Block Island vs Nantucket
 

Hi,
My wife and I "discovered" Nantucket last
Sept. and have now been there twice.
We love the ability to jump on a bike and within an hour find a quiet beach.
We go mid week and skip the crowds and save a few bucks as well.
Here's the question:
How does Block Island compare?
Is it comparable to Nantucket? Or is it more built up like Martha's Vinyard?
All thoughts welcome; TIA
Pete

Have only been to Block Island once several years ago. It is charming, but very small. There is a downtown, if you will, but it contains only a few establishments. We had a tour around the island, but everything seemed very isolated. If you are looking for solitutde, that's the place. Personally, I think Nantucket has a great deal more to offer.

Nantucket=Sir Anthony Hopkins or Meryl Streep
Block Island=Matthew LeBlanc's character on "Friends"

LOL TedTurner. I'd say Nantucket=Katherine Hepburn
Block Island=Gilligan (Gilligan's Island).

The point is, Pete, if what you're looking for is biking & deserted beaches, YOU might like Block Island even more than Nantucket. But it has no visible history (ie no charming old buildings), no upscale restaurants. It's casual, laid back & basic.

If true, then all I can say is thank god there is still at least one Joey/Gilligan Island in New England -- so much else is Hopkins/Streep/Hepburn!

(In the case of Martha's Vineyard, however, it's entirely a Taylor family limo.)

In all fairness, cfc, I did say Pete might like Block Island better. BTW, Taylor family limo??? As in James Taylor?

As in James and Hugh and other hangers on. There are, of course, lots of other celebs who have places or visit, but the Taylors have been there since James was a pup, and you kind of can't forget that if you spend more than a day on the island--esp. if you visit Hugh's hotel/dining room at the Gay Head end of the island (sorry, forgot new name of area).

I'm not following any of cfc's reasoning/commentary.
The Taylors are "hangers on" on Martha's Vineyard? Huh?
(The comment was "...as in James and Hugh and other hangers on).
And other celebs are "hangers on"?
The celebs who have homes on MV aren't the "hangers on". It's the bug-eyed stargazing tourists who are the hangers on. The people who have nice homes on MV can live anywhere they want to. They're primarily on MV to get <away> from the masses, not to be hangers on to anything.

And what's the "Taylor family limo"? People like Walter Cronkite, Diane Sawyer and Bob Costas hardly need to be following the Taylors around, nor are the Taylors the types who seek attention in the first place.

Hmmm;
Sounds nice.
Comfortable without
being trendy.
Certainly does not sound
"over run" with tourists.
(Or even Celebs!)
Thanks for your feedback!
Pete

I think Christopher Walken has a place on Block Island....should eleviate any fears knowing he's nearby!!!!

Block Island is a good place if you are single and like to sit in the sun, read and get really drunk. Drinking seems to be a Olympic Sport on Block Island. Nantucket has charm and compared to Block Island is a veritable NYC, while BI is well not.
There are Inns, shops and restaurants but nothing in comparision to NT. There area where you get off the ferry on Block is where all the action is and it's not much. There is a great fudge and taffy shop, the National In and some small shops. Both Islands are comletely different and give Block a try and make your own decision.

Good grief, rwilliams, which sore toe did I trip over?

I admit, there's sort of a misplaced modifier or wrong punctuation or something about way I used the phrase "other hangers on" --because what I meant was, pretty much, James plus Hugh and then, with them, some aging Taylor-era groupies hanging out at the Outermost Inn -- so I supposed some starry-eyed tourists looking for celebs would count. But the Taylor family is, indeed, a family of long-standing on the island and had "discovered" it long before some of the glitzier celebs took over. Of course, certain New York City socialites and literati knew about the Vineyard long ago (just go through old New Yorker mags of the 30s and 40s).

"You walked in to the party
like you were walking onto a yacht..."

PS: If you go to the website for the Outermost Inn, you'll get a pop-up ad for Hugh's latest CD.

FYI
OK just got back from Block Island.
It was great. We brought our bikes over and used them a lot!
It was fun discovering all the little
coves at the end of dirt roads.
Awesome Bluffs!!!
I would NOT like it in July or August with the crowds. But Sept. was excellent.
Seems to be a big party town in the summer. Not our scene.
Cheers,
Pete

Go mid week. Bike, eat and enjoy the quiet beaches (Mansion Beach). Small island, w/ small town. There are GREAT restaurants and quite a few are upscale but laid back (if that makes sense). There is a bit of a drunken party scene on weekends in town during summer. GREAT biking island. Beautiful. We got married there and spen at least two weeks there every summer. Never get tired of it!

B