Martha’s Vineyard Population
In terms of the Martha’s Vineyard population, the majority of people that visit the island are tourists. However, there are approximately 17,000 permanent residents that live on the island year-round.
Martha’s Vineyard has lots of easy hiking trails which are perfect for family hiking.
Why Visit Martha’s Vineyard?
There are numerous reasons why people choose to visit Martha’s Vineyard for their vacation. Someone described Martha’s Vineyard as idealised country living for people from the city. That’s probably a fair assessment.Retro Charm
From the rocky coastlines and sparkling blue waters to the rural towns and charming villages, Martha’s Vineyard is a larger version of many New England towns. The island though has a certain quality unlike most other vacation destinations in the US. There are no traffic lights on the island. There was a massive brouhaha when the town’s giant traffic circle in the center of the island was installed. People opposed a traffic light even though the 4 way junction was both busy and dangerous.
Downtown edgartown has lots of boutiques and places to eat and drink.
Outdoor Activities
With dozens of hiking trails and bike paths, Martha’s Vineyard is an outdoor lover’s paradise. Explore the forests in the Tisbury Meadow Preserve or cycle along Beach Road Path for unbelievable ocean views.
People who love water based activities love Martha’s Vineyard
Urban Country Living
Go for a leisurely stroll in Edgartown to enjoy a day of gourmet dining and retail therapy. Martha’s Vineyard and Oak Bluffs also offers dining and shopping opportunities. There are no malls on the island and the stores tend to be small and individually owned. There are a couple of large retailers which have made their start from Martha’s Vineyard – The Black Dog empire and Vineyard Vines. Menemsha Blues is another locally grown company.
In the summer time, large mop heads of hydrangeas are everywhere.
Beautiful Beaches
If you’re looking to spend the afternoon soaking up the sun, then Martha’s Vineyard also has plenty of soft-sand beaches. Some of the beaches are privately owned and only accessible to the residents of the town so check out this list of the best beaches in Martha’s Vineyard before you go.
An aerial view of Chappaquidick in Martha’s Vineyard
A Variety of Entertainment
Being so close to Boston and New York, you get a fair share of education and health professionals. You also have politicians who come up from Washington D.C.. Martha’s Vineyard is a Democratic stronghold but you still get pockets of Republicans. There’s a wealthy African-American community who spend their summers in the Vineyard. African Americans could vacation in Martha’s Vineyard even while segregation was the rule of the law. There are lots of activities catering to people interested in the arts and education. For example, the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center has regularly scheduled films that include a talk with the director of the film after the screening. Popular summer activities include the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, the Martha’s Vineyard Book Festival and the Martha’s Vineyard Food and Wine Festival.Martha’s Vineyard in Popular Culture
Martha’s Vineyard also catapulted into the international consciousness in the 1960’s and 1970’s with two incidents – the tragic Kennedy accident at Chappaquidick and the release of the movie Jaws by Spielberg.The Kennedy Incident
The Kennedy Family were America’s golden family in the middle of the 20th century. America mourned the loss of both the young President John F. Kennedy assassinated in Dallas in 1963 and his brother Robert Kennedy assassinated while running for President in California in 1968. The remaining hope of the family fell on the youngest Kennedy brother, Ted Kennedy who became a senator from Massachusetts in 1962. In 1969, the married Ted Kennedy, however, was involved in a car accident in Chappaquiddick, a part of Edgartown in Massachusetts. The car had been driven off a small bridge into water. He left his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, to drown in the car. Mary Jo was a campaign aide with whom he had been drinking at a private party. When the news was made public, Ted Kennedy’s chance of becoming president were over. The public may have forgiven the affair or the drink driving, but running away from a drowning woman to save your own skin was just too sleazy.
A memorial to Mary Jo Kopechne was started on the bridge the car went off after the 2018 Chappaquidick movie.
The Fame of Jaws
Movie buffs will also be delighted to know that the island has been the setting for one of the world’s most beloved films. Steven Spielberg filmed scenes from Jaws, Jaws 2, and Jaws Revenge right here in Martha’s Vineyard. During your visit, see if you can spot any famous Martha’s Vineyard Jaws filming locations! For example, the so called Jaws Bridge is famous in the movie for the scene when the summer vacationers are attacked on a beach. Nowadays, Jaws Bridge is famous for the people who like to jump off it into the water below. You will also recognise, the up-island fishing village of Menemsha from the movie. There have been other movies set or filmed on Martha’s Vineyard, but none have had the cultural impact of Jaws.Celebrity Visitors
If you look back at Martha’s Vineyard history, you’ll see that it has been a popular summer destination and vacation spot for many celebrities. This pristine island is a retreat where they can escape twithout being bombarded by fans or paparazzi. David Letterman, Jennifer Lawrence, Bill Murray, Quincy Jones, Chelsea Handler, and Larry David are a handful of celebrities that frequently visit the island for vacation. Other actors, like Michael J Fox, Diane Sawyer, and Spike Lee, all own private homes in one of the six different towns dotted around Martha’s Vineyard. There have also been numerous musicians that have lived on the island, including James Taylor and Carly Simon. Carly Simon’s brother still owns a store in Vineyard Haven. James Taylor’s brother runs the Menemsha bicycle ferry. Authors Judy Blume and Shel Silverstein also owned homes on Martha’s Vineyard at one point in time.
The bike ferry connecting Menemsha to Lobsterville Beach

Obama postcards for sale in an Edgartown store

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Our plot to turn all america into Yankees,(it’s working) lobster rolls,fried class and frappes,now even people from my area the upper south enjoy a Holiday without noseeums!!!!!!
We definitely see lots of people from Florida in New England in the summer!