Ocean City MD or Dewey Beach DE? (crime, high school)

[Nantrax]

I know OC has the huge beach the board walk restaurants etc but I"m hearing a lot about thugs taking over the city and a lot more crime these days. Is the same thing happening in Dewey? If you had a family which beach would you choose to spend your vacation?

[marlinfshr]

I have heard of a couple of instances in OC lately but remember that June, with all the high school kids coming down, is over. Ocean City is still a safe place to bring a family. It is still a town where, when something bad happens, it gets state wide coverage because it isn't common at all. Also, the sheer numbers of summer residents and tourists skew the numbers a bit as well when it comes to crime.

I can't say much about Dewey as I'm not familiar with it. However, I have always thought of Dewey itself being a party town. That being said, nearby Bethany and Rehobeth have reputations as being family freindly as well as OC.

Personally, I prefer Ocean City because it is one long strip and it is easy to get to everything. There are plenty of taxis and the bus if you don't want to drive as well. I also like the boardwalk and the fact that wherever you are you are by the ocean. It also joins into Fenwick Island, DE which adds to the length of the strip and attractions. However, I may be a bit biased due to living right outside of OC. In my opinion, Bethany is too small and Rehobeth is just too spread out for my preferences.