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edgartown hotel

When we tell first-time visitors to leave the car at home, it’s not because we expect them to stay put at our downtown Edgartown hotel. One step off our porch puts you at the center of the action, and walking is our preferred way to get around. Put on your walking shoes (or just your sandals) to explore 10 absolutely essential Martha’s Vineyard attractions within one square mile (read: one easy walk) of Vineyard Square.

 

 

Actual Steps from Our Edgartown Hotel

If you can’t see one of these Edgartown staples from our porch, just look the other direction.

 

1. Chesca’s Restaurant

It’s not uncommon for the aroma of linguine and clams to waft right past our front desk, and we’ll never get tired of bragging about it. Chesca’s has everything we like in a restaurant: spectacular food, an attentive staff, and a comfortable, upscale atmosphere where we always feel welcome.

 

2. Eisenhauer Gallery

Our next-door neighbors have a taste for large-scale paintings with bright colors. Art enthusiasts and casual onlookers alike leave the Eisenhauer Gallery raving about Carol Bennett’s paintings of swimmers and Michel Brousseau’s work with antique boats and automobiles, just two of the many talented artists represented here.

 

Mikel Hunter boutique Edgartown MA 3. Mikel Hunter Boutique

With 25 years in fashion under his belt, Mikel hand picks funky and artisanal clothing, accessories, and artwork that are responsibly sourced and manufactured. Don’t be afraid to ask for suggestions—he has a keen eye for each customer’s style and loves to chat. This storefront is directly out our back door.

 

4. Vineyard Vines

At Vineyard Vines, pastel plaid, pink shorts, and big smiles are the name of the game. Find this authority on island attire right across the street from our Edgartown hotel.

 

5 & 6. Murdick’s Fudge and Mad Martha’s Ice Cream

These sweet neighbors belong together like peanut butter and chocolate. Get your hands on some freshly made fudge at Murdick’s, then stroll over to Mad Martha’s for a specialty sundae like the Oreo Cookie Nookie: Oreo ice cream, hot fudge, marshmallow, and whipped cream topped with a Hershey kiss.

 

Less Than Half a Mile

These Martha’s Vineyard attractions dot the blocks of downtown. All are within five-or-six-minute walk from Vineyard Square Hotel & Suites.

 

7. Martha’s Vineyard Museum

The story of Martha’s Vineyard comes to life at this interactive museum. Our island’s whaling history is front-and-center with permanent exhibits that include a replica of a whaling ship’s tryworks and the Fresnel lens originally installed on Gay Head Lighthouse in 1856.

 

view of Edgartown Harbor from Memorial Wharf8. Memorial Wharf

When you look out at Edgartown Harbor from our hotel’s fourth-floor veranda, you’re looking directly over the top of Memorial Wharf. Walk down Kelly Street, hang a left onto Dock Street, and then climb the stairs of the wharf’s public waterfront pavilion for a panoramic look at the island of Chappaquiddick and the Martha’s Vineyard shoreline.

 

Still Under One Mile

Stretch your legs and venture to the edges of downtown, which are still pretty darn close.

 

9. Lighthouse Beach

The walk up North Water Street to Edgartown Lighthouse is just over half a mile, and with stunning views along the way, it feels even shorter to us. Stately whitewashed colonials give way to tall grasses and sand, with our town’s iconic lighthouse out at the tip of the beach.

10. Bad Martha

Clocking in at .9 miles from our hotel in downtown Edgartown, Bad Martha rewards walkers with refreshing Martha’s Vineyard beer on tap and plenty of seating on the patio and in the tap room. Live music and fierce corn hole competition make this an especially fun afternoon stop.

 
Vineyard Vines — Attractions Near Our Edgartown Hotel

Live like a New England Local This Spring
Martha’s Vineyard vs. Nantucket: Which One Comes Out on Top
Treat Yourself to Something New at Martha’s Vineyard Shops
A Guide to Martha’s Vineyard Weather through the Seasons
Explore Downtown Edgartown on Your Martha’s Vineyard Escape
Look at That: What to See in Martha’s Vineyard
Why You Should Still Visit Martha’s Vineyard in the Winter
Spend a Day at a Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Property

The last few weeks have been quite the hub of activity at Vineyard Square Hotel & Suites. We were honored to have the White House Press Corp stay and work here as they covered President Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard visit this year.

Photos and mentions of the hotel crept into into stories, the back courtyard turned into a story filing and interview area, the meeting room became a primary writing and working space, and the front porch and square popped up in tons of video footage. A Profile on the White House Travel Director even featured numerous shots of her on the front square.

From the weeks of preparation until the last camera left the building today, our staff made sure all ran smoothly. We’ll provide more details of what it is like to host this hard-working group of folks in a “behind the scenes” article in our upcoming newsletter (if you don’t receive our newsletter, you can sign up here), but below are a few photos to give you a sense of the “scene.”

These reporters, photographers and cameramen were great people and it was a pleasure to have them stay!

White House Press Corp at Vineyard Square Hotel & Suites
The Vineyard Square Hotel meeting room turned into a main work space for the White House Press Corp.

 

White House Press Corp Cameramen
The back courtyard of Vineyard Square Hotel & Suites was a hub of cameramen.

 

Martha's Vineyard Press Corp visit.
A reporter files her story on camera and a shot of the live feed.

 

Live like a New England Local This Spring
Martha’s Vineyard vs. Nantucket: Which One Comes Out on Top
Treat Yourself to Something New at Martha’s Vineyard Shops
A Guide to Martha’s Vineyard Weather through the Seasons
Explore Downtown Edgartown on Your Martha’s Vineyard Escape
Look at That: What to See in Martha’s Vineyard
Why You Should Still Visit Martha’s Vineyard in the Winter
Spend a Day at a Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Property

Just when we thought we knew The Vineyard like the backs of our hands, along comes a couple to open our eyes anew to this amazing island. Moira and Yann take daily early morning photos of Martha’s Vineyard that will take your breath away.

All days of the year, in all four seasons, the pair uncover layer after layer of insight and intrigue in our harbors, beaches and back roads. The results are insightful. Check out the full collection on their website, Vineyard Colors.

Morning at the Ocean on Martha's Vineyard
Martha’s Vineyard seaside on a winter morning. Photo by Vineyard Colors.


Independent professionals by trade, the couple struggled to make ends meet in the economic downturn. So, starting in June of 2009, they took on an early morning paper route to help pay the bills. Hitting the road at 3:45 am was tough at first, but in their words, “what started as pure drudgery turned into a revelation: driving the vineyard’s deserted roads at Dawn is exhilarating! Winter or Summer, rain or shine, we are surrounded by beauty. To convince our incredulous friends and family we weren’t delusional, we decided to share pictures every day. More than 700 consecutive days and 65,000 (mostly bad) pictures later, we are hooked to this routine.”

And we are so glad they are! Their photos — particularly of the quiet months of winter and early spring – show us a side of The Vineyard that we usually sleep through. They plan to soon add an online store to their website to sell photo notecards. Until they do, you can purchase the notecards at Alley’s General Store in West Tisbury, Bunch of Grapes Bookstore in Vineyard Haven, Conroy’s Apothecary in both Oak Buffs and West Tisbury, and The Scottish Bakehouse in Tisbury.

It has really inspired us. In fact, it has inspired us SO MUCH we are offering a new “Capture the Quiet Season” package for amateur photographers. Check out our Special Offers page for complete details.

Live like a New England Local This Spring
Martha’s Vineyard vs. Nantucket: Which One Comes Out on Top
Treat Yourself to Something New at Martha’s Vineyard Shops
A Guide to Martha’s Vineyard Weather through the Seasons
Explore Downtown Edgartown on Your Martha’s Vineyard Escape
Look at That: What to See in Martha’s Vineyard
Why You Should Still Visit Martha’s Vineyard in the Winter
Spend a Day at a Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Property