Martha’s Vineyard Vacation Rentals: Chilmark Victorian
September 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Chilmark, Feature, MV Rentals, Martha's Vineyard, Vineyard Beaches, Vineyard Towns
Chilmark’s south shore offers some of the best the Vineyard has to offer: gorgeous beaches, dazzling sunsets, tantalizing quiet…and grand summer houses. This Victorian house sits atop a hill, offering 270-degree views over meadows, ponds and ocean. With access to both Menemsha Pond and private Hancock Beach, this house that sleeps 10 and feeds 12, is perfect for big family gatherings. Spread out into two sprawling living rooms, a new kitchen wing loaded with sun-filled windows and five bedrooms complete with water views.
The front porch is covered and the back deck is perfect for lazing around in the sun. And the colors, art and furniture of the house compliments the Victorian stylings with a classic Vineyard look. The property also includes an historic barn and a two bedroom guest house which is also available for rent, but not included. The surrounding land is perfect for evening strolls or a pick-up Frisbee game before dinner – a wonderful place for children to run around and enjoy the glorious Vineyard sea air!
The inside of the house is just as glorious as the outside with open, bright colors, clean lines and all the nooks and crannies that Victorian’s offer. The circular turret and the bump outs allow for cozy spots within and gorgeous architecture from without.
Important to note: The entire first floor is wheelchair accessible and includes a first floor king/double-twin bedroom and a fully wheelchair accessible bathroom.
I look forward to booking this house for you! Contact me for details on this or any of our properties here.
MV RENTAL PICK OF THE WEEK 4-3-09
April 3, 2009 by Anne Mayhew
Filed under Edgartown, Families, MV Rentals, Martha's Vineyard, Vineyard Beaches
What more can you ask for? The ultimate vacation house with great proximity to South Beach, one of the best beaches on the East Coast! This property offers all the bells and whistles with great play areas as well as a great floor plan for multi-generational occupancy.
Enjoy summer afternoons and evenings on the upper level deck basking in the sea air while enjoying the Edgartown Harbor Views. This houses offers another deck off of the kitchen with an open fireplace/grill for the cooler nights.
Village Spotlight: Edgartown
January 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Activities, Edgartown, Events, Families, Feature, Food, Kids, MV Rentals, Martha's Vineyard, Oak Bluffs, Quiet Getaways, Shopping, Vineyard Beaches, Vineyard Towns
Image courtesy of asterix611
Before Martha’s Vineyard was an extraordinary summer vacation destination, it was a whaling industry mecca. And, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Edgartown was the whaling hub.
Built around the whaling trade, hundreds of whaling captains constructed beautiful, stately homes in the center of town – along with the picturesque Whaling Church – and today they provide the refined and historical look of the town.
Mainstreet and the close-knit downtown area is full of boutiques, cafes, restaurants, movie theater – along old brick sidewalks. True to the Vineyard, you won’t find any box stores or chains – this is shopping at its one-of-a kind best.
Make sure you make your way down to the harbor…full of beautiful boats and one of the most gorgeous lighthouses I’ve ever seen, the Edgartown Lighthouse, of course.
But, on those sunny days, I suggest you hightail it out of town and head to the beach. You have a few to choose from, but my top picks are:
- South Beach (surf side) for great waves out in Katama (pronounced Kuh-TAY-muh). Katama is part of Edgartown and it features its own bay and a super beachy feel.
- State Beach (sound side) is a great kids beach because you can wade right in without worrying about big waves. Also, the trip from car to towel is pretty short which I know is important when you’ve got little ones.
The bike path goes right through town, out to the beach or lets you explore miles of the island through towns and the state forest. Oh, and if you head up-island on the bike trail, make sure to stop at Morning Glory Farm – a wonderful local farm filled with just picked produce, salads, soups and luscious baked goods.
Edgartown is also home to some huge fundraising galas every summer – a great place to really get to know the community and give back to this special island. The most famous, perhaps, is the Possible Dreams Auction where incredible dreams are donated and auctioned off to the highest bidder – all to benefit Martha’s Vineyard Community Services.
Edgartown has the best of both worlds – the hustle and bustle of town and the soulful quiet of the waterfront…
Martha’s Vineyard LINGO: Up-Island & Down-Island
June 24, 2008 by Anne Mayhew
Filed under Martha's Vineyard
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.
