Tag Archives: Vineyard Haven

Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, Menemsha, Shopping, Vineyard Haven, West Tisbury

Retail-Therapy: Martha’s Vineyard Style

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When you walk through the shopping districts here on Martha’s Vineyard, you’ll notice the absence of a few of the standards you may be used to. You guessed it – no Gap, no Old Navy, no Anne Taylor, no Nine West. Believe it or not, you won’t even find a Starbucks or a Barnes & Noble on the whole island.

There are virtually no chain stores or restaurant franchises anywhere here. Instead, locally owned bookstores, coffee shops, restaurants and boutiques offer shoppers a wide variety of options and a whole lot of personal attention. And for those of you out there who are in need of a little retail-therapy or just a dress for an unexpected special occasion, you’ll be wonderfully surprised at the quality of the boutiques scattered all over the island.

Heading Up-Island to Menemsha for fried fish and sunsets? Don’t forget to stop by Pandora’s Box – one of our favorite places to shop for gorgeous dresses, designer jeans and even some good sales. This two-room boutique on Basin Road has a dedicated following of some of the island’s most stylish garb and once you step inside you know why shoppers return here year after year.

If you’re in Vineyard Haven, shop at the Green Room on Main Street – winner of the Best of the Vineyard for the past three years. This fantastic shop offers everything from lingerie to shoes to designer swimsuits to super-stylish jeans. Men can shop here too and the downstairs is filled with everything for the surfer in the family from boards to Roxy Girl bikini’s to shades.

In West Tisbury, you’ll love Citrine – a boutique/home accent store/bead-shop combined. Located on State Road in West Tisbury, you can shop the small, but tastefully chosen clothing racks or check out the gorgeous lamps, textiles and jewelry brought in from all over the world while the kids choose from an array of amazing beads to make their own bracelets and necklaces.

On Dock Street in Edgartown head straight for The Great Put On. This true Vineyard standard has been in business since 1969. However, no other boutique on the island could claim to be as up-to-date or as stylish as this very high-end shopper’s paradise. Carrying lines such as Diane Von Furstenberg, Moschino and Vivienne Tam (to name a few) there is no event too sophisticated for an outfit from The Great Put On.

Martha's Vineyard, Vineyard Haven, Vineyard Towns

Village Spotlight: Vineyard Haven

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The village of Vineyard Haven, located in the town of Tisbury, is the main port for Martha’s Vineyard. The harbor is the year-round home to the island ferries run by The Steamship Authority (passengers, cars and freight) and the New England Fast Ferry (passengers only), and it is filled with private and charter sail boats throughout the year and especially each summer. Once you step ashore, some of the best the Vineyard has to offer is within walking distance.

The famous Black Dog Tavern, bakery and retail shops stand steps away from the ferry, and most visitors mark their summer visits by purchasing their annual Black Dog t-shirts. Sitting on the porch at the tavern happily devouring your lobster dinner remains a highlight and is always worth the wait. No reservations accepted, but it’s a joy to sit on the small beach and watch the harbor while you wait for your name to be called.

Bike and car rentals are close by to help you get around, but you don’t even need them to explore Vineyard Haven’s Main Street. This picturesque, shopping extravaganza of a street boasts unique boutique style shops filled with clothes, cool stuff, books and art. Some of our favorite spots are The Green Room (men and women’s clothing), Bunch of Grapes (one of the greatest bookstores ever) and Rainy Day (literally filled with too many fantastic items to list here). Art galleries abound and showcased artists often capture the spirit and beauty of the island.

Vineyard Haven offers excellent dining (Le Grenier) and quick eats (ArtCliff)…and plenty of ice cream (Mad Martha’s) – just to name a few hot spots. The Mansion House hotel, spa, health club and restaurant (Zephrus) stands right on the corner of Main and State Road giving guests full service inside and total access to the town. If it rains, duck into the Capawock movie theater, a refreshing change from the multi-plex, or find the Vineyard Playhouse which features a summer packed with world-renowned plays and actors in a unique Vineyard setting.

And if you have time, wander just a block or two past Main Street, up away from the harbor. You’ll find the a beautiful, seaside, New England town – white clapboard homes, lush gardens and tons of character.

Martha's Vineyard

Martha’s Vineyard LINGO: Up-Island & Down-Island

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On Martha’s Vineyard, we speak our own island language…
When you arrive on the island, you’ll discover quickly that the island has been divided, more or less, into two parts: up-island and down-island.

Up-Island
When you hear someone say ‘up-island,’ they are referring to the towns of West Tisbury, Aquinnah, Chilmark and it’s small fishing harbor, Menemsha. The up-island towns are quiet, quaint and slow with each town center consisting, primarily, of town hall, the library, the post office and a few choice stores, galleries, restaurants and inns.

The houses up-island are spread out and often secluded, and the landscape features forests, rolling hills, farms and beach highlights like the cliffs in Aquinnah. When you’re up-island, you’ll spend time in your car or on your bike fetching groceries and glimpsing civilization…but, only if you want to.

Down-Island
Down-island refers to Edgartown, Vineyard Haven (Tisbury) and Oak Bluffs. These three towns are known for their bustling and unique ‘downtowns’ packed with dynamic shopping, art, food, dining and entertainment. With an abundance of summer traffic, people and cars, their is also an endless list of things to do and see.

While there are quiet beaches to be found, the main down-island beaches, State Beach in Oak Bluffs and South Beach in Edgartown/Katama, are bustling with people, beach games and surf from dawn to dusk.

And…just to make things a little more interesting, there’s a small island off the coast of Edgartown called Chappaquiddick, or ‘Chappy’, that serves as the ‘up-island’ of Edgartown. It’s small and quiet. There aren’t many cars, houses are spread out and the beaches are incredible.