What is it like to live on Martha's Vineyard? (2023)

What is it like living on Martha's Vineyard?

As an all-year resident, it's important to remember that you're essentially living in a small town. There's plenty to do, but the off-season on the island offers a quiet respite rather than the busy, bustling tourist atmosphere that can be found in warmer months.

Martha's Vineyard, made up of six towns, is a popular summer destination for the famous and wealthy. People come for the privacy, the beaches, the boating.

It's beautiful.” “Amazing.” “Peaceful, like an alchemy of the universe.” “Idyllic.”

While the downtown areas are great with amazing shopping and dining options, what Martha's Vineyard is truly known for is its natural beauty. With cliffs, pristine beaches, marshland, and two wildlife sanctuaries there is so much to explore.

Celebrities like Bill Murray, Meg Ryan, Reese Witherspoon, Mike Wallace, and even Princess Diana have all regularly visited. A number of them, such as Michael J Fox, have called the Vineyard their home. The low-key vibe is just one of the reasons the rich and famous make Martha's Vineyard part of their summer circuit.

The poverty rate for Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts was 7.5% in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

In addition, the Vineyard's average weekly wage of $1,094 in 2020 was 70 percent of the state average, and its median home price — now approaching $1.3 million — was more than double the state's, according to an assessment of the island's housing needs.

“He was kind of known for having black labs.” One particular dog, which boarded Douglas's ship shortly before he gave up full-time sailing, was named the Black Dog, after a pirate from the book Treasure Island who's missing two fingers on his left hand. And so the tavern became known as the Black Dog.

Locals commonly refer to “up-Island” and “down-Island”. Technically it's a longitude/latitude thing, but basically when you hear “up-Island” it means the western, more rural towns of West Tisbury, Chilmark and Aquinnah. “Down-Island” refers to the busy port towns of Tisbury (Vineyard Haven), Oak Bluffs and Edgartown.

Is it easy to get around Martha's Vineyard without a car?

Rent a Car

There is really no need to have a car when you are “down island”, because it is easy to get between the down island towns (Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, & Vineyard Haven) by bus, bike, or a short taxi ride.

Truly, you can't go wrong with either setting. Both offer unique experiences in picturesque settings. If you're looking for relaxation, perhaps head to Edgartown. If you're looking for a beautiful setting, mixed with an active nightlife, head to Oak Bluffs.

In Martha's Vineyard Island, the summers are warm, humid, and windy; the winters are very cold, snowy, and extremely windy; and it is partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 24°F to 79°F and is rarely below 10°F or above 85°F.

Mosquitoes are active spring through fall on the island and prefer a warm, moist environment. They are more than a nuisance, as they also pose health risks to humans and our pets. Even when summer winds down, the island remains at risk for viruses carried by mosquitoes.

Edgartown and Oak Bluffs are the most popular options for where to stay on Martha's Vineyard. In the two eastern towns you find a quintessential vibe and several great Martha's Vineyard hotels. Other alternatives for where to stay when visiting Martha's Vineyard are Vineyard Haven and the quieter Up-Island.

Martha's Vineyard is an island 8 miles off the Cape Cod peninsula in Massachusetts. Once a whaling center, it has become a vacation hotspot and a favorite summertime haven of many celebrities. Due to this, it has picked up the nickname "Hollywood East". It is the third largest on the eastern seaboard.

How many people live on Martha's Vineyard? The Vineyard is home to roughly 17,000 year-round residents. During the summer months, the population increases to nearly 200,000. Sixty-three percent of all homes on the Vineyard belong to seasonal residents.

Many high-profile people have purchased property on Martha's Vineyard, including former first lady Jackie Kennedy, journalist Mike Wallace, television host David Letterman, journalist Diane Sawyer, former chief executive of Colony Capital Richard Saltzman, and film director Spike Lee.

Steven Spielberg's 1975 smash-hit “Jaws” is usually what comes to mind when thinking of movies filmed on the Cape and Islands — or more generally, the summer blockbuster. Based on the best-selling novel by Peter Benchley, the movie was filmed on Martha's Vineyard but is set in the fictional New England town of Amity.

British explorer Bartholomew Gosnold crossed the Atlantic in 1602 and landed at a place he called Cape Cod because of the fish in the vicinity. He would name a nearby island Martha's Vineyard after his daughter. 3.

What is the Black area in Marthas Vineyard?

In the Oak Bluffs area of Martha's Vineyard, the Inkwell, as it's fondly known, has long been a summer destination for Black families; the area was even listed in The Negro Motorist Green Book, a travel guide for vacation-bound African-American families popular from the '40s to '60s.

Drug and alcohol abuse on Martha's Vineyard is more prevalent than it is in most of the rest of the country.

Many islanders would say skunk problems originated on Martha's Vineyard when Craig Kingsbury released them here in the 1960's. While it is true the island was free of striped skunks from the early 1900's until the 1960's, most don't know that skunks were originally part of the native fauna.