Explore Martha's Vineyard
There are times on Martha's Vineyard when you're literally walking on rose petals. The roses that line the streets of Edgartown, decorate the yards of Vineyard Haven, grow wild along the beaches of Oak Bluffs, Chilmark and Aquinnah and sprout unexpectedly in the fields of West Tisbury at the site of a long-disappeared house, all sprinkle their petals in a cool island breeze.
Those are the moments when buying a home on an island seven miles off the Cape Cod coast and accessible only by water or air makes perfect sense.
Martha's Vineyard Today
The Vineyard is the home to about 20,600 year-round residents, a number that swells to about 100,000 in summer, when those who either own or rent real estate return for magical weeks to enjoy the Vineyard's beaches, six towns, beautiful water and inland vistas, and to find entertainment that is quintessentially "island."
But don't be fooled by the word "island" – Martha's Vineyard is 100 square miles, almost nine miles wide and twenty-three miles long. Although the Island is bike-friendly and there are a series of bike paths through the most developed parts, much of it is rolling terrain that can challenge all but the strongest bikers, and the towns themselves are miles apart.
For those looking to vacation or move here, there are infinite possibilities for Martha's Vineyard real estate including rentals, home, or vacant land purchases. Unlike many vacation resorts, the Vineyard has a wide and unusual selection available, in great part because it's still a "lived in" community.
Each of the Island's six towns has very different and intricate personalities, and each offers its own entertainments. But one of the first questions a Sandpiper agent may ask is if you prefer to be in a town or in a more rural setting – and that often translates into homes or property Up Island or Down Island. The Up-Island and Down Island references are part of the inescapable history of the Vineyard, and color almost all facets of life here: the life of the sea. When a vessel travels down its longitude, it is heading east. When traveling up its longitude, it is heading west. Therefore, western parts of the Island – West Tisbury, Chilmark, and Aquinnah – are referred to as Up Island. The eastern towns of Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, which are the most populous, are referred to as Down Island.
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