Provincetown on a Budget
By Merle Exit
Picture an old New England village, Town Hall vs. City
Hall. It is a peninsula of beauty with the ocean on one side and bay on the
other. The water brings clean sandy beaches, dunes and boats for whale watching
or cruising of either sort. Shops, restaurants, bars, inns and nightclubs line
the two main streets, Commercial and Bradford, which stretch from the east to
the west ends of town. Now, make it Greenwich Village and you’ve got the gist of
Provincetown aka P’Town.
If you think that a vacation can be a bit expensive, here
are both the 101 on P’Town as well as some ideas on how to manage your food and
attraction budget even during high season.
Provincetown, Massachusetts, not to be mistaken for
Providence, Rhode Island, is most likely the only town in the United States that
can be categorized as “straight friendly” and the thousands of tourists who
visit every year are hopefully given advanced warning.
It is here that in 1620 the Mayflower first landed and
despite the rumors of their leaving because of the gay population, the fact was
that after five weeks, the Pilgrims realized that although they had signed the
Mayflower Compact, the land was not ripe for planting.
Almost 300 years later the Pilgrim Monument was built
standing as the tallest all-granite erection in the United States. Sight this
site and you know your “going home”. For the mere $7
price of the admission (free on Sunday mornings), you can view the museum and
climb to the top. The museum tells the history of this Portuguese fishing town
as well as the birthplace of modern American Theatre, formed by a group of
Greenwich Village artists.
Much of the fine arts can be found in the galleries located
along the East end of Commercial Street with the Provincetown Art Association
and Museum located at 460 Commercial Street. The East end is also the locale of
the Provincetown Theatre, 238 Bradford Street, where you can expect both
legitimate productions as well as “tryouts” by local artists.
The area surrounding MacMillan and Fisherman’s Wharf is
considered to be the main center of town. MacMillan Wharf lends itself to a
number of boating tours including the most popular whale watch. Check with the
Chamber of Commerce, located just before the wharf, for publications with
discount coupons. Ferries transporting you to and from Boston are situated at
the end of the wharf.
Townsend Lobster and Seafood Market is located at the base
of Fisherman's Wharf and my find for fish. Chris Townsend, the owner, is a
fisherman who takes out his small lobster boat to get the goodies from the
traps. For $20 you can tag along with him for an hour and a half seatless
expedition, if you've had enough whale watching. The fish market is also a small
restaurant and may be a less expensive alternative to the famous Lobster Pot,
which deserves a “splurge”.
Of note on “cheap and good” is Mojo’s, located just before
you hit Fisherman’s Wharf. No specific cuisine with picnic style pick-up
dining; the food, that is. Along that particular strip on Commercial Street is
where you’ll find the oh, so famous Provincetown Portuguese Bakery at 299
Commercial Street, another c.a.g. More than just baked goods. There are a few
tables, but no table service. I ordered a bowl of the Portuguese soup that had
collard greens, cabbage, carrots, turnips, pumpkin, red beans, potatoes,
linguica and lean ham. You can’t come to P’Town without ordering the “fried
dough”, made with 2% milk, eggs, sugar and margarine, fried in canola oil and
topped with powdered sugar.
Just west of the Fisherman’s Wharf road is Town Hall, also
known as the “meet, or meat market”. Benches line the building and you can
expect some performer doing their thing with a tip jar. Incidentally, the
Pilgrim Monument is the backdrop view.
Continue west past P’Town’s oldest “drug store”, Adams
Pharmacy, to the Crown and Anchor, a hub to entertainment, restaurant and
accommodations that abuts Whalers Wharf, a mall that houses lots of shops as
well as a movie theatre with first run films. A few more steps in that direction
is Marine Specialties, an old –fashioned “Army & Navy” store, with used clothing
and heavens knows what else you will find.
Across from the Post Office is the new Art House, another
great spot for entertainment and food. There's a screening room just for movies,
and another theatre with a stage and screen for live performances where I saw
the very funny Poppy Champlin. The lobby has a café called Frappo66. Grab a
copy of the Banner and/or bring your laptop, as there are loads of tables and
chairs to relax and hang out at this free wifi locale. The outdoor tables are
for customers only.
Another food find is the Caribbean Corner Café, located
across the way from the Aquarium Mall (Yes, there once was an aquarium located
there). They specialize in a cuisine from Venezuela and a pretty much “from
scratch” operation. One of the most expensive offerings is the Venezuelan Burger
that starts with grilled beef and topped with a slice of grilled pork loin,
fried egg, bacon, tomato, lettuce, onion and pink sauce served with a side of
fresh salad and plantains for $10.95.
Save room for the best and most authentic Gelato ever. i
Dream of Gelato is at the Aquarium Mall. Choosing from the daily made 24 flavors
is the toughest part. Michelle Jaffe and her wife Barbara Grasso spent enough
time in Italy to perfect the preparation of the gelatos and sorbets.
Here are a few non-food money savers. Free wifi is barely a
problem, but if you don’t bring your laptop, you have two places with free
internet access. Take a number at the library (now, where going east of the
center) to give you 20 minutes or walk further to Wired Puppy for 10 minutes
(longer if no one is waiting). It’s a coffee shop where they roast their beans.
The Cape Inn Resort, located at just about the furthest
east end, has free evening movies and popcorn.
P’Town is quite walkable. However, if you’re not into it,
there is a shuttle bus that will take you as far east as North Truro and as far
west as the beaches for only $1. One shuttle starts at MacMillan Wharf and
travels along Bradford Street to North Truro. You can get a free transfer to the
one going to the beaches, also traveling along Bradford. Don’t look for
designated bus stops as you just flag it down and tell them where you want to
get off.
Accommodations vary with location and type. Do you want the
intimacy of a Bed & Breakfast in the center area of town, but without a view of
the bay? How about a fabulous guest house like Lands End Inn at the west end,
located on a hilltop that not only has a view outside, but inside. Perhaps you
may not want to eat out every meal. Eastwood at Provincetown is a timeshare
facility with fully furnished units that are many times rented out. They have
an outdoor pool, tennis courts, hot tub and facilities to do your laundry. After
a week in P’Town, you may want to own your own week of timeshare!
FYI: Jet Blue Airlines has a partnership with Cape Air.
www.jetblue.com.
www.pilgrim-monument.org.
www.ptownarthouse.com.
www.caluvesu.com.
www.capeinn.com.
www.idreamofgelato.com
www.eastwoodatprovincetown.com
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