I grew up in New Jersey where we went to the shore. I now live in California at the coast. We'll sometimes get particular and say we are going to the beach.

While living in Delaware and Maryland we went to the beach. In Texas, we go to the coast

When I had a house out in the Hampton's, it was a beach house. When I had a house in New Jersey, I went to my shore house.

I'm a Jersey girl, so we went "down the shore"...when I travel and in general conversation I usually say, "beach"

Did GoTravel and I confuse you on your other post? In NC I grew up going to the coast. Not all of the coastal region is beach. Swamps, estuaries, marshland, beaches make up the area close to the Atlantic Ocean. I guess it is a regional thing.

While in NC if you say you're visiting 'the beach', people will understand you. If you say you're visiting 'the shore' you might get a funny look and some idiot might respond "Where are you from?!? Jersey?!?!" Ignore the idiots, and enjoy your visit.

I'd love to see those oceanview units in Naples, Fla. Maybe they come with a telescope. If only they said 'waterview' everything would be fine.

Here in the West Indies, we call the sandy part the "beach." We call the general area where the beach is the "bay."

Although I've never heard a person in California refer to the "shore" when talking about places near the ocean. That word - preceeded by North or South -- typically is used when talking about a location around the big lake near Reno that is split by the California-Nevada state line.

I live on the Monterey bay and have lived on the California coast my whole life. We say "Let's go to the beach" but I must say calling it the shore does sound more sophisticated. Only problem is that if I start calling the beach the shore my family will think I'm nuts.

Viamar - I agree about the shore sounding more sophisticated.

Oh, how I would love to be comfortable with saying...

"My family and I plan to vacation at the shore."

Compared to...
"If we are ever able to load the kids and all of their junk into the car, we will go to the beach!"

I am going to ramble now...it reminds me of when we were at the National Zoo and we saw a family from England and their children were saying "mummy, I can't see a thing" which sounded much, much better than what my children were whining!

Here in New England we go to the beach. On occasion someone might say they are driving OVER to the coast. However if someone is 'going OUT to the coast', it usually means they are flying to California. As for the shore, I think that's strictly a New Jersey expression, as in the 'Joisey Shore'.

Usually, we saying going to the beach here in NC, but I have heard coast as well. Not sure about this, as I have never thought about when saying it, but I think I would be more likely to say coast if going on a trip that was focused on something other than what is done on the average trip to the coast/beach (i.e., sitting on the beach, playing in the water). For example, if I were to go for the purpose of photography or seeing lighthouses, and especially if I planned to move around a lot I would say "I am going to the coast."

I'm from JERSEY BABY! We're going to "DOWN THE SHORE"!!

I'm from JERSEY BABY! And We're going "DOWN THE SHORE"!!

We call it the beach. Some parts of the mid Atlantic region refer to it being The Shore.

Calling it The Shore makes my skin crawl.

We drive to the coast, walk along the beach, and pick up seashells on the shore (where the water breaks)..whilst drinking a Coke (what I call ANY soft drink) and kick off our tennis shoes (what I call ANY athletic shoe) and eat a sub (sandwich on long bun)...I'm from the South...

Wednesday, we were obviously raised in the same area!

I'm from the South, too, but we eat PO-BOYS down here and call it all the beach. Though I do drink "cokes" and wear "tennis" shoes. Mississippi calls themselves the "Gulf Coast" referring to the gambling/Biloxi area, but who goes to the BEACH there? I'd rather keep driving. To me it's not "the beach" until you hit Florida!

I went to the beach when I was a child living near Chicago, I've gone to the beach while living in NYC, LA, DC and the Maryland suburbs. I expect I'll go to the beach when we move to NC. Guess I'm stuck in a rut!

From Jersey on up, it's the shore, south of there, the beach, inland the coast.

neworleanslady, I forgot about Po-Boys, yummmm...I always think of those as subs with stuff like fried oysters, shrimp, etc on them, not your regular cold cuts and such..I love them, especially where you are or on that darn Mississipp Gulf "Coast" where I have family...