ptownie’s 2019 guide to INSIDER TIPS FROM YEAR-ROUNDERS What’s this guide about, anyway? Welcome to Provincetown! We’re ptownie, a group of local residents and media specialists who work, laugh, create, and play together here year-round, and we’re passionate about sharing our love for Provincetown with you. This guide doesn’t pretend to be a complete rundown of everything there is to see, everywhere there is to stay, or everyone there is to meet. It’s just an overview of what we at ptownie think are things you shouldn’t miss—the kind of advice you’d get if you were hanging out with us in person. You’ll find some of our special favorites in highlighted boxes throughout the guide. In some cases, we’ve polled other year-rounders for their “must-haves,” so there are lots of options for you to choose from. We’re glad you’re here, and hope to see you around town this summer. Come visit us at 199 Commercial Street (downstairs from Kohi Coffee) and say hello! — the folks at ptownie ptownie’s guide to provincetown | summer 2019 | page 2 ptownie guide to provincetown | summer 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 HOW, WHAT, & WHY Do I need a reservation? How to get here How to get around Now I’m here, what can I do? When the sun goes down 2 RESOURCES Essentials Must-eats and best bars Must-shopping Ptown on a budget Staying with kids Hanging out with your best friend (dogs) 3 WHAT’S HAPPENING Weekly events, in-season Theme weeks Open all seasons 4 ABOUT About Provincetown About ptownie ptownie’s guide to provincetown | summer 2019 | page 3 ptownie guide to provincetown 1 HOW, WHAT, & WHY Do I need a reservation? 5 How to get here 6 How to get around 7 Now that I’m here, what can I do? 9 When the sun goes down 15 ptownie’s guide to provincetown | summer 2019 | page 4 Do I need a reservation? The short answer is, yes. No matter what you Making reservations also includes weddings want to do—stay, eat, play, get around—you’ll and other celebrations. Whatever kind of party avoid disappointment if you plan in advance. you’re organizing, there’s someone to help. Just write a list, make all your reservations in one fell swoop, and you’ll be set. Ptown is Wedding Destination Central (we are, after all, where marriage equality all began!), That list should include: and no matter what you need, the folks at • Inns, hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs Get Married in Ptown can help, from providing Don’t leave this to chance: they don’t let you the officiant to planning everything from venue sleep on the beach! to menu, with a lot of extras thrown in. Contact • Restaurants them as soon as you’ve set the date! Many of the most popular eateries take reservations weeks in advance, so make sure to plan ahead. • Bikes and cars Choose from the various rental places, but call before you come! ptownie’s guide to provincetown | summer 2019 | page 5 How to get here BY SEA from the spray), and has a concierge service Skip the traffic and enjoy the ride instead! There on board. are two ferry services running between Boston • Captain John Boats runs a fast ferry between and Ptown. Both have bar and snack services. Be Plymouth (MA) and Provincetown. sure to book your tickets in advance—as in, right now. We’re not kidding: the ferry fills up quickly! BY AIR Since 1989, Cape Air has been operating direct • Provincetown Fast Ferry, operated by flights to Provincetown from Boston (and has Bay State Cruise Company, leaves from recently added White Plains, NY) via a quick the World Trade Center in the Seaport and 20-minute ride in a Cessna 402 (single engine, operates the Provincetown IV fast ferry. eight seats). The views are terrific! Bay State Cruise Company is our favorite ferry service: with Bay State, your vacation starts BY BUS the moment you board the boat for Ptown! The Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway Offering multiple sailings daily, seven days operates buses between Boston (Logan Airport a week, it’s quick and convenient, and & South Station), Hyannis, and Provincetown, delivers the most departures and the with additional lines from Providence and newest fleet, operated by the nicest people. New York. It takes slightly longer than driving Bay State Cruise Company has served this but is virtually stress-free and the least route the longest—since the 1800s—and it expensive way to get to and from Ptown. shows in everything they do. Check out their website to read Ferry Tales—real BY CAR stories about real people whose lives have Be prepared for a lot of traffic, especially as been changed by the journey—as well as the you approach the Sagamore or Bourne bridge, Deep Sea Dispatch to get you in the mood for and whenever Route 6 becomes one lane. Be your seaside vacation. very careful driving on Suicide Alley (you’ll • Boston Harbor Cruises calls its fast ferry understand why it’s called that once you see it) service ASAPtown; it operates the Salacia, the and in Eastham and Wellfleet, which have largest and fastest catamaran in North America particularly vigilant speed-limit enforcement. (so sit indoors if you don’t want to get too wet ptownie’s guide to provincetown | summer 2019 | page 6 brunch, dinner, craft cocktails half price raw bar 3-5p! spindlersptown.com coffee, breakfast, lunch thewaterfordinn.com coee espresso tea cold brew PROVINCETOWN 199 COMMERCIAL STREET KOHICOFFEE.COM How to get around BICYCLES • Arnold’s Your best transportation bet is a bicycle, and 329 Commercial St we strongly urge you to reserve one in advance. • Provincetown Bike Shack Parking is very limited and very expensive, the 63 Shank Painter Rd parking police are vigilant, and bicycles allow • Provincetown Bike Rentals you to get around while seeing…and being seen! 136 Bradford Street • Ptown Bikes 42 Bradford Street BICYCLE REPAIR STATIONS Ptown Bikes is ptownie’s first choice for bicycle Cyclists, rejoice! Now there’s free help when rentals, and for good reason: not only do they you’re out and about on Commercial Street: we offer the best customer service in town, they’re have three bicycle repair stations, one on each also strong supporters of the community. end of town and one right in the center! (So now By renting your bike here, you’re helping all you have to worry about when you’re cycling a number of organizations, services, and around town is...watching that traffic!) events—in other words, doing your part to Locations: keep Ptown a thriving community! They also – West station: next to the parking kiosk in the have electric bikes (e-bikes). Add in free West End parking lot. emergency roadside assistance, reservations – Central station: at the public bike rack by the you can make by phone or online, and an CCRTA bus stop at Macmillan Pier. experienced staff, and you have a winner. – East station: beside the Johnson Street • Gale Force Bikes parking lot kiosk. 144 Bradford Street Ext ptownie’s guide to provincetown | summer 2019 | page 7 TO & FROM THE WHARF ...OR WALK? Some hotels operate shuttles that will pick you Lots of people simply roll their suitcases down up at the ferry. Commercial Street; why not join them and get a sense of what the town has in store for you? TAXI... Taxis are always at the wharf whenever the CAR RENTALS ferries dock, or you can call in advance to have There are also car rentals via Enterprise at one meet you there. There are taxi stands at the Provincetown Airport. You need to make several places along Commercial Street and near a reservation and let them know what time the parking lot at MacMillan, and several taxi you’re coming, as the desk isn’t always staffed. companies operating in town. PARKING Availability of Uber and Lyft is limited; check Parking is a perennial problem in Ptown. Be ahead with them. very careful and read posted signs, as parking BUS... regulations are enforced between the beginning You can take the Flex Bus (from CCRTA) offering of May and the end of October, and towing is travel to and from up-Cape to get here; and once always an option. There are town parking lots you’re in Ptown, The Shuttle will take you on a at MacMillan Wharf and at Prince Street that loop around the beaches, Beech Forest, Province are available 24/7, although if you’re exiting late Lands Visitor Center, airport, etc. It only costs at night you will need to use a credit card. two dollars per person—one of the best deals in Smaller town parking lots with payment kiosks town!—and both leave from MacMillan Pier and are located at Johnson Street and at the West the Stop & Shop, though you can also flag either End. Private parking lots are dotted around one down. town, the largest being at the Provincetown Marina and the Pilgrim Monument and The Plymouth-Brockton Bus leaves from Provincetown Museum (the latter includes Macmillan Pier and the Stop & Shop a few times a free museum entrance). a day, terminating in Hyannis where you can connect with bus lines for other towns and cities, All of these lots fill up, so if you have any including Boston and New York. other options (such as not bringing your car into town!), you might want to consider them.