June

After searching the net for weeks for info on Cape Cod I found this site, read about 75 of the threads and thank you all for the wealth of information. My situation, though mostly redundant,is a bit different from those that I've read so let me see if you can provide direction.

A little backround: We live abroad. For the past 14 years we have come home in the summer and stayed with family and friends. And it has been wonderful. Recently, however, the children have been traveling alone and it occurs to my husband and I that we would like to stay put during the summer and have everyone visit us. (Everyone has agreed-I we look forward to hosting them for a change)

I have looked at all of the recommended sites covering the Cape and am still not clear on the best location for us. I contacted the Realtor Association a few days ago with my story, but have yet to receive a reply. I think that I do need a realtor at this point but am concerned about selecting one from the on line lists. I worry that they will be financially or geographically partial to one town over another plus I think a recommendation is very important. I would like someone very knowledgable about the various areas and what they offer etc.

Chatham sounds like it gets the most votes from you guys, and it sounds good to me however, it may be too quaint. I have 3 teenagers who do not drive and I would like to situate within walking distance to 'the action'. If they have lots of young people around my life is good.

Hyannis has a Mall I gather but I do not want a suburban experience.

I am also stuck on accomodations. I went into this thinking we would rent a house on the beach so that we could have tons of family and friends visit (which we want)however, we also want to be near and with other vacationers. Solitude is not high on our priority list, and quiet is out of the question. I personnally am not a beach person though most of us are. Some of the cottage set ups may be appropriate or even the less formal resorts I've read about. They must be extremely child friendly. The place should be well maintained though not prissy or upscale. Sand/messiness will happen.

Price is a factor though I do not know how to qualify it. Many of the prices mentioned are within our budget.

I am going to leave it at this and see what happens.

bennie

Its sounds like you might want to check out Falmouth. Lots of cottage rentals available - generally reasonably priced. Its a nice town with lots of beaches. The harbor is filled with with boats and lined with restaurants. Plus if things haven't changed since I was younger there's a pretty young crowd around. Especially in the Falmouth Heights area. There's also a major road race there every summer that attracts lots of younger people.

susanne

Hi, My vote is for Chatham, our family has vacationed there for the past 20 years. It is located on the"elbow of the Cape" which makes it most centrally located. Provincetown, great for whale watching trips and locals crafts,is located on the far end of cape. Hyannis,is very busy with traffic although good shopping also. Chatham is a quaint town, but having gone thru all ages of kids, there is something for everyone. Local harbor offers reasonably priced transport to the South beach,, where you can see the harbor seals. Fishing, crabbing<with a license> Main Street with charming shops. Our preference is to rent a nice house, south of Main Street, nearer the beaches. If you have any specific questions I will give you my email address.

kwl

We have spent every summer for the past 30 years in Falmouth (the Heights, Woods Hole, North & West). It is a good size town, and you are close to the Vineyard too for day trips. I always enjoyed my summers growing up in and around Falmouth.

My mother rents a house every summer from Real Estate Associates. Don't have their number, but they have several offices in Falmouth.

Hope this helps!

June

Many thanks to you for your comments and if you don't mind, could we spend a bit of time on Hyannis. I know it is very commercial and busy but can't we find some beach type properties here. Maybe it is not the quintessetial cape cod but I was thinking we could make those our day trips or even overnights. In my mind the idea of having tons for the children to do like shopping, meeting other kids without my involvment is heaven. But am I completely nuts. I've looked back at all of the requests in this comment site and those that ask for help in finding some place to stay in Hyannis have NO REPLY.

If it is true that Hyannis is stupid then I am going with Chatham. So Susanne, I would love to speak with you about this. You suggest a house south of Main Street. How do I go about getting one? I've sent inquiries to a number of realtors and only one got back to me but they suggested a condo in Harwich on a lake.

As for Falmouth I think I want to be nearer the middle but thanks.

I am getting a bit frustrated having spent days working on this and want to thank you for making me feel there is help.

gail

I think one of the things that is causing you trouble is the idea of being "near the action" for the teenagers without a car. We have vacationed at several different places on the Cape for 20 years and I can not think of anyplace that meets that criteria. Even Hyannis, except for the few downtown blocks is not really walkable. Most people who live on or visit the Cape drive quite a bit. I would opt for getting a place walking distance to a beach and then resign yourself to driving everywhere else. The several quaint communities on the Cape (Falmouth, Chatham, Sandwich come first to mind) have charming shops, etc, but our 15 year old is quite bored with this after a very short time. Rental houses have an advantage for kids since there is always a kitchen a refrigerator for their constant feeding needs. However, a resort/hotel/cottage community might have more kids. There is a condo-type place in Brewster with several pools, etc. that might work, but I can't think of the name - sorry.