I have been going to Nantucket for 40 years It is now so crowded and busy and noisy and expensive I won't be going back. You have the feeling of being ripped off and disappointed. From bike paths or roadsides with endless trucks growling by to 17 dollar to go tuna sandwiches to a shabby 600 inn room with the odor of pest control products. Only go if you are planning to stay at one of the $800 plus rooms if you're used to 3-4 star accommodations minimum. Not worth it to me. read more

My family and I have been coming to Nantucket for 35 years. My daughters spent their summers enjoying a really special place growing up. I am sad to say that the island has become a miserable crowded privileged mess (some would say it's been that way for some time - I may have been too forgiving for too long). The explosion, accelerated by COVID, had not only driven up real estate prices (which is not my issue as I can't afford 2m for a 2 bedroom, $1,200/sq ft), but a whole new group of people have ventured to the island. Building is out of control - every open lot is being built on - Sandpiper has added 500 new places, which means 1,000+ cars - on a tiny island. Yes - it's "supposed" to be affordable housing for the island workers (it's not) - it simply has congested that side of the island beyond repair. Some folks got a nice pay day to approve such a mess. June used to be relatively calm - but the craziness now starts in May and continues through mid-September. July/August are unbearable - you will sit at the 5-way stop sign by the HS for 20 minutes and will certainly hear 10 horns, an FU, and see a few fingers as cars cut without any courtesy. Welcome to Manhattan. Forget getting into restaurants - those in the know with ties to the managers get reservations. Otherwise, enjoy jetties, Millie's and the Muse and the Fairgrounds. Greed was always a part of the island (back to its whaling days). But I felt that it tried to present as a laid back Vineyard, without the excesses of the Hamptons, etc. it has now jumped the shark - unabashed about monetizing the Nantucket story - while destroying the declining authenticity of old Nantucket. Me and my family were fortunate to see a little of that gem. Sadly - it's gone. The island is now in the same hands/path as the Hamptons - superficial, money driven, soul less crowd flocking to be seen. So long Nantucket - we will remember you and miss you. read more

I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. It's an island. Everything is quite expensive because they claim it has to be brought over from the mainland. You would think that they are using a rowboat instead of a high speed ferry. A tip for the traveler. Make sure to wear tennis shoes. If a place tells you it's just a ten minute walk from the ferry, it is. However you are walking and pulling your suitcase over uneven brick walkways and cobblestone streets. Except for a few buildings that are white, the rest are gray. When the sky is gray, the entire island is gray. After reading books by a very popular author that take place on Nantucket, I feel I can get a good picture of it. Just gray. I have enjoyed my time here. But one visit is enough. Would I come back here? No. read more

Nantucket Island - Local Flavor Near Me

I dont think you could pay me to come back here. The locals hate tourists (despite having zero other economy) and the island is perpetually overcrowded. Bumper to bumper traffic everywhere you go and its not safe to ride bikes. Very pretentious, with nothing to back it up. read more

When vacation is supposed to be relaxing, there is no room for being mistreated by staff there, which was our family's experience. The attitude - atrocious. It also makes sense to me now that people who I've known in the past who were so eager to share with my husband and me they have a home there (among other "things") under the guise of (unsolicited) "help" are not people of character, or kindness as they purported to be. I am flattered they felt they had to impress us, or perhaps they just have standard lines at the ready with everyone, to claim superiority. Thankfully, we did not engage. Was never drawn to Nantucket, but happened to be in the area, so unfortunately, it was an add-on to what had been a pleasant trip to that point. Very strange vibe from first sight. The sea level clearly looks like it is rising. The island, its homes, and buildings, look like they've unfortunately been through quite a bit with storms, especially the nor'easter this last January 2022. I wonder what the home/building mold levels are. Would never want to be vulnerable to, or deal with that issue, and be under constant duress checking storm reports. Climate change is the reason my husband never wanted to buy a home on the water. I'm glad he felt that way. I believe the island is 30' above sea level. According to a Feb. 9 2020 article from climatetippingpoints.com: "Portions of the [Nantucket] island's shorelines have already lost more than one hundred feet of coast depth in just the past decade. As global temperatures continue to rise..." I understand there are conversations/conferences around this issue occurring at this time for the island, but the future looks dire. Back to the overall experience - it was underwhelming and unpleasant. Very little to do. Went to one beach which was also not the best, so did not stay. We were about to go to one restaurant in town, but it was overcrowded, and as we were walking by I heard one of the customers complaining to the wait staff about the food and the service. The narrow cobblestone streets and sidewalks were difficult to walk on even with sneakers. We were going to rent bikes, but would have found it difficult given the mostly rough, winding terrain in the midst of large cars, taxis and buses. Agree with much of what other negative reviews mention, and will never return, either. Spending time in kind, pleasant environments where true character and kindness are valued, which has thankfully been our life experience generally, is what is important. Looking forward to spending the rest of our summer at our special place. read more

For its abundance of natural beauty alone, I would allocate 5 stars. The beaches, the flora and fauna, the bicycle trails, along with the well-managed and quite nicely controlled development make this island a very special and quite unique place. That said, no place can be summed up just for its natural beauty alone. Life intrudes by way of people, commerce, traffic and the experience of living life day in and day out. We've just come back from our most recent trip and while we had a wonderful time with family, we had a lot of conversation about current day Nantucket experiences. What's happened to Nantucket is that it's become something of a "brand" and increasingly over the many years we've visited the island, it's become a destination for those wishing to make it known that they've "arrived". The population swells in the summer to surreal numbers. On any given summer afternoon, walking downtown will find you one of thousands. Restaurants and shops at most times of day are teeming with people. The traffic can rival that in downtown Boston at rush hour. Are the cobblestone streets and adorable shops still charming? Yes, but it all gets exhausting. There are many poseurs here these days; new money gone bad, I'd say, some with attention-seeking attitude galore. Many people who are wearing the same exact prepster outfits driving the same two or three (must have on the island!) vehicles with the Land Rover Defender now being top of the heap I think. "Nantucket" has been turned into a "brand" that they wear like a badge. A friend refers to them as "arrivistes"...indeed! These days, prices on anything and everything have gone through the roof. Most things are simply ridiculously priced. The rationale is that shopkeepers and restaurant owners have but a few short months to "make their money" for the year. ...but that's too simplistic an answer. There is a sense of "gouging" at times for even the most mundane items and it can feel like everyone has their hand out for your tourist dollar. It gets old and stupid fast. If I didn't have in-laws with a home here, which allows us a place to escape the hubbub and the gouging, I couldn't imagine wanting to visit unless it was the off-season. There are number of lovely shops selling beautiful handcrafted things where steep prices are better understood. But I refuse to be fleeced anywhere by poorly made, inferior items with a "tourist-inflated" price tag on them.. and many shops have these things in abundance. Buyer beware everywhere including in the fairy-tale world of Nantucket. The Nantucket that I remember from many years ago, feels, in places, overshadowed by ego and ostentation and less friendliness. Luckily, the God-given beauty of the island remains intact along with strict regulations which should keep it so. It is fortunate that chain stores are not allowed anywhere on the island and the only one you will find is Stop in Shop in two locations here. We stick close to the island home or off the beaten path in one blissfully quiet corner of nature or another so it is quite possible to keep away from the craziness of downtown and have serenity. Plan your visit wisely would be my advice. Nantucket sometimes feels a bit too much to take during the summer. Will we go back? Yes. But we do a lot more eye-rolling now and searching for what's real and true. read more

After being out in California for a year, I was really excited to come back to my beloved New England. My family has a place in Chatham, so the Cape & Islands are extra special to me. A friend was going to visit the Cape with me and had never been to Nantucket. We took the high speed ferry over from Hyannis. I believe it was about $50 per person each. We were pretty happy with the ferry ride over and it was relatively smooth. I hadn't been to Nantucket in 20 years, but I love reading Elin Hildebrand's books set on ACK, so I was excited to experience a little bit of island flavor. Well, I was let down. The island itself is cute and the old homes are so beautiful, but you can get a similar vibe in Provincetown on Cape Cod for a lot less money. What I don't care for is the general crappy, stuck up behavior on Nantucket. I was figuratively smacked in the face by the gobs of pretentious attitude all around. My friend and I took a PUBLIC walking trail through a yacht club. We sat for a minute on a bench and some smug jerk (wearing a Trinity college shirt) working at the club kicked us off the bench. He claimed that the bench on the public trail belonged to the yacht club. Well, after this we were officially turned off to the island. Honestly, I don't encounter this level of snootiness in California and I have seen my share of elitist behavior on the west coast. BTW, to jerk at the yacht club, my husband went to an Ivy. ;-) This island is overpriced and filled with the uppity, pompous, pretentious of the east. Save your $ and go to Cape Cod. You can find the haughty attitude on Martha's Vineyard, but it's not AS bad as Nantucket. read more

** 800th review ** Nantucket has an amazing charm. It is not highly commercialized. Expect to use a bike. I recommend checking out Madaket for a less populated spot, but be sure to check out the other side of the island, like S'conset. There's a pretentiousness about the island, but it's the type of place where you can make the experience what you want it to be. read more

The rich and the wild The dichotomy of Nantucket Island. The elite and the filthy rich, expensive stores and restaurants. Incredible crowds and congestion during the summer. I think this is all some people know because they never even bother to leave the town. However there is another side. The other side is outside the town, because once you leave the vicinity of Nantucket town the island changes. Suddenly the crowds disappear and there are no restaurants or gift shops. There is nothing but pristine wilderness and ocean. There are bike trails that lead all over the island and if you follow them you will end up in some gorgeous unspoiled places. You can go east and head out to 'Sconset and see the old lumpy houses that used to belong to the fisherman and whalers. Or head west and visit the village of Madaket with views of Tuckernut island. You can head out into the vast cranberry bogs and ride for hours without seeing another person. Or ride down to Surfside and see the crashing ocean. If you are really adventurous you can walk the 5 or 6 miles through the sand and go all the way out to Great Point and see the incredible tide rip and isolated lighthouse and not see a piece of litter of trace of humanity the entire way. Sure Nantucket offers cupidity and avarice in abundance, but it also offers some of the most impressive and untamed maritime environments and views. It is up to the individual to decide what he wishes to experience. read more

I was really underwhelmed by Nantucket. I was there to photograph a wedding for a really adorable couple who picked the place at somewhat random for their elopement. The water was warm, the beaches were nice-- but the island was meh. The restaurants were overpriced and mediocre at best-- I mean $10 for a bowl of soup at lunchtime. No way. I asked one of the locals where they went when they wanted to buy clothes that don't say "Nantucket" somewhere on them, and he said the internet. I couldn't believe it. Oh well. And in that vein-- the stores were all the same ACK crap, and red sailcoth pants, and lighthouse wind chimes. I'd like to check out the Vineyard some day as a comparison. I've heard that it's better. read more

I visited for a solo overnight in August 2015. Clearly the high season. Downtown was packed with an over-abundance of super-wealthy vacationers, especially since it was a bit overcast and drizzly. On the other hand, there is also an abundance of beautiful neighborhoods with well-preserved architectural charm. I expect the place is amazing in the off-season, but then again the hostel is only open in summer, and one of my goals was to stay there. The hostel is beautiful, and I biked all around the island and visited two of the lighthouses, the whaling museum, and some of the NHA historic properties. I suspect that if I had brought a car, I just might have killed myself out of frustration for miserable traffic and parking. read more

Nantucket Island - Brant Point light - Local Flavor Near Me

Nicknamed "The Grey Lady" due to the almost regular fog, it is not a sunny beach destination but a cold town in every meaning of the word. The Nantucket Historic District, comprising all of Nantucket Island, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 13, 1966. In doing so the National Park Service paid particular note to the settlements of Nantucket and Siasconset. The island features one of the highest concentrations of pre-Civil War structures in the United States. Nantucket has a high concentration of artists and galleries, and have created an ongoing art colony since at least the 1920s. They have come over the decades to capture on canvas and in other media the natural beauty of the landscape, the seascapes, the flora and the fauna. On Friday evenings during the summer season, many of its galleries have open houses and special exhibits. Notable artists who have lived on, or painted in, Nantucket include Frank Swift Chase and Theodore Robinson. Numerous authors followed the influx of specialists in the visual arts. Well-known writers who are or were residents of Nantucket include Herman Melville. The television series Wings was set in Nantucket. This Old House devoted most of the 1996 season to a Nantucket house renovation at 3 Milk St. In the Boston Legal episode "The Mighty Rogues", Nantucket engages the firm to get permission to build a nuclear bomb for self-defense. In The Simpson's episode Diatribe of a Mad Housewife, Marge writes a boating novel that takes place in Nantucket. Nantucket has also been represented in numerous films. * The 1971 film Summer of '42 was set in Nantucket. * The 1986 Warner Brothers film One Crazy Summer, was mostly filmed and took place on the island. * The 1996 Columbia Pictures movie To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday was filmed and took place on Nantucket. * The 2004 Universal Studios movie Along Came Polly had a boating trip scene over to Nantucket. * The 2007 Weinstein Co movie The Nanny Diaries was partially set in Nantucket. * The 2007 20th Century fox film 27 Dresses had its ending filmed on Nantucket. * The 2009 Universal Pictures film "Inglourious Basterds" has its main antagonist state his desire to retire to Nantucket Island. Nantucket has also been represented in many works of literature too many to name/ The most famous are # Nantucket is home to the mythopoeic "Man from Nantucket" made famous in the opening line of countless limericks. In Edgar Allan Poe's The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, the protagonist is from Nantucket. In Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick, Nantucket is the port of departure for Ahab's whaling ship, the Pequod. Why all the fascination with Nantucket? I don't know. For me it is not racially diverse enough , I don't like the food and like many wealthy communities the people seem to be sheltered and closed. It's not for me. But if you are a wealthy white person who likes cold weather, Nantucket is for you. read more

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2020 was an especially bad year to vaca on Nantucket.Been there several times for week house rentals usually just after labor day like this year. The problem this year was the normally upbeat visitor vibe was replaced with older property owners who squatted hear all year because of covid scare and didn't rent their properties.Also because of oppressive restrictions many businesses never opened especially restaurants. Those that were open mainly only did dinner. Restaurant delivery island wide was a nightmare. Had to eat in a lot. The downtown resembled a mask clad retirement community courtyard of depressed bored zombies ,rather than the usual vibrant atmosphere. Cisco brewery resembled a college pub because of all the local kids who never left for school. Don't get me wrong the kids were polite, just not the environment for adults. Sorry we spent the $4000 for the week rental. read more

I went there for the first time in my life this past weekend, and while I enjoyed the natural beauty of this place, I have to say the vibe is just gross. Here we have an island that was once the second largest whaling community, ever. Now it's crowded with summer tourists that are mostly elitist snobs who will cut you off while you attempt to navigate the quaint cobblestone streets. It's like a living museum of colonial America, but every exhibit is outnumbered ten to one with overpriced restaurants. jewelry stores and gift shops. If you want to struggle with crowds of old rich white assholes and their freshly botoxed hag-wives for a place in line to get a $12 sandwich, look no further than the town of Nantucket. There is even a "farm stand" named after the old Bartlett farm where you can get a cherry pie for $18.99. Of course, it SO expensive because the cans of cherry pie filling have to be brought over on the ferry, you see. Ridiculous. Even in the Grand Olde Days that everyone likes to pretend were the halcyon daze of this community, there was an even bigger class-divide than there is now. The shit-poor whalers were shoved off to the farthest reach of the island out in Siasconset, where they struggled to keep their children fed making The Man rich on whale blubber and the oil everyone needed. In an ironic twist of fate, those little shacks have been preserved and are now being used as rental cottages for Land Rover driving assholes and their spoiled children. Sure, it's neat to see the old buildings, but trying to drive through that area to get to a beach with a parking area for three cars, (where you'll find a Benz and two Land Rovers, mind you,) it's hardly worth the trip. The beach is steep and has a lot of small rocks to wade in, and being on the Atlantic side, you get the luxury of debris from kelp beds to swim in. I had more fun at Surfside, though it was more crowded. The sand was nice, the water clearer, and the water was warmer -only slightly so We ARE talking about a beach in New England, after all. Still, parking sucks if you don't get there early. Over all, a nice place to visit... if you don't wait until July through August to go. I was told that between those two months, the place is jam-packed EVERYWHERE. That's not my idea of a relaxing beach getaway. Seriously, you hear this and that about how nice Nantucket is, and then you get there and have to fight crowds of rich assholes and pay through the nose for anything while you're there. The scenic homes, shops, natural beauty and little villages are great to see, but it's quickly lost in a rush of wealthy shit heads as the claw their way to the top of some vacation food chain to beat you to a level of relaxation. Imagine going someplace to get away from your asshole boss only to find him, his brothers, their wives and children standing in line on front of you when you get there. Throw in the HR department and you've got it. Another thing that really struck me was the race divide. This is the year 2012. I wasn't prepared for what I saw there. You bring your bags to the ferry, and two black dudes take your bags. You got to board, and a black guy checks you ticket. You pass by a white and spiffy looking captain, and ride to the island, where more black "help" retrieves your luggage and a black cabbie takes you to your little slice of heaven. You see the black lawn guys packing up as you arrive to your clean and trim vacation "camp". Now, head to the supermarket and pick up some supplies for the stay. You're greeted by more black folks behind the counter, as well as Russians. You see black folks dressed in wait-staff and housekeeping attire as you leave the parking lot, using unkempt sidewalks and thruways to get to their humble lodgings. They're not American born, no... They're Jamaican. They migrate here in the summer to serve Y-T and then make it down south again the work the farms. I felt like I was stuck in a movie from the 1930s. The only thing missing was "Hallo, Boss...", "Take yo' bags, Boss?" and "Sho 'nuff, Boss!". You see this and think we have not come very far in this country at all. They have to import these people in order to keep this up! Once upon a time, in the 1870s, when the whaling industry went tits-up after petroleum was found, the descendants of these hard-scrabble whalers and their supporting community worked hard to make sure Y-T had enough fresh towels and food on his fine china. There has been a serving class on this island since it was settled. Once it became a summering hot spot, however, the servitude deepened. Fast forward to present day and this is what we have. A movie set preserved from the year 1937. I kept my ear open for someone saying, "Bring the car around, boy, and see that the bags are in the trunk.". I've been to better beaches in the Carolinas. Seriously. Hell, I've played golf with some lawyers from Johnny Cochran's firm out on Hilton Head. That's progress, my friend. Stay real. read more

This past week my Wife and I visited Nantucket and I have to say we won't be going back. We found those we spoke with to be so pretentious and condescending in mannerism that we actually left the Island earlier than we had planned. We found that those restaurants that were open this time of year were so overpriced it was unreal, who in their right mind would pay $15.99 for beans over toast.... We walked around town and did enjoy seeing the buildings and homes from past years, we also visited the Whaling Museum and found it informative but the cost for such a small museum, $20.00 per adult was a bit steep to say the least. The cost of the High Speed Ferry out of Hyannis round trip was $100.00 for two and low and behold the Ferry to and from Nantucket turned out to be the highlight of the day. Now granted, November is not the tourist season but all the same I personally can't see how traveling there in season would be that much more enjoyable or exciting to make the trip a must do. With all that said I would never say not to visit to someone who has never been there but if you do go don't expect Nantucket to be something more than just an old sea town where prices for just about everything are extreme !! read more

First trip to Nantucket, probably my last. Very charming little New England village, but for a beach island, very unfriendly to tourists and lacks significant points of interest. We are here in early June and several restaurants and basic provisions stores are lacking and closed. Unless you are in the wharf or center of town, there is absolutely nothing....nowhere to eat or even get a bottle of water. Nice bicycle trails throughout the island but very few resting points and absolutely no public restrooms except in Sconset. Never did find a grocery store or anywhere to pickup snacks, fruit or drinks. Restaurants very, very expensive. Caters to an extremely rich clientele and that's it. Whaling museum was very nice. For an island with many $27 million dollar homes, you can do better. Need more sidewalks outside of town, better sidewalks in town and a better attitude. read more

I think I'm suffering from PTSD after visiting this place. What a population of A-holes. Overpriced, inconvenient and an undeserved air of entitlement. Stayed in a rental "mansion" with my family for my brother's wedding. The trash regulations became the "job" of all the house guests as it is asinine. The people are ridiculously rude. The restaurants are ridiculously overpriced. The beaches are dirty and smelly and no place to lay a towel or blanket without being punctured by the ugly broken shells. The residents clearly do not want you there even though you finance their empty, personality-less lives. It was like Stepford without the excitement. There is a strange and disturbing separation of race here where the minorities are still catering without dignity to the inbred rich whites. I felt dirty for being caucasian. Don't waste your time and money. Oh wait. I forgot to mention the weird element of the family dogs running around the island without supervision. There was one large breed black and white pit bull--not Staffordshire Terrier--coming over into our rented yard and taking his daily dump. So surreal and not worth the trip. FREAKS! read more

My favorite restaurant on Nantucket by far! Great staff. Owner personally sat us and was so nice with the children. The food was amazing. I'll be coming back here whenever I visit the island. read more