There’s a part of Myrtle Beach that most people drive past without stopping. A few blocks inland from the boardwalk, off the stretch of Kings Highway that most visitors never leave, sits a handful of streets that are quietly becoming the most interesting square footage in this city. Main Street. Broadway. Oak Street. 8th Avenue North. 9th Avenue North. The Arts & Innovation District.
You may have heard the name. You may have seen the construction cones. What you might not know yet is what’s actually happening behind them and why it matters enough that we’re writing about it.
This Is Not a Tourist District. That’s the Point.
The Arts & Innovation District was not built for people passing through. It is being built for people who live here, work here, and have decided that Myrtle Beach deserves more.
The businesses that have taken root here are not franchises that chose a favorable lease. They are independent operators, most of whom looked at a neighborhood pre-construction, with uncertain foot traffic and said yes anyway. That takes a particular kind of belief in a place. These are your neighbors.
On 9th Avenue North, you’ll find the eMYRge, a coworking hub for founders, developers, and remote workers shaping Myrtle Beach’s tech ecosystem. Red Wing Shoe Repair Red Wing specializes in bringing well-loved footwear back to life. Winna’s Kitchen, rooted in Southern hospitality and genuinely good cooking, recently moved into the heart of the block. Boteco VIP brings Latin energy and cuisine to a corner that needed exactly that. The Dolly Llama is an ice cream lovers dream. And yes, The Tasting Room on 9th is here too giving you a sommelier-led wine list, formally trained mixologist running the bar program and a chef with fine dining, Michelin experience that opened because we believed this neighborhood was worth betting on.
On Broadway Street, Swig & Swine, a Charleston institution, chose this stretch for its first location outside the Lowcountry. That’s not a coincidence. When a restaurant known for its standards picks a market, it’s paying attention to something. Stroll along the street and check out the art galleries Gallery 320, Vision Arts Gallery and Gallery Art D’Ange. If you are wanting to find a memorable activity, check out the new Serial Killers: The Experience True Crime Museum. The owners are amazing and super knowledgable!
Grand Strand Brewing anchors the strip with craft beer and a space that’s already become a neighborhood gathering point.
On 8th Avenue North, William H. Miller Studios & Fine Art has been quietly doing the work of a real gallery exhibiting, engaging, and making the case that visual art belongs in this city’s conversation. Coharie Ventures Inc. is the go to for all things printing. Leisure Time Unlimited, Inc. owns and produces two of the largest tradeshows in the Southeast, the Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Supply Show of the Southeast and the Dickens Christmas Show and Festivals, both of which have been nationally recognized! Milano Kitchen & Bath is on Broadway for all your homes needs. Endzone Tavern for those who love billiards. (You can play for free!) Sun City Cafe has anchored this end of downtown for nearly 25 years and the owners and staff are exactly what you hope to find in a small neighborhood – friendly, kind and welcoming. Fresh Brewed Coffee House on Broadway is the kind of neighborhood coffee shop every walkable district needs. Or if you’re more into biking, check out Beach Bike Shop!
On Oak Street, the old Myrtle Beach Train Depot is a great event space! Head over to main to check out St. George’s, a local bar where everyone is family or stop into Homestyle with serves up rich traditions of Jamaican cooking. Wander into House Parts if you are on the block as it is the Grand Strand’s only designer gallery featuring decorative and distinctive House Hardware. You are sure to find a unique addition for your home or business!
A performing arts center is under construction on Main Street. Coastal Carolina University is involved in renovating the historic Broadway Theater. None of this happened by accident, and none of it happens without the small businesses that came first and stayed.
Your dollar here hits different because when you spend money at a locally owned business, a meaningfully larger share of that dollar stays in the local economy and is reinvested in staff, in vendors, in the neighborhood itself. When you spend it at a chain, most of that money leaves.
But beyond economics, there’s something less quantifiable at stake in a neighborhood like this one. Every business that closes because foot traffic didn’t come is a vacancy. Every vacancy slows momentum. Every slowdown makes the next business think twice. The reverse is also true. Every full room, every sold-out Saturday, every new face that walks through a door and comes back the following week compounds. It tells the next business considering this neighborhood that the bet is worth making.
The owners here are not waiting for the neighborhood to arrive before they open their doors. They opened first. They are the neighborhood arriving. The least the rest of us can do is show up.
July 3rd. First Friday ArtWalk. Be Here.
Every first Friday of the month, the Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance hosts the F1rst Friday ArtWalk. This is a self-guided evening from 5 to 8 PM through the Arts & Innovation District. Local businesses host artists, musicians, and live performances. Galleries open their walls. Restaurants run specials. The streets fill with people who came for art and stayed for dinner.
July’s First Friday falls on July 3rd the night before the Fourth of July which makes it a perfect night to explore the area before the festivities take over the weekend. Grab some friends, make a reservation (TTR has a new food program its launching the the dinner features for July 3rd are so good!) and spend the evening getting to know your neighbors that own businesses downtown.