Hi, I am trying to decide between two apts (week long) in Nantucket. Their only diff (to me) is in their location. One is on Union st (close to Main st) and the other in Sconset.

1)We are two adults looking for peace and quiet but also like to go to bars some nights..
2)We are also planning on eating most meals at home but need access to fresh fish..
3)We will not have our car with us.. I just checked the NRTA website and it looks like the last bus from the town into Sconset is at 4:40 PM, which makes the idea of going into town in the evenings hard..
4)We are also looking for quiet, shallow water beaches..

Opinions?

S

For you, town. In town, not mid-island. Union St is fine, except perhaps for quiet. Tell me the address, and I will check out the location for you today and offer an opinion.

You should certainly visit Sconset, which is absolutely charming, by bus. Take the Milestone Road bus out and the Polpis Road bus back to see a lot of that end of the island. But there is no fish market, there are only two restaurants and two cafes, and the grocery store is minimal. Pretty good liquor store, though!

Here is a beach map that might also show you how close you'd be (walking or biking, and of course, always the bus) to some beaches, vs being out in Sconset. We love going out to Sconset, walk to the Summer House for lunch - by the pool, overlooking the ocean, nice spot to have a lazy summer lunch. Or, sometime we will rent a car for one or two days so we can also do some island exploring on our own, driving to locations we would not otherwise get to -

http://www.nantucketchamber.org/visitor/beach.html

if Ackislander says the in town location will work and is not too close to Main St, at least you'd be able to walk at night for bars, ice cream, people watching and have handy access for cooking supplies -

Ackislander; are they still doing farmer's markets on Main Street and if so, do you know which days?

Thank you Ackislander and escargot.. I just found out that the place in town is only available July 11th-18th and that is too early to plan for (I am in school and husband has work). So it looks like Sconset it is(last week of July)..

I found out that bus into town runs upto 11:15 and back 11:45 and because there is a liquor store (sconset cafe library) and a bar - Summerhouse, it should be plenty.

However, the beach is surfy and no access to fresh fish is a bummer!!

Thanks ackislander but I do not know the address (something they don't give out until place is booked)

What do you think? I am looking forward to the quiet (we live in NYC)..

If you are looking forward to the quiet, then you will love Sconset - but the beach is rough for me, but you should visit several beaches while on the island - mix it up ! the bus service is great, or rent bikes -

then pick a few nights to go into town to satisfy that urge and I am sure you will have a wonderful time. Get your fresh fish when you eat out in town - or, pick some up on your way home from the beach one day, use one of those disposable coolers, if you have your heart set on grilling fresh fish at your place !

Have fun -

ROFL!!

My house is on Main Street and strangers love to sit on my front steps and eat ice cream cones and leave their dirty napkins in my shrubs.

So, suetibu, please, no matter where you stay, don't leave napkins on anyone's lawn. LOL!

And don't park your SUV on anyone's lawn like Mrs. Ben Affleck.



Thin

Thanks escargot..Any favorite hidden shallow water beaches? We are considering renting bikes also..

If you'd pick one nice restaurant in a Nantucket only setting, would it be at Wauwinet or Summer House or something else?

Hi Suetibu: We have a house in Tom Nevers so we spend a bit of time in Sconset. The Summer House is classic Nantucket, great bar and restaurant. We had a nice dinner there last summer. The chef was a Boston chef (Marc Orfaly) who was there for the summer and the food was delicious. Also, nice ambiance. You will be right there so I would consider that for your dining experience. The Sconset Cafe is also nice, but more casual. Lunch outside by the pool at The Summer House is lovely if the weather is good (hopefully we will be past this cold, dreary weather by the end of July).

The market in Sconset is small but it has a nice (although expensive) selection of food items. The other option for shopping is the Stop & Shop mid-island. I don't know how you plan to do your shopping without a car but you could probably take the bus to the end of Milestone Road and the S&S is a short walk from there.

You can ride your bike to Something Natural on Cliff Road for some delicious sandwiches for lunch. They are large (I usually get a half of one).

Now, for beaches we like Quidnet a lot (you will see a sign for it on Polpis Road on the right hand side). There is a tidal pool there (Sescachewa - I can never spell it) that is just before the beach and is always calm. Except for maybe Jetties Beach and Children's Beach (which are close to Town) all the ocean beaches will have some surf unfortunately. You can also access Miacomet Pond if you walk aways down Ladies Beach (which is near Bartlett Farm in the Cisco/Miacomet part of the Island).

Don't miss out on the attractions in Town, especially the Whaling Museum and just walking the cobblestone streets. Ackislander has other messages posted here where he gives a short walking route out of town and back that you might like to do.

Enjoy your visit.

Sconset is beautiful and a real old-fashioned summer colony. It will be busy during the day (well, active) and around five, the cocktail hour will calm things down considerably. They have movies open to the public at the Casino, and the Sconset Union Chapel is worth a Sunday morning visit even if you are not a regular church-goer. It has both Protestant and Catholic services.

Be sure to find the path along the top of the cliff toward the lighthouse. You get to walk right through everyone's back yard, something not all of them understood when they bought their property!

The Summer House is lovely. I have not eaten at Chanticleer, also in Sconset, since it changed hands. Reviews have been mixed, but it may only be because the previous owner is so happily remembered.

You can take the bus almost directly to the Grand Union Market at Straight Wharf. It is only steps from the bus terminal. It is worn and dingy inside, but the quality of the vegetables and meat is better than at the Stop & Shop. Everyone I know starts there and only goes to the S&S for the things they don't have. You can make a trip to town, wander around, have lunch, take a ride on the Endeavor, stop at the Straight Wharf Fish Store, then go to the Grand Union, less than a block away, before getting the bus home.

It is hard to get to the Wauwinet from Sconset, so I recommend the Pearl in town for your special dinner, or Dune, or -- less pricey -- Corazon de la Mar.

You got good advice on beaches. You may find that your rental has bikes. If so, I would ride to Sescacha Pond, as suggested (pronounced "Sacajah". Gentle freshwater swimming on one side, the open Atlantic on the other. There are things you can't do without a car, but you will have a wonderful vacation, peace and quiet, in Sconset.

Hi suetibu: Thanks for asking the question! We are going to Nantucket for the last week in July also. Haven't been there in years, so needed new information, and there's a lot here.

Thanks to all who answered Suetibu! The restaurant ideas are very useful.

I worked on Nantucket summers when I was in college in the dark ages. (well they did have candle light - lol) and I loved it. I went back with my new DH a year later, and he hasn't been there since. (50 years ago!) so this will be fun.

We're staying with friends who are renting in Tom Nevers, which I don't think even existed when I worked on the island.

I was there for a weekend with a colleague after a conference a few years ago, but didn't go out to Sconset except to see that Union Chapel which has the most beautiful needlepoint kneelers. Have a look!

Thanks MarieF and Ackislander,

Printing all this out.We are considering renting bikes (they deliver to Sconset for free) and will take buses (or taxis if it is too late). Definitely going to Sescacha Pond too..

We are also looking forward to lunch at Chanticleer and drinks/dinner at Summerhouse and a possible dinner in town (Ackislander's places).

Also just found out about ontheisle.org @ Sconset and hope to make it to the evening concert or the New Year's Eve Gala.That sounds like fun..

Also want to go whale watching, constellation watching at the observatory, ride on the Endeavor and see a movie on the Dreamland grass.. Oh! and I also need to relax!!!

Thank you so much for all the info..

suetibu: You have all the answers one needs on beaches, etc !! I will chime in on restaurants, you asked

"If you'd pick one nice restaurant in a Nantucket only setting, would it be at Wauwinet or Summer House or something else?"

This narrows it to 3 that come to my mind b/c you say "nantucket only setting" - while I love many of the other restaurants on island, and think their food, decor, chefs are amazing, once I am seated inside, I could also be in a fabulous Boston restaurant - so the 3 that always remind me I am indeed in Nantucket are :

Summerhouse: which I mentioned before I believe, and our tradition is lunch on down between the pool and ocean -

Toppers/Wauwinet: If you really want to splurge - go on their boat, the Wauwinet Lady leaves from Straight Wharf- for dinner you have cocktails on the ride over too ! - or do the lunch cruise - that also gives you some nice time on a beautiful open launch and see things from the 'water side' - OR - rent a jeep for a day - drive out there for lunch, and then keep going out on the sand and explore - and have the car for the day to also go wherever !

The Galley/ on the beach: (on property of Cliffside Beach Club) This is my favorite. Eating right on the beach, just he perfect spot, even better if you can time it for a sunset dinner but who know with this weather. we also enjoy lunch there - you can eat it, sit by a 'window' (opening with no window' so you are looking right out - or at the edge, times they even put your table right smack in the sand for you - cocktails in a beach chair before or after works nicely too -

Of these, certainly lunch at Summerhouse is most reasonable; but for special, these are my favorites. Another favorite of mine is renting my chair at Jettes Beach, grabbing some lunch from their spot, and sitting an eating on the beach.

Of course, you can eat ANYWHERE in town - then stroll - , sit on one of the benches overlooking the Nantucket Boat Basin/ stroll along and see the boat/yachts, cottages, stores and that is a lot cheaper and will definitely make you feel like you are in Nantucket !

Thank you very much escargot for the very detailed descriptions... Very much appreciated..I want to check all of them out atleast for drinks.. Am considering taking the Wauwinet cruise for a Friday night clam bake.. Sounds like fun...