A Slice of J1 Advice - Cape Cod

A SLICE OF J1 ADVICE - CAPE COD

INTRODUCTION 'The Cape' - as it's universally called - is among New England's favourite summer vacation destinations and it thrives on tourism. Vacationers come in hordes in the warm summer months to lose themselves amongst endless miles of windswept seashore. For anyone thinking of going to the Cape remember that Hyannis is not the only place where a summer of craic is guaranteed! Some of you may go to the Cape for the beaches...mid to lower Cape has the best ones (Harwich, Eastham. Orleans, Chatham, Wellfeet and Provincetown) and there are also nice ones down around Sandwich. There are plenty of jobs on the lower Cape and most employers either provide accommodation or help you find it. If pub and mall crawling is the ONLY thing that interests you then Hyannis is the place to be. If you want to see the real Cape Cod (the reason it is a resort destination) set your sights further down the Cape, you'll be back if you do. The summer season begins Memorial Day Weekend (typically the last weekend in May) and ends Labour Day Weekend (the first weekend in September). Be warned, the Cape becomes very quiet after Labour Day, think - library during. Rag Week!!! However, because most American college students return to college before Labour Day and while the Cape still enjoys some business, employers may find it desirable if you can work into the month of September. Some may even reward you for it by adding an extra dollar onto your hourly wage!!!! Because of its size and seasonal aspect, it is usually more difficult to find accommodation than it is employment; this is more evident on the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Jobs on offer usually range from hotel/restaurant, retail and landscape. Ferry companies that run between the islands also hire their share for the busy summer period. Cape Cod is comprised of 15 towns that encompass 400 square miles. The Cape's population triples in the summertime. http://www.capecod.com/ http://www.capecodtravel.com/ http://www.capeguide.com/ http://www.capecod-irishvillage.com/ http://www.visit-massachusetts.com/capecod http://www.isaiahhallinn.com/directions-to-isaiah-hall.htm

TRANSPORT Take the Plymouth & Brockton Bus, which departs from the bus station located just behind South Station in Boston. The bus departs fairly regularly running from 7am to 4pm daily. The bus takes just under two hours and goes to Hyannis with further stops to other towns along the Cape - Harwich, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro and Provincetown. Fare is around $15 one way and $28 return.

Directions to South Station: Take the green line T inbound to Park Street. Change to the red line headed in the Braintree/Ashmont direction and go two stops to South Station. Bus Station is a 5-minute, well sign-posted walk from there. For more information log on to www.p-b.com

Although there are shuttle buses all over the Cape, practically every student ends up buying a bike. These are incredibly cheap and are readily available. Many locals collect the bikes that are left behind from last year J1er’s and sell them on the following year, make sure to haggle for the best price.

CLIMATE Average temperature per month, May 14C, Jun 18C, Jul 21C, Aug 20C, Sep 17C

SOCIAL SCENE The local nightclub in Cape Cod is "Pufferbellies". Many J1ers have reported that this club set the scene for many a drunken night. Sunday night is 18+ for girls only. Since the nightclubs tend to close early at around 1am in Cape Cod, house parties are a major part of life for any J1ers on The Cape, do be warned that the police are very strict on house parties and will break them up, they will charge people for public order offences also. Watch out for drinking on the streets, this is a pet hate of American cops and they will charge you! Hyannis is quite strict for ID, but some good pubs and clubs are: Roo bar The Blue Roon Kendrix on North Street. (Thursday night is Irish night, 18+) British Beer Company

THINGS TO DO Go out whale watching and get up close and personal with those beautiful creatures. Boats depart from Provincetown and Barnstable daily. Hyannis whale watch: www.whalewatch.com On-line coupons available. Hire jet skis, boats and kayaks in Falmouth and Provincetown and make some waves! Take a day trip to picturesque Provincetown and see just why the rainbow is the town’s symbol. Provincetown hosts the Portuguese festival in June and is one of the highlights of Cape Cod social calendar. Get the feed of your life and for little money at the Old Country Buffet, located on Iyannough Road in Hyannis. Box Lunch on Main Street have good value sandwiches and IHOP, Friendlies and Outback Steakhouse, Iyannough Road are very reasonable and delicious. Go over to Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket for the day for some celebrity spotting, you may even see the Clintons or Tommy Hilfiger! Oak Bluff is the centre of the Martha’s Vineyard and tours run all around or you can hire bikes and mopeds. Supposedly Nantucket is the nicer of the two encapsulating the old style charm of the island and quaintness.

ACCOMMODATION It’s a really good idea to book in to a hostel in advance for a few days for when you first arrive in Boston. This will give you the chance to check out some places to rent while getting a feel for the area. Here are a couple of hostels that may prove handy for your first few night’s stay: Mid Cape Hostel The Outermost Hostel 75 Goody Hallet Drive, 28 Winslow Street, Eastham Cape Cod (508) 487 4378 Members- $19, Non Members- $22 Dorms $ 19 The main area in Cape Cod for the Irish is Hyannis and the surrounding area. Most of the jobs and accommodation, and practically all the nightlife is here so if possible, base yourself here. The main street is where everything takes place so good places to live would be any of the streets off this, e.g. Sea St, Ocean St, Gosnould St, Nautical St. There are beaches all over the Cape but for anyone specifically looking to live next to one, go for Ocean Street or Sea Street. Accommodation in and around Cape Cod generally tends to start around the100-dollar mark and is varied in standard, so the amount of rent you end up paying will depend on how open-minded and willing to rough it you are!

JOBS Jobs on the Cape are plentiful. It is practically impossible to eat in any of the restaurants along Main Street in Hyannis without hearing an Irish accent, so any of these are good bets. Examples: Gringos Mexican Restaurant Bubbas 577 Main St. 559 Main Street 508-771-8449 508-771-3272 Schooners Tex Mex 372 Main Street 415 Main Street 508-778-7588 The Roasted Red Pepper The Black Cat 615 Main Street 165 Ocean St. 508-775-7404 508-778-1233 Box Lunch 357 Main St. 508-790-5855

Other job ideas are: Cinema Stop Shop Ferry Car Park Hertz Car Rental Barnstable Airport Ferry (Hy-Line Cruises, www.hy-linecruises.com, 508 778 2600) In previous years the entire Irish student population all seem to find work in the mall. The cinema, sports store, Gap outlet, Macy's and Victoria’s Secret were staffed by mostly Irish and consequently often prone to good discounts or free passes in the case of the cinema! In Hyannis try Dunkin Donuts at www.dunkindonuts.com / 781 961 4040. Also Family Amusements Inc. in Dennisport is worth a try – 508 394 5577. A couple of websites worth looking at are: www.capecodworks.com and www.allcapecod.com

INFO & TIPS Tip between 15%-20% on your restaurant/bar bill or cab-fare. $1 per drink otherwise. Minimum wage is $6.75 p/h, except in tipping positions where it's $2.83 - $3.09 p/h If under 21 don't look for bar/waiting work. It's not legal to serve drink as a minor. Take the FIRST job you get, the first 3 weeks are the most expensive of the whole summer, you can always leave when you get another one.

Negotiate when you're taking an apartment, it can't hurt & may save you a fortune. GET AIR CONDITIONING! Buy an air mattress from Sport-Mart. Kit out your apartment with 2nd hand stuff, check out the yard sales and second hand stores, it’s amazing what you’ll find.

WI-FI ACCESS http://www.capeguide.com/wifi.htm www.capecodonline.com/wifi