A rising number of vacancies and a shift toward more seasonal businesses on Circuit avenue have business owners and town officials looking at ways to keep the street vital all year long.
From the balcony of his apartment, Ben DeForest can see all the way up and down Circuit avenue. Having grown up on the Island, the owner-operator of Red Cat Kitchen knows the scene intimately and regards it with much affection.
“Growing up... Oak Bluffs was the big city,” he said.
But a lot of the storefronts he’s used to seeing, such as Linda Jean’s Restaurant and Phillips Hardware, no longer line the street. Many Oak Bluffs businesses are disappearing, and a sizable portion of storefronts are vacant long after their tenants leave. The off-season, in particular, feels quieter than it ever has, Mr. DeForest said.
Ben DeForest wants to see downtown Oak Bluffs revitalized.
Ben DeForest wants to see downtown Oak Bluffs revitalized.
“There are empty stores and closed businesses littering this town,” he said. “I can look off my porch [in the off-season], and there’s literally not one car parked on Circuit avenue. It is a ghost town.”
The situation is not only distressing to Mr. DeForest. A group of business owners on Circuit avenue and town officials have created a new council to look into ways of keeping the street vital all year long.
The Oak Bluffs economic development council started meeting earlier this year and is still in the process of becoming an official body. Oak Bluffs select board member Mark Leonard is one of the town officials spearheading the effort, and said the group is attempting to diagnose what’s causing the high turnover in downtown Oak Bluffs.
“[We’re] trying to... make downtown [Oak Bluffs] a vibrant place with businesses that are stable and coming back every year, because there is a lot of movement,” he said. “One closes, another one opens, and one moves.... It’s hard on the business owners.”
Several storefronts have either shuffled or become vacant in recent years for a variety of reasons.
For the owners of Phillips Hardware, which closed in September after anchoring Circuit avenue for almost 100 years, it was simply time to retire. Slip77 owner Christina Izzo announced the clothing store will not open next year so Ms. Izzo can focus on her family. Linda Jean’s Restaurant, after an attempted revival in 2023 by chef Winston Christie, closed again this year. Plans for a restaurant by Michael Santoro never got off the ground. Last week, building owner Marc Hanover sold the building to hotel developer Charles Hajjar and Island restaurateur Doug Abdelnour, who plan to open a fast casual eatery there sometime next year.
The street has also lost its hair salons, with Circuit Style Salon closing earlier this year and Benito’s Barbershop set to have its last day on Nov. 25.
A Circuit avenue staple for 35 years, Benito’s has cut some Islanders’ hair for their whole lives. Though owner Tracy Briscoe will continue cutting hair at Gypsy Barbershop in Edgartown, she says she had to leave Circuit avenue after her new landlords at 38 Circuit avenue, VWC Oak Bluffs Realty LLC, raised rent on the property. Kevin Borges, a representative from the real estate group, maintains the business tried to negotiate with Ms. Briscoe.
Benito's is headed to Edgartown.
Benito's is headed to Edgartown.
“I don’t want to leave Circuit,” Ms. Briscoe told the Gazette. “It’s just heartbreaking. I put my life into this place.”
The space next to Benito’s at 38 Circuit avenue has been vacant since a clothing store moved out some months ago. Vineyard Wine and Cheese, owned by Navin Patel who is also part of VWC Oak Bluffs Realty LLC, is currently in the basement below the former clothing store and is set to expand upward into that space.
The changes add up, and the Circuit avenue of today looks different than it did even a year ago. While the story of each recent Oak Bluffs closure is different, together they paint a picture that Mr. DeForest said has been unfolding over the past 15 years. He called it a “domino effect.”
“There’s all these bedrock cornerstones of any small town that are just vanishing,” Mr. DeForest said. “All of a sudden, before you know it, everything’s gone.”
The nascent economic development council has been meeting every few weeks to go over the situation on Circuit avenue and elsewhere in town.
It met most recently on Wednesday, where members reviewed data on the town’s economic performance. Stefanie Wolf, owner of Circuit avenue jeweler Stefanie Wolf Designs, took an unofficial inventory of Circuit avenue, Kennebec avenue and Healey Square, and found that roughly 12 per cent of businesses are vacant or transitioning.
“I have this feeling that there are so many more vacancies than there were,” she said.
Mr. Leonard said that the group will try to pinpoint why exactly businesses are having trouble sticking around. He noted that national economic uncertainty could be playing a role, but he also wants to peel back the layers on hyper-local factors at play.
Larking Stallings, owner of the Ritz, says the off-season has been slower.
Larking Stallings, owner of the Ritz, says the off-season has been slower.
“I can’t put my finger on even the top three things that are making it happen,” he said. “That’s one of the things we’re trying to figure out.”
It’s not lost on anyone who runs a business on the Vineyard that the Island has a seasonal economy, and that the economy is not always kind to those trying to make a steady living.
But some Oak Bluffs business owners say that business in the off-season is only getting quieter — an issue many point out is inextricably tied to increased vacancies.
Larkin Stallings owns and operates The Ritz, a year-round bar on Circuit avenue. Mr. Stallings is the president of the Oak Bluffs Association and is involved in forming the new economic development council.
He said that, for a lot of Circuit avenue vendors, this year’s shoulder season has felt tougher than normal. In October, sales at the Ritz were down 20 per cent.
“It’s a real mixed bag as far as who did well at the beginning of the season, and it’s a mixed bag of who is getting really hurt this tail end,” he said.
The Gazette reported in September that the Island’s summer economic season seems to be getting shorter, potentially due in part to the increasing concentration of events that take place in August. But a contracting summer season means a much larger window in the offseason where there’s little money to be made.
For Mr. Stallings, “critical mass” is a major piece of the puzzle. When there are not enough year-round businesses to draw traffic to Circuit avenue, he said, everyone who remains gets hurt.
“We don’t have the critical mass for any of us to do well,” he said. “We’re all struggling off season.”
There are several businesses in downtown Oak Bluffs that stay open year-round, including Basics Clothing Company, Bangkok Thai Cuisine, Offshore Ale and The Sweet Life Cafe.
Erin Ryerson and her husband, Hal Ryerson, bought Sweet Life in 2017. In the summertime, it’s seldom empty. One might even find themselves competing with the Obamas for a reservation.
Phillips Hardware is one of the vacant buildings on the strip.
Phillips Hardware is one of the vacant buildings on the strip.
But the reality of the off-season can be less glamorous. For Ms. Ryerson, the off-season is about breaking even — a task that is getting more challenging.
“As a whole, the off-season is getting harder,” Ms. Ryerson said.
She said Sweet Life works hard to come up with creative ways to keep people coming in the off-season so they can retain their staff. They run an off-season special where customers seated at the bar between 5:30 and 6 p.m. get the menu half-off. Sweet Life also started offering lunch this year from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and began holding author events from October to June to encourage business.
But even the most creative solutions are becoming insufficient to combat the issue.
At noon last Thursday, the height of the lunch rush for many establishments, the dining room of Sweet Life was empty, save for one group who arrived for a 1 p.m. reservation.
Ms. Ryerson said that when a business closes for good — even if it’s technically a competitor — it means fewer people are coming into town overall.
“It’s not good for us,” she said.
Mr. DeForest said this is especially the case when businesses close that fill a niche in the Oak Bluffs ecosystem, such as Benito’s, Phillips or Circuit Style Salon.
“There’s going to be all these people that don’t come to Oak Bluffs for a haircut anymore,” Mr. DeForest said. “It collateralizes itself.”
Erin Ryerson is testing creative ways to keep her Sweet Life Cafe busy in the off-season.
Erin Ryerson is testing creative ways to keep her Sweet Life Cafe busy in the off-season.
Kahina Van Dyke, the owner of the Inkwell Beach House, the Narragansett House and Dunmere by-the-Sea, as well as boutique Jubilee on Circuit avenue, said she’s noticed a feedback loop between critical vacancies and less year-round activity. In recent years, she’s watched the situation in Oak Bluffs “snowball.”
To her, off-season programming is the way to break the cycle.
“You have to build it, and then they will come,” she said.
When the Oak Bluffs economic development council held its most recent working group Wednesday morning, members pointed out that pillars of the community closing their doors and an overall quieter off-season go hand-in-hand.
“It’s getting people here and keeping people here,” said Sarah Hughes from the Martha’s Vineyard Builders’ Association. “You need that vibrant community to be able to do that.”
In 2021, Oak Bluffs received help from the state in producing a post-Covid “rapid recovery plan” that identified the town’s economic weaknesses and offered solutions on how to shore them up. The fledgling council wants to return to that plan and update it, focusing on the plan’s long-term tools for economic resilience beyond the pandemic years.
The document points out major obstacles to Oak Bluffs’s economic resilience, including the housing crisis and a thinly stretched wastewater supply. But it also offers solutions that the group is considering, such as introducing new year-round programming and making the licensing process more efficient.
The group agreed that making downtown Oak Bluffs more sustainable year-round will require getting aggressive with off-season programming. The Oak Bluffs Association already puts on Light Up Oak Bluffs, which is becoming an annual holiday tradition, but the group discussed adding to the holiday magic with elaborate Christmas lights or a skating rink. They also discussed enforcing new regulations for how businesses that are closed for the season must maintain their storefronts to make the town more inviting.
“After a year or two or three, probably [businesses] would feel that it’s worth it to be open, because there are 10 events going on that people are coming to,” Ms. Wolf said. “There would be a growing period, for sure.”
But for many business owners, the key is leaning on what already makes Oak Bluffs special: its Victorian architecture, its rich cultural history, and the fact that it’s full of people ready and willing to do the work.
“The first step to solving the problem is everybody identifying there is a problem. And so I think we’re all aligned,” Ms. Van Dyke said. “There’s definitely a lot of potential for Oak Bluffs. I’m a believer.”
Comments
Could it be the lack of
Resident Oak BluffsCould it be the lack of public restrooms in OB during the off-season? Hard to go shopping / run errands with little kids who need to use the restroom frequently.
Anyone want to open up a
MWG ChilmarkAnyone want to open up a pharmacy that closes at 7pm or later?
there are no cozy places to
Amy Edgartownthere are no cozy places to linger. off season used to be for coffee dates, perusing a book store/ greeting cards, comfort food & soup. Unfortunately, lingering clients with low sale items isn't conducive to a lucrative business plan however
We are seasonal. The
SimpleWe are seasonal. The leadership does nothing to spread August out. Past leadership tried and were chastised. By the time October comes the seasonal business owners are exhausted and ready to hibernate. Most of the vacancies mentioned are tied to real estate changing hands. Wine shop, Linda jeans, Phillips all real estate sales. When I was a kid the entire town closed except Reliable, Phillips, Darosas and Linda jeans… notice those all have generational families running them. The world has changed and so has MV. It’s normal. Embrace the quiet and rest up, summer is coming.
this surprises you? the
michael edgartownthis surprises you? the locals have made it clear. tourism is not a big deal here. wail until summer. start with the ferry. we know people arent going to pay over $400 to come and go here. they are my renters. and that price will only rise.. take your family out in the summer for dinner. a mediocre place in edgartown was over $450.00 for 4 people, and we were just a handful of people there..15 dollars for a glass of wine? and the food? tater tots?
your restriction on rentals, taxes on rentals and "fees are running an extra 2k for a rental...
constant gauging of tourists is obvious...
nantucket just voted for unrestricted short term rentals. they get it, tourism is our only lifeline, they say.....when restauranteurs look at next season, they have to decide, is this place worth it, or somewhere else more profitable? it says that in this article...empty streets
i have to rent my modest home out, in order to make it affordable. the locals dont like that. we all have to do this to make ends meet.. this makes ZERO sense to me and should to everyone else.....
the residents have to make a call...tourism or not? i for one think it's too late and you have destroyed yourselves on overrated marthas vineyard.. i am not the only one who sees this...we talk at local joints and we are all in step...
the old excuse was "we have to make our money in the summer". you may have sunk that boat...
What do you suggest to go
Tom EdgartownWhat do you suggest to go from here?
Michael,
Jean NYCMichael,
I could not agree more on the additional rental tax…. I refuse to return…. Roll back the Rental tax for starters….12% tax????? Crazy!!!!
MV will cut the hands that feed them… the summer tourist…
When I was younger in the
seasonal mvyWhen I was younger in the 1970s and 1980s there were a lot more people on the island after the summer, many of whom stayed until New years before heading for warmer climates in the winter. Many were students who stayed after graduation, and the seasonal restaurant workers who migrated south to FLA for winter gigs. Most of their jobs are now filled by foreign students here on a work visa who must leave after a certain date. There used to be a vibrant night life in the bars. Its unfortunate that if you are here working as a server relying upon tips, you won't make enough money to live on since the place is empty of customers. Would a restaurant be able to pay servers a decent hourly wage of $25 so they would stay? I'd expect when you get $35 for a burger its do-able.
Isn't the year round
tom BostonIsn't the year round population far, far bigger now than it was in the 70s and 80s? I stayed into the fall in the late 70s and it was far more desolate than it is today off-season.
As a teacher, I taught on NV
Elizabeth Hoyt Alpha, NJAs a teacher, I taught on NV one summer and could not find housing. Might you ever consider creating affordable housing for teachers and other would-be public servants trying to start a new life there?
This past summer, the first
Bob Kelly OAK BLUFFSThis past summer, the first three weeks of August were bursting full while July was less crowded. My visiting family came in July and remarked on this - the sidewalks were simply not as full. But you had to walk in the street during August until after fireworks. It's as if it's too expensive to be a vacation destination but then the folks who come August aren't price sensitive and will come at any cost because for them, Oak Bluffs is the place to be seen. After a few years of empty storefronts, rents could lower - but that's an ugly situation for all. I will miss the barber shop being closed - that's a real loss as was the pharmacy and Phillps's hardware....heartbreaking.
If the rent for these spaces
MikeD WTIf the rent for these spaces keeps going up.
Oak Bluffs will keep going down.
Several Years ago there was
Holly Alaimo Oak BluffsSeveral Years ago there was an effort to create interesting art exhibits in the windows of the closed storefronts. This made for a fun walk up Circuit Ave. Just a little lighting was needed. A skating spot in Ocean Park would be wonderful. Dining spots are essential. How about supporting a Cultural District initiative to create historic events off season supported by a state funding plan.
Holly, absolutely! Oak Bluffs
Gretchen North of BostonHolly, absolutely! Oak Bluffs draws amazing artists. Look at what you all did with the incredible sharks/artwork for the 50th of JAWS and the creativity throughout town. In the winter, there are no places to "linger" like a coffee shop/open art studio, after-school enrichment for kids, book store. A spot to gather.... i don't have the answer, but town leaders should listen to longtime business owners for their advice, and come up with some creative ways to utilize these vacant storefronts. Pop-ups with activities for kids?
We have more of a seasonal
Michael EdgartownWe have more of a seasonal economy than a year round one. he environment including zoning and taxation need to understand that. These businesses need to make profits or else they do not stay open. The MV towns need to worry more about making it affordable for business than trying to increase taxes and fees for affordable housing. If business cannot make a fir return on their capital they close. Clearly they are not. We as an island need to adapt and cut red tape, fees and anti business attitudes and become more nimble provide business incentives and establish a better pro business atmosphere or we will be a rich enclave with no restaurants shops, barbers, hairstylists etc.
I would visit the Island more
Valerie CapeI would visit the Island more often but the cost of the ferry from Hyannis is too expensive and Falmouth is a bit too far. Year round residents on the Cape should receive reduced ferry rates similar to Island residents.
Seasonal businesses have a
Albert GosnoldSeasonal businesses have a better ROI.
it’s happening here off
Ralph MAit’s happening here off island. Let’s how this ski season go in New England. But I won’t be surprised this is highly correlated with low consumer confidence.
It's odd that even though the
gina Menemsha/nycIt's odd that even though the MV yr population has increased a lot since Covid , that Circuit Ave Business has not .. Much as to do with the Seasonal type of retail stores occupy the street .. With losing 2 anchors , Phillips & the Barber Shop drawing off season customers will not be easily replaced .. With so much retail buying via Amazon & on line retail options it's near impossible to carry the off season overhead ..
Perhaps the Landlords would promote Specialty Pop up stores to fill the voids using short term leases & creative marketing strategies .. vs old brick & mortar occupants.. ..
My wife and I have been
Jeff Plain Huntsville, ALMy wife and I have been coming to the Island for about a decade now. From May (Marathon) to August. We time August because of the Falmouth Road Race. But the crowds and costs are making us question August in future years.
Sadly, we find very little interest on Circuit Avenue and area except for food. We have our must do locations, some multiple times while we are there. Offshore Ale, Fat Ronnie's, MV Salads, Backdoor Donuts, Biscuits and Barn Bowl & Bistro. Perhaps a stop to grab ice cream. But these are our destinations and I know most are only open for the summer season. Besides people watching, sadly there is nothing else that draws us in. The retail locations are mostly geared to tourists, but not this tourist.
I'd love to see some new activities that would encourage people to spend more time on Circuit Ave. Huntsville has the Lucky Duck Scavenger Hunt. Greenville (SC) has the Mice on Main. Family friendly free activities. Utilize your local year round resources. We love running with our friends from the Amity Island Running Club when we come on island. The group may be smaller in the offseason, but they continue to run. Seek their input on what would entice them to do group runs from that area and stick around for coffee/breakfast. I lead a Pub Run here (9 years). We had 185 runners that came to a local brewery Wed. night and spent money on food and drink. That happens every week and the businesses welcome and appreciate us.
We know it is a tough environment. High rent, labor costs and availability. But MV is resilient and full of great people. Come together and come up with a solution(s). Some will work, some won't but keep trying. If you want a perfect example of a town that went thru a hard time, came together and now thrive, check out the history of Helen, GA.
Can't wait to watch your progress from afar and looking forward to being back on island next summmer.
Still no sewer capacity that
Doug Oak BluffsStill no sewer capacity that would allow expansion? No additional living above shops option? More sit down dining spaces?
I think this article is
R Scott Patterson EdgartownI think this article is missing the elephant in the room. The current administration has been aggressively destroying our country and economy from the past 9 months. It’s hurting all of us. People have much less disposable income and have no idea how bad it going to be going forward. I think people have some good ideas about improving the town but it’s rearranging chairs on the deck of the titanic. The problem is in DC!
This isn't a past nine months
Demitri hateride Oaks bluffThis isn't a past nine months thing. This has been a progression over a decade. You priorities need to align with current economic struggle of Oak Bluffs and stop blaming an administration that has no control of our island... really.
Hmmmm......in the last 9
Enough Already OAK BLUFFSHmmmm......in the last 9 months inflation is way down, the stock market has been at record highs, wages are up and unemployment remains low. Tell me again how this negatively effects Circuit Ave.? Instead of blaming DC perhaps we need to look at local leadership both political and business and question what have they done to promote a more vibrant off season.
What’s the latest w the
Margot lane BostonWhat’s the latest w the closed down movie theatre?
Good question!
Nancy EdgartownGood question!
The abandoned building has
Eddie Oak BluffsThe abandoned building has been an eyesore for decades. It should be the gateway to Circuit Avenue. Edgartown took a property by eminent domain from the same owner a few years back. OB should seize that abandoned property, too. But that takes leadership.
The fact that OB has allowed
Marc MVThe fact that OB has allowed the once revered Island Theater, the actual gateway and entrance to Circuit Ave to literally be reduced to a crumbling, graffiti littered empty shell is symbolic of how the rest of the street has been treated.
Couldn’t agree more !
Nancy EdgartownCouldn’t agree more !
The ferry rates have gotten
Annie CookThe ferry rates have gotten crazy: they need to be LOT lower after Labor Day. Nobody can afford to rent on MV anymore. If you don't drink alcohol, what is there to do in OB in the off season beyond the same-old, same-old at the Ritz or Offshore? Over time, speaking as an island-born person, the whole vibe has diminished in grooviness, thanks to the cliquy, status-chasing energy - money chasing by everyone, as the primary value. What happens to "community" when materialism inflates housing and hospitality (hotels and restaurants) to the point where you get a crazy August rush then economic flatlining for 9-10 months out of the year. We had a pretty groovy 1960s-80s in terms of a laid-back pace and not SO many visitors that traffic jams in and out of every town was a thing. The SSA really needs to work with the island on its crazy pricing schedule; and as an essentially seasonal resort, MV needs a game plan to host not MORE people, but people who can help make the island groovy again (without having to be rich!). If O.B. invested in establishing year-round, AFFORDABLE artist live-work lofts, combined with apartments for "essential" workers in some of the empty buildings, you'd have a socio-economic base to patronize cafes and eateries, as well as maybe some retail. A hardware store is a must have! Landlords have got to chill out on their price-gouging of businesses and potential renters. OB always becomes a ghost town during Feb and April vacations, and in Jan-March in the past few years, it's been like one of those abandoned frontier towns. Does the Vineyard, collectively, WANT a year-round economy? Do people understand what needs to change, in mindsets and strategically, for that to manifest? How would you draw people to participate with the gas- and grocery-price inflation and the insular social culture that isn't fun if you're not a "member" already? In any case, the entire U.S. of A. is facing a reckoning on multiple levels, and usually the next paradigm can't arise until the prior status quo reaches its "bottom." What's so special about this mystical place, now that it's entering its "expired golden goose" stage? I still don't see an inclusive vision favoring balance between preservation and accommodation (i.e., overtourism and its boom-bust seasonal schedule, which is wreaking havoc in tourist destinations worldwide, degrading the quality of life of people with family ties who may or may not have a rationale or funds to live there full time).
Some of us inspired in such a strategic direction have found that provincial attitudes and turfism within the community itself have led to negative barriers that are too daunting to try and overcome. As long as the exclusionary status quo holds sway, the trend discussed in this story will continue to be the downward norm.
Maybe the rents are too
SamiMaybe the rents are too astronomical???
Maybe real estate costs too
Albert GosnoldMaybe real estate costs too much.
I’ve watched as the powers to
William Craffey Oak BluffsI’ve watched as the powers to be have done everything in their power to discourage growth
1- 3 acre minimum making it extremely expensive to build a home.
2- MV land bank buying all large parcels keeping developers from having anywhere to build.
3- doing away with Standby, leaving only the well off and well organized able to bring their cars over
4- the steamship has become completely unreliable.
The fact of the matter is the majority of workers used to live here, now they don’t.
The island approach to affordable housing is building single family homes and subsidizing buyers. The only way to have a chance at a year round business environment is to address housing.
Just my observation. I believe it will get worse before getting better.
10% Local Owner-Operator tax
GK WT10% Local Owner-Operator tax exemption to any owner who operates their own storefront with under 10 employees. Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 59 § 5I. Rent rebates to any business that commits to year-round, funded by reallocated meals and rooms taxes, maybe with a slight upward nudge of .5% , ring-fenced for winter rent relief, sunsetting when when avg commercial vacancy hits 10% let’s say. This is the on-hand solution regardless of whether MV wants to have a functional year-round economy or remain in the feudal tourism model. The necessary tax cuts and deregulation to really fix the problem will probably never happen here.
“Events” won’t solve the problem, countrywide event attendance dropped this year due to rising prices, and price is an even more acute problem for MV. People didn’t forget these places on Circuit exist (though an article like this might convince them OB’s a ghost town not worth going to), they just don’t have the money to spend. Can’t imagine these ailing business owners and employees can afford to be their neighbors’ regular customers, no matter how high they raise prices to make ends meet.
Rent’s too damn high.
Since the pandemic, I don't
Ng VHSince the pandemic, I don't go out much, especially with the rising cost of everything. I used to buy 2-3 cocktails at $8 each, now at most I'll buy only one, maybe 2 if I had a good week, that's half the size, for $12. I'd tip $2 each time, so buying one instead of 2 cuts the server's tips from me in half. Multiply that by 50-100 people and it's almost not worth working the shift. I understand a business has to make a profit, but look at where people are still gathering in high numbers in the winter - PA Club with cheap drinks and delicious great value food at Mo's, free Chilmark Potluck Jam, Trivia nights where you may win gift certificates. Maybe if there's a way to incentivize businesses to stay open and offer lower prices ($5 specials at the Ritz do tempt me to go out), like a source for grant money for events or development, or some kind of community fee for vacant storefronts so they at least decorate the windows? Thousands of people go just to see the Macy's windows each year. An outdoor ice rink would be amazing if it stays cold enough (big "if"), then we'll want hot food and beverages after skating! Or maybe MV has finally priced itself out. In my own small business, I raised prices nominally for the first time this year, kept it stable through the pandemic. My costs went up(tariffs), but so did growth, so I could get by. Prices still don't reflect the huge rise in supply cost, but I understand that some sales are more important than few or no sales, and honestly it wouldn't cover all my bills if I didn't have another side hustle that relies on paychecks from rich folks. And I understand that some businesses are already walking a razor thin margin so it's an over-simplification to say "make things cheaper." But maybe some of the landlords, those who can spare some profit for the good of the community, can think about the bigger picture, in order to keep Circuit vibrant. Maybe with lower rent, businesses won't have to raise prices as much. They get zero rent if a business closes. RIP Benito's!
Can't even count on dinner or
Elizabeth Slaughter Oak BluffsCan't even count on dinner or hang out at the OceanView anymore!
Case study: Chef Deon’s
Thom OBCase study: Chef Deon’s closed, VFW stays open year round. Compare prices. Bonus: PA Club. Compare bar vs. MO’s. Both doing great. Compare prices. Note the successful community business models.
I've had a place in OB since
Dan Cooper BostonI've had a place in OB since 1980 and gone all times of year. This change has been slowly happening the whole time, as the Vineyard, like Venice, becomes somewhere too expensive for anyone to live. On the boat in the morning now you can see all the island's workers, people who used to live on the island and need pharmacies, auto parts, reataurants all year.
Open a dispensary and coffee
Cheech OBOpen a dispensary and coffee shop in OB.
Domino effect is real, stated with Sundog.
The past several decades were
Year RounderThe past several decades were spent building a tourist economy. A formidable transition lies ahead if the Island will become a normal year-round economy — if that’s what she really wants. Not impossible, but obvious problems have obvious solutions. If we have a business and housing problem, there are any number of options which may be removed from the emergency cabinet, but for now, that cabinet is locked up with regulation and, frankly, bad attitudes.
Honestly in the off season
Enough Already Oak BluffsHonestly in the off season not much has changed in the last 30 years other than Philips closing. Linda Jeans which is reopening next year has in the past closed from January to March. As I recall the Ritz used to be open 7 days a week, not anymore. Not sure what the issue is all about. It's a seasonal town and things close off season. It would be great for town and business leaders to work towards expanding the season but I'm not sure business owners are on board.
Hard to accept paying a
Stefan Willimann VHHard to accept paying a premium expense in an environment with abandoned property. Start by working with the landlord at the start of Circuit Avenue to make the entrance to Circuit more inviting. Perception is reality.
In the past five years
John Molinari Circuit Ave, Oak BluffsIn the past five years especially, the expense of running a business, for anyone anywhere, has soared. My wife and I have run coffee houses, an upscale restaurant, and retail stores on the Vineyard for twenty years, the first three year-round in Vineyard Haven (two of our three children attended the Tisbury School and MVRHS here), and later in Edgartown and Chilmark, and now, for ten years, at the top of Circuit Avenue in OB. Our sales keep breaking records, but expenses nip at our heels. Payroll, once $10-$12, is $20-25. At great expense, we once rented houses (plural) for employee housing, charging each $150/week. Now rent is free, to them, not us, and nearly all available rental homes are gone. Property, liability, and worker’s compensation insurances have increased substantially. Legal and accounting costs have only increased. Property taxes have soared, and repairs are expensive as ever, if you can get someone to show, all driving up the cost of property ownership—and, in direct relation, rents. Product costs (cost of goods sold) have increased, but not like these other expenses. We make most of what sell—we are hard at work through winter—and are not threatened by the Borg. I tell people we are a sales/marketing organization through summer—engineering/manufacturing through winter.
The Vineyard has never been and will never be a year-round economy. It was never designed for tourism. As it veers toward a tale of two cities, it will become less year round. Operating year-round is a fool’s errand: smart, business educated, and indefatigable, my wife and I thought we could do it—before the financial crises, no less—and only suffered as our household balanced sheet withered in winter. A week of winter sales was lower than a slow Monday in summer. It’s math. If your income statement is weak, your balance sheet will weaken, and if you keep that up, your business will die. This is why we close after Columbus Day Weekend. We choose to live.
More campgrounders are opting
Jan DeLisle 59 Trinity Park, Oak BluffsMore campgrounders are opting for year=round residency. This trend will continue. Hopefully businesses will recognize the need for remaining open through the winter. Thankfully, Reliable is an OB staple! A coffee shop that stays open all year would be a big plus and we're grateful for the restaurants that keep their doors open in the winter!
I’ve been going to the
Visions of Sugar Plums BostonI’ve been going to the Vineyard since the early 70’s. I agree with many of the comments. Let’s start with the Steamship Authority Parking..
$25/day is way to much. That’s where it starts. Then if you decide to take the car and passenger ticket - the cost is getting to be ridiculous and will go up. Everyone has their hands out. Rip off the tourist/visitor crowd. We all get it - everyone needs to make the summer money to carry themselves through but they forget these are the people who make up the commercial buying economy. Buying all the wares & t-shirts & everything else. I’ve seen the weekly rental of a house or hotel room balloon to what it is today. I could go to Europe, Mexico, Caribbean for less. It’s too expensive! What is it about MVY That brings people? Think about that.
I come to see old friends and go to the beach… which by the way the Selectman could budget funds to clean up Town Beach/Inkwell. I read articles every year about the pristine beaches, to which I would disagree. A family could easily spend $$5,000-10,000 just to visit the island for a week. Everyone has their hands out. Taxes on rentals, too many T-shirt stores, expensive to eat out, not enough entertainment and you’re not promoting anything new. Same old, same old and costs keep rising. Look at other places that has summer populations to get some ideas. We are all tired of being gauged. “Visions of Sugar Plums” has created this short sightedness.
Why not try to revive the
David Smith Off islandWhy not try to revive the movie theater? People who come to see a movie will be in the mood for dinner or an evening on a brightly lit street. Those of you who own stores year round could work together to make OB like year round Illumination Night. Imagination anyone? And stop with the political one-sided nonsense.
There isn't any one magic
jose Oak BluffsThere isn't any one magic bullet that solves this issue, but here are some ideas to make MV more of a destination in in the offseason. Perhaps a classical music week where professional musicians come from off Island and play at the HS in the evening? Perhaps a classic film week (TCM type movies) which are introduced/curated by movie historians (HS in the evening)? This week could also be coupled with a speaker series on the novels that spawned these great movies. Perhaps a week devoted to Shakespeare or other classic plays where the players/theater troupes come from off Island (again would be at the HS in the evening). Perhaps a week or two devoted to some academic topics (abbreviated college type courses) like history, great paintings, etc., once again taught by retired professors at the HS in the evening? Each of these could be coupled with restaurants who offer dinner/meal incentives to attendees as part of these kinds of programs and hotels that offer off season room rates. MV does not have to be just a destination for political groups in the summer, or those seeking out its beautiful beaches - it can also be a destination for people of other interests who would seek out MV for its beauty and would be attracted to come if offered off season rates for food and lodging. And the HS continues to be, in my opinion, seriously underutilized as a community resource. It's capacity to host large scale events at relatively low incremental cost would seem to be part of the answer.
Excellent idea...other
Eric floridaExcellent idea...other possible venues for performances can be the Whaling Church and other houses of worship that have seating and are willing to make it available. With this approach, there could be several events going on at the same time on Island. And local governments that would benefit from this ( more economic volume and tax receipts) should be helping businesses to promote these events. Time to think creatively!
This is a seasonal economy
Enough Already Oak BluffsThis is a seasonal economy folks. It never was and will never be a busy place in the off season, thank goodness.
It would be great if the town
Robbie OBIt would be great if the town would work with the Steamship to negotiate a longer season to keep the OB ferry port open longer. The second this closes, you can see the traffic drop considerably. The steamship would state its too expensive. I bet if they kept a ferry 4 times a day tourist would walk Circuit ave and the businesses would open if traffic was there. Keeping the port open till December 31 and opening in April vs late May. Build it and they will come. Notice Circuit ave has no issues with traffic when boats pull in. It needs to be the first step then you build from there. Then offer discounts to store owners on their taxes if they remain open in the off season. The town would end up recovering this lost revenue in new sales and tourist taxes. There are so many ideas and no one wants to look at the basics. Nothing changes if nothing changes. It will only get worse.
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