These Vacationers Came to Myrtle Beach and Never Left
by Melissa LaScaleia
Introduce me to your family.
My husband Tom and I have been married 37 years. We have three children: Greg and his wife Jess, and our grandson, Jaxson, live in Oswego, NY; Matthew lives in Pennsylvania; and our daughter, Jennifer, is the catering and sales manager at Travinia.
Why did you move to the Market Common?
We always thought we would retire in Florida. But in 2014, enroute there, we decided to come to Myrtle Beach because we had heard wonderful things about it. We came to the Market Common, fell in love with it, and bought a house in an hour.
Where are all the places you came from?
We both grew up on Long Island, NY. We lived in Japan for 2 years when Tom was in the Navy; Melbourne, Florida; and 20 more years on Long Island.
Do you have a favorite place in the Market Common?
Travinia. It was the first spot we went to after we bought the house, and we loved it. They had a jazz band playing, and we loved sitting there, looking out at the beautiful scenery, people watching.
What’s your favorite thing about living in the Market Common?
We have many. We love that you can walk on trails and bicycle everywhere; the many social activities; the Southern Times Square New Year’s Eve party; the different outdoor affairs and outdoor concerts. Of course, with a name like O’Leary we love the Irish festival. We love all the beaches, and the MarshWalk.
How has your lifestyle changed since moving here?
Without having to work everyday, we’ve become stress-less. We enjoy every day; we do water aerobics, book club, line dancing at the rec center, pool parties. I had to get a larger calendar to write in all our activities.
Is there anything that you miss or would like to see in the Market Common?
A Trader Joes. We don’t like to see any stores empty, so we try to do a lot of local shopping and support the farmers market. We don’t miss the snow or the cold, dreary days.
