Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. To clarify, how do I not embarrass myself when people bring up these places? That's what I'm curious about. Thanks all—

Here is all you need to know, OP:

DC area people are easily impressed, and resort to Googling in an attempt to present as (knowing more than the next guy? not really sure....)

New Englanders are very much stay in your own lane, do your own thing, don't be an A-hole (capital A!), be jovial, and you will present as intelligent - type people.

No one cares where you vacation, unless you come across as a jerk when you talk about it, unsolicited. Just as any travel, or pretty much any topic.

Funny, I was vacationing in Block Island during the off season once. Dh and I put our bag down on a table and went to order food from the bar. We came back to our table, and our bag had been moved - you guessed it - by DC area people! So loud and obnoxious and trying to impress (not sure who??). The bartender watched the whole thing, as we moved back to our table, and switched the other person's stuff back to where they originally were seated. When thy left we asked "DC?" - he said yup! spot 'em a mile away, and they could NOT leave soon enough!" Ain't that the truth!

To your last point: we have a summer place in Maine. Most people tend to be pretty low-key and casual. So one time we’re having lunch and a pair of families who obviously don’t know each other well but are both vacationing in Maine sat down near us. As it turns out they know each other through their kids’ school. Their entire conversation, which was quite loud, was about that school and about politics. Of course one set of parents was decked out in hats and shirts from the school. It was so DC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We went to a wedding on Block Island years ago - I've never been to the other NE islands, but Block Island was great. Total New England feel. The beaches weren't fabulous - not great sand like Cape Cod. Think maybe it is the smallest island? And less rich, but still NE preppy rich. Not sure what it's like 15 years later, but there were still small run down houses, and places the felt very isolated.

Most New England beaches aren't fabulous to keep the tourists out.

Many Cape Cod beaches are private, but it is apparently an extremely challenging concept for DCUM to understand (ie: not determined by Google).

Sounds like the private beaches might be nice. The public beaches we went to were kinda gross/dumpy.

That bay water is nasty.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. To clarify, how do I not embarrass myself when people bring up these places? That's what I'm curious about. Thanks all—

Here is all you need to know, OP:

DC area people are easily impressed, and resort to Googling in an attempt to present as (knowing more than the next guy? not really sure....)

New Englanders are very much stay in your own lane, do your own thing, don't be an A-hole (capital A!), be jovial, and you will present as intelligent - type people.

No one cares where you vacation, unless you come across as a jerk when you talk about it, unsolicited. Just as any travel, or pretty much any topic.

Funny, I was vacationing in Block Island during the off season once. Dh and I put our bag down on a table and went to order food from the bar. We came back to our table, and our bag had been moved - you guessed it - by DC area people! So loud and obnoxious and trying to impress (not sure who??). The bartender watched the whole thing, as we moved back to our table, and switched the other person's stuff back to where they originally were seated. When thy left we asked "DC?" - he said yup! spot 'em a mile away, and they could NOT leave soon enough!" Ain't that the truth!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. To clarify, how do I not embarrass myself when people bring up these places? That's what I'm curious about. Thanks all—

Huh? No one is born knowing about any of these places. They learn. If someone is impatient or snobby with you for not being an expert on block island vs cape cod vs nantucket, etc....move on. What is valuable about a person that would do that!

Except there are definitely some cultural aspects most people know. If a young, well-coiffed man tells you he’s going to the Cape or Fire Island, you know that those are traditional gay vacation spots. If your black coworker says he goes to the Vineyard every summer, it’s good to know the history of Oak Bluffs.

Lol — “The Cape” isn’t a traditional gay vacation spot and I am not sure why you need to know the history of Oak Bluffs to have a conversation with a coworker about their summer vacation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m interested in the social aspect too! There’s also OBX and the MD shore.

My impressions:
- Cape Cod: gay or laid back/down to earth.
- Martha’s Vineyard: white money or black UMC/generational wealth/fame
- Nantucket: rich
- Block Island: not really a thing here?
- Ocean City: kids on a budget

You forgot NY & NJ.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, these things are always a generalization, but I have vacationed on all of those locations except Block island (which I know nothing about) so here is my take.

Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, being islands, take a little more planning because you have to deal with ferry or plane reservations. By virtue of that, they feel different from Cape Cod. But, Martha’s Vineyard is significantly bigger than Nantucket and has several distinct settlement areas, so there is greater diversity of experience available there. It’s monied in general and an expensive place to go relative to other places in NE, but doesn’t have a monolithic look or culture. Nantucket is very small and has less diversity in terms of housing stock. Not none, just less. And, while there are different neighborhoods, it feels more like one big community spread out over the island. It’s harder to get to, so you really have to seek it out. People don’t stumble upon Nantucket accidentally, so it can feel exclusive. But, really if you choose it as your place to go every year you can pretty easily fit into the place.

Cape Cod is quite diverse. Sure, Provincetown is gay, but not really the rest of the Cape. Families of all different income levels from NE have traditions of summer vacations on the Cape and, while there are expensive areas, there are also cheaper areas. It’s a great family vacation spot.

My favorite NE summer spot is Kennebunkport, Maine because I have been going there since I was a kid. People tend to be partial to their family’s traditional vacation spot. Everyone I knew growing up has a family spot in NE that they always went to, but one area wasn’t seen as better or worse socially than another. Maybe it is different for people without family connections to NE. My impression is that Nantucket is seen as snootier (and therefore better) by newcomers who are snooty themselves. But, that is a relatively small subset of the population who vacation in NE. (I am not going to say summer in NE because nobody except my grandmother uses that word anymore.)

+1

Excellent summary! Spot on.

+1

You like what you know, but no spot is inherently better than anywhere else.

My friends who are long-time Nantucket people aren’t snobby at all. It’s the newer people who bring that attitude.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We went to a wedding on Block Island years ago - I've never been to the other NE islands, but Block Island was great. Total New England feel. The beaches weren't fabulous - not great sand like Cape Cod. Think maybe it is the smallest island? And less rich, but still NE preppy rich. Not sure what it's like 15 years later, but there were still small run down houses, and places the felt very isolated.

Most New England beaches aren't fabulous to keep the tourists out.

Many Cape Cod beaches are private, but it is apparently an extremely challenging concept for DCUM to understand (ie: not determined by Google).

Sounds like the private beaches might be nice. The public beaches we went to were kinda gross/dumpy.

That bay water is nasty.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, these things are always a generalization, but I have vacationed on all of those locations except Block island (which I know nothing about) so here is my take.

Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, being islands, take a little more planning because you have to deal with ferry or plane reservations. By virtue of that, they feel different from Cape Cod. But, Martha’s Vineyard is significantly bigger than Nantucket and has several distinct settlement areas, so there is greater diversity of experience available there. It’s monied in general and an expensive place to go relative to other places in NE, but doesn’t have a monolithic look or culture. Nantucket is very small and has less diversity in terms of housing stock. Not none, just less. And, while there are different neighborhoods, it feels more like one big community spread out over the island. It’s harder to get to, so you really have to seek it out. People don’t stumble upon Nantucket accidentally, so it can feel exclusive. But, really if you choose it as your place to go every year you can pretty easily fit into the place.

Cape Cod is quite diverse. Sure, Provincetown is gay, but not really the rest of the Cape. Families of all different income levels from NE have traditions of summer vacations on the Cape and, while there are expensive areas, there are also cheaper areas. It’s a great family vacation spot.

My favorite NE summer spot is Kennebunkport, Maine because I have been going there since I was a kid. People tend to be partial to their family’s traditional vacation spot. Everyone I knew growing up has a family spot in NE that they always went to, but one area wasn’t seen as better or worse socially than another. Maybe it is different for people without family connections to NE. My impression is that Nantucket is seen as snootier (and therefore better) by newcomers who are snooty themselves. But, that is a relatively small subset of the population who vacation in NE. (I am not going to say summer in NE because nobody except my grandmother uses that word anymore.)

+1

Excellent summary! Spot on.

Anonymous wrote:I’m interested in the social aspect too! There’s also OBX and the MD shore.

My impressions:
- Cape Cod: gay or laid back/down to earth.
- Martha’s Vineyard: white money or black UMC/generational wealth/fame
- Nantucket: rich
- Block Island: not really a thing here?
- Ocean City: kids on a budget

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We went to a wedding on Block Island years ago - I've never been to the other NE islands, but Block Island was great. Total New England feel. The beaches weren't fabulous - not great sand like Cape Cod. Think maybe it is the smallest island? And less rich, but still NE preppy rich. Not sure what it's like 15 years later, but there were still small run down houses, and places the felt very isolated.

Most New England beaches aren't fabulous to keep the tourists out.

Many Cape Cod beaches are private, but it is apparently an extremely challenging concept for DCUM to understand (ie: not determined by Google).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Block Island is the way the Cape used to be. Very laid back, quiet. Not full of fun parks, putt-putt golf and other tourist trash.

Not necessarily.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Block Island is the way the Cape used to be. Very laid back, quiet. Not full of fun parks, putt-putt golf and other tourist trash.

Not necessarily.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. To clarify, how do I not embarrass myself when people bring up these places? That's what I'm curious about. Thanks all—

Huh? No one is born knowing about any of these places. They learn. If someone is impatient or snobby with you for not being an expert on block island vs cape cod vs nantucket, etc....move on. What is valuable about a person that would do that!

Except there are definitely some cultural aspects most people know. If a young, well-coiffed man tells you he’s going to the Cape or Fire Island, you know that those are traditional gay vacation spots. If your black coworker says he goes to the Vineyard every summer, it’s good to know the history of Oak Bluffs.

Lol — “The Cape” isn’t a traditional gay vacation spot and I am not sure why you need to know the history of Oak Bluffs to have a conversation with a coworker about their summer vacation.