Shopping

The Market Common -- Cited by urban critics as one of the most appealing combinations of residential and commercial real estate that's ever been seen along South Carolina's coastal region, this recently inaugurated compound has added a welcome touch of upscale class and charm to the strip-mall flavor of some other parts of Myrtle Beach. Designed with streets, adequate parking, lots of stores, movie theaters, and restaurants, it resembles a self-contained village, a feeling that's reinforced by the dozens of private town houses and condos that occupy the upper floors of retail buildings.

Coastal Grand Mall (tel. 843/839-9100; www.coastalgrand.com), South Carolina's largest shopping center, is at the intersection of Hwy. 17 Bypass and Hwy. 501. Containing four megasize department stores (Sears, Dillard's, Belk, and JCPenney), it also features dozens of specialty retail outlets along with at least a dozen restaurants and specialty food vendors. You can shop until you drop at outlets that range from Radio Shack to Victoria's Secret.