Tar Heel

We'd love to spend a week on one or the other island and we're weighing the pro's/con's of renting vs. B&B. We are not, however, "upscale" people who don't have to ask about cost.

Questions: Is a budget of $150-200/night or
$1000-1500 for the week's lodgings out of the question for anything other than a room over the kitchen? In particular, are there small cottages available in that price range and is it possible to rent a cottage for just one week?

Has anyone worked with any realtors on the islands who do NOT specialize in the ultra rich? If you search on line, all you find is "exclusive," "discriminating," and "upscale" references. What about "humble," "only slightly choosy," and "upper downscale"?

Patrick

I don't want to add a damper to your plans, but I hope you realize that if you are a budget seeker, the housing will only be the first problem. Everything is very expensive on both those islands. Be prepared to spend a lot more than normal for food, either restaurants or groceries, car rental or any transportation, and just about anything else you want to do. If you are limited on your budget you might consider going to a another destination where you can live the way others do, and enjoy yourself more.

Tar Heel

I think that qualifies as a wet blanket. Thanks for the help.

Parrot Mom

Sorry Tar Heel..Patrick is absolutely correct... there is nothing budget about those islands..any which way you can figure... You might want to rent a place on the Cape and take a day trip over..If there was anything close to the word "budget", it's been booked since last year...Owners move out of their homes into a smaller facility on their property..If you want to rub elbows with the movie, tv stars, politicians or anybody that is anybody...you will have to pay through the nose..

Tar Heel

Have no desire whatsoever to rub elbows with glitterati -- wish they'd go away, frankly. Just wanted to see some island life, cliffs, beaches, weathered shingle, flowers. Best things in life aren't free, huh? Or are you both Yankee residents who recoil in horror at anyone who isn't "exclusive" or, godhelpus, a southerner? (What if I promise to leave my grits at home?)

Aside: I never used the word budget, I simply gave you a range. What would you offer as the probable lower end of the "real" price range, for a B&B e.g.?

And give me a little credit re:food and other prices -- of course it's pricey. But one has a little more control over that once there than one has over the cost of a bed.

Donna

You didn't mention when you plan to visit. Before July 4th and after Labor Day are best. The weather will be pleasant, but there will be far fewer "summer folk", tourists, vacationers, and day trippers all over. Many places still offer "shoulder season" rates. If you'll e-mail me, I'll forward a few more moderately priced places to stay on Nantucket.

Ann

Tar Heel, please don't get defensive about New Englanders warning you about prices. It's not that we're trying to keep you out, it's just that the price of living here is so high, even to us, that we know it's even worse for people from outside the area. Just look at our local (i.e. Boston) real estate prices. It's difficult for outsiders to move here to work (unless they're high tech, high paid folk) because of the price of housing. Therefore, the price of vacation property is also up there, and as a result only the wealthy can afford it. As long as you're prepared, we're just putting out the warning.

herself

Tar Heel,
Both Islands can be done as "day trips"
Stay on the Cape, Take the early morning Island Queen, rent bikes on the Vineyard and tool around Martha'a Vineyard. Rentals, if you can get them run about 2,000 per week.

dougd

I too am a budget traveler (and a New Englander), and have found that, at least on Martha's Vinyard, you can find a hotel room for under $100 a night if you shop around. For example, we stayed at the Attleboro House in Oak Bluffs, right on the harbor, for $85 for 4 (this was about 5 years ago). I have yet to stay on Nantucket, but I believe there are a few homes that rent rooms for about $125 a night. As far as restaurants, there are many pizza parlors and sub shops on the Vinyard - most nicer places will be at least $20 a person, however.

jim

If you don't mind sharing a bathroom in a clean, nineteenth century B & B, it's easy to find a place to stay on either island for under $100 per night, mid-summer, w/o booking a year in advance. Try the Attleboro House in Oak Bluffs on the Vineyard or the Nesbitt Inn on Nantucket.

Remember, many of the people who frequent the islands come from privileged backgrounds and live in NYC or Boston. They've never tried to vacation on a reasonable budget and expect to pay a lot for evey basic necessities. I grew up in 'sconset on Nantucket and know a number of people who make a good living overcharging these idiots for food, gas and lodging.

If you do even the most minimal amount of research, I'm sure you'll be able to find accomodations that are w/in your budget.

My advice to you is to ignore most of the comments above. However, when you hail from a state that re-elects a bigot like Jesse Helms to the U.S. Senate every six years, you can expect a bit of good-natured ribbing about your geographic background.

Patrick

My sincere apologies if I offended you. I guess I interpreted your phrase that you were not "upscale people who don't have to ask about cost" as an indication that you were on a budget, but I guess that was not the case. I still haven't figured out then what that statement did mean. In any case I am not a Northerner nor am I trying to be exclusive. I just thought that since you seem to indicate that costs were a concern that I would mention that everything, not just housing is overpriced. In response to the idea of pizza parlors etc., yes this is true. But while you can get a great pizza for one price even in New York or Boston, expect to pay a whole lot more in Nantucket for the same quality pizza. Of course you can shop for less expensive foods and restaurants, I was just saying that you need to always expect to be "overcharged" for everything on those islands. I have only visited Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard once each, and they were two of the most "overpriced" places I've ever visited.

Beth

Hi Tar Heel,
I'm not that familiar with Nantucket, but have vacationed on Martha's vineyard 5 or 6 times. You most likely can find a decent rental in the $1000-1500 price range on the Vineyard, particularly if you look in Oak Bluffs or Vineyard Haven. Some years ago we were able to rent a very nice, small, 1 br guesthouse apartment (over a garage, but very pleasant) in Edgartown for $700 a week. We didn't use a realtor, but found the place through the Boston Globe real estate ads. It IS possible to rent for just one week.

One way to keep the costs down is to try and rent in the "shoulder" season. Prices are highest from the 4th of July to Labor day. The Vineyard is still very nice the week after Labor day, and you may save a couple hundred dollars off the rent.

I would recommend renting over a B&B, just because of the cost of meals and such as others have mentioned. IF you rent a small apartment or cottage, tou can eat in, at least breakfasts. And if you are going to spend a lot of time on the beach, you'll want a refrigerator for storing picnic supplies. I do think there are B&B's that are in there around $200/night, but I can't say for sure. I always rent, myself. Again, I think you would be more likely to find such in Oak Bluffs or Vineyard Haven, and they may be on busier streets, or be noisier than their upscale counterparts.

beth

I adore Martha's Vineyard but yet it is VERY expensive even for an upper middle class two professioanl incomes household such as mine but . . . it can be done.

We rented a cottage just outside of the town of Oak Bluffs (not real close to the beach) for the week. There was no air conditioning, no telephone, and no TV. That was fine with us as we wanted to get away from everything and hey we're from Nashville TN so we are used to heat! We rented bikes and rode all over the island Edgartownis especially nice! We loaded up on groceries and ate picnic lunches of sandwiches and grilled alot in the evening as we had our own little cabin.

We did eat out some. An ex. of the expense, we stopped in a Subway chain restaurant and got the "meal deal" about $5 at home and paid $9 for it. Sit down restaurants are in the very least $20/person usually more but hey its vacation and you will have great seafood. Do some research on the internet for palces to rent and you will find something suitable.

Tar Heel

Thanks for all the comments, responses, suggestions. Sorry to get defensive -- no excuse other than the threat of an ice storm.

For the record: I may be from NC but I surely have never voted for Mr. Helms. I'm told that despite his abysmal voting record and gutting of the foreign service, he is well liked by people around him. And locals often say "he's a damn fool but he's _our_ damn fool."
But this is a lovely state and I invite "all y'all" to visit the Outer Banks, where the water's a heckuva lot warmer than the Cape and the Islands and the sea oats and dunes go on for a little longer than they do up there.

In any case, I appreciate the suggestions. We are now zeroing in on the last week of June and a B&B sounds like it's the way to go -- which was actually part of my original question. I've just hesitated to use Fodor and/or AAA or other guides, figuring so has everyone else. Just have to figure out locations and the lay of the (is)land.

Thanks -- always open to further advice.

PS to Patrick: was referring to "if you have to ask, you can't afford it" cliche. Clumsy, I guess.

Beth

Almost forgot... check out http://www.vineyard.net/biz/
they have a couple useful links. Beach Plum realty has some nice looking rentals. Seaspray Realty has some fairly expensive properties, but some fall into your price range (depending on the week). I'm not affiliated with these in any way, and this is not an ad or recommendation. Just trying to be helpful.

dave

If you aren't limited by kids school vacation, you can get a really nice place on either island in later September... Homes that rent for $3000 a week in August are usually $1500 a week after mid-September. We live on the Vineyard in the summer, so we would steer you there; both are gorgeous, but Nantucket is very homogeneous, whereas the Vineyard has 6 distinct towns, each with a very different feel. A downside of the Vineyard is that many of the nicest beaches (especially the North Shore) are private (but in September you may be able to get a home with private beach access for $1500 - $1800 /wk); on Nantucket the best beaches are public, but you have all those annoying SUVs driving all over the beach...

Tar Heel

Thank you all so much. SUV's on Nantucket????? Isn't that one of the signs of the apocalypse?

I would dearly love to visit in Sept. but since I teach the little dears (which is why we're not upscale), I have to be at school, too.

love nantucket

Tar Heel -

I am looking for accomodations for a few nights around Labor Day - NOT an inexpensive time to go to ACK - as an alternative to sleeping on a boat for a week... I have had good luck checking out nantucket.net. There seem to be plenty of alternatives for under two hundred dollars a night.

Good luck!

same as above

Also, there are places to eat for which you won't have to mortgage the home in NC... try Black Eyed Susie's for dinner, BYO, and there are plenty of bar-type places, more than pleasant, where you can get a burger or a salad or a piece of fish....

Hope this is helpful!

Di

As a frequent Vineyarder I have to agree with most of the other responses that you have gotten. It's a very expensive place to relax, although very beautiful. Why don't you try www.cyberrentals.com or www.waterfrontrentals.com, both have listings for the Cape and Islands. You may also want to find the websites for the Boston Globe and the Cape Cod Times both have summer vacation rentals. Good luck and I hope you make it there. The Vineyard is a very magical place!