I'm thinking of taking a week long vacation in late july / early august somewhere on the east coast. I'll be driving from New York and I'm thinking of heading south - somewhere in the mid-atlantic states - perhaps as far south as the carolinas? I'm willing to drive as far as 10-15 hrs.

I'm a 26 yr old single male. Ideally the location is on the shore, and would have a good nightlife as well. Perhaps a youthful population? Bottom line is that my budget won't allow for me to spend much more than $700-$1,000 on the entire trip. Any suggestions?

Virginia Beach, Nuff said

I like Virginia Beach, as well. Also, if you want to go into North Carolina - Wrightsville Beach, Topsail Beach - any of them, actually. They're pretty nice, too.

I grew up in wrightsville beach, so of course i love it. If you are looking for a great beach with a laidback night life (several bars, just a small town / college attitude). If you are looking for something a bit more active, or clubby head to virginia beach. The beaches in Wrightsville are much nicer, so you have a choice to make. They will be pretty equal on the budjet, if i were you, i would book a hotel on orbitz, you can normally get a nice hotel room much cheaper that way. have a great trip

Jibboo and Debi, Thanks! I'll start looking into these areas.

You can get a room at the Topsail Motel for $ 65 a night and have a great view from a balcony. Nothing fancy but a great beach. But you should make reservations. There are 4 good places to eat in Topsail- Latitude 34, II Beauchaine's, Soundside and Palotti's. As you are driving alone, you'll probably feel more comfortable at Palotti's. It's cheaper, too.