After 20 years in downtown Vineyard Haven, Midnight Farm will close its doors for good on Dec. 31.
After 20 years in downtown Vineyard Haven, Midnight Farm will close its doors for good on Dec. 31.
The upscale boutique owned by Tamara Weiss opened in 1996, steps away from Main street on Cromwell lane. Carly Simon was a major investor and business partner. Begun as a home goods store specializing in the unique, Midnight Farm was an extension of Ms. Weiss’s style. She would travel all over the world, collecting items from books and art to clothing and candles to populate the shelves. In 2012, the store moved to its current location at 44 Main street.
In the beginning, Midnight Farm would stay open until 10 p.m. accommodating the lively nights in downtown Vineyard Haven, but it hasn’t been that way in years, Ms. Weiss said. The retail business has been increasingly difficult which led to the bittersweet decision to close the store, she said.
Store items are up to 60 per cent off.
Store items are up to 60 per cent off.
“I tried to work on seeing how I could keep it open; it just became obvious that I couldn’t, it crept up on me. I think it had a really good run, and I’m trying to stay positive that it had a long successful life on the Vineyard.”
Midnight Farm spawned other creations, including the cookbook Potluck at Midnight Farm and the children’s book, Midnight Farm written by Carly Simon. The store also hosted music and poetry events and trade shows. Ms. Weiss eventually branched out into doing interior design work.
“I enjoyed bringing the Midnight Farm to other parts of the Island,” she said.
But best of all were the friendships that blossomed because of the store, Ms. Weiss said. She became close with customers, artisans and the town itself through her store.
“It became a place for people to congregate and meet and hang out,” she said. “I really encouraged customers to come and hang.”
Closing Midnight Farm is more than just personally difficult. Ms. Weiss also worries about the changes happening in downtown Vineyard Haven. Midnight Farm is the latest in a series of closures on Main street.
“I just hate to contribute to another empty store front,” she said. “I hope something wonderful takes my place.”
Ms. Weiss said she hopes expanding the liquor licenses in town will bring more restaurants and spark the Vineyard Haven night scene back to life.
“I really believe in Vineyard Haven,” she said. “I hope it returns to the town I know it will be.”
Everything at Midnight Farm will be 60 per cent off until closing. Ms. Weiss will continue bringing the Midnight Farm look into homes through her interior design business. She is also producing a documentary film as well as working on some other film projects.
“I’m on to some new adventures, but it’s been a real love affair,” she said. “Not just with my employees and customers, but with the town of Vineyard Haven.”
Comments
It's too bad Vineyard Haven
BillyB OBIt's too bad Vineyard Haven is in such decline. It used to be fun for my wife and I to visit and walk down Main Street before getting the basics at Stop&Shop. When Edgartown gets the renovated Stop&Shop there'll be no reason for us to go to VH anymore except to wait in the car line for the ferry. But, maybe that's the way they want it.
Agreed - Such a shame the VH
RD WTAgreed - Such a shame the VH Selectmen kept raising the ransom demands to the point where S$S walked. Unless they get creative Main Street will become nothing but seasonal t shirt shops. I love the Wok, but they need more variety to give people a reason to go down there, and then perhaps walk around after a meal.
Maybe stop and shop had a
Ken Edg.Maybe stop and shop had a hand in midnight farms demise. They booted them out as part of their expansion plan. I have no idea if they had to pay higher lease rates where they are now. I havent been down there but is the Chinese restruant and clothing store still there? What a mess.
I will really miss Midnight
Peter Simon ChilmarkI will really miss Midnight Farm. Back in the day, it was eccentric and enticing. Taking over the old Bunch of Grapes was a noble concept, but the ambience wasn't as captivating. I share Tamara's concern about Main Street. Business owners and town residents are on different pages about it being a bustling destination, especially at night. Couple that we with the takeover of online shopping, it's a double whammy. Empty storefronts remind me of the ghost towns of the rust belt. Business people and town planners need to a lot of think tanking to reform Main Street into a vibrant social and shopping district once again. This is getting serious!!!!
So sorry to hear another
diane edgartownSo sorry to hear another store is closing it's doors. I try to buy local but it is becoming more difficult. Maybe we should realize on-line shopping has made it impossible for small business owners to compete. I would go in these stores and wonder how they stayed open. Shabby Chic is not my style so I won't miss Midnight Farm but do feel sorry for our small towns. Still love the Green Room....Oh, I know, let's open another Vineyard Vines....how much of their business is Mail Order...Good for them. I don't think people are coming to MV to shop so MV should start thinking LOCAL.
Decline or growth? Depends
Mason Buddy Marblehead/VHDecline or growth? Depends on your age. At 80 I could agree it is a decline. I well remember Main Street with Cronigs Market, Yate's Drug Store, Brickman';s where we rented our bikes for the summer, and more. However, my grandchildren would disagree. "But Baba", they would say, "We have Mad Martha's, fudge shops, pizza places and a lot more". Right they are. I don't have rabbit ears on my TV, cannot find a phone booth on Main street or anywhere else. Can't take the Cape Codder from Stamford, Ct., and arrive on Woods Hole's wharf in time for the Islander or an even older ferry or Frankie Vincent picking us up. I look forward to living permanently on the Island and will do so sooner than I may want as my wife and I recently closed on our cemetery plot in West Tisbury. Good luck, Ms Weiss. You were a grand addition to The Vineyard scene.-
And don't forget the First
Islander TooAnd don't forget the First National and Issokson's and the Dry Goods Store.
Is there no chance whatsoever of some useful basic stores
such as a hardware store moving back to Main Street?
Loved Brickman's...was my
Gail Merriam Clarke Great Falls, VALoved Brickman's...was my Father's favorite. Had to visit them every summer in August.
This is really sad - Midnight
Erich Greenebaum MenemshaThis is really sad - Midnight Farm has always been one of my favorite shops on the Island. The obvious passion of the owner has always been unmistakeable. I've taken friends and family if just to browse as an Island destination.
All the best in future endeavors, even if that's just well earned relaxation!
I feel that the reality is
Chris NY/OBI feel that the reality is beginning to set in on VH. I live in NY and summer in OB, I understand that locals need places to shop, but you have to also survive as a business. The reality is that many stores on island are outrageously expensive, even by NY standards. However, there are many affluent families that live here or summer here. People do want to shop, but perhaps the answer is to finally allow some upscale chain stores (JCrew, Pottery Barn, etc). Locals would have jobs and the town would make money in taxes, etc. I know change is hard and fearful, but maybe it's time to change the way we do business. There is little to do on island and people aren't staying here as long anymore, maybe we need to spice things up. The island is a great place, but there is a lot of competition now as travel is cheaper and more readily available. T-shirt shops are fine, but they can give a sense of decline (think Jersey Shore).
Wowee -- "There is little to
FishcrowWowee -- "There is little to do on island...." Perhaps poor Chris has missed a lot. I have friends over eighty still working and volunteering and shell fishing and berry picking and gleaning and working with the less fortunate and making do with less than one "needs" from away. Maybe someone could arrange a zip line for Chris and his ilk from the West Chop Light to one of the more lively commercial spots like Kittery and Freeport with appropriate outlets like J. Crew and Pottery Barn. Talk about numb as a hake! The "fearful" part of change is loosing sight of earlier simplicity. Have a good read of Rockwell kent's A Northern Christmas.
Way to go Fishcrow. Being 10
Mason Buddy Marblehead/VHWay to go Fishcrow. Being 10 months from 80 I know exactly what you mean...and the older I get the more I long to live once again year round on Da Vineyard. I truly believe there is more to do on The Vineyard year round than anywhere else. Perhaps my first memory of life at age 3 sitting in a playpen outside my Grandfather's house in West Chop in 1938 has something to do with my feelings.
No need for snippiness. You
TG VHNo need for snippiness. You may not like what Chris has to say, but that doesn't make him wrong. Perhaps just a decade ago people would rent a home for 3-4 weeks or even the entire summer. There is much less of that going on, and 1-2 week rentals are much more the norm. We all might like to see people take advantage of the simpler life, pick up a book, do more hiking, and perhaps even volunteer at a needy organization, however, that is not the reality of todays world - things for good or bad are simply different now than they were , and we all must adapt in order to survive. I believe one of the biggest impediments to life on Main is simply the lack of parking - and this should be on the minds of our selectmen. The other issue is what make's Main Street a destination? Really besides a few nice galleries, an ice cream shop and the Green Room really not a whole lot - certainly nothing in comparison to the other down island towns, but if you head down towards the waterfront it's simply unattractive. The Black Dog owners have down their part, and I see tourists walking and enjoying that small patch, but imagine the street heading from five corners down to Black Dog as a destination. The tropical restaurant landscaped that triangle, pull away the vegetation and make it more inviting - and take down that gawdawful black tint on the windows. brick sidewalks, the storage on the left of that street could be shops, and inviting eateries - and further down - hopefully Earnie Boch will finally get something decent in that shack. The solution is not about a revitalizing of Main Street, but an revitalizing of Vineyard Haven from Main Street down to the water. Tourists and islanders alike need a reason to make the trip to downtown VH. OB and EDG give them reasons -variety of stores/restaurants(with full liquor licenses) and easier to find parking than in VH. By the way - Selectman of VH - get on your knees and apologize to the town and the owners of Stop & Shop and plead with them to revamp that store. Water Street will never shine until S&S and the storefront it now owns beside it are updated. DO YOUR JOB!
Chris,very well said. You are
Kate CTChris, very well said. You are point on with your assessment and your suggestions are excellent. Visited there several times and I love to shop but never purchase anything. The prices are much to high.
It's the very high rents,
Sandra Grant EdgartownIt's the very high rents, really hurts any profits they try & have to make
Well, perhaps i've just been
Dana Nunes VHWell, perhaps i've just been living here too long but I just can't see coming to a place like this to go shopping at a store from which I can simply order what I need, or want, online. J. Crew? Pottery Barn? When we travel, we look for shops that sell items that we wouldn't normally find at home, i.e. locally crafted items made from locally sourced materials, locally produced art, something that will be a reminder of our visit. Why would I want to be reminded of a visit to a mall – type store?
As for there being "little to do on island," if you actually believe that then you're probably visiting the wrong place. This is an island with a number of wonderful natural experiences and entertainments awaiting the inquisitive visitor; enough Land Bank trails to walk for several seasons without repetition, beaches to walk, rain or shine, movies, concerts or an evening at The Yard for some world-class dance. Put down the iPhone and take a deep breath and a good look around you.
The town should have
Melissa Manter West TisburyThe town should have supported the Stop and Shop renovation, the stores on Main Street do not and will not stand a chance of survival until Stop and Shop gets an overhaul.....Shame on the Town for allowing this to happen....The Stop and Shop renovation is crucial to the economy of downtown Vineyard Haven......
You are right.
Michael Ft.Lauderdale/OBYou are right.
Turning Stop and Shop down was the nail in the coffin.
I can't help but feel another
Paul NY / ChilmarkI can't help but feel another crucial factor in the decline of VH is increasing vehicle traffic from the ferries during peak tourist season; trying to get in or out of Vineyard Haven during the summer can be a nightmare, and even if you set out with the intention of a Main Street stroll finding parking can also be a headache. I would imagine that in addition to changing liquor regulation and trying to stoke a stronger restaurant scene in town, implementing better vehicle management practices would improve the situation significantly. Some of these are long-term issues requiring long-term solutions, but better parking (making small-scale parking structures etc...) could be a start.
My parents would always make
Jeff Winter Haines City, FLMy parents would always make VH their destination spot on the island when they took a day trip to MV. I have always liked VH. When I lived on the island a few years ago i found that I didn't spend much time there except to wait for the ferry. Parking is bad, Stop and Shop was unattractive, restaurants were okay, no hardware store, There is little about VH that is appealing. My parents, if alive, would be disappointed in what has become of VH.
I'm sorry to see Midnight
Nyx EdinburghI'm sorry to see Midnight Farm go as it was quirky and über stylish and I loved to browse there. Unfortunately I (and many others?) couldn't afford to buy much more than a tin of mints! Maybe that's part of the problem : 'different' too often equates to 'expensive'?!
Amen Paul of CHil/NY...just
Hugh AquinnahAmen Paul of CHil/NY...just like Woods Hole, VH is too small for all this traffic, and think of it, we have two towns where the boats come in..woods Hole has one....solution,
Don't rebuild woods hole terminal, run all the car ferries out of NEw Bedford/Fairhaven and go right into Tashmoo and build a ferry dock at the end of lake Street, run the traffic up the power line to state Road where the traffic could go straight around the back of park and ride to the new rotary area, the VH people would go left into town and the up-islanders would head west to those towns. Keep a pedestrian ferry at the downtown terminal so the tourists come in and use the parking area for VH.
A mess of left turning lanes at intersections all over the island would help the traffic problems too...
I much prefer shopping local
Annie EdgartownI much prefer shopping local versus the tourist trap crap. However, Midnight Farm was fun to browse, but way overpriced to want anything like that.
Sorry...
Has anyone been to LeRoux ,
Brian Alden FloridaHas anyone been to LeRoux , Bunch of Grapes, the Green Room , Louise Gould Gallery, Peter Simons , Beach house, Brickman's ....they are all great stores to shop in in....well run with competive pricing....I am sure high rents are a factor....remember the Hall's own much of the real estate in VH.....offer a good product at competitive prices and businesses will succeed...a short season and high costs certainly make it a little more difficult..
Do not forget about Nochi...a
A. Shaw Boston/MVDo not forget about Nochi...a hidden treasure of upscale womens clothing, accesories and antique furnishings..
Agreed, A Shaw! Long live
Linda Boston/chilmarkAgreed, A Shaw! Long live Nochi!
I will miss Midnight Farm along with many other sweet and special places from a bygone era. Not many stores evoke a rush of anticipation and excitement upon entering a beautiful space, filled with treasures that elevated and iinformed my taste and things that were dearly nostalgic.
Good luck Tamara and thank you for your magical store.
I love to shop, and I
fashionsta west tis and nyI love to shop, and I understand how expensive it is to operate a small store. I also understand that closing Mid-Night Farm is part of a larger process of economic change. I imagine too that the owner could not pay for rent increases. This is really sad because rents everywhere are driving small businesses and family owned businesses that we all love out of business. On that note: please save us from the big box stores. The thing about shops like Mid-Night Farm is that they offer a special kind of look. However, I have to agree with the writer who cited the prices in the store. They were way too high, even comparing to New York City. I would not buy there as a matter of principal because of that.
A multinational corporation
Bruce Nevin EdgartownA multinational corporation in Holland was not going gallop in on a white horse with a big S&S banner to rescue Main Street. (Oh, did you think Stop & Shop was an American company?) A Stop & Shop mega-store would not have helped Main Street.
Parking, that's closer to the mark. S&S already treats the town parking lot as their own. The few spaces they would have added (under the building, reluctantly, and mandated because of flood risk) would not have offset the added traffic. It would have made 5 Corners even worse. People driving off the boat have no way to stay & shop and every incentive to struggle out through that bottleneck and away. Employee parking gobbles up spaces. Give employees in stores incentives to get to work without bringing their car to sit all day. Are there long-term parkers abusing the Park & Ride? Can more space be added? How about a 'trolley' circulating to run along Main Street and return to a parking area out of town? Is it possible to conceive of a parking garage, maybe back along Holmes Hole Road, or even at the present Park & Ride, for more efficient use of real estate for parking?
Success on Main Street depends on easy flow of people. Easy, pleasant, fun. "Let's go to town and window-shop!" Not likely to hear that now. That's what needs fixing.
I don"t understand your rage
BillyB OBI don"t understand your rage at Stop&Shop. Who cares if investment comes from Holland or elsewhere -- a company was willing to try to work with the town and invest in making something better. Instead, the general blight that is VH continues and no one else is stepping up to make any improvements. And more storefronts shutter. Your ideas are just that - ideas. No one is taking leadership in VH to but ideas into action.
Oh heartbreak. Midnight Farm
Wendy Vickers CincinnatiOh heartbreak. Midnight Farm was one of my favorite stores on the Vineyard. Another change for V.H., another loss. When I fell in love with the Vineyard, and Vineyard Haven in particular, it was the laid back, decidedly NOT Edgartown feel. We would breakfast at "The Patisserie Francaise" almost daily. Almond croissants melting in your mouth, strong coffee and fluffy eggs with a baguette, while watching Mike Wallace stroll past for his morning jaunt. When we needed furnishings I frequented Midnight Farm, Bramhall and Dunn and all the shops with unique, one of kind things to fill our home with love and delight. Then dinner at Le Grenier was decidedly when you really felt you had left the mainland behind. We were on the Vineyard with open windows, the sound of the ferry landing or leaving, a self brought bottle of wine, vichysoise and Long Island duckling, friends and good conversation. Then to stroll around and look at stuff, ultimately buying something cool or a good book to read. Where has my beautiful Vineyard Haven gone?
Heavy sigh... Wendy, I
Repeat VIsitor Boston/ChilmarkHeavy sigh... Wendy, I completely agree with you. So many of the former notable cafes and one-of-a-kind boutiques are indeed history, and their absence is painfully felt. Consequently, the entire feel of Main Street has and sadly continues to change, and not for the betterment of either businesspeople, residents or tourists. Midnight Farm's moving to the Main Street location was a mistake: higher rent, more in-your-face and less of an off-the-main-drag, almost secret and glorious destination. Prices did seem to go up there -- a lot-- and that was most likely due to the rent increase. However, there remain many wonderful destinations on Main Street, such as The Louisa Gould Gallery, LeRoux, Brickman's, Peter Simon's Gallery and the artisans showcase shop, to name a few. The movie theater is an important player there as well. Perhaps town officials should invest in giving these businesses a significant tax break, and show their wisdom in creating a trickle-up effect which would have a positive effect on Vineyard Haven as a whole. The town could also offer free shuttle service to employees of these business from a remote parking location. So many opportunities and options. Who will come forward with the foresight, wisdom and courage to make a real change while there is still time? P.S. Someone commented that perhaps "big box stores" should arrive on our beloved Vineyard. Mon dieu! Never!!!!!
I'm a part of a Pop Up Shop
Steve MenemshaI'm a part of a Pop Up Shop of 15 local artists, and it is doing exceedingly well! Think outside the box. The only way to compete with online stores is to get creative. Too bad also they turned down the food trucks in OB. Hey, maybe they could have a "hardware truck!" As long as the Internet is with us, physical retail will have to be one step ahead.
So many strong suggestions,
Kenny L VHSo many strong suggestions, and possibilities! Where are the Selectmen? The Town is in serious decline, and they have been absent!! As Bill Belichick would say, "Do your job"
Add new comment