What To Do in Nantucket | An Insider’s Guide

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After dropping my son off at the Berklee School of Music, I decided to jump on a plane to support Douglas Elliman’s office opening in Nantucket (which was incidentally the backdrop of a show you may recognize, called Wings). I asked my friend and Nantucket expert Kristal Moffett, also now in real estate and married to the handsome actor D.W Moffett, for her recommendations on what to check out in the area. 

Here’s what she sent me:

 

Restaurants

1. Something Natural — Sandwiches to eat in the garden or take to go

2. Claudettes’s — Sandwiches to either eat on the deck or take to the beach in Sconset

3. Chanticleer — Lunch or Dinner in Sconset

4. Summer House — Lunch by the pool, dinner in the house…also in Sconset

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5. The Galley — Great for mussels and fries while watching the sunset

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6. Languedoc — Old school dinner

7. Brotherhood — Oldest restaurant on the island, cup of clam chowder

8. Ship’s Inn — Old school dinner

9. Downey Flake — The island’s diner: perfect for breakfast that includes linguica (Portuguese sausage)

10. Toppers — Bar and restaurant at The Wauwinet Hotel

11. Sconset Cafe — Book in advance as there aren’t a lot of tables; great for dinner

 

Shopping

1. Sylvia’s Antiques — The best curated collection of antiques, mariner art, lightship baskets and Nantucket art

2. Ericka Wilson — Ericka was a lifelong Nantucket summer residence and brought her talent of needlepoint with her. She designed all the kneelers in the Sconset Chapel that the women of Sconset needle-pointed. You should visit the chapel and have a look. Ericka’s store currently still sells needlepoint as well as clothes, shoes, jewelry and accessories.

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3. Atlantic — By far my favorite place to shop! Great jewelry, bathing suits and homewares

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4. Nantucket Looms — hand woven blankets and lovely homewares

5. Bookworks — great selection of books and fun gift store

 

Art

1. Grey Lady Art Gallery — great collection of island artists

Image Source | Miacomet – Cyanotype Print – 8.5×11, Holly Rae Estrow

2. Cary Hazelgrove — Photographer and Artist 

3. Forrest Rodts — Painter and print maker

4. Nell Van Vorst — ceramics

Image Source | Humpback Whale Ghost Platter, Nell Van Vorst

5. Nancy Chase Carver — ivory carver (she uses antique ivory, long tradition)

6. Tim Parson’s Lightship Basket maker — Tim makes beautiful Lightship Baskets and gives classes

 

Beaches and Hikes

1. Madequecham — South shore, upper lot has better parking, great sandbar

2. Sconset Beach — Easy access

Image Source | Photo by Corinne Muffly

3. Ladies Beach — pick up snacks at Bartlett’s on the way

4. Alter Rock Hike

5. Bluff Walk — Start at Sankaty Light and walk the bluff, finishing in the center of Sconset for breakfast or lunch

Image Source | Sankaty Head Light on Nantucket Island, Brendan Reals

Hotels

1. Wauwinet — My favorite

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2. Summer House — Sconset

3. White Elephant — Town

 

Places to Visit

1. Whaling Museum

2. Lifesaving Museum

3. Maria Mitchell Society

4. The Oldest House and Jail

5. The Windmill

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6. Night Ghost Tour

7. Sconset Chapel

8. Kayaking in the harbor

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9. Captain Tom’s Charters

 

Lighthouses

1. Sankaty Light

2. Brant Point

Image Source | Lane Ehart

3. Great Point

*Tip: Sea grass is indeed beautiful… but stay out of it. It’s a favorite haunt of the island deer who carry the deer-ticks. Ticks are everywhere on the island and you’ll want to do tick checks if you’ve been outside walking or hiking.

 

 

Kristal Moffett

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Douglas Elliman has a network of offices Nationwide. Contact me for agent referrals if you’re looking to move to Nantucket!