Ocean City and safety for kids

The last time I was in Ocean City, I was 10. I have been told that since then (some 20 years later) there are many spots that are unsafe....not a good family place for babies or toddlers. Can anyone give me an opinion on this topic. If you have found a family-friendly section, please let me know!

Thanks.

Ocean City and safety for kids

I think Ocean City a great place for babies and toddlers. There are a lot of activities and places to go that have something for everyone. Many eateries will have a jungle gym or sand box for kids to play in while they wait. You can even see Santa arrive by jet ski in July!

As with anywhere you go you need to use a little caution and a lot of common sense - the same as you would at home . I might suggest staying above the boardwalk only because there may be more noise later at night.

Have fun!

Ocean City and safety for kids

I%26#39;m not sure what you%26#39;ve specifically been told about family safety, but here are some guidelines to keep your baby or toddler safe:

1) Do not allow your baby or toddler to swim alone in the ocean.

2) Do not leave your baby or toddler alone on the beach for extended periods.

3) Do not allow your baby or toddler to cross the busy highway by him/herself.

4) Do not allow your baby or toddler to drive if he/she has been drinking.

Other than that, I think the same common-sense rules that apply anywhere apply to Ocean City. No situation in O.C. is more dangerous for a baby or toddler (or adult, for that matter) than it was when you last visited 20 years ago.

Particularly quieter are the northernmost blocks (in the 100s) and particularly family-friendly is Northside Park at 127th Street.

I%26#39;d be curious to hear what you%26#39;ve specifically been told that makes OC not a good family place for babies or toddlers--care to share?

Interesting, I%26#39;ve been going to OC over 25 years and never heard of a ';bad area';. Maybe there is but I haven%26#39;t seen it. The boardwalk, amusement areas, put/put and the other attraction OC has to offer are safe for all ages. OC is geard for families and adults to enjoy themselves what ever they decide to do.

Wow. Not family friendly. We%26#39;ve been going for almost 20 years and never once saw a problem. Like everyone has said.........use common sense. I too prefer mid town for the stay. The boardwalk is fun at night, but there are bars there and I wouldn%26#39;t reccommend letting your children run around there alone at any time. You%26#39;ll want to take your kids to the pier(inlet) end of the boards for the rides and games. There are tons of miniature golf courses in OC, and Jolly Rogers and Trimpers for rides for all ages. Mid town beach is really nice because you can just walk right onto the beach. You don%26#39;t have to cross the boards to get to the ocean. The kids might enjoy Frontier Town across the rte 50 bridge.

But whatever you decide, if you%26#39;re as careful with your children at the shore as you are at home, you%26#39;ll be fine.

Thanks for all the input. Guess I was misinformed. People had told me OC has become more of a drunken college/high school kid hangout...AND that there was a seedy element - people looking to prey on vacationers.

I loved it when I was 8-12 when we went as a fam but haven%26#39;t been there since. So, glad to hear things haven%26#39;t changed much.

There are more high school / early college kids there in June for Senior Week, which has expanded from a single week into two or three weeks.

Also, you get what you pay for, so if you stay in a cheap dive of a building, expect that your neighbors for the week may be a little rougher around the edges.

With that said in my previous messages, I think that OC is great (a little tacky but in a charming way) and is perfectly safe in almost every aspect.

Ocean City is what Ocean City has always been. The other posters here have hit it on the head. Of course it%26#39;s a great place to take the kiddies. The ';Senior Week';(s) IS a pain in the butt, but any time you gather that many hormone laden people in a group and add a generous amount of alcohol....well, you know...kinda like Key West for the 17 year olds.

Plan to go sometime other than the first 2 weeks of June and you should be fine.