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| Leather Man Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Belts |
Dear Muffy, I am 16 years old and love your blog. I read it every day. I have read every post at least three times. I have a question for you. I am going to spend a week on either Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard this summer with my family. Do you have a suggestion which one I should vote for? My brother said that that Nantucket is getting like the Hamptons. Is that true? Which is your favorite? Thank you, and also thank you for your factory tours.
Hi Muffy, What are some of the "must visit" places on The Islands?
Muffy, We are trying to decide where to spend our summer vacation this year, Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket. Both are fine for my wife and I who like history and want to explore that part of it, but which is better for teenagers? What is there to do for them?
This seemed like a perfect poll question, so please share your opinion and comments. During the summer, would you rather spend a week on Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket?
** Poll Closed - Final Results **
History and Personal Genealogy:
The two islands are so similar today for a reason. Here is a bit of background. And it is well worth noting that I have no deep knowledge here. I have simply picked up a bit while mucking around in some family history. *** Genealogy Alert: If you find the sharing of genealogy irksome, read no further. See BvC. ***
1641 – Thomas Mayhew (and son) bought from Lord Stirling and Sir Ferdinando Gorges (through their agent James Forcett) Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and the Elizabeth Islands.
1642 – A year later Mayhew brought other settlers (including four of my husband's 9th and 10th great grandfathers) to the Vineyard to start a new colony. In the early wills I read, it was referred to as Marten’s Vineyard or Martins Vin Yard, and Edgartown Harbor was known as Great Harbor.
One of my husband's direct ancestors, who later belonged to the Edgartown Train Band - the island's earliest form of militia, bought land in 1646 that by a coincidence was just where my husband’s family’s house has been for the last fifty years.
1659 - Mayhew orchestrated the sale of Nantucket to nine of his Salisbury friends, while keeping one twentieth for himself. It is amusing to note that he sold all of this for thirty pounds and two beaver hats (one for him and one for his wife). These people are referred to as The First Purchasers of Nantucket, or The Original Owners of the Island (three of whom were my husband’s 9th great grandfathers). They then each took on an associate bringing the number of purchasers to twenty. Some of these names can be found in the newly named Founders Burial Ground off of Cliff Road.
36 comments:
I've never been to Nantucket, but my father and his wife a place on the Vineyard for ten years, or so. Right on Oyster-Watcha. So, so beautiful and soulful. I love that island with all my heart.
Somehow Nantucket has always sounded like it's for Republicans. Being a lifelong Democrat, and having already gotten the Vineyard under my skin, I never felt the desire to explore any further.
I would say although the Vineyard sounds more 'preppy' in it's background (the owner living there, a community of settlers, not investors), it has gotten much more corrupted than Nantucket in the recent years, projecting a falsified sense of 'east coast style'.
First let me say, I love you LPC!
That said, I've never been to Martha's Vineyard. I did spend a week in Nantucket, and it was lovely. I did have a run-in with mean Republicans the first night at the Ropewalk (seriously), but otherwise really enjoyed the island.
Nantucket seems to have lost its graciousness. Block Island is the Nantucket of this generation.
Plans to visit the old stomping grounds of my husband's ancestors (he's a direct descendant of that bad boy Ethan Allen) and my Vermont cousins next summer do include a visit to one or the other. I hate to sound "politically correct," but places that are too...exclusive...tend to get on my nerves after a while. My grandfather was a union man and I consider the South Side of Chicago my spiritual home. I'm with LPC. Martha's Vineyard it is.
Perhaps my opinion is biased, but Nantucket. I have family who live there year round, so I visit often. I've never been to the Vineyard, and while I'm sure it's nice, Nantucket always has the feel of home to me.
PSP, I've never been to Block Island, and I'm a twelfth generation Rhode Islander. I'm not too sure what that says about me!
MV! As someone who has experienced both, I wholeheartedly endorse the Vineyard.
The Vineyard 100%
Both, as I have been to neither!
Both are beautiful in their own way.
From the perspective of landscape-- MV does win, hands down. The ice age glaciers were far more kind to this island, and the varied topography puts one in the mood of western Ireland at times: rolling meadows, towering erratic boulders, verdant hillsides that give way to vistas of the ocean. The beaches of both have their moments of the sublime, but again, for sheer variety-- MV it is.
From the perspective of New England history-- Nantucket wins out. Those cobblestoned streets! Alas, there's an element of the precious interfering upon it... the village has maintained their architectural standards impeccably; there is no whiff of being in a museum, at all. What it does feel at times, however, is the unmistakable attitude of the filthy rich. Filthy in that way that does not come with the discretion of old money. The New York Times has reported on this dichotomy rather well-- the old and new money of Nantucket. At times in the village, this New England Yankee feels a bit displaced by the ill-mannered and indiscreet sharks of Wall Street. An unfortunate consequence of the contemporary New England coast, I daresay.
Ultimately, in deciding between the two islands... Good Luck! I'd hate to have to choose. Although I have lived on MV part- or full-time for most of my life, I love both islands and would say this: see both!
Block Island, Monhegan Island, or Mt. Desert Island....but, if I have to choose a Massachusetts island, I guess it would be Martha's Vineyard.
Please choose Nantucket. I have summered on Nantucket for as long as I can remember. I have been to the Vineyard, but there is something about Nantucket that I love. The Vineyard in My opinion is too commercialized and city like while Nantucket has one main town with quaint little shops, many unique to the island. It also has an outerlyng town with a cafe and market. Overall, go to Nantucket, you will be very pleased
The Vineyard, because my brother's up there all of August every year. The trip up those highways to the ferry is perfectly obnoxious, though--which is why my brother leaves at two in the morning.
I have to chime in in favor of Nantucket (and acknowledge that I'm totally biased).
Nantucket has spectacular beaches and an enormous swathes of preserved land. Even on busy weekends in high summer, finding a secluded spot on the island is effortless. Bonfires on the beach are encouraged. It's relatively flat and therefore excellent for biking and walking. Town is, of course, packed on weekends, but I'm sure the Vineyard is, too. If you have any admiration, as I do, for vintage Land Rovers and Wagoneers, you will never see better examples than on Nantucket, where everyone secures a permit and drives them out onto the beach at Madaket.
The options for dining, shopping, galleries, in terms of non-beach/boat/bike activities, run the gamut from highly sophisticated (and expensive) to rustic and provincial (and slightly less expensive). There is history everywhere, from the cobblestone streets to the graceful mansions downtown to the Whaling Museum. For those who play tennis, there are great community courts perfectly situated on the beach where you can play for a small fee, and many of the local clubs are happy to have you (for a heftier fee). Ice Cream at the Juice Bar is essential, as are tchotchke from the Sunken Ship.
From what I know of the Vineyard (strictly hearsay, as I have never been), it's more equivalent to the mainland Cape. (The testator did not mean that as a compliment.) It's also got a reputation as being more laid back and bohemian. On the plus, it's my understanding that it's cheaper, both in terms of renting/buying property and dining and activities, if price is a consideration. The people I know that go there are from Massachusetts, and the people I know that go to Nantucket are from Connecticut and New York, if that makes any difference to your readers.
I guess the money thing has to be acknowledged. Nantucket has become, frankly, extremely expensive. That means there's lots of very rich people there, and like everywhere else with very rich people, many are not "old money" anymore (whatever that term means). The NYTimes ran an interesting piece on this in their series on class. That said, having been to the Hamptons, there's no comparison there. (And you're much more likely to see celebrities, Hollywood-types, and politicos on Martha's Vineyard than on Nantucket). And I have yet to experience the type of obnoxious behavior that's common in other sanctuaries for the super rich. There remain plenty of old-timers, families, backpackers, and local color to offset hedge fund types.
In conclusion, the Nantucket Visitors' Bureau should hire me to write all of their publicity materials!
Oh! I forgot a great example of the differences:
A truly beloved Yale professor I worked for, a brilliant Rutgers grad who wore crazy socks with Vans to the office every day, goes to the Vineyard.
And another Yale professor/employer, Ivy-educated and always dressed in disintegrating J. Press, goes to Nantucket.
Block Island!
My parents decided to stop vacationing on Nantucket in the early-eighties and switch to the Vineyard. Though I was too young to remember Nantucket at that age, I loved the Vineyard. My father would always say, even recently until his passing, that Nantucket became too "chic", so they headed to the Vineyard, where there were more "real" people and a lot of die-hard fisherman. Coming from an obsessive fly fishing family, the Vineyard supposedly has/had better fishing, so that was probably another factor. Even though my father was managing director at a worldwide bank, he always drove beat up trucks and preferred the fishing crowd over the Wall Street set. I loved that about him. I happen to like both Nantucket and the Vineyard, and while they both are expensive places to live, and continue to attract wealthy urbanites looking for an escape, I would choose the Vineyard.
Have been going to Nantucket off and on for 45 years. Spent one one wonderful two week vacation on Block Island ten or so years ago. It is much like Nantucket was when I was a boy. But I still go to Nantucket, as staying out of town, and away from the madness, is quite delightful.
My memories of Nantucket go back many, many years. Having recently turned 50, I have been going to Nantucket since I was 6 months old. My father went before me, and my grandparents before that. My daughters are 17 and nearly 15 and have been going all their lives. Growing up, we lived in Sconset, learned to play tennis at the Casino, went to bingo every week at Sankaty, and spent every summer reconnecting with kids we had been friends with for years.
Flash forward several years, and my husband and I began spending our visits in Town, and that is what my daughters have always known. We owned for a time, but found that renting was much less of a headache. What is wonderful to see for me is the Island claiming the same place in my childrens' psyche that it has always held in mine.
I apologize for the length of this post, but I did think a bit of background was in order. That having been said, I would tend to agree with those who lament that Nantucket is "not what it used to be." There are more people who seem to lack a certain graciousness and ease that I remember from the old days. I do believe that a lot of this can be attributed to the influx of "Wall Street" types in the late 80's and through the 90's. When I was a kid, you loaded up the station wagon and drove on the ferry for the trip over. Now, private planes seem to be the order of the day. People are more demanding, less polite; things are much more expensive, and many of the shops that had been there for years have been squeezed out.
Having said all this, I wouldn't go anywhere else! The Island is small enough that you can bike anywhere. Once out of Town, you are greeted with acres upon acres of rolling hills, most of which is conservation land. There are beaches for everyone, whether you prefer the gentle waves of the north shore to the rolling waves of the south shore. Some beaches are crowded, most are not. Rent a kayak and go to Coatue; you will be the only one there. Grab lunch at the counter of the Nantucket Pharmacy, or dine at one of the numerous fabulous (though quite pricey, for some)restaurants. Soak up the history. Get doughnuts at Downeyflake and ice cream at the Juice Bar. Bike, and bike, and bike some more, and take lots of pictures!
Sorry if I went overboard. Sure, you will run in to demanding, selfish, rude people, but do what I have been doing for years and ignore them. Nantucket is a wonderful, wonderful place. I guess that I should end with the disclaimer that I have never set foot on the Vineyard, but I have heard it is quite lovely, though more commercial and glitzy than Nantucket. I am obviously very biased, but I think the extra hour on the ferry to get to Nantucket is so worth the time!
Nantucket or The Vineyard? Apples and oranges, really. Nantucket still retains the charm and magic that keeps people coming back. Town has a Brigadoon air to it as well does Sconset. Other parts of the island are rustic and dramatic in their feel.
With all this brings the crowds. Not unlike any other northeast summer resort. Having such a short season the price of food; lodging and real estate are steep. The attitude of the people that work in the shops; restaurants and inns can also be one more commonly found in larger metro areas.
The Vineyard attracts a more bohemian crowd and crowded it can be as well. However,there is a more laid back feel on MV. Nature was kind to this island as the topography is awe inspiring and also dramatic in spots.
WRJ, the Cape does have some lovely areas. While not consistently nice, there are pockets of beauty and quirky charm.
WRJ, come visit the "other mainland" - get off Route 28!
If you are Republican, you go to Nantucket. If you are a Democrat, you go to Martha's Vineyard. It's true! LOL!
I am more of a Vineyard lover. There is nothing wrong with Nantucket in my book, I'm sure it is a lovely place. Like LPC, I have always thought of Nantucket as a place for Republicans. I don't know why, I've just always thought of it that way.
I've also had a connection to the Vineyard because of its long standing African American community, Oak Bluffs. Many members of my family have vacationed there for generations. So for me, as something of an African American Prep, Martha's Vineyard is where I'd rather go.
NEITHER!!
Hands down Nantucket!
MV is much more commercialized these days. I'd say MV is more similar than Nantucket when compared to the Hamptons.
Hands down the Vineyard, although it began to get overly popular when the Clinton's invaded the island and as result it lost some of its quiet,understated and relaxed charm.
I could cite many reasons; however sufficed to say that MV remains a wonderful destination with some added aggravations and shameless commercialism.
Fred Wille
Nantucket pre and post summer is quite lovely. Since taking a car over can be madness and financial ruin, walking is the alternative and you see the island at its best. MV is wonderful too, but at times it seems too big to really enjoy. Don't discount the Cape, especially around Eastham-largely wonderfully dull during the summer!
I rather prefer Nantucket :}
Went to Nantucket for years and always on the same beach well out of town, which was delightful. Never met many Republicans but perhaps that was just the section of the island I called my home away from home. I was always so content that I never felt the need to venture forth to MV. Thinking about Nantucket makes me wish I could go back.
Why does everyone seem to suggest that meeting republicans on vacation is a bad thing?
This is not even a question. The Vineyard one million percent!
I enjoy MV, but Nantucket has my heart, We summered there when I was a child, I worked at the Nantucket Yacht club in the summers between college, and have rarely missed a summer there since. Just the name makes me long for it. My favorite time there is September, when it is less crowded, yet the air and the water are still warm.
Muffy
aka Madeline
Having been to both, I would say it is about what you'd like to do.
Nantucket is certainly the quieter of the two islands ... and I feel the more traditional of the two. The Vineyard -- probably because it is the larger of the islands -- is more alive; more nightlife, more shopping, just more. And, at least in my circle, the Vineyard is also the home to a certain degree of the "new money" crowd as opposed to Nantucket. But I fear that is changing as the years go on by.
To cpd: What I'm curious about is how everyone knows they are meeting Republicans. I mean, people rarely say "Hello, I am a Republican" to strangers : )
(I know, I know, that's not really the point of what everyone is saying. Just found it kind of funny.)
Went on over to the belt site. Very nice, but one wonders who is writing the descriptions. The most glaring "oops" is the USCG cutter. The embroidery is actually a sailing ship, and when referring to the Coast Guard this can only be the USCG Eagle, a training ship for cadets at the USCG Academy in New London, CT. It was captured from the Germans during the war.....
A bit late perhaps, but I'd say Nantucket. And I agree with a previous comment--how is it that you'd know a Republican, and why does it really matter? There are rude people (liberals, conservatives, and independents alike) anywhere you go. If you don't care for someone's manners, smile and move on. But that's just how I was raised. Muffy, this topic might deserve its own future blog post.
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