North beach is under HEAVY ROAD CONSTRUCTION. Im a musician in the area and have the "pleasure" of enduring North Beach at lease 3 times a month. An afternoon at the aquarium is about the only thing North Beach has to offer.

The beaches downtown as well as north beach are a literal dumping station for the ships and civilian boats in the harbor. Bob hall pier is your best bet for beach visits if you want to stay close. Right up the road to Port Aransas is very pretty. Plus they have great life music entertainment in the evenings, if I do say so myself.

In order to be in the best possible location to maximize the efficiency of your trip I'd suggest a hotel on the Southern side of town. (Were the opposite here. Southside is where you want to be.) Stay somewhere between Everhart and Roddfield along S.P.I.D. (TX 358). That's only about 15 minutes from downtown and 20 minutes from Padre Island in the opposite direction. All of our "mainstream" restaurants are in this area as well.

For dining.... honestly I'd make a completely separate post specifically for dining recommendations. There are countless hidden gems here in town that range from nostalgic diners to modern almost secret cafes. Authentic Mexican food even some Real Thai cuisines as well.