07/13/2005
Boatslipping Away...
A few weeks ago I reported that the Boatslip, the gay Provincetown bayside resort that for years has continued the tradition of afternoon tea dance, was for sale for $14.5 million.
The Boston Globe today reports on that sale, and on the trend of condominium conversion in Ptown, which has transformed several properties including the Sandpiper Beach House, Captain Lysander Inn, and Ship's Bell, into privately-owned residences.
My friends and I rented what was once the Captain Lysander Inn during the week we were there this year, and Alan, a former boyfriend whom I met at the Boatslip 13 years ago when I had just obtained a job there as the "pool boy", commented on how the town was changing, how the meticulously appointed house we were renting was a sign of the "new" Provincetown. How right he was.
The Captain Lysander Inn:
Now a private residence for sale for nearly $3 million:
The changes are transforming a town that has long been seen as a funky bohemian ghetto into a slick, commercialized 'Pleasantville', sacrificing long-standing traditions for the mighty dollar that real estate is fetching these days. It's only a matter of time before the art galleries in the east end of town are forced out due to the value of the properties. This happened to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket years ago. Change, of course, is inevitable. But unfortunately character, history, and memories are often erased as quickly as new coats of paint are applied.
(thanks eric)
New Wave Looms over Cape Tradition [boston globe]
Posted 4:00 PM EST by Andy Towle in Travel | Permalink
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definitely a shame 'bout the cape; that feeling of stepping into a region sans Starbucks, McDonalds and Wal-Mart is irreplaceable.
The rise in the real estate dollar is sure to squeeze out those that truly give the town its character, its unique perspective and its outrageous sense of comfort.
Posted by: jason | Jul 13, 2005 4:43:21 PM
The Same thing is going on in Key West- Atlatic shores a gay and lesbian hotel on the Atlatic will close its doors in November for condos. "We" need to find another place... Maybe we can buy our own island.
Posted by: David | Jul 13, 2005 5:02:44 PM
Andy,
As much as I love your musings every day (and I really do), you can't be suprised by what is going on in PTown. You are obviously well-traveled, look around at all the other 'ghetto's' that have been raped by middle America. My worst moment was when I lived on 10th Street in Atlanta, and I was at the nearest Publix store. I had been in Atlanta for 12 years at this point (yes, rebuilding a bungalow), and I was checking out, when the woman in front of me said-I love that we moved to Midtown, except for all the faggots. I didn't know whether to shit my pants, or commit murder right there. This is not a P-Town Phenom. It is happening all over the US. Welcome to God's country.
Posted by: Andrew | Jul 13, 2005 5:07:59 PM
I don't think this is a new phenomenon. Gays have always been the nonbreeding worker bees of the colony, moving into rugged territory, making it fabulous, then moving on. It's a cyclic thing, and while sad, it just sorta happens.
Posted by: jimbo | Jul 13, 2005 5:13:43 PM
Laguna Beach used to be fun too.
Posted by: rexless | Jul 13, 2005 5:33:18 PM
Jimbo is totally right. We gays, with great taste and expendable income move into a neighborhood - fix it up and increase property value, making the area more attractive to everyone. The midtown area of Atlanta is growing faster than anything I've ever seen. A new condo tower is annouced almost weekly, but don't worry, Andrew, we're still in control (and will have our own Publix in a few months at Spring & 9th)
Posted by: Dan B | Jul 13, 2005 5:33:45 PM
My partner and I spent out 10th anniversary at the Sandpiper a few years ago. We fell in love with the town (our first visit to the cape) and the lodge. Upon chatting with the managers, we were saddened to hear it was set to become a multi-million dollar condo. While we will always love PTown, I doubt it will ever have the same feel as it did.
Posted by: Michael | Jul 13, 2005 5:48:27 PM
I can't say Im in tears over this one. P-Town was pretty "stepford" already. It seems like gays take over a space, make it nice, complain there's not enough gyms, Gaps and Starbucks, and then complain when it becomes too "commercial"
Posted by: Dan A | Jul 13, 2005 6:40:14 PM
I will never forget rolling down Commercial Street in the late 1970's....and being amazed at the rustic beauty of the town. There were a lot of poor artists and performance types in Provincetown at that time...and there was not a lot of money or speculation. It was still a Portugese fishing village...with a queer twist. I loved the crooked wooden houses with their paint peeling because of the weather. It was really funky and affordable. By the mid 80's a lot of that had changed. I rarely go to Provincetown, and only in the off off season. I like to remember it as, to quote Michael Cunningham, "an eccentric, physically remote and heartbrakingly beautiful" place. One thing they cannot sell is the incredible light. That will always remain.
Posted by: Don | Jul 13, 2005 6:50:33 PM
OK....Michael Cunningham would have spelled it "heartbreakingly" OOPS
Posted by: Don | Jul 13, 2005 6:52:57 PM
One of the first times I was devistated by gentrification was when I still lived at home in New Jersey and NYC East Village was my home away from home and there was suddenly a GAP on St. Mark's. That area used to be dark and gritty with punks, queers, "freaks" and junkie's. It was a shock to walk down the street and have that section be so well lit and clean. The Gap's fashion was a definite clash of culture at the time. This was around the time of the Thompson Square Park riots. In NYC when people get pissed about something like gentrification they riot! Maybe the gays could do the same thing in P-town. lol
I recently lived near the corner of Tremont and Dartmouth in the South End of Boston and only 15 years ago a white person wouldn't walk there during the night or day. It's so expensive there now that it's turned into all yuppie types.
I now live in a town named Fitchburg, MA and it is still relatively cheap. It's not a "gay" area but there are a few artsy places opening up as well as a few antique shopes. Me and my local aquaintences would like to see Gays move in and fix up the beautuful buidings. There is a commuter rail to Boston/Cambridge that is being updated and made faster. The property values are sure to rise even more. I would love to have a cooler genre of people move in - please!
Posted by: SternEdwards | Jul 13, 2005 11:02:13 PM
One frustrating thing about P-town is the cost of getting a room there in July and August. Most places charge New York City prices, and many have 5 night minimums during the peak season. You're lucky if you can find anything for less than $150 a night, which is a lot for a 'little coastal Cape town', and that's pretty much the cheapest rate you'll find. Those of us from Boston who want to just pop over for a night basically will never find a place with a room available.
That said, P-town is a magical place - I've never been anywhere else where gays are such a majority - every day is like Pride. One thing that no one has commented on is that many of these people buying the real estate are gays themselves. Provincetown, unlike some of the other newly-upscaled areas mentioned above, is well known for being a gay vacation spot, and the straight people don't seem to be flocking here to buy summer homes. Plus, it's a bitch to get to by car in the summer - straight people can find the same (well, similar) thing anywhere else on the cape. It's the gay community that draws us there more than anything else, and hopefully despite the change from inns to condos (sad, yes), the community will remain strong and undiluted.
Posted by: jake | Jul 14, 2005 7:10:13 AM
ouch!!
and just across the street, the masthead is going condo, as well.
but we're part of the problem, no? or just a continuation. first the portugese, then the artists, then the homos. at this rate the place'll be straight in 20 years.
Posted by: aka frank | Jul 14, 2005 10:09:18 AM
not that you can compare the two, but Rehomo Beach in Delaware has undergone a complete commercialization and, in my opinion, ruined the place. Regardless, we are going to Ptown in August for week, and Andy, you are making me nervous...is it not still fun?
Posted by: nate | Jul 14, 2005 10:34:00 AM
Don't get me wrong. Ptown is still a blast, and one of my favorite places...
Posted by: andy | Jul 14, 2005 10:37:14 AM
People's comments here do seem to be stepping every so carefully around the idea that places like P-town and Rehobeth and the Village may up up losing their original rough charms not just AFTER they are taken up by gay men but, in part, BECAUSE they are taken up by gay men. Starbucks and The Gap and high-end vacation housing don't exist in a vacuum --- they'd all fall away if they weren't patronized. In my experience there are often a disproportionate number of queers floating around chain stores and "restored" restaurants and "re-done" hotels compared to the number who are actually spending their money at the grittier, more original venues whose charms may be less overt, but are, perhaps, more substantial.
I'm not trying to suggest that one has a duty to live small, nor that I do anything different than anyone else in this regard. But it's important to bear in mind that "commercialization" requires players on both sides of the cash register. We live in a society where, quite literally, you get what you pay for.
Posted by: Buster | Jul 14, 2005 12:14:35 PM
Yes, Andy, we all thought you and Alan M looked a really cute couple fifteen years ago when you were pool boys at the Boatslip!
I'm just thankful that you and Alan are alive and well in NYC - unlike far too many of our friends from that era.
Posted by: Michael Lyall | Jul 14, 2005 12:20:44 PM
Me and my gay siblings used to live in P-town 15 years ago and have seen the changes as we return to visit. The natural beauty is still there if you can avoid the "Nanutucketization" of the place. Luckily, they haven't turned the campground into condos and the beaches are still nice. It's happening everywhere, P-town, Noho, Key West, Saugatuck, Russian River, Fire Island., etc.. I guess it comes with becoming more "respectable".. Just remember that not all queers have tons of money...
Posted by: Timothy B | Jul 14, 2005 1:03:38 PM
Love the website but emphatically disagree about the "charm" of Ptown. It's a tawdry parade of commercialized homosleaze, trumped up by our syncophantic niche media. While Ptown's ghetto superstars were mething it up at a barely tolerated circuit scene, one of my friends was sitting in jail for having poppers - yes, poppers - in his carry-on. Ptown is a facade; listen closely and you can hear the pitch rise as the throat tightens. So rather than bemoan the market capitalization of some of these spaces to the straight enemy, remember who stands to benefit from selling out - your brothers and sisters, dears.
Posted by: Resurrect | Jul 15, 2005 1:16:32 AM
Jimbo's got it right.
The selling of PTown is an example of how, over the recent generations, we've become a huge financial force in America. Fear not, we'll be using this money to buy, and build, much bigger "towns" in the future -- and maybe a candidate or two.
Posted by: rob adams | Jul 15, 2005 9:49:00 AM
I think it is very unfortunate what is happening to P-town. It is becoming more expensive year by year. Eventually, they will price themselves out of the GLBT tourist maket altogether. They charge for everything there. I really think $3 for a deck chair is a bit much but that is what they do now in P-town. And I sure love that resort!
Posted by: Jim | Jul 18, 2005 7:52:30 PM
but the most important question: "What's going to happen to the space UNDER the boatslip once everything is converted?"
Posted by: TeKay | Aug 27, 2005 8:59:39 PM
Ptown will always have the sweet tidal walk to/from herring cove, and the one-of-a-kind dune biketrails. in the 70's commercial street was just as commercial as today (brunch at edwidge was much better then tho) and just as one-dimensional. fact is, manhattan is the same sad story... lost it's edge and value thru the upperwestside's pasturization of the entire island... there's babystrollers all over manhattan now, and the shopping is flagship mall-like. ptown rewards with the comfort of melancholia and peace, as long as you avoid the town itself. as america's economy tanks over the next ten years these places will get some personality again. as for the boatslip, it's better left in the past.
Posted by: A.J. | Oct 9, 2005 10:56:13 AM
what the fuck???? i just found out someone i'm dating is going to "P-Town" with a MAN ???? what the fuck? people, get a fucking clue and be true to who you are and who you deal with!!!
Posted by: Jill | May 11, 2006 1:36:15 AM
My partner and I stayed occasionally at "Days Cottages" right at the Truro / P-town line. Those are the little boxs you see on the bay as you go over the final rise on Rt. 6 before P-Town. They are also going condo. Unreal.
Posted by: Rad | Jul 10, 2006 12:00:53 PM