The Private Town
With a Waiting List.
260 lots. Acre-sized estates. A private beach, a certified wildlife sanctuary, and three gates hiding it all from the road. Briarcliffe Acres is the most exclusive address on the Grand Strand — and almost no one outside knows it exists.
Myrtle Beach’s Best-Kept Secret — And That’s Exactly How Residents Like It
Most people drive right past it every day. Tucked off U.S. Highway 17 between Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, Briarcliffe Acres hides behind a dense treeline and brick gates that give almost no indication of what lies beyond. That’s entirely by design.
“It’s a little secret,” Mayor Dave Buonviri told a reporter in 2025. “It’s not Myrtle or North Myrtle.” He wasn’t being modest — he was being accurate. Briarcliffe Acres is its own incorporated town, with a mayor, a four-member town council, and just two paid staff members. It has its own history, its own rules, and its own deeply rooted identity that has nothing to do with the neon and noise of the Grand Strand just minutes away.
The result is one of the most coveted residential addresses in coastal South Carolina: 260 lots averaging approximately one acre each, set inside a certified wildlife sanctuary, along one mile of private oceanfront, in a community where most residents have lived for decades — and where there is a literal waiting list when a property comes up for sale. Forbes named it the sixth richest city in South Carolina in 2023.
“There is a waiting list to move into the oceanfront town. Property rarely comes up for sale, and when it does, it’s snapped up quickly and with a high price tag. Most residents find the town through word of mouth.”
Yahoo News / The Post and Courier · February 2025One of the First Planned Communities in the Southeast
Briarcliffe Acres has a origin story unlike any other neighborhood on the Grand Strand — and that history is inseparable from its present-day character.
Estates on Acre Lots — at Every Point Along the Luxury Spectrum
Briarcliffe Acres is not a one-price-point neighborhood. It is a community where a lovingly maintained 1960s brick ranch on one acre sits a few streets from a newly constructed Mediterranean estate with ocean views and a pool. What every property shares is land, privacy, and position.
There are only 260 lots in Briarcliffe Acres, and three of them are currently undeveloped. There is literally no more land to build. Some buyers have purchased two adjacent lots to expand their footprint. When a property comes to market, you need to be pre-approved, ready to move, and working with an agent who knows the community. This is not a neighborhood for casual browsing — it’s a neighborhood for committed buyers who have done their homework.
What Sets This Town Apart from Every Other Neighborhood on the Grand Strand
A Town Where Humans Share the Land with Wildlife
The wildlife in Briarcliffe Acres is not incidental — it’s a defining feature. The town’s maritime forest and lake system create a habitat so rich that the SC General Assembly formally recognized it over 50 years ago. Residents report regular sightings of:
- 🦅 Bald Eagles & Osprey
- 🦭 Great Blue Herons
- 🦊 Foxes & Bobcats
- 🦌 White-Tailed Deer
- 🐊 Alligators
- 🐢 Loggerhead Sea Turtles
- 🦆 Ducks & Wading Birds
- 🦝 Raccoons & Opossums
Education in the Briarcliffe Acres Zone
Briarcliffe Acres falls within the Horry County Schools district, feeding into the Myrtle Beach school pathway. Niche rates the public schools in Briarcliffe Acres as highly rated, and the area’s proximity to major educational institutions adds further value for families.
Private school options including Calvary Christian School are accessible nearby. Coastal Carolina University in Conway — a regional employer and cultural institution — is approximately 25 minutes west on Hwy 501.
Life Here: Nature, Coastal Living, and the Grand Strand at Your Doorstep
The beauty of Briarcliffe Acres is the contrast it offers — extraordinary peace and privacy within the neighborhood, and the full energy of the Grand Strand available the moment you drive (or golf cart) out the gate.
Dining: From Private Estate Dinners to Grand Strand Classics Across the Street
Briarcliffe Acres itself has no commercial businesses — that’s part of its character. But Barefoot Landing is literally across Highway 17, placing a dozen exceptional restaurants within a 2-minute drive. Restaurant Row is minutes south. This is one of the best-positioned communities on the Grand Strand for dining access.
Joining the Community — What to Know Before You Arrive
Moving to Briarcliffe Acres is different from moving to any other neighborhood on the Grand Strand. You’re not just joining a subdivision — you’re becoming a resident of an incorporated town with its own civic identity, traditions, and community standards. Here’s what matters in your first months.
Your First 60 Days in Briarcliffe Acres
- Join the Briarcliffe Acres Association (BAA). Membership is voluntary but essential — it grants access to the private beach, cabana, gated parking, and a calendar of community events and socials. Get your BAA decal for the golf cart too.
- Get your copy of the community history book. Every resident receives a copy of the town’s written history from the mayor. Read it — it gives you context about your neighbors, your land, and what this community has always stood for.
- Understand the golf cart culture. Most residents use golf carts to reach the beach, visit neighbors, and move around the town. It’s not just convenience — it’s the ethos of the place. The quiet, slow pace is the product residents are paying for.
- Attend a town council meeting. With only a mayor, four council members, and two staff, Briarcliffe Acres governance is genuinely accessible. Residents have real influence over their town — and that tradition is part of what makes this place special.
- Know your sea turtle responsibilities. During nesting season, fill in any holes you dig on the beach, remove all trash, and support the volunteer monitoring group. The loggerhead turtles have been nesting here for decades.
- Respect the wildlife. The SC bird sanctuary designation is taken seriously by residents. Feeding wildlife is discouraged, and the town’s natural character is treated as a shared inheritance by the community.
- Transfer your SC driver’s license within 90 days. Required by law for new SC residents. The nearest DMV is on Hwy 17, minutes away.
- Hurricane preparedness is year-round. The tree canopy offers real protection, but know your evacuation zone and keep a storm kit current. Hurricane season runs June–November — follow Horry County Emergency Management alerts.
Is Briarcliffe Acres Right for You?
Briarcliffe Acres draws a specific, self-selecting type of resident. This is not a neighborhood for everyone — and that’s precisely its appeal.
High-net-worth retirees and empty nesters who have done everything they wanted to do and now want privacy, nature, and coastal living on their own terms. The absence of HOA mandates, the acre-sized lots, the private beach, and the golf cart pace of life are exactly what this profile has been searching for.
Established professionals and executives seeking a primary or secondary residence that offers genuine seclusion without isolation. The community’s location — Barefoot Landing across the street, Myrtle Beach 10 minutes south — means the world is accessible on demand, and completely invisible when you don’t want it.
Equity-rich buyers from the Northeast trading expensive, crowded coastal properties in New Jersey, Connecticut, or Long Island for something that offers more space, more nature, lower taxes, and — in many cases — comparable prestige at a lower absolute price. A $2M home in Briarcliffe Acres represents something genuinely rare. A $2M home in the Hamptons does not.
Buyers who value permanence. The median age in Briarcliffe Acres is 60. Average household income is $88,255, with 36.9% of residents holding college degrees. Most stay for decades. The waiting list for properties is real. If you find a home here, you have found something that will not be easy to replicate.
Ready to Get on the
Briarcliffe Acres List?
Properties here are rare and move fast when they appear. We’ll alert you the moment something comes to market — and have you positioned to act.
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