Best location in Marthas Vineyard
 

I have never been to Marthas vineyard, planning a family vacation this summer 3 families. Want to rent a house. Kids are teens and we are 50ish. We like to have a good time, enjoy the water, restaurants bike riding etc. I heard one area of the Vineyard is dry (no alcolhol sales), please do not refer that location. Would prefer a location which has easy access to the above activities. Also any recommedations for vacation rental homes. Looking at the some of the homes majority does not airconditioning, we are use to airconditioning but we currently do not live near the ocean. Is this something to be concerned about?

For a better experience go to Nantucket. Martha's Vineyard is very crowded in the summer and so is Nantucket. However, Nantucket is very far in the ocean, therefore there aren't as many daytime visitors.

Martha's Vineyard is commercialized, close to mainland and too many daytime visitors...just step off the ferry and you'll see. Hope that helps.

A/C is not really needed on these islands since there is always a breeze but most places will have it.

Joadan - just as an FYI - Vineyard Haven is 'dry'.

Well I disagree with islandtraveler, I prefer the Vineyard to Nantucket.

If you want to be in a town then go for Edgartown. If you want to be close to Edgartown but don't need to be within walking distance, look at rentals in Katama. Either way, you're a short drive or a bike ride to South Beach.

The teens might enjoy being in Oak Bluffs, it's my least favorite part of the island, a little too honky tonk for my tastes.

Lastly, if you're looking for something more secluded, go up island to Chilmark. If you rent in Chilmark you'll be able to go to Lucy Vincent beach, which is gorgeous.

I've never had a/c at any of my Vineyard rentals and it's usually fine. One summer I was there during a very hot and humid streak but we relied on the fans and did ok.

I recommend Katama, as long as you are going to have a car (either brought on the ferry, or a rental). Its midway between the beach and Edgartown. Edgartown is my favorite of the 5 island towns for dining, and shopping. We often visit Vineyard Haven, or have dinner in Oak Bluffs too, but I like Edgartown best.

I've rented on Chappaquidick too, and that has a whole different charm, but it is a little inconvenient.

If you can find something up Island, in Chilmark with a pass to Lucy Vincent I think that would be really nice. But you will be quite a bit farther from the main grocery store, and restaurants. I don't think I would recommend up-island for a first visit.

By the way, if you dine out in the "dry towns", you can BYOB. It actually makes dining in Vineyard Haven much more affordable, if you bring your own wine.

I believe all our rentals (we've rented 4 or 5 different houses over the years) were without AC. Ceiling fans are generally enough. It can get very hot and humid in midsummer as Wyatt said, but hopefully not.

These houses are a bit pricey, but I can recommend them. You haven't given a budget. Not sure if any of them are big enough for 3 families though.

http://www.seaspray.vineyard.net/index.html

There may not be any dry towns in MV for long, they are in the process of voting to change that and it has passed the first leg of its journey.... either way, I wouldn't chose an area based on that but for 3 families with teens, would choose my location based on what you want to do.

We are on the island every summer (we are also on Nantucket every summer for one week, the Vineyard for 3-4 weeks) - clearly, we prefer the Vineyard - but that is a personal thing - I could also probably be just as happy on Nantucket, but we like the various towns in MV and the beaches better than Nantucket -

Our cousins and friends all rent houses the same time we are there, so there are 4 families - they have been happy with renting from a few places. Of course, you can always have a good/bad experience with anyone, but the following groups have worked out for them:
www.mvvacationrentals.com
www.sandcastlemv.com

You can also check www.weneedavacation.com

You may see some homes, while looking online, on several sites too.

Some questions to consider before choosing your location - and price will be affected by most -
do you want to be on the water - or a walk to the water ; what type of water ( pond, lagoon, ocean) -
or would you be on the water (harbor/ocean) where you could cool off w/ a quick dip or sit reading in a chair but it isn't actual "beach" but you could walk to a beach -

Do you want sunrise/sunset - etc.

Also be careful about some areas that are "buggy"
if that is something that will bug you :)

I would also consider being on the bus line - (and a short and safe walk to the p/u corner) -
this is a plus if the teens are old enough to take the bus by themselves to go to an early movie in Edgartown or Oak Bluffs, for pizza or ice cream, that type of thing - so you don't have to drive them and/or they can do it while the adults go to dinner - if this would even be a consideration for you -

when my kids were teens, it was great they could walk to the bus (which goes between Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven, Edgartown, etc) and we didn't have to drive them everywhere - now they have licenses, but it is still great for when we have younger company -

There are also rental condos, within walking distance to beaches (vs. homes) and within biking distance to a town - which may get you all closer together but not all in the same one

Air conditioning I would not worry about if you are on the water - however, if inland and surrounded by woods, it can get warm if no breeze, - but most rental homes have ceiling/standing fans and/or window fans for that -

Do you all want to be in the same house?

If you want the teens to be able to get places via bike or bus; and if you want to get to some of the towns for easy access for shopping, restaurants I would avoid Chappy ( having to use the On Time Ferry for each crossing can be a nightmare - we have friends on Chappy and last summer was the worse - sometimes we waited in the ferry line for almost an hour no matter how well we tried to plan or arrival or escape !) - I'd avoid anything beyond Lambert's Cove -
Oak Bluffs is busy, but some families love it - it is busy b/c of the ferry arrivals, fishing charters, bus tours, events (Illumination, fireworks, concerts, movies on the green, in the Campgrounds tent) - but you can walk everywhere, including several beaches, the lagoon , etc - If choosing OB, I would try to be a tad out of town and near the lagoon end -

Edgartown is a good choice - and down near South Beach - also East Chop on the harbor side, all along Vineyard Haven Harbor towards OB has some great spots -secluded and quiet enough- just out of the way but good access to road, bus, bike paths, etc. -

Do you want a car? If so, make sure you coordinate your rental dates and auto ferry - some rentals have ferry tix (including car reservations) to go with the rentals - or are you renting a car on island?

One of our favorite things to do is drive out on the beach way out, back our car up to the water and hang out there all day - so it is nice to have 4 wheel drive whether you bring one or rent -

As far as dry towns - again, I am not sure when this is changing - whether in time for this summer or not - but you can always bring your own and at some restaurants have it delivered -

Also think of what else you may want - outside shower (always good with a crowd), bbq, outside seating - and/or screened area if not on direct ocean and in the woods -

Hope this helps. If you find some online you like, post links and people can make comments who are familiar with the island

I also have to comment, as I always do, on the opinions that Martha's Vineyard is so much more crowded than Nantucket - I have never found that to be true - it all depends on where you go -

If you hang around Nantucket boat basin, where the ferry comes in, on Main Street, etc - it seems crowded most of the time - if you get out of town - you find more secluded spots - same on Marth'as Vineyard -

Yes, Oak Bluffs and downtown Edgartown are usually the busiest - both can be extremely difficult to find parking if you don't know where to look -and the streets can be crowded with people -

but traffic is never an issue for us, or are crowds (unless it is an island event like fireworks night) - and there are at least 4 or 5 beaches we usually alternate and never feel jammed in there either -

you will need reservations for dinner, especially with a crowd, but you can make some of those ahead of time also -

Good luck and throw out any other questions -

We much prefer Nantucket to Martha's Vineyard, but no longer visit either, or Cape Cod, usually, during "Summer". Better to go in May, June or September.

You may be astonished at the price of rental homes large enough for your group in summer, if you can find one. Most rentals are booked by repeat renters a year ahead.

There would have to be a significant heat wave (unlikely, but possible) for you to wish you had air conditioning.

If you do decide on a rental, be sure to find first-hand reviews of the property before locking in, and be sure to carefully review the cancellation and other policies.

escargot, a couple questions for you, since you know the island so well...

we're actually looking at a rental on Chappy in early July. We've stayed on Chappy before, so I am aware of the issues (and sometimes avoid the wait by walking on the ferry, if we just want to go out to dinner in Edgartown).

has the ferry line really gotten worse in the last couple years? I know it can be bad, but so much?

Do you have any idea how much a 4wd drive rental with a beach sticker costs per day? When we owned an SUV we got a sticker and I loved that, but we don't have a suitable vehicle anymore.

has East Beach gotten more crowded in the last 3-5 years? we've always gone there to escape the South beach crowds, its one reason we like Chappy.

china_cat: we have our own vehicles, but my cousins from the west coast rent on island every year, I will ask her today what it cost last year - I know she reserved for her two week rental in April last year -

we found the line at Chappy absolutely the worst in 10 years - but I think it had a lot to do with the fact that the barrier beach at Norton Point had washed out last spring - so Chappy was no longer connected to MV by beach (continuing to South Beach) - so often, we never used the On Time Ferry, we would go back and forth over the beach - and you could not do that this time -

particularly our friends who reside in Chappy, they'd go that way even in the dark of night after dinner -
so I think that ontributed to the lines being really long this year -

While the beach can be crowded, I still find it less crowded out at Chappy and we seem to always be able to find a corner or spot that suits us - sometimes we are still far enough away from other families we wouldn't know they are there - some days that is tougher to find esp on weekends, but you know if you have the 4 wheel as you have, you can usually find a corner for yourself somewhere along that entire stretch -people weren't tending to buy a sticker for North Point and Wasque either last summer, now that they couldn't drive between them, so in that sense that probably helped

And, I just think, you have more people going over to Chappy for a day - for the beach, for the Mytoi Gardens, to explore - the line was horrendous last year -

sometimes we got over, always earlier in the day, say between 9-10am, from the mainland, with only 10 cars max in front of us - returning to the mainland - anytime between 3 and 7 , was anywhere from 35-60 minutes each time.....

walking as you say you have done is the way to go when you can, and use the bus and your car only when you need to do the big grocery run or maybe for a full day of exploring -

who knows, this year could be different ! one can only hope -

but I do know my one friend who has rented on Chappy for the past ten years, and is the only one of our 'crew' who didn't end up moving near the rest of us on the "mainland" has folded and won't be on Chappy this year.... but she has 2 college age and one high school kid still and going back and forth to the ferry now also from Chappy so the kids can go out was getting to her, she was spending too much vacation time just driving back and forth to the ferry or having "emergencies" when the teens didn't make the last ferry !! :) glad mine are older now.....

china_cat: my cousin emailed - the one that rented a jeep - it was about 1200 per week - but then she had to buy the 100 sticker to be able to drive on Wasque/Cape Pogue - there are of course, daily rentals, but I do not believe they have beach stickers -
but they offer a daily sticker for I believe somewhere in the 25-30 range - or at least they did last year -
I am sorry I am not the one who keeps up on this part b/c we are annual members and get the annual stickers for our cars, etc -
better info on that can probably be found on the membership web page for the Trustees who oversee all this:

www.thetrustees.org and go to Cape Pogue/Wasque, Norton, etc..

hope that helps.

I am gathering information for my own trip!
Leslie

thanks for the update Escargot. it was several years ago that we rented a gorgeous place way out on the end of Chappy, and got a sand sticker for the Explorer. it was one of the best trips to the Vineyard, except for the sitting in line at the ferry. But that trip was 2 weeks, and so we went across quite a few times. This time it owuld be just 1 week, and we might manage just two grocery/liquor store type trips.

I looked at the Cape Pogue info, and I guess you can get a daily pass for a rental vehicle, but it doesn't say how much it costs.

MrCat suggested getting an oversand permit for my Audi A4 Quattro, but I laughed at him. and then I wondered....there's only about 1/2 mile of beach road now, maybe I could drive the Audi in the sand...ground clearance isn't a huge issue as I recall. am I crazy?

cat: the other possibility is rent a car on the mainland - my cousin had looked into that and it was about $400 less than the island rental - but she decided to fly straight in instead -

The Audi could work for really close beach access, but not going the entire stretch of road - in either direction - (Pogue or Wasque towards Norton Point/South Beach) imo-

if you go to the road where the entry shack is, and go straight forward from there (or park and walk) you can access areas - and if it has been dry and is packed down, you can probably go a short way - but personally I would not venture further on the road or use it for beach driving -

or the main entry area (where the small bridge/kayaks are) - same thing straight ahead to the ocean, or park and walk the short distance - which still gives you the option of finding a quiet spot on the beach - but I wouldn't travel the longer road

there are often (and esp last year) many areas where the sand is high - and if there is evening rain, the sand is a different animal -

last year, there were about 15 unhappy cars behind a guy who got stuck - it wasn't fun sitting there for almost 45 minutes until the "trustee" employees came to push/shovel and finally tow.....

depending on what house you rent, you may not need to drive far and using your car could work out - for access - but I wouldn't want to be on the beach with it - even with our 4 whl drive suv vehicles we've had our moments.

I think the daily cost is around 25/30 but if you look on the web link, they have 800 #'s for all their departments