Martha’s Vinyard or Nantucket for vacation? (Easton, Brewster: rental, hotel)

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by massnative71

If you want an escape from the "urban environment", I'm not sure that's the place for you.

There’s always Narragansett. Not on weekends, though. It doesn’t have ferries to limit the crowds of day trippers.

From NYC with a large budget, I’d fly to Nantucket. It has the least day tripper masses.

[missionhill]

Paradise is Edgartown on MV. Beaches, salt ponds, Chappaquiddick ferry, nice town—shops, restaurants, pretty streets for stroll. Oak Bluffs is great too, the cottages, the scene, views over vineyard sound. Cant comment on Block Is or Nantucket.

[masssachoicetts]

MV by far. 9/10

Nantucket is not very fun and the atmosphere is ridiculously stuffy. 3/10

Newport is a solid 12/10

[Lampert]

What about vacationing on Cuttyhunk island?
Any experience anyone?

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by masssachoicetts

MV by far. 9/10

Nantucket is not very fun and the atmosphere is ridiculously stuffy. 3/10

Newport is a solid 12/10

I prefer MV over Newport but they're both nice. Never been to Nantucket but have heard what you said.

[masssachoicetts]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

I prefer MV over Newport but they're both nice. Never been to Nantucket but have heard what you said.

Agreed.

[bizcuit]

Originally Posted by masssachoicetts

Agreed.

The one of advantage of Newport over MV or Nantucket is that you wouldn't have to deal with a ferry, or ferry reservations. The beaches aren't very good though, although I imagine there are better beaches that you can drive to, I'm just not familiar with them. Newport as a town is great. And driving around to view the Newport Summer "cottages" is pretty interesting.

That said, I would take Martha's Vineyard any day of the week. If you stay in Edgartown, you can walk to plenty of dining and cocktail options. The South beaches and the beaches of Chappaquiddick are magnificent.

Oak Bluffs also has a walkable town area with plenty of dining options. In my day, OB was more of a honky tonk town and where we spent most of our nights out when I was in college. Not sure if it is still the same.

Vineyard Haven is not a bad town either, especially now that beer and wine is available (VH and all of Up-Island used to be completely dry).

My favorites are West Tisbury, Chilmark and Aquinnah (used to be Gay Head), but you are not going to have the town options there that it sounds like you want.

Whatever you decide to do, if you want your car on the island, make your Summer ferry reservations NOW (as someone mentioned up-thread).

I've only been to Nantucket once, but I loved it. Great little town, very walkable and with some great restaurants. But because there is only the one true town, it's going to limit your options a bit. The ferry ride is significantly longer too, I think about two hours or so. The ferry to MV is only 45 minutes.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by Lampert

What about vacationing on Cuttyhunk island?
Any experience anyone?

Tons. I’m on the mainland directly across from it. It’s been the standard overnight weekend cruise spot for me since I was a little kid in the early 1960s. Until COVID, I drank a beer with the now retired ferry owner at the local pizza place every Tuesday. I’m on the island many times per year. My standard powerboat ride is to look at seals off Penekese and then go the mile to Cuttyhunk. It’s a bathroom break for anyone who needs to go. A friend of mine has a boat dock in Copicut Neck across the harbor from the town docks so I’ll borrow his dock if we want to walk the island. It is nothing like what they’re looking for. No hotels. No real restaurants. The Cuttyhunk Fishing Club is the only B&B that I know of and I’d bet they’re fully booked by now. Generally, you rent a house and pack in all your food in a cooler. There’s a tiny store if you run out of something. There’s a pizza oven in a garage with picnic tables. Some years, you can get lobsters and steamers. You can get food at the dock. I can vouch for the chicken salad and chowder. It’s where people go to escape from civilization though less so now since I can get Verizon data in the harbor.

[Lampert]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Tons. I’m on the mainland directly across from it. It’s been the standard overnight weekend cruise spot for me since I was a little kid in the early 1960s. Until COVID, I drank a beer with the now retired ferry owner at the local pizza place every Tuesday. I’m on the island many times per year. My standard powerboat ride is to look at seals off Penekese and then go the mile to Cuttyhunk. It’s a bathroom break for anyone who needs to go. A friend of mine has a boat dock in Copicut Neck across the harbor from the town docks so I’ll borrow his dock if we want to walk the island. It is nothing like what they’re looking for. No hotels. No real restaurants. The Cuttyhunk Fishing Club is the only B&B that I know of and I’d bet they’re fully booked by now. Generally, you rent a house and pack in all your food in a cooler. There’s a tiny store if you run out of something. There’s a pizza oven in a garage with picnic tables. Some years, you can get lobsters and steamers. You can get food at the dock. I can vouch for the chicken salad and chowder. It’s where people go to escape from civilization though less so now since I can get Verizon data in the harbor.

Sounds cool. Thanks for sharing.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by bizcuit

The one of advantage of Newport over MV or Nantucket is that you wouldn't have to deal with a ferry, or ferry reservations. The beaches aren't very good though, although I imagine there are better beaches that you can drive to, I'm just not familiar with them. Newport as a town is great. And driving around to view the Newport Summer "cottages" is pretty interesting.

Not having to take the ferry is definitely a big advantage for Newport. I'd have to disagree on the beaches though. I think the three main "Newport" (they're actually in Middletown) beaches are pretty nice, easily accessible from downtown, and all a bit different from each other. 1st/Easton's is definitely the busy beach with the clubhouses, a small aquarium, a skatepark, etc. It's within walking distance of much of Newport and draws big crowds. 2nd beach is surrounded by protected land, so it feels quieter. There's almost always room to spread out too, and it's fun to watch the surfers on Surfer's End. 3rd beach is the quietest of the bunch and offers perpetually calm waters and is great for young kids. Head to head, I'd definitely agree that Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket have more and better beaches (especially if you're willing to get out of the towns), but Newport definitely does just fine in terms of beaches.

Newport's obviously more built up than the Islands or the Cape. But I'd still call it an escape from the urban nature of NYC (which is partially why it's so popular with the NYC crowd). It's quaint, charming, and fun. I think the biggest advantage aside from not needing the ferry is that there's more for a family to do in Newport. You have Ft. Adams to explore, more retail/dining options than any of the towns in MV or Nantucket, a winery/(actual) vineyard, a small aquarium, etc.

But if the OP is looking for beaches first, other things to do second, then I'd agree that MV or Nantucket is better. Or really, Block Island again - there are 8/9 ferries a day from Point Judith in the high season, and that's an easier drive from NYC.