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Telegraph
27-04-2025
- Telegraph
Cape Cod has had its day – in-the-know travellers head to this nearby beauty
Ever since former US president John F Kennedy protected 40 miles of its coastline through national decree, Cape Cod has been the poster child for a New England summer; its golden sands and evocative white-picket rentals forever etched in American hearts – and a major draw for tourists. But during the busy months of June, July and August, this peaceful seaside retreat gets more than its fair share of tourists. Data from the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce shows the peninsula attracts around 5.5 million visitors annually, with 65 per cent coming in the summer alone, resulting in clogged up roads and oversubscribed beaches. Just a little further up Massachusetts 's coastline, however, the lesser-known Cape Ann peninsula offers all the same maritime charm (and quantities of lobster) with a great deal more elbow room. I discovered this when, having travelled up from Cape Cod one morning last summer, I stopped for a warm buttered lobster roll and glass of white wine in a pleasant waterside restaurant in Gloucester, Cape Ann's only city. The change in pace was palpable: outside, fishing boats bobbed serenely in the harbour; inside, a scattering of locals enjoyed their lunch. There were no queues, no traffic jams and no crowds. It was a revelation. A working harbour and America's oldest seaport, Gloucester is one of four coastal communities that make up this small, rocky headland, the others being Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport and Essex – all located within a one-hour drive of Boston. Characterised by its clapboard houses and fishing shacks, harbours open for business, the smell of salt and fresh fish in the air, it's an endearing lack of polish which makes Cape Ann so special. It was exactly the kind of place I'd been hoping to find on New England's coast, and I was eager to return and explore. So this spring, I did just that. The hubs of Cape Ann are connected by the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway, a 90-mile roadway that stretches along the North Shore of Massachusetts, linking 14 coastal communities from Lynn to Salisbury. Although you can also travel by the MBTA Commuter Rail – which runs daily trains from Boston's North Station to Salem, Gloucester and Rockport – I opted to hire a car in Boston and drive, joining the byway at Manchester-by-the-Sea, my first pitstop. Movie buffs will recognise the town from the eponymous 2016 film, which won a clutch of Oscars. A slog of a drama, it painted the town with sombre grey skies and frost-covered streets to reflect the tragic lead (played by Casey Affleck). Reality, however, presented a far rosier prospect. When I arrived, the sun was glistening on the waterfront, highlighting a striking pair of Harlequin ducks gliding along the water between rustic fishing boats. Dockside regulars chatted, cups of coffee in hand, packs of obedient dogs at their sides. It was all terribly pleasant and I loved it. Locals tell visitors to head to Singing Beach when in town. Just shy of half a mile wide, it gets its name from a squeaky 'singing' sound made when walking on the sand (although, be warned, it doesn't always perform). You can either head there on foot from town or by car, but during the summer non-residents can only use the car park between Monday and Thursday. From Manchester, I headed 15 minutes up the coast to Gloucester. Spotting traps piled high along the dock beside the fleet of anchored lobster boats, I figured that would be a good place to park and find myself another lobster roll – the first of many. After lunch, I strolled down the waterfront to visit the city's famous Fisherman's Memorial – a moving tribute to the thousands of lives lost at sea. 'They that go down to the sea in ships,' reads an engraving at the bottom of the 8ft-tall statue of a bronze fisherman, braced at the wheel of his ship. Among the names etched in the surrounding plaques are those of six men who died in 1991, when three devastating storms – including a category five hurricane – converged, creating 100ft-high waves and 92mph-winds. The story is best known as The Perfect Storm, thanks to a book by Sebastian Junger and the subsequent film adaptation, starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg. It's stories like this that give Cape Ann a dark yet captivating edge, whilst highlighting the bond these fishing communities have forged in the face of tragedy. On the walk back I visited the Crow's Nest bar. A local favourite, it appeared in the movie and is filled with photos taken during its production – as well as those commemorating the original six-man fishing crew. I took a seat at the bar and – immediately identified as a visitor – was promptly handed a battered red photo album filled with photos of Clooney and Wahlberg posing with locals, and a thorough retelling of the story surrounding the storm and its impact on the wider community. A prized possession, it once sparked a manhunt after a drunk patron was caught on CCTV stumbling down the road with it tucked under his arm (don't worry, he eventually mailed it back to them). My next stop was Rockport, where I stayed at a homey boutique hotel called Addison Choate, a short walk from town. Full of pretty seaside shops and wooden fishing cabins – including the town's famous red fishing shack, Motif No.1, which locals say is 'the most painted building in the world' (although I have my doubts) – this is a place made for aimless, happy ambling. It also has a rich artistic heritage thanks to the creatives who moved here from Boston and New York during the 20 th century. Today that spirit still thrives: the town is a working artistic hub, with 40 individual art galleries and studios to visit, as well as cultural institutions like the Rockport Art Association & Museum, which is said to be one of the oldest active art associations in the nation. My final destination was Essex, famous for shipbuilding and (more importantly) as the home of the fried clam, which I considered it my mission to devour en masse. The place to go, I was told, is Woodman's of Essex, whose founder Lawrence 'Chubby' Woodman was apparently responsible for inventing the concept more than 100 years ago. In true American style, the clams arrived with fries and battered onion rings (no danger of a salad), and they were every bit as sweet, tender and delicious as I'd hoped. So beloved is the fried clam that there's even an annual Essex ClamFest where, in addition to all the frying, there is a chowder tasting competition during which Cape Ann's finest go head to head. And with no queues to worry about, one thing's for sure: you won't be leaving hungry. Essentials Virgin Atlantic flies from London to Boston from £400 return; Addison Choate (001 978 546 7543) has doubles from £225 per night, with breakfast.
Boston Globe
02-04-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Is it too late to book your Cape vacation? Summer rentals are off to a strong start.
We Need A Vacation's units are 64 percent booked for stays between May and September, a nearly identical match of last year's numbers but a significant fall from Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'There's kind of a reset for a lot of our homeowners,' said Reese. 'With the return to normal, it's not unheard of for many owners to get to this point in the season where they still have availability.' Advertisement Across Cape Cod, bookings have slowed for July and August, said Paul Niedzwiecki, president and CEO of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce. In contrast to the pandemic-era rush to finalize summer rentals early in the winter, many people are waiting longer to book, he said, and increasing rental inventory will leave more options available later and even some potential vacancies during the high season. Advertisement The booking numbers reflect a larger trend for the Cape and Islands — a gradual stabilizing of the vacation rental market that largely avoided flying and instead booked drivable vacation rental properties at record-breaking rates for sky-high prices. Projections for the number of visitors for the Cape's peak season are falling short of last year by 15 percent, said Niedzwiecki, largely due to economic uncertainty, he believes. 'I think we are going to see a dip in the number of visitors that we see this year, but it's not big enough a dip that we would be concerned about,' said Niedzwiecki. Potential vacationers to the Cape shouldn't wait much longer to book though, said Niedzwiecki, as bookings tend to pick up in April. He said the higher availability could bring welcome surprises — such as more vacancies among in-demand rentals or maybe even slightly lower prices. Potential vacationers to the Cape shouldn't wait much longer to book though, as bookings tend to pick up in April, said Paul Niedzwiecki, president and CEO of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff Nightly rates for short-term rentals have also started to settle despite remaining 20 to 30 percent above 2019 prices on average, said Blake Decker, CEO of Pretty Picky Properties and chair of The Cape Cod & Islands Association of Realtors Rental Committee. Eighty percent of Pretty Picky Properties' roughly 250 rentals on Cape Cod are booked for July and August, the area's peak season, said Decker. The imbalanced supply-and-demand combination for rentals seen over the pandemic is leveling out this year, he said, with slightly higher occupancy than 2024 and a slow to the rapid increase of new rental properties. Related : The number of registered rental units in Barnstable County — which includes all 15 towns on Cape Cod — increased by 1,367 units from April 2024 to March 2025, following a 1,875-unit increase the previous year, according to the Massachusetts Public Registry of Lodging Operators. Advertisement Short-term rentals of houses and condos have gained in popularity in recent years, leading to a decrease in hotel bookings, especially those in the middle-price range of around $250 per night, said Niedzwiecki. 'We're not blowing the doors off with the numbers, but definitely in positive territory going into the 2025 season,' said Decker. The most desirable rentals, such as ones with a short walk to the beach or a backyard pool, book out usually six months in advance of the peak season, said Decker, but vacationers looking for lower rates can 'roll the dice' and wait to book later, as long as they're willing to be flexible with towns and dates. Despite optimism for the Cape, numbers in Nantucket are causing concern for Kathy Baird, president of the community organization Nantucket Together, who also rents out her own home on the island. Amid Related : Revenue from the With 88 percent of the island's short-term stay options being in rental homes due to strict zoning laws against chain hotels, the drop is worrisome, she said, and many rental owners on the island are already seeing less bookings for this summer than previous years. Advertisement 'People are worried,' said Baird. 'They're not panicking, but there's definitely cause for concern.' Maren Halpin can be reached at
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cape and Islands Bridge Coalition stresses economic development impact of new bridges
About a dozen members of the Cape and Islands Bridge Coalition recently lobbied Beacon Hill lawmakers and Bay State business leades to offer their support for the pending bridges replacement project which the coalition said is vital to the economic survival of Cape Cod. Members of the coalition, representing businesses and other organizations, took a bus to Boston on March 8 while 25 others went online to endorse the project. During the session, coalition members stressed the project's importance to economic development, housing as well as transportation for the Cape and Islands, Paul Niedzwiecki, CEO of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and coalition co-chair said in an interview after the trip. 'The stakes are high,' Niedzwiecki said in a recent report to the Chamber. 'The Cape Cod Commission's economic impact study warns that even a temporary closure of one of the bridges would result in a staggering 30% decrease in the region's economic output. The repercussions would be felt by every Cape Cod resident, with economic dislocation that could last a generation.' The aging bridges, built in the 1930s, connect the Cape's nearly 230,000 residents to the rest of Massachusetts and bring millions of visitors to the region annually. Today, traffic on the bridges exceeds 38 million crossings per year, roughly equivalent to the Golden Gate Bridge, according to the coalition. The structures have been deemed functionally obsolete and need to be replaced. Niedzwiecki said that a Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and Board of Realtors poll that drew 400 responses indicating that 87% were aware of the bridge project and 86% support the replacement. 'It's really an existential issue for the Cape,' he said. On its March 8 roadtrip, the coalition group stopped first at the Associated Industry of Massachusetts, then went to Beacon Hill where they were joined by state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Cape and Islands, and former state Rep. Sarah Peake, now an adviser on intergovernmental affairs in the governor's office. Luisa Paiewonsky, executive director of the state's Megaprojects Delivery Office, provided updates on the bridge project that is currently undergoing extensive environmental reviews. At the State House, the group met with chairs of Senate and House transportation committees and other leaders on economic development and grants. 'It was important to get a briefing on how important the bridges are to state leadership in this session,' Niedzwiecki said. The Sagamore Bridge environmental reviews may take a year and a half. 'I feel like the funds will be in place after that,' Niedzwiecki, but he added, 'There are still no funds for the Bourne Bridge.' In regard to the effect of the current volatile funding situation in Washington, Niedzwiecki said, 'Who knows?' The Department of Transportation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last year won nearly $1 billion in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's Bridge Investment Program for the project. In addition, $700 million in state funding has been pledged by the Healey administration. The Massachusetts congressional delegation also secured $350 million for the bridges in the Fiscal Year 2024 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, which was signed by President Biden. State and federal officials said the combined $2 billion in funds are enough to go forward with the Sagamore Bridge, which will be replaced first. The Bridge Coalition will continue to keep tabs on the project. The organization was formed last May and modeled after Better City Artery Business Committee as a way to follow the mega projects through to their conclusion, which will likely be 10 to 15 years for the bridges, Niedzwiecki said. 'We wanted to make sure the group has continuity,' he said, because of expected turnover during that length of time. This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape and Islands Bridge Coalition will keep tabs on bridge progress
