The Massachusetts island is more than just the preppie paradise of yesterday.
Here’s how to explore the newer, more diverse Martha’s Vineyard.
Elizabeth Cecil
It was close to sunset, and our boat had just pulled in to Menemsha Harbor.
Menemsha Harbor at sunset.Credit:Elizabeth Cecil
Menemsha is a fishing village on the tail end ofMarthas Vineyard, in the literal sense.
If you look at theMassachusettsisland on a map, it resembles a fish.
What kind of fish the island looks like, besides an expensive one, I couldnt tell you.
From left: Labneh with pea shoots, Moroccan sardines, and lavender lemonade at Aalia’s; Victorian gingerbread houses in Oak Bluffs.Elizabeth Cecil
Im not originally from there, unlike most of the people who dwell in Menemsha.
Many residents families have lived in this tiny community of gray shingled homes for generations.
I didnt mind the smell, either.
South Beach, in Edgartown.Elizabeth Cecil
I felt a sense of comfort being around other working people.
I was safely aboard theIsland Girl,steered by the able Captain Eamonn Solway.
I cant swim, I told him about a hundred times.
From left: Brothers Dan, left, and Greg Martino of Cottage City Oysters on their hour-long tour of Vineyard Sound; freshly shucked bivalves aboard the Leeward, Cottage City Oysters' tour boat.Elizabeth Cecil
He smiled like the reassuring dad he is.
(The boat was christened with his daughters nickname.)
But then, I heard a sound.Duunnn dunnn.
From left: Ready to sail on Tisbury Great Pond; the Atlantic Ocean, as seen from the top of the Aquinnah Cliffs.Elizabeth Cecil
It went away, and then came back.Duunnn dunnn.
I asked Captain Solway.
Yeah, its my ringtone, he replied.
From left: Sofie Green, left, and Ashley Rohlfing at their Oak Bluffs shop, Island Outfitters; Slate, a clothing store in Edgartown.Elizabeth Cecil
You would think that the people of Marthas Vineyard would play down theJawsconnection.
But the great whites gaping maw is everywhere you look.
Were going to need a bigger island!
Del Araujo at Aquila, a coffee shop in Aquinnah Cliffs that also sells work by Indigenous artists.Elizabeth Cecil
she shouted with glee.
This theme felt relevant to my trip.
Before my departure, I started making a list of the beaches I wanted to visit.
Chef Deon’s Kitchen, inside the VFW Hall in Oak Bluffs.Elizabeth Cecil
I worried this might be a harbinger of the moneyed culture I would find.
In the foreground was the pool, surrounded by white cabanas.
In the background was the deep blue of Edgartown Harbor, dotted with yachts like clouds.
Jewelry maker Nettie Kent outside Ruel Gallery, in Chilmark, which she owns with her husband, painter Colin Ruel.Elizabeth Cecil
Today, Edgartown still looks like money, with BMWs crowding narrow streets lined with high-end boutiques.
Everything we can get here, we get here, she said.
She is particularly proud to have started her business later in life.
From left: Vegan crab cakes topped with lemon-caper aioli and watercress and served with a craft cocktail at Pawnee House, in Oak Bluffs; dining at the Pawnee House.Elizabeth Cecil
When she first opened MV Salads, she told me, she was often met with confusion.
Her friends wondered why she would start something new just as everyone else was retiring.
But it was clear from our conversation that Herlitz-Ferguson had more energy than I did.
Captain Eamonn Solway steers his boat, Island Girl, around the Aquinnah Cliffs.Elizabeth Cecil
I had been told that Kennebec Avenue was the Brooklyn of Oak Bluffs.
I chuckled at first, but when I got there, I thought,Theres something to this.
The street is a quiet, laid-back enclave that feels separate from the towns summer tourist swarm.
From left: Chef Deon Thomas at his Oak Bluffs restaurant, Deon’s Kitchen; chef Thomas’s specialty dish, “the empress and the conch.".Elizabeth Cecil
I stopped at Aalias, a coffee shop by day, a Lebanese fusion restaurant by night.
He suggested I come back for dinner.
She has helped organize the Marthas Vineyard Pride Parade since its debut in 2022.
From left: The lobby of Faraway Martha’s Vineyard, a hotel in Edgartown, Massachusetts; the pool at Faraway, with Edgartown Harbor beyond.Elizabeth Cecil
She added, The closest thing is probably the Ritz.
It was a bit of a record-scratch moment, walking in after a day of such luxury.
I mean that I could purchase a Rich Bee-yotch shot.
Pausing by the Atlantic at the Aquinnah Cliffs.Elizabeth Cecil
(Old ship meets the sea is how it was explained to me.)
This oyster doesnt travel, they brag.
Once we reached their oyster farm, the brothers started shucking bivalves for me.
Yoga on the Vine’s morning class on Bend in the Road Beach, in Edgartown.Elizabeth Cecil
(There are many migrant workers on the island.)
I studied Russian in college, so I conversed with him in his native language.
Have you seen Obama?
A studio suite at Faraway.Elizabeth Cecil
He had, and not just anywhere.
It was my first time in America, and I met the president!
I couldnt believe it!
he told me, beaming.
Deons is located inside the towns Veterans of Foreign Wars building.
The walls are painted orange, and the circular tables are designed for large parties.
To say its as good as your grandmothers cooking is the greatest compliment, he replied, smiling.
I started off with conch chowder, then a local fluke cooked in paper.
That was already a lot of food, but I had to try his famous jerk chicken.
I was sad to leave Faraway, but I neednt have despaired.
The lobby of the Hob Knob smelled of cookies, which are freshly baked there every afternoon.
What simple pleasures I found myself enjoying at this inn that runs several hundred dollars a night!
She drove us deeper into Aquinnah, a town that announced itself only by its quietude.
Cramer drove us to Menemsha for a quick stop.
Sarah wanted to try the soft serve from Menemsha Galley, a local institution.
She explained that the space used to be the garage where Ruels great-grandfather kept his Model A Ford.
Hes seventh-generation Menemsha, she added.
I marveled at that.
I said goodbye and went to find Sarah.
As I walked I took in the sight of Menemsha for what I thought was my last time.
The island had sunk its teeth into me, and still hasnt let go.
Also on hand: a boutique and saltwater pool with an adjoining bar.
Its 17 guest rooms are simply decorated and filled with antiques.
attempt to grab a table on the deck overlooking the Vineyard Haven Marina.
MV Salads
Fresh,colorful salads in Oak Bluffs, with ingredients grown on the island.
Make your own or choose from a menu of signature combinations.
The Ritz
An inclusivedive bar and music joint in Oak Bluffs.
The coffee beans are roasted on the island by Chilmark.
Island Outfitters
Find classic New England beach outfits at thisOak Bluffs boutique.
