The Market Common

The Market Common is Myrtle Beach's grown-up town center, and the best free place on the south end for an easy afternoon or evening stroll. It was built on the grounds of the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, which closed on March 31, 1993, and opened in April 2008 as a walkable district of shops, restaurants, apartments and homes laid out on a grid of tree-lined streets, a very different feel from the beach highway strips. What makes it worth a visit beyond shopping is the history built into the place. During World War II the site was an Army Air Corps airfield and training base that also held a German prisoner-of-war camp, whose first prisoners arrived in June 1944; the Air Force base that followed opened in 1956. The main streets carry the names of World War II heroes, Farrow Parkway after Doolittle Raider William Farrow and Howard Avenue after Medal of Honor fighter pilot James Howard, and historic markers along the sidewalks tell the stories of people tied to the base. At Warbird Park three jets from the base's eras stand on static display, an F-100, an A-7D and an A-10 Warthog, beside military memorials, a 9/11 remembrance installation and the Wall of Service honoring those who served here from 1941 to 1993; Valor Memorial Gardens adds a quieter memorial space. Splinter City Disc Golf, named for the wartime wooden barracks, is free to play at the Kings Highway entrance. Parking is easy and free, and the beaches of the south end and Myrtle Beach State Park are a few minutes away.

How to use it: Market Common works best as a relaxed half day. Walk the shopping streets, read the historic markers as you go, and finish at Warbird Park, where children can see the jets up close and adults can take in the memorials. The restaurants and bars along the main streets suit a long lunch or an evening meal, and the district's calendar adds farmers markets, outdoor concerts and holiday events through the year; check the official events page for dates during your stay.

Why it matters on a Grand Strand trip: much of Myrtle Beach is built for summer crowds, and Market Common is built for everyday life, so it feels calm and local even in peak season. It is a good choice for a rainy-day lunch, an off-season stroll with less wind than the oceanfront, or a bit of shopping that is not souvenirs. For military-history visitors, the markers and Warbird Park make an interesting self-guided walk, and private military-history tours are offered by outside operators.

Pairing: the district sits near the south end of Myrtle Beach, a few minutes from Myrtle Beach State Park, the art museum on South Ocean Boulevard and the airport. Spend the morning on the state park's beach and pier, lunch at Market Common, and visit the art museum in the afternoon for an easy south-end day that avoids the busiest parts of town.