Do you recommend Edgartown or Oak Bluffs for an October trip? Which will be busier? Where would you recommend we stay for a memorable trip without the kids?
Recommendations for fall tripEdgartown and Oak Bluffs are very different, but either one would be lovely in October. Actually, all of the Vineyard is lovely in October. Edgartown has a more traditional New England look with white whaling captains%26#39; houses and more upscale shops (although OB has some very nice shops). Oak Bluffs is more Victorian funky. Edgartown has real hotels (like the Harbor View), while most accommodations in Oak Bluffs are of the B%26amp;B variety. Both will be much less busy than summer, but still fairly busy with the fall tourists. Oak Bluffs will also have a fair amount of local traffic. Many of Edgartown%26#39;s local businesses (market, post office, supermarket, etc.) are now just outside the town center, so you probably won%26#39;t find as many locals in town as in Oak Bluffs or Vineyard Haven. Vineyard Haven is where you%26#39;ll find the best, most comprehensive year-round services and shops (drugstore, best bookstore, supermarket, etc.) but, probably because it is a dry town, doesn%26#39;t have as many accommodations available.
I am sort of partial to VIneyard Haven and Oak Bluffs, where my family used to live, but I think the Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown would be a nice place for a romantic getaway if you prefer a real hotel. It has a lovely setting overlooking the Edgartown lighthouse and a small beach and offers hotel amenities -- a bar, a restaurant, a pool (although likely of little interest in October). I haven%26#39;t been in the Oak Bluffs Inn, but I know others recommend it, so you might consider that if a B%26amp;B experience interests you. One nice thing about Oak Bluffs is that it has a great stretch of beach practically in the center of town. Oak Bluffs is about two miles from VIneyard Haven and about 4-5 miles from Edgartown. Both OB and Edgartown have some good restaurants. Of course, if you have a car, it will be easy to travel from town to town, as well as ';up island.';
Recommendations for fall tripIn October I%26#39;d go to either Edgartown or Vineyard Haven. In Edgartown the HarborView Hotel or the Winnetu Inn are the best hotels... Another option to consider is the Mansion House in Vineyard Haven; totally rebuilt 2 years ago, and right at the foot of main street. Enjoy - October is usually beautiful on the Vineyard!
Thanks. We booked Oak Bluffs. Any suggested restaurants?
Linda Jeans in OB is great for breakfast/lunch and dinner. The Sweet Life Cafe is expensive but a wonderfully romantic place. Their other restaurant in OB, Slice of Life is good for lunch.
In Edgartown I like The Wharf, Newes From America and David Ryans... Chesca%26#39;s if it%26#39;s open is fabulous for a romantic dinner. For a quick coffee or small bite to eat Espresso Love in Edgartown is the best, I buy scones by the dozen to bring home and freeze for the months I%26#39;m away from MV.
In Vineyard Haven is of course The Black Dog which is always a good choice.
Enjoy.
In Oak Bluffs, Sweet Life is my favorite ';nice'; restaurant. In warmer weather you can eat outside on their terrace. In the cooler weather (or if you prefer AC in summer) you can sit inside in the cozy house. I see the Park Corner Bistro is reviewed well on this site. I%26#39;ve never been there, but my mother has, and recommends it. It%26#39;s a tiny little place that used to be a bakery. For a less expensive, plain and simple New England seafood dinner (say, if you just want a lobster or fried claims), the Ocean View, on Chapman Avenue, just outside OB center, is good. Anyone could direct you there, and you could walk. I agree that Linda Jean%26#39;s is a good choice for breakfast, lunch or a casual dinner. It%26#39;s OB%26#39;s equivalent of the NY coffee shop.
In Vineyard Haven my favorite is Cafe Moxie, on Main Street. Don%26#39;t forget that in VH you have to take your own booze. (There are liquor stores in OB). Le Grenier,further up Main St.,is also good. Moxie is sort of New American, while Le Grenier is sort of old fashioned Old French classics --cozy and upretentious, on the second floor of an old house. There was a new restaurant in the hotel that burned down (the Tisbury Inn) and was rebuilt (as the Mansion House). The restaurant was Zephrus before the fire, don%26#39;t know what it was after. I was there before the fire. It was okay, but I had the feeling it was trying too hard to be slick and trendy. There is, or was, a simple little cafe a door or two down from Zephrus called BonGo or something like that and it has wonderful coffee and very tasty snacks and light meals. I had the best BLT of my life in there. Tends to be sort of messy when busy, but a very nice place to stop for coffee or lunch if you%26#39;re browsing in VH. If you must go to the Black Dog, I recommend lunch rather than dinner. I%26#39;ve never been able to convince myself it%26#39;s worth the wait for dinner -- plus I%26#39;m not certain they%26#39;re open for dinner throughout the offseason, now that they%26#39;ve found t-shirt sales more profitable than food sales.
Another favorite is the cafe at the Farm Neck Golf Club, in Oak Bluffs. You would have to drive there; your hotel could give you directions. Although the club is private, the cafe is open to the public, but I don%26#39;t believe they serve dinner in the offseason, just snacks and lunch. During the summer it is a wonderful quiet haven for dinner, away from in-town crowds and parking worries.
I%26#39;m not all that current on Edgartown. There has always been a good-sized traditional restaurant in the Harbor View Hotel. It%26#39;s in a nice quiet neighborhood a block or two from the center of town, with beautiful views of the water and lighthouse. A couple of years ago the restaurant was reborn under the (alleged) direction (or maybe just influence) of New York restaurateur Drew Nieporent. I was not overwhelmed the one or two times I went there, but it is a nice room with a nice view and worth considering for those reasons. And maybe it has changed hands again. Etoile has always been the very excellent very high end French influenced restaurant on the Vineyard, located in the Charlotte Inn. I haven%26#39;t been there in years, but when I went it was excellent. (Both the Harbor View and Etoile may still do Sunday brunch, but I%26#39;m not sure).There are some newer places I haven%26#39;t been to that you might want to look into, like Alchemy and Among the Flowers.
I hope you have a great trip.
I had forgotten to mention Among the Flowers, thanks for reminding me. I love this place... it%26#39;s cute and cozy and wonderful food. The lobster roll is one of the best on MV. Did anyone see it reviewed with Rachel Ray on the Food Network%26#39;s $40 a day?
Ok... we%26#39;re back from the Island. Thanks for the suggestions. We stayed at Oak Bluffs Inn. Lively, right in the center of town. Very cozy, nice rooms, immaculately well kept.
Food- thanks for the recommendations we had lunches at Linda Jean%26#39;s and Among the FLowers. Dinners were at Pomodora- casual but really good, and Tsunami- excellent. Many restaurants in Oak Bluffs had closed for the season (Park Corner Bistro, Slice of Life, Balance, etc. ) Had drinks with the locals at Seasons Sports Bar. Biked the whole island so we got the chance to compare each area.
Awesome time.
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