts concerts with live music and dancing.
Tybee Island hosts the annual Tybee Island Pirate Festival in October. The festival centers on the South Beach parking lot and includes a parade, costume contests, family activities, and a Cape Fear Rum Pirate Pub Crawl along Tybrisa Street.
Fernandina Beach, Florida
Continuing south into Florida, the pretty downtown streetscape of Fernandina Beach boasts the state's oldest tavern. The Palace Saloon occupies a 1878 building that began as a haberdashery before Louis G. Hirth converted it into a bar in 1903. Historic Centre Street is an eight-block downtown corridor anchored by Fernandina Beach's harbor; Main Beach Park is separately located at 32 North Fletcher Avenue on the Atlantic.
From the waterfront, outdoor recreation is easy to access. Backwater Cat Adventure offers guided tours of the waters around Amelia Island on motorized, two-person catamarans. The sights include dolphins, wild horses, and other wildlife. Anglers can board one of two boats from Amelia Backwater Fishing Company for parties of up to six. Redfish, trout, and flounder are commonly caught in the waters here.
For visitors with a sweet tooth, check out Vintage Donuts, where made-to-order donuts are crafted in unique combinations. Customers choose an icing like vanilla or maple, toppings like bacon or peanuts, and a drizzle of an extra sauce, or select from existing combinations. Or, a block down, Fantastic Fudge offers fudge by the pound and assorted hand-dipped chocolates.
Down Centre Street in Central Park, The Island Hop Craft beer and Spirits Fest brings together local breweries and distilleries. The festival attracts producers from northeast Florida and southeast Georgia. Local bands perform live, and the marketplace is a showcase for small businesses offering unique goods.
Coastal Towns with Pretty Streets Are Lovely All Year Long
Pretty streets in coastal towns are pleasant places to spend time, even outside the height of the summer season. Bar Harbor celebrates Village Holidays in December, while pirates arrive on Tybee Island for the festival each October. And in the warmer months, every one of these towns is alive with activity, whether it is summer league baseball in Chatham or free concerts in Cape May. What all these towns have in common is beautiful main streetscapes, whether the cedar shingles of New England or the Victorian architecture of the mid-Atlantic; these towns have pretty streets for walking.
