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Provincetown…over!

Just saw a couple of new stories about P-town facing a dramatic drop in bookings this coming summer and everyone was saying it’s become way too expensive for what you get. People coming for years and years have decided to go elsewhere because it’s way too overpriced. Ugly water, fried food, traffic…not worth the ridiculous cost.

by Anonymousreply 234May 18, 2025 8:24 PM

No, OP, you've got it backwards. It's not because anything is overpriced, it's because most gays are in fear these days. They won't go to these gatherings and risk becoming a target of Trump. And now it's gone too far because it's beginning to affect Pridefest.

by Anonymousreply 1March 31, 2025 11:04 AM

The current politics may be a factor, but rent-seeking culture always consumes itself eventually.

by Anonymousreply 2March 31, 2025 11:07 AM

We’re going for Family Week. I wouldn’t be surprised if all of Cape Cod is taking a 10 to 20% hit, hordes of Canadians normally vacation “down” on the Cape, plus among us Americans there’s a general slight pulling back from discretionary spending.

Ptown has become extremely expensive over the past 20 to 30 years — that part didn’t happen suddenly. It’s a place with unique geography and cultural appeal… and understandably fierce zoning laws. What’s already been built is pretty much what will be built.

by Anonymousreply 3March 31, 2025 11:13 AM

The stock market has taken a hit and many federal workers have lost their jobs. Maybe people just don’t want to spend money on an expensive vacation.

by Anonymousreply 4March 31, 2025 11:53 AM

R3, you sound correct

by Anonymousreply 5March 31, 2025 12:03 PM

It's become insanely expensive. Eating, drinking, sleeping.

And overrun by drag queens. Drag this, drag that, drag everything.

There is still some building going on - the VFW lot and a lot behind Mac's Seafood - both are a mix of market based housing and very expensive condos, Just what the town needs; more rich second home owners. There's a very high end hotel project also being developed. Part of that development will be a marina for luxury boats and ships. Older houses are being bought up, renovated in gray, and sold to the highest bidders. Usually rich A-Gays as second homes. The business interests of Provincetown wanted more, more, more, and bigger and better, including cruise ships. They've learned nothing from Key West. They got what they wanted and Provincetown is the worse for it.

There is no affordable housing for the people that serve your food, serve your drinks, clean your bathrooms, and change your beds. Artists can no longer afford to live here.

Real estate is through the roof and beyond all reality. Also beyond the means of the middle class.

People are claiming a European vacation is cheaper.

Provincetown is now a playground for the very rich. The quaint fishing village full of artists and quirky people no longer exists, except in small pockets of people barely hanging on.

And then there are the people that buy their expensive house or condo in a fishing village and then complain that the fisherman make too much noise when they go out to sea in the morning. They're confused about who was there first and already there when they bought. But they have money so they usually get their way.

It used to be a family atmosphere. Now it's all business. Progress, I guess.

by Anonymousreply 6March 31, 2025 12:09 PM

Great link, OP you fat idiot.

by Anonymousreply 7March 31, 2025 12:13 PM

I was only there once, for an AA "round-up" the weekend after Labor Day, probably 30 years ago. I knew it would be expensive, but the traffic! I couldn't believe it.

Once was enough.

by Anonymousreply 8March 31, 2025 12:13 PM

Who drives to Ptown? You take the ferry.

by Anonymousreply 9March 31, 2025 12:16 PM

R9 is severely geographically challenged. If you're coming from the south, you drive up, numb nuts.

by Anonymousreply 10March 31, 2025 12:31 PM

R10- I don't know about Provincetown but SHE thinks New York is OVA!

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by Anonymousreply 11March 31, 2025 12:37 PM

You mention news stories but don't link anything. People have been saying that P'town was over for at least 20 years and some how it survives.

The mass tourism areas of Cape Cod like Hyannis or Buzzard's Bay are probably more vulnerable to declines in Canadian tourists.

by Anonymousreply 12March 31, 2025 12:41 PM

R10 you sound VERY suburban. Anyone who knows enough to avoid sitting in Route 6 gridlock from May through September takes the ferry, no matter which direction they’re coming from.

by Anonymousreply 13March 31, 2025 12:51 PM

And you sound like a VERY waspish cunt r13. I just know we’ll get on.

by Anonymousreply 14March 31, 2025 1:01 PM

I only wish I were as sophisticated and worldly wise as you, R13.

We only have the best boys here at DL!

by Anonymousreply 15March 31, 2025 1:03 PM

You just know you'll get on the ferry, r14?

by Anonymousreply 16March 31, 2025 1:04 PM

R12, how about contributing instead of complaining?

This wasn’t hard.

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by Anonymousreply 17March 31, 2025 1:04 PM

it would be nice if it weren't so expensive

by Anonymousreply 18March 31, 2025 1:09 PM

I sound suburban you say, R13? Ha! I'm living in Manhattan for the past 30 years. That's strike 2, you dumb fucking cunt. Don't go into the prediction business. You suck at it.

by Anonymousreply 19March 31, 2025 1:15 PM

And you’re the dumbass who pays to own a car in Manhattan, R19.

by Anonymousreply 20March 31, 2025 1:35 PM

I don’t get the “bad water”? I 🥰 Provincetown

by Anonymousreply 21March 31, 2025 1:38 PM

According to the Town of Provincetown’s website, the only ferry service to P-town is from Boston.

Who, coming from RI, CT, or NY or points west would take the time it takes to drive there, pay $40 or more per night to park in Boston, and then take the ferry instead of flying to Logan and taking a water-taxi to the dock or taking a train or bus to Boston’s South Station and walking a couple of blocks to the ferry piers? Either would add at the very least two hours travel time each and cost a lot more than driving.

Flying from NYC to Provincetown is possible but pricey: $500-plus now, more in high season during the summer.

by Anonymousreply 22March 31, 2025 1:45 PM

I believe there are some sewage problems, R21, especially in the summer when DL fave Andrew Sullivan starts unloading her enormous deuces into the already overtaxed sewer system.

by Anonymousreply 23March 31, 2025 1:46 PM

R23 = The Ghost of Ehrenstein

by Anonymousreply 24March 31, 2025 1:49 PM

I've been going since 1986 and the town has absolutely changed. It's much older and wealthier now. In the 80s and 90s, you could go for a night or two and stay at The Gifford House for peanuts. Now every place is a 5-night minimum and hundreds of dollars every night. So there are far fewer young gays and that's a problem.

But it's still one of the greatest gay places in the US - maybe the best. And the beaches are gorgeous and there's still lots of silly charm.

by Anonymousreply 25March 31, 2025 1:52 PM

And now there are more sharks in the water!

by Anonymousreply 26March 31, 2025 1:56 PM

I should have also added that many B&B's are being bought and converted to single family homes. The B&B's that remain - and some restaurants - are being swallowed up by hospitality conglomerates. The conglomerates are also buying up small motels and hotels. All these changes are adding to the increased expense of visiting Provincetown.

And the drug culture is massive, which doesn't help.

I mentioned a marina and used the word "ships"; what I meant was yachts. Yachts. They are building a marina for rich people that can park their yachts here while they stop for dinner or a stroll down Commercial Street.

It's big business here. If it ever was one big happy gay and lesbian and artist and weirdo family, it no longer is.

by Anonymousreply 27March 31, 2025 1:59 PM

MY husband and I used to go to Provicetown every single summer up until 2017 when we went to Europe for our 20th. When we were feeling fancy during our week stay, we would eat at Joon Wine bar on the east end, sit at the bar and have dinner. We'd start by sharing their duck sliders, which we loved and which were about $15 for the appetizer. Now when I look, they are $30. Everything is much more expensive.

Can people tell me about Herring Cove, is it still there? The last time we were there, so much of the beach had eroded. And I read somewhere they were not going to save it. Is that indeed the case? Has the dick dock washed away?

by Anonymousreply 28March 31, 2025 2:08 PM

The ferry?! As someone living south of Massachusetts, I’ve only ever arrived in P-Town on Cape Air or by private plane.

by Anonymousreply 29March 31, 2025 2:44 PM

Well you best stick to your private plane, dear.

Cape Air no longer flies in and out of Provincetown in the off season and may be - I stress may be because it's being negotiated as we speak - ending ALL service to Provincetown.

The rest of us will have to depend on the ferry and Route 6.

by Anonymousreply 30March 31, 2025 3:03 PM

Strike 3! You tedious, insufferable twat aka, R9, R13, R16, & R20. FYI, there are these places where you can rent a car, and split the cost with a group of friends.

Tell us, did your parents have any children who lived? I'd say keep your mouth shut before you make a fool of yourself, but we're way past that now.

by Anonymousreply 31March 31, 2025 3:06 PM

R31 I’m not the person you are attacking but I have to say, your level of venom and anger on a message board with absolute strangers is totally uncalled for and in very poor taste. There’s no reason for such vitriol - you don’t prove a point, you just make yourself look poorly. Take a deep breath and relax.

by Anonymousreply 32March 31, 2025 3:10 PM

R29 = why Ptown sucks now

by Anonymousreply 33March 31, 2025 3:11 PM

R28 here, I forgot to add that in all those years we went, we always rented a car and drove up from NYC. But then one year we took a train to boston and then the Ferry to PTOWN and thought, why in the hell haven't we been doing this all along? The drive from NYC can be anywhere from 6 hours to 10, depending on traffic and it is not relaxing. And the train from Penn Station to Boston was super easy, you walk a bit to the Ferry, and then boom, you're in PTOWN. You arrive in the same time as "the best cast scenario" driving and you arrive less stressed out.

by Anonymousreply 34March 31, 2025 3:21 PM

R33 NAILED it.

by Anonymousreply 35March 31, 2025 3:23 PM

Last winter, a firm bought the Provincetown Inn in the far West End. They already owned 4 other motels/motels in town. At the same time, they purchased the old Bill White's Motel, on the Route 6 rotary near Herring Cove Beach. The new owners bought the former Bill White's Motel with the express purpose of converting it to worker housing.

But having a large % of hotel/motel rooms in a resort town owned by one entity does not bode well for lower prices any time soon.

And before any of you queens jump on my shit, I'm specifically referring to hotel/motel rooms, not guest houses or boarding houses.

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by Anonymousreply 36March 31, 2025 3:33 PM

Last winter [2024] I called the Brass Key to reserve a room for a week on summer. The lowest available rate was $1,000 a night. Insane.

(And I’ve never noticed the drug culture when I’m there.)

by Anonymousreply 37March 31, 2025 3:33 PM

The current hot drug in Ptown is Eliquis, R37.

That should give you some hint of the town's current clientele.

by Anonymousreply 38March 31, 2025 3:39 PM

Never been.

by Anonymousreply 39March 31, 2025 3:49 PM

I still love Ptown but won’t be going until the orange one is gone. I think most Canadians feel that way about traveling to the USA at this point. We’re sick of being antagonized for no reason.

by Anonymousreply 40March 31, 2025 3:58 PM

R28

Herring Cove info below.

You'll be happy to know that the Dick Dock is still there and as active as ever. Still below the Boatslip where one can sip on $15 watered down drinks on lazy afternoons after the beach.

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by Anonymousreply 41March 31, 2025 3:58 PM

Working people and artists are being pushed to live on boats in the harbor during the summer months, when apartment rentals jump to 4 or 5k a month.

Air b and b has virtually destroyed the year round rental market, because why rent a studio for 2k a month /12k a year, when you can rent it for 4k a WEEK may-October and then leave it empty for the winter.

This summer is gonna be a mess. Everyone is assuming that there isn’t going to be a problem with the J1 visa kids who come in to live 4 to a room for the summer but given our new national policy towards immigrants I’m not so confident things will work out

I would also put this town at the top of the list for a domestic terrorist attack.

by Anonymousreply 42March 31, 2025 4:00 PM

[quote]I still love Ptown but won’t be going until the orange one is gone.

Of course, I understand your feelings, but do you actually think you would feel unsafe in P-Town because of P-Town, or would have less of good time there than in the past because of him?

by Anonymousreply 43March 31, 2025 4:02 PM

R43

R40s reluctance to visit Provincetown is because they are Canadian, not that they feel unsafe. Canadians are staying away for other reasons.

by Anonymousreply 44March 31, 2025 4:05 PM

At least the hot Easter European fliers manning the bike transfers remain. They know what we like to see and one of them would show is cock for $20 bucks.

by Anonymousreply 45March 31, 2025 4:19 PM

Y'all may not be able to afford P-town, but you felines desperately need to go on vacation somewhere, stat.

Is this is what happens when poppers are outlawed?

Meow.

by Anonymousreply 46March 31, 2025 4:20 PM

Nobody goes there anymore , it’s too crowded

by Anonymousreply 47March 31, 2025 4:21 PM

Thanks, R44. I didn't get that, and I can certainly understand why no one from ANY other country would want to visit anywhere in the U.S. while Trump is still in power.

by Anonymousreply 48March 31, 2025 4:21 PM

[quote]At least the hot Easter European fliers manning the bike transfers remain.

Of course, I know what you're referring to, but why do you call them "fliers" and "bike transfers?"

by Anonymousreply 49March 31, 2025 4:22 PM

There’s always Saugatuck.

by Anonymousreply 50March 31, 2025 4:29 PM

P-Town started crumbling away as soon as Ruby's shut down.

by Anonymousreply 51March 31, 2025 4:36 PM

The Eastern European Boys drive the pedicabs. Shirtless. With gorgeous bodies. They know who their customers are and know how to attract business and a bigger tab (the pedicabs do not have a fixed cost as cabs do.)

Some are a bit homophobic though, so beware. Even if they advertise the goods, doesn't mean you get any. Or even have the right to touch the goods.

And others, well, if the price is right they'll do more with their dicks than just show them.

by Anonymousreply 52March 31, 2025 4:37 PM

Well, at least your car can have a lovely place in Ptown.

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by Anonymousreply 53March 31, 2025 4:55 PM

Parking spaces go upwards from there to $100k.

And a few years ago a two-car garage went for over $300k. It's being used as an office.

by Anonymousreply 54March 31, 2025 5:19 PM

400,00+ for a 200 square foot condo!

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by Anonymousreply 55March 31, 2025 5:24 PM

R50 - Saugatuck is such a disappointment - VERY small town, 1 gay bar complex - with little else. Only a handful of decent restaurants. It sucks - AND it's not cheap anymore either.

Take Provincetown and reduce it by 90% - and it's not really walkable - you need a car to get around. Look, it's OK - but it's not in the same league as Provincetown.

People need to stay away instead of spending more and more for the same stuff each year.

by Anonymousreply 56March 31, 2025 5:42 PM

The town also has a really bad meth problem and many of the hot spots in town are run by guys with active addictions. I won’t say which but you might be able to guess.

by Anonymousreply 57March 31, 2025 6:15 PM

Bearweek in Sitges is the cheaper alternative to Ptown Bearweek.

by Anonymousreply 58March 31, 2025 6:32 PM

Which town, R57, P-town or Saugatuck?

Harder to guess w/o saying which seaside resort or referencing either the post above yours or the thread topic

by Anonymousreply 59March 31, 2025 6:41 PM

Ptown

by Anonymousreply 60March 31, 2025 6:46 PM

R58, I enjoyed Sitges when I was there, I must say. Obviously you have the cost of getting there. It reminds of what PTOWN used to be because you still have a mixed gay/straight town. The Gay scene is very lively and all of the beaches are open and accepting. The beaches range from family, to mixed, to mixed nude to gay nude to gay fuck beaches.

by Anonymousreply 61March 31, 2025 6:51 PM

R52. My friend and I shared one of those bikes with a funny old queen. He was hitting on that manly smelling bike rider the entire time. But he was kind enough to pay for our ride so we let him have his fun.

He offered the guy $20 to see his cock. Rider countered with $40, but no touching. Flashed it quick and got his money.

Most just flirt and leave it at that.

by Anonymousreply 62March 31, 2025 8:59 PM

I've recently run into comments like R43 's in other forums as well, and I think the posts are insincere. They make it sound like Canadians are overreacting out of fear for their safety.

Hey R43 and other trolls, the Canadians are staying away because they're boycotting the US, because the US elected a xenophobic criminal who has been demonizing Canada, threatening to invade it, and imposing tariffs on imports from Canada. They are staying away because they don't like the US, not because they're afraid. They are offended at our behavior and think it is wrong and immoral. They are disgusted, not frightened.

by Anonymousreply 63March 31, 2025 9:08 PM

ugly water?

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by Anonymousreply 64March 31, 2025 9:12 PM

too many massholes in p-town.

by Anonymousreply 65March 31, 2025 9:15 PM

Where are the gay fuck beaches in Sitges? Google Earth coordinates please.

by Anonymousreply 66March 31, 2025 9:25 PM

R66 it is Playa del Hombre Muerto which you can google earth yourself. I'll link a description of it below instead. It's supposedly the World's Oldest Gay Nude Beach. Scroll down to Playa del Hombre Muerto in the article. I went to Playa Blamins when I was there, which is a nude beach as well, even though it's about 50%. You don't have to go nude, but you can enjoy those who do. Sitges has a fun, easy going campy gay feel to it. It's not too over the top but for for a vacation. That's what reminds me of Ptown with a lot less attitude and better food. We stayed at the Hotel Calipolis, which isn't necessarily a gay hotel, but it might as well be. Nice hotel, and the best breakfast buffet I've had anywhere in a long time. It just as everything.

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by Anonymousreply 67March 31, 2025 9:43 PM

If some of you bitter queens are representative of the Ptown demographic it sounds like hell on Earth.

by Anonymousreply 68March 31, 2025 9:47 PM

I remember PTOWN being, because of the dearth of options in the pasty looking crowd, that the most basic attractive guy becomes like an Adonis by the end of your week-long stay. An actual attractive guy is like a God stepping down from Mt. Olympus. You have a lot of jacked bodies with even more jacked up faces.

by Anonymousreply 69March 31, 2025 9:53 PM

OP, is fried food supposed to sound bad?

by Anonymousreply 70March 31, 2025 9:56 PM

I’m staying home with my canned goods.

by Anonymousreply 71March 31, 2025 9:57 PM

R2 How can that make sense? The apartment I rent is 300 years old.

by Anonymousreply 72March 31, 2025 9:59 PM

It's delicious but notoriously cheap and a great way to hide bad or inexpensive ingredients r70. Restaurants always fry up their old stuff. So the last thing you really want to have to pay a lot of money for is fried food as the OP suggests happens in Ptown.

by Anonymousreply 73March 31, 2025 9:59 PM

R73 They make chowder out of the old stuff that's why it's so good.

by Anonymousreply 74March 31, 2025 10:01 PM

Going on vacation to be around a large number of other gay men is something I grew out of, thankfully. I loathe crowds of any sexuality and prefer quieter vacations in sleepy beach towns. I invite who I want and we cook, get dinner catered or go out to a regular local seafood place. Come home, sit on the deck and listen to the ocean and stargaze. I use to love running around with the gay pack but I would be so miserable doing that now. The last time I went to PV, the whole thing gave me a headache. Gross beach. Pesky peddlers. Strippers. Shitty drinks. Food poisoning. And dizzy queens acting like silly magpies. The one thing I loved were the shows at the Palm. Great performers. As you can imagine, I am an eldergay at 58.

by Anonymousreply 75March 31, 2025 10:08 PM

r40 We do feel that way about going across the line to shop, do business or vacation. We don't hate America so much as the Orange Shitstain's retarded Muskesque 25% tariffs. Also COVID is still around, the Avian flu is a thing and the measles/various other diseases the Unvaxxed Imbeciles are spreading all make us think staycation.

by Anonymousreply 76March 31, 2025 10:09 PM

R67 that beach looks hideous.

by Anonymousreply 77March 31, 2025 10:10 PM

Well, I’m sure John Waters is looking forward to spending the summer there with less poors.

He used to be so cool.

by Anonymousreply 78March 31, 2025 10:33 PM

[italic]fewer[/italic] poors, r78!

by Anonymousreply 79March 31, 2025 10:45 PM

R3 You are 100% correct. It's hitting all of the Cape, not just Provincetown.

One friend of mine lives on Martha's Vineyard year round. For the past decade or so, she has taken a short part-time job from January - April working for a local, very popular hotel processing on-line reservations for the Spring - Summer. Their season usually starts Mother's Day weekend and ends around Columbus Day in which the hotel is 100% booked. She has always said the majority of their guests are from Canada, as well as NY-NJ-CT.

Usually, by the end of January, all the tourists coming for an extended stay (a week or longer) are booked - they picked their weeks. By the end of February, every weekend is filled (you have to book Friday - Monday there during 'the season'). By the end of March, all the left-over weekdays (Tues-Thurs) are booked. In April, it's 'the left-overs' : whatever one-nighters or so fill the calendar, usually guests who don't realize they should've called earlier. By April 15, she's done with her job as the whole summer is booked for the hotel.

I was talking to her last night, and she said business is off about 30 - 35%. She's never seen anything like this. The owners have been calling around talking to other hotel owners and B&B owners - same thing all over the island and even on Nantucket. They called the Steamship Authority - best barometer to check because everyone makes car reservations as early as possible to bring their cars over. SSA said they're down around 30 -35 % as well, They still have plenty of availability for May - July.

It's unheard of - something the island has not seen in decades.

As a side note, another friend of mine is the manager of a local 'summer theater' in the MA / RI area. He's been there 20 years. Premium subscription packages (best seats/ highest prices) went out back in February. Usually by now they're getting about 75% of these renewals in, with another 10% returned in April; whatever is not renewed by then, they are able to sell to new premium subscribers. Again, most subscribers for these premium packages are yearly tourists from Canada, as well as CT-NY-NJ (subscriptions are passed from generation to generation - some subscriptions are left in 'the will').

This summer ? Renewals are around half of what they should be. They're scratching their heads wondering if it's the line-up they chose for the summer (all light-weight musicals, as usual). But now they're realizing it's a change in tourism all over the region and most Canadians have not renewed - not the line-up for the season (I told him about my friend on MV, which gave him a big sigh of relief).

It's going to be a very tough summer tourist season EVERYWHERE. But this is what America obviously wanted, otherwise we'd have President Harris in the White House.

by Anonymousreply 80March 31, 2025 11:16 PM

Shit's getting too expensive. $1000 a night for a hotel room in Provincetown is absolutely ridiculous.

by Anonymousreply 81March 31, 2025 11:36 PM

Good info, R80. I will add that Martha’s Vineyard bookings are also likely affected by last year’s ferry work action where the ferries were not operating on a normal schedule and people were getting stuck there.

It’s a huge choke point.

by Anonymousreply 82March 31, 2025 11:41 PM

R81 - I'm seeing quite a few for $350-$450 per night. Still a lot more expensive than what it used to be. $1000 night isn't common.

But point still stands - add in airfare for two, two $128 ferry tickets, 6 nights - you're well over $4000 already for a week visit - and that's without meals or drinks or entertainment yet - so closer to $5500 for a week. And that's not even a really nice hotel - more on the average side. Yes, that's for a couple, but damn.

You could easily have a nice week in Europe for the same price.

I

by Anonymousreply 83March 31, 2025 11:52 PM

I miss the quieter Provincetown of up till, say, the late ‘90s. Yeah, I’m old now. But it still had a bit more of its pre-social media bohemian, underground, and small-stores aesthetic compared with now.

I’m glad for everybody who still visits, owns and/or otherwise enjoy themselves there. I just wonder if the aging gay demographic buying everything up, is made up very much of extended family or children who’d be interested in carrying on and maintaining those properties in the next 10, 20 years? There are going to be a lot of single or paired Boomer and Millennial gays aging out, and maybe becoming unable to age in place or without assistances.

Perhaps then the town will transition into a next phase, with the artists types or former native-born families moving back in. Once you can get there (yes, by the ferry preferably and nicely), it is magical fun to experience at least once or more times. I’m just unsure if the younger gays will embrace all that commuting, spending, time, interest and money there collectively in the decades to come (?).

by Anonymousreply 84April 1, 2025 12:14 AM

Has Marc Jacobs been completely rinsed out of PTown’s hair or does he still have a home there? I know his store closed a while ago - even though a wing of the library was named after him.

by Anonymousreply 85April 1, 2025 6:54 AM

Goodness r75 sounds boring and pretentious. So delicate that they can’t bare to vacation near a crowd and instead must be in some sleepy straight beach town to fit in with the other mummies and eat bland food. What a treat, but at least he can feel above the gays.

by Anonymousreply 86April 1, 2025 7:20 AM

I stayed there a couple of times the better part of 40 years ago and enjoyed it enough. It was a couple of small hotels and mostly slightly shabby guest houses/B&B's. It was a fairly diverse mix of locals/permanent residents, holiday people who spent much of the season there, and visitors from near and far (I met a good many from California, so e of whom I would later encounter in farther afield parts of the world.

I'm not a sun and sand and sip drinks sort, which colored my opinion, but it was a pleasant place to relax for a week, find some favorite spots to eat, and meet a few new people.

Reports and images of the place in more recent years suggest it's much more expensive and engineered and hierarchical. For $500 to $1000 a night, there are endless places I'd rather be than watching A-listers and A-list wannabes sort themselves in order of presumed importance.

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by Anonymousreply 87April 1, 2025 8:57 AM

While you, R86, sound like an insecure relic.

by Anonymousreply 88April 1, 2025 9:11 AM

I don't think it will ever be "over." We Can't afford Ptown so for the past decade we go to Wellfleet for a week and drive up to have at least one dinner at the Lobster Pot, a drink or three at A-House, and a walk through the village. I love it even though the water is full of sharks and too cold to swim. You can go to First Encounter Beach on the bay side where the water's warmer and too shallow for Great Whites. Wellfleet is boring but on the corner of the street to our cottage is the PB Boulangerie which always has a crowd of people getting fresh pastries and boil in bag things like Beef Bourguignon. Love the Cape and even with the high prices you can usually find a place to stay that won't break the bank.

by Anonymousreply 89April 1, 2025 11:33 AM

Back in the day (80s and 90s) it was still quaint, and specialized. P-town was never attracting 'everybody' (except for maybe day-trippers) in the gay community, but for the wealthy gays who could afford it and keep it exclusive (almost secluded) community for the gay community. But since the turn of this century, the younger gay generations who inherited that wealth have plenty of other options and don't need to go to an 'exclusive' gay area to enjoy their summer. And the more of the mixed-crowd heading to the tip of Cape Cod, the more the real estate has been gobbled up and has become even more unaffordable to most.

by Anonymousreply 90April 1, 2025 12:15 PM

I highly doubt it's because gays are fearful of being rounded up by Trump.

It's a combination of other issues (many caused or made worse by Trump) such as an uncertain economic situation and boycotts from Canadian visitors.

by Anonymousreply 91April 1, 2025 12:29 PM

Is Fire Island still the place to go for NYC boys?

by Anonymousreply 92April 1, 2025 1:13 PM

R86 If your lucky, you may get old one day too.

-R75

by Anonymousreply 93April 1, 2025 1:14 PM

R93 - I'm only a few years younger than you and I still enjoy PV - as do many gay men, some of whom are significantly older than 58.

peddlers are unfortunately all over Mexico - I agree that they are tiresome, but there's still a great vibe in PV and a lot of choice of very good restaurants and entertainment, which is rare for most beach communities.

Food poisoning isn't common - PV's water is filtered and treated and many hotels and restaurants have their own additional filtration, so something else strange must have happened to you. Not saying it can't happen outside of the city - I have heard stories in the all-inclusives and other places far north, but it is definitely not a common ailment.

58 is not that old either. I think you may have gone at the wrong time - you couldn't pay me to be in PV during Christmas/NYE, Easter, Bear Week or any other party week. It's way too much - but I think your criticism of PV is a bit over the top and not a common experience.

Young gays are going to be young gays - along with the best and worst of what that brings. Don't feel like you have to compete or participate.

by Anonymousreply 94April 1, 2025 2:34 PM

[quote]For $500 to $1000 a night, there are endless places I'd rather be than watching A-listers and A-list wannabes sort themselves in order of presumed importance.

There is some of that in Provincetown, but I would say it's a small part of the total experience, and easily avoidable.

by Anonymousreply 95April 1, 2025 2:49 PM

A-listers and A-list wannabes? Tell me you’ve never been there without telling me!

First of all, lots of people who vacation in Ptown stay to themselves. They go for bike rides, find small places for meals, etc. Aside from from tea at the Boatslip, it’s not a scene.

I know during certain theme weeks it can be more of a scene but when I’m there people are just being themselves.

by Anonymousreply 96April 1, 2025 3:00 PM

R96 - for me, most theme weeks are to be avoided - anywhere - Ptown, Palm Springs, Wilton Manors, PV - prices are higher, it's harder to get the accommodations or reservations you want, everything is significantly more crowded to the point of being uncomfortable and not relaxing.

Maybe 20-30 years ago these weeks were better but many of them have become a victim of their own success.

by Anonymousreply 97April 1, 2025 3:19 PM

I remember Provincetown in the 70s and early 80s, as a child.

by Anonymousreply 98April 1, 2025 4:16 PM

R94 Lately we've enjoyed Sayulita and Punta Mita. We like beach service without being jammed together with people like Los Muertos in PV. And we're not fans of club music, disco remixes and or techno. I went to PV for 25 years. Back when Blue Chairs was the only spot. Now the only beach club I enjoyed from recent memory (5 years ago) was Saphire(?). Had a lovely European vibe and more comfortable chairs. I totally agree that PV is a great place for people of all ages. Just not for me and my husband. Been there done it. I may be called a pretentious snob but we are at the point where we like to rent villas on the beach in the Caribbean with a staff. We've worked hard for many years and are now able to do what we want. Say hi to Diana and Christine (Party! Party!) for me. Both great ladies.

by Anonymousreply 99April 1, 2025 4:53 PM

R99 - I get that. Agree that Saphire is a more low-key club except the pool is not heated, which really sucks. It can get VERY cold - even with the daily sunshine.

They've toned down the music a bit at Mantamar, but it was over the top for far too long there.

Zona Romantica has been a victim of its own success - it is only so big and it keeps getting more and more crowded with no place to build except up.

I still enjoy the varied nightlife - which is so much broader than any other gay destination I can think of. There are now what 3 or 4 places doing nightly entertainment? And thankfully a lot more options than just drag.

Act2's director died and it lost some of its quirkiness, but is still fine. Plus there are plenty of great restaurants and bars - I'm past the club stage in my life, but I appreciate that it is there and close by.

Ptown has a decent job with entertainment but not nearly enough. Wilton Manors and Palm Springs for some weird reason have almost nothing - some sporadic events, but not multiple venues with multiple acts a night. It's a shame and I don't understand why they don't have more of it. Although PS downtown theater is re-opened, that will bring something to downtown again.

And Ptown's restaurant scene is...lacking.

by Anonymousreply 100April 1, 2025 5:04 PM

I live in Chelsea. The last thing I need is a gay vacation.

by Anonymousreply 101April 1, 2025 5:14 PM

[quote]I live in Chelsea. The last thing I need is a gay vacation.

That joke would have been funny 25 years ago or so, but how gay is Chelsea anymore?

by Anonymousreply 102April 1, 2025 5:46 PM

Does John Waters still say "I don't think anything's changed here"?

I was in Provincetown a few weeks ago for a weekend, so very off-season and not inundated with the tourism that posters are complaining about. I was looking for a place to kick back but the spa I tried had a bathing suit policy and honestly wasn't much of a spa anyway; certainly didn't have much of a gay male vibe when I was there. Any recs? I get up to boy beach occasionally for the day, but I'll park at the Herring Cove lot and walk up rather than try to find parking in town and then walk through the tide marsh. So I mainly avoid the crowds.

by Anonymousreply 103April 1, 2025 5:58 PM

R102. Plenty gay enough.

by Anonymousreply 104April 1, 2025 6:00 PM

[quote] It's not because anything is overpriced, it's because most gays are in fear these days.

Complete nonsense, R1.

by Anonymousreply 105April 1, 2025 6:00 PM

We get it.

by Anonymousreply 106April 1, 2025 6:07 PM

I think it’s spelled OVAH

by Anonymousreply 107April 1, 2025 6:09 PM

$9 for a basic ice cream says it all.

by Anonymousreply 108April 1, 2025 6:42 PM

Mark Cortale, who's been producing for years some great entertainment in Provincetown, lost the lease at The Art House. The owners want to open a bar/restaurant in the space - as if Provincetown needs another mediocre bar/restaurant.

So the town is losing a great venue for real entertainment. He's still going to produce some shows at Town Hall, but that self-selects for much bigger artists to fill that space. Every summer at The Art House there was incredible talent and shows - people that were very, very good, but not big enough to fill Town Hall. It was a great place to discover new talent at affordable ticket prices. Gone now.

That talent vacuum will unfortunately be filled with more and more drag shows with more and more drag queens. 5% talented, 5% mediocre, and 90% shit. Plenty of vacationers - and residents - would like to strangle RuPaul.

So among other things, Provincetown is losing great entertainment. More of the magic that made the place so special gone.

by Anonymousreply 109April 1, 2025 7:08 PM

R109, I completely agree with you about the idiocy that has happened with The Art House. And I wonder when/if the space is going to be reconfigured as planned, because that didn't happen last season, even though Cortale had already been thrown out.

by Anonymousreply 110April 1, 2025 7:14 PM

What is going on at the crown and anchor?

by Anonymousreply 111April 1, 2025 7:16 PM

[QUOTE] That joke would have been funny 25 years ago or so, but how gay is Chelsea anymore?

It's still more gay than Peoria.

by Anonymousreply 112April 1, 2025 7:16 PM

R109 - that's sad - and I'm with you about the drag shit.

There were a lot of good older drag (Varla Jean) who were really talented and had good original new hour long shows every year. They seem to be overshadowed by 5th place Drag Race winners with not as much talent or wit.

But I assure you - the drag stuff is EVERYWHERE now. God - it has taken over so much - drag brunch, drag dinner, drag tours, etc. I'm glad they're able to make money and have more venues - but it's inescapable. Too much of a good thing for sure.

And too many really FAT/obese middle-age to older drag queens squeezing themselves like sausage into these costumes who are out of their breath just getting up on stage.

by Anonymousreply 113April 1, 2025 7:17 PM

Once saw Varla Jean Merman perform there, and she was fantastic! I was quite surprised how butch and manly she was outside of her "work clothes".

by Anonymousreply 114April 1, 2025 7:34 PM

We go every summer and the housing prices have gotten insane. My friends say that flying to Hawaii or Europe is cheaper so have started going there instead

by Anonymousreply 115April 1, 2025 7:39 PM

R109-Isn't Cortale the asshole who's re-opening the Laurie Beechman Theatre in that shit restaurant on 42nd Street?

by Anonymousreply 116April 1, 2025 8:00 PM

No, R116. You are extremely confused -- aside from being a bitchy asshole.

by Anonymousreply 117April 1, 2025 8:42 PM

PTown used to be a pretty low-key place for NY and New England gays. Unpretentious and laid-back. Not all that expensive. Sadly that has all changed.

by Anonymousreply 118April 1, 2025 9:37 PM

Provincetown has been very expensive for as long as I can remember. I distinctly recall looking into vacationing there in the mid 1990s, which would have been my first trip there, but as I researched places to stay etc., it seemed so expensive that I decided I could go to Europe for about the same amount of money. Which is what I wound up doing.

I have been to P-Town many, many times since, partly because I've been lucky to find affordable places to stay, and have come to love it. But it ain't cheap.

by Anonymousreply 119April 1, 2025 9:45 PM

Define "ugly water."

by Anonymousreply 120April 1, 2025 9:47 PM

[quote] So delicate that they can’t bare to vacation near a crowd

Oh, deah!

by Anonymousreply 121April 1, 2025 9:51 PM

Please. My parents went to Ptown in the 50s when it was an “arts colony,” an early taste of Laguna in the 60s. They complained back then, too…

by Anonymousreply 122April 1, 2025 9:56 PM

[quote]My Aunt Edith from Harwichport

Oh, deah yahself, Aunt Edith.

It's Harwich Port.

by Anonymousreply 123April 1, 2025 9:58 PM

Datalounge thinks every tourist spot in the US is funded by Canadian travelers

by Anonymousreply 124April 1, 2025 10:05 PM

R111

[quote]What is going on at the crown and anchor?

Drag Queen Central. They used to have good talent in season as well, but owner/management changed. And not for the better. They're trying to cater to a younger crowd, but stumbling along. They kicked out the entertainment institutions.

Also, no one should be surprised if it implodes.

by Anonymousreply 125April 1, 2025 10:09 PM

R125 - looks like the have the same acts booked every week through mid-September. And yes - primarily drag queen shows in the evening - plus a drag queen brunch! How original!

I'm sorry but Anita Cocktail as a drag name is just as corny, basic and groan-inducing as it sounds. Zero effort at all. It's so stupid, it offends me.

by Anonymousreply 126April 1, 2025 10:35 PM

Smell her! Er, him! They?!

by Anonymousreply 127April 1, 2025 10:46 PM

Dear Aunt Edith would go down to New Bedford quite often in the summer, telling people she liked swimming in Clarks Cove. What she REALLY liked was swimming in all that Portuguese cock. She couldn't get enough of it, they would fill her every orifice. She was known as "The foda-se buraco of New Bedford."

by Anonymousreply 128April 1, 2025 10:52 PM

We went to Ptown every year for about 15 years, renting a house with friends. It was always a lot of fun but, as others are saying, it kept getting more and more expensive. And doing the same shit - beach, tea, drinks, dinner, drinks, bars...was getting monotonous. Finally one of our group insisted we'd could do Spain for cheaper and have a much better time. So we did that for a few summers and it was fantastic. Sitges, Malaga, San Sebastian, Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia. We ate and drank like kings on every trip and yes it was cheaper. The guys were hotter and nicer too.

For the last couple of summers, we've rented a house on Mt Desert Isle in Maine. So much more our speed.

Though I do miss Ptown of yore. But that's part of a world that's been decimated by capitalism. Oh well.

by Anonymousreply 129April 1, 2025 10:53 PM

The Gifford house is apparently the hottest spot in town nowadays.

by Anonymousreply 130April 1, 2025 10:56 PM

oh please don't start sending this garbage to my Maine

by Anonymousreply 131April 1, 2025 11:16 PM

I had many epic visits to Ptown but even in my prime 20s and 30s couldn’t handle more than about four days. I still go to the Cape every summer but stay elsewhere and spend a day or two in Provincetown. That’s enough.

by Anonymousreply 132April 1, 2025 11:28 PM

I have a hot, sexy friend who used to offer 'erotic' massage around the country, and then settled in P-town about 15 years ago on his mid 20s. He figured he had it made as a masseur, rented a spot on a busy street, found an apartment to live in, and discreetly offered 'erotic massage' along with legit massage. Charged top dollar. As summers went by, he was cutting way back on 'erotic massage' - the gay community was no longer as interested as they once were. Times changed. He's still open, still hot and sexy for someone in his early 40s, still successful enough to keep his business going and living year round (alone now) in P-town. But - as he says - the community has changed.

by Anonymousreply 133April 1, 2025 11:33 PM

R132 - I'd say that's about the right amount of time for me in ANY gay destination - 4 nights and I'm done.

by Anonymousreply 134April 1, 2025 11:37 PM

Which is more over-priced: Ptown or Fire Island?

by Anonymousreply 135April 2, 2025 12:44 AM

[Quote] I still go to the Cape every summer but stay elsewhere and spend a day or two in Provincetown. That’s enough.

What are some other good towns to stay in?

by Anonymousreply 136April 2, 2025 2:32 AM

Anyone been to Ogunquit in Maine? Is it comparable?

by Anonymousreply 137April 2, 2025 2:32 AM

R123 Hey, smartass.

Harwich Port (also spelled Harwichport) is a small affluent seaside community and census-designated place (CDP) situated along the Nantucket Sound in the town of Harwich in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States.

by Anonymousreply 138April 2, 2025 2:38 AM

Arr-witch? Or not ye?

by Anonymousreply 139April 2, 2025 2:45 AM

R136 Brewster.

by Anonymousreply 140April 2, 2025 2:57 AM

R133, how would I look up your friend when I'm in P-Town this summer? Where does he advertise?

by Anonymousreply 141April 2, 2025 3:10 AM

I spent my first 20 years spending each summer on the cape. In North Eastham. It's just a little above the elbow. It was the most beautiful spot in the world. With one of the most beautiful beaches. Coast Guard Beach. They had strict building regulations and the coast guard owned most of the land around our house. We would go to PT once or twice during the summer. It was a time when parents could let their kids run free and they could go eat and drink. I love the cape but mostly for memories. All my changes are there. I went back a few years ago and it was disappointing. Everything is better when you're young though.

by Anonymousreply 142April 2, 2025 3:10 AM

R136 I'm not the poster you are asking, but Orleans and Welfleet are nice towns to visit, too (albeit expensive) and near Ptown.

by Anonymousreply 143April 2, 2025 3:11 AM

No love for Eastham, R143?

by Anonymousreply 144April 2, 2025 3:17 AM

Watch out for the lace curtain Irish up Cape.

by Anonymousreply 145April 2, 2025 3:17 AM

Orleans borders North Eastham to the South and Wellsfleet to the north. We used to get our school clothes at world of watson's in Orleans because we wouldn't be home in time to do it. Of course those were the days when a salesman came in measured you and then your mother pointed to the things she wanted and would come pick them up in a few days all in your size. Back in the day there was no cable and you got next to no TV stations. So it was nights out on the deck, lots of card and board games. Walks. Bird watching. It was a great place to spend your summers as a kid.

by Anonymousreply 146April 2, 2025 3:23 AM

Some of us had to work all summer — do chores

by Anonymousreply 147April 2, 2025 3:28 AM

If I flew economy (I wouldn't because I'm old, but let's say I'm young) to Barcelona ($600, nonstop), take the train to Sitges, stay in a nice hotel for around $2000, why go to Provincetown? If you share the hotel room, you'd be looking at MAX $2000 for a week in September. Beautiful weather, beautiful men, great food.

And it could be done for much less.

by Anonymousreply 148April 2, 2025 3:35 AM

Can't you stay in a motel in Truro or something?

by Anonymousreply 149April 2, 2025 3:37 AM

Oh god. I've forgotten about Truro.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 150April 2, 2025 3:43 AM

[quote]Anyone been to Ogunquit in Maine? Is it comparable?

R137. No, there is no comparison between Ogunquit and Provincetown. Ogunquit is a nice small town. Maine can be quaint, scenic and laid back, but it's an entirely different destination, feel, vibe, size and experience compared to Provincetown. Going to Provincetown is like going to a big Broadway hit show. Going to Ogunquit is like attending a small community theatre. Each has its place, but there really is no comparison.

by Anonymousreply 151April 2, 2025 3:53 AM

I prefer southern Maine to the Cape.

by Anonymousreply 152April 2, 2025 3:55 AM

And by the way, R137, both Provincetown and Ogunquit have their gay clientele. But the scope, size, age of the people and overall energy is like night and day. It's not even like Ogunquit is like a mini-me Ptown. It's just different. Ogunquit is probably considerably less expensive without requiring a mandatory, multi-night stay. Here's the comparison between the two: Would you prefer to go Christmas shopping in the hustle and bustle with the surrounding lights and action or would you rather see a few people at a couple of shops in your small town square and that's it? Provincetown isn't even comparable to Fire Island. In Provincetown, you walk Commercial Street and the surrounding guest houses. In Fire Island--at least in the Pines, there aren't even any streets--it's boardwalks with houses tucked away. It's just an entirely different experience. Both are great, but they are vastly different--and very expensive.

The beaches are accessible in all three places, but more accessible in Fire Island and within walking distance. Ogunquit is a driving town, so you drive to the beach. The beach in Provincetown is a long walk outside the center of town, so you'll have to drive or take a pedi-cab.

by Anonymousreply 153April 2, 2025 4:15 AM

r136, Dennis, Brewster, Harwich, Chatham, Orleans. No gay scene but within an hours drive of Ptown. Eastham, Wellfleet and Truro are closer but have limited places to stay and restaurants.

by Anonymousreply 154April 2, 2025 4:21 AM

Ogunquit does have the Ogunquit Playhouse. It's not like it was in its glory days, with the big stars and beautiful sets (I saw a few of those shows when I was a kid). But it still is a beautiful summer theatre with nice grounds.

by Anonymousreply 155April 2, 2025 4:28 AM

With the recent death of Pauline Fisher, the owner of MAP, a piece of Provincetown is definitely lost. I remember she’d make all her money after the tea dance. My boyfriend and I would go in there lit and buy up stuff. It was a great store with cool pieces. Where else could you buy a necklace made by Pulitzer Prize winning author Michael Cunningham? She was a Ptown staple for 30 years.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 156April 2, 2025 5:38 AM

Pauline was the most recent of a string of unexpected and grim deaths to hit the community this past year.

This past fall a beautiful young modelesque woman who bartended at the red inn shot herself after a sudden descent into mania

A couple months prior to that a beloved young man who was a classical flutist and dog walker was found dead in his back yard apparently of a drug overdose.

Over the summer another young artist died of a rare and aggressive brain cancer

Strangest of all one Wednesday night with no warning the Ukrainian boy toy turned husband of a local hard partying billionaire allegedly barricaded himself in a room of one of thier houses and slit his own throat

There are many who question whether or not this was actually suicide. Especially since the husband, after finding the body, decided to manage the shock by taking a swim fully clothed in the ocean at 4 am. But he’s a billionaire and nobody dares say anything aloud in town

It’s a dark place at times

by Anonymousreply 157April 2, 2025 6:30 AM

R157 "... a beloved young man who was a classical flutist and dog walker was found dead... "

Were they rescue dogs?

by Anonymousreply 158April 2, 2025 6:52 AM

I met Eric, the gay flutist, when I visited in 2019 and he was the sweetest man. So sad.

by Anonymousreply 159April 2, 2025 7:48 AM

that last one is scary, R157.

by Anonymousreply 160April 2, 2025 8:03 AM

R75 Round these parts 58 is a twink

by Anonymousreply 161April 2, 2025 8:22 AM

R157 at least give us a name, or some info to search on. If it were that dark…we’d know about from the news…

by Anonymousreply 162April 2, 2025 11:51 AM

"With the recent death of Pauline Fisher, the owner of MAP, a piece of Provincetown is definitely lost. "

OMG, this is r129, I had no clue Pauline died. Wow. How awful. When in Ptown, I'd be in Map several times throughout the week and would drop money I didn't have on her stuff. She had a brilliant curatorial eye and was always fun to talk to and gave GREAT advice on looks, where to get swift vintage, etc. She actually talked me out of buying a $300 wallet at her place when she took a look at my beat up Paul Smith one and encouraged me to find a tailor to restitch it. Which I did. Still have that thing in my back pocket.

She takes a massive piece of Ptown's soul with her.

Seriously, I'm bummed. RIP Pauline. :(

by Anonymousreply 163April 2, 2025 1:29 PM

So bummed. Yet you had no clue she was dead. 🧐

by Anonymousreply 164April 2, 2025 1:41 PM

Up yours, R164, for that evil, gratuitous comment. This person who died was not a national celebrity, so it's perfectly understandable that R163 might not have known of the death.

by Anonymousreply 165April 2, 2025 2:02 PM

"So bummed. Yet you had no clue she was dead. 🧐"

something tells me you vote Republican.

by Anonymousreply 166April 2, 2025 2:19 PM

The Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival just announced that this coming festival would be the last.

And that happens in the off-season. Everything is just too damn expensive for the festival to endure.

I attended the festival in 2022 after not having been in P-town since 1997. The town still has its charms, but it's now old gay money. And not the interesting rich gays. Corporate homos, big-firm lawyers, sleepy retirees. So the bohemians and artists and locals who made the place special and charming have been priced out and won't soon return. I enjoyed my time there well enough, but I get my fill of boring rich gays (and straights) in Manhattan; don't need to travel a distance to have that experience. Won't be returning anytime soon.

by Anonymousreply 167April 2, 2025 2:23 PM

My husband and I enjoy walking the cemetery which is filled with 18th century dead children and 80s/90s AIDS victims.

by Anonymousreply 168April 2, 2025 2:24 PM

Like so many other places, gay and straight, Provincetown’s success made it too expensive for the people who made it successful.

by Anonymousreply 169April 2, 2025 2:34 PM

Dead children? Tell me more.

by Anonymousreply 170April 2, 2025 2:37 PM

Talk about a gratuitous comment —-> R168

by Anonymousreply 171April 2, 2025 2:56 PM

The problem is - once these places are gone - what do you replace them with? You can't.

Property is too expensive everywhere and it takes 50-80 years to create a town and atmosphere like this.

God dammit - GAYS create these fabulous vibes and locations and then the people who HATE US want to move in and leech off of the fun and vibes we create.

Same with gay urban areas and Pride parades.

by Anonymousreply 172April 2, 2025 3:13 PM

R157 These types of things happen everywhere, all over the world, every day.

by Anonymousreply 173April 2, 2025 3:14 PM

r172, my sense is that Ptown is as gay (or gayer) than it's ever been. It's just for gays with more money now.

by Anonymousreply 174April 2, 2025 3:34 PM

R173 the year round population here is teeny tiny. I’ve lived in many big cities and never had 5 members of my social circle die suddenly within a year, three violently. Have you?

by Anonymousreply 175April 2, 2025 3:42 PM

[R175] sounds like jessica fletcher better don a speedo and plan a road trip!

by Anonymousreply 176April 2, 2025 3:47 PM

R172: There are many resorts that have gone through cycles of success, decline and then success, again. Sometimes it's the same clientele, sometimes it changes more than just generationally. Many regional resort towns declined in the 50s and 60s but many came back from the 80s onward---people took the opportunity to go further afield with more affordable air travel and interstates. Rehoboth is a good example. Saugatuck is another. They're nothing like Ptown but they don't have to be. There are some Florida panhandle towns that once were popular with artists and after a spell, became popular again in the 90s onward and draw a lot of gay visitors.

I've done a lot of international travel but couldn't be bothered to go to Spain or to some cliche resort in Mexico, so I'm happy to explore other places in the US.

by Anonymousreply 177April 2, 2025 4:27 PM

R177 - I don't know what you're talking about. Saugatuck is too expensive as well. And it outlives its charms in less than 48 hours - there's really not much to do there, at all.

Outside of your examples from the 80s - 40 years ago - what new towns / getaways are being revived in this decade? I can't think of any. Maybe Missouri Ozarks - but no thanks.

by Anonymousreply 178April 2, 2025 5:25 PM

[R157] Wow, that story about the Ukranian boytoy is scary! I have friends in Provincetown and haven't heard anything about it. Do you have any more info?

by Anonymousreply 179April 2, 2025 5:27 PM

any pics of the Ukrainian boytoy?

by Anonymousreply 180April 2, 2025 5:48 PM

Provincetown summed up in one pic.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 181April 2, 2025 5:52 PM

R157 sounds like Ryan Murphy working on some new material, typing from his Ptown Widow's Walk.

by Anonymousreply 182April 2, 2025 5:53 PM

"Maybe Missouri Ozarks -."

If you want to be around drunken MAGAts at their most obnoxious and most volatile, the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri is the place you want to be, especially on a hot summer weekend.

Boats + liquor + MAGAts = hell on earth.

by Anonymousreply 183April 2, 2025 5:57 PM

R183 - I don't disagree - I'm just saying - what other areas are making a come-back / resurgence the last 10-15 years that weren't already one time popular or already on the upswing?

I can't think of any.

by Anonymousreply 184April 2, 2025 5:59 PM

Gay destinations tend to be at the Land's End or the middle of nowhere in a desert somewhere - just so we can be left alone to enjoy ourselves - Ptown, Key West, Palm Springs. Scan the map and find out the outermost part of any territory, that is probably where you'll find the gays.

by Anonymousreply 185April 2, 2025 6:02 PM

R181 and others:

I've been to Ptown at least two dozen times. I've been to the Boat Slip Tea Dance exactly once.

No one forces you to go clubbing and drinking. No one will force you to P&P. Ptown is what you make it. If you want to make it about P&P, drag queens and racking up milky loads at the Dick Dock, Ptown will accommodate you. If you want to avoid all that shit and relax and unwind, it's quite easy to do as well and no one will ever criticize you for it.

by Anonymousreply 186April 2, 2025 6:03 PM

You're missing out r186. I am not a big partier either, but nothing beats the last 20 minutes of the Boat Slip Tea Dance drunk on planter's punch.

by Anonymousreply 187April 2, 2025 6:05 PM

I can buy meth in Boston so much cheaper!

by Anonymousreply 188April 2, 2025 6:11 PM

My husband and I, who have only been to Ptown in the Summer, actually went to Halloween there one year. It was actually a lot of fun. It was definitely more subdued and brought out more the artistic creative types Ptown was more known for. I made up our costumes, it was the first and only time we've ever dressed up togetgher. We had matching track suits, new balance and fannypacks, with leather harnesses on and ball gags, and chokers. We were "Sex Tourists." The town shuts down that weekend after Halloween with the restaurants using their supplies down. We literally got served the last pancakes of the season at Cafe Heaven.

by Anonymousreply 189April 2, 2025 6:20 PM

r148 how many people would you be sharing a room with, or are you taking the cost of air out of your max spending limit of 2k? If it's only one roomie and you include the air in your budget, that leaves $400 for a week of food, drinks, entertainment and transportation. Are we saying that is realistic?

by Anonymousreply 190April 2, 2025 6:38 PM

Only if you aren’t intelligent enough to find fare ls at less than $1600.

by Anonymousreply 191April 2, 2025 7:02 PM

R162 you can learn who it is if you ask around in Provincetown a bit. It didn’t make the news because it was declared a suicide.

With zero investigation.

Despite the fact that slicing your own throat open with a hunting knife is virtually unheard of outside of people suffering from extreme psychosis which this young man was not.

But problems like this tend to go away when you’re the Scion of a household name type of fortune

by Anonymousreply 192April 2, 2025 7:07 PM

You can give a last name —it’s ok. Really.

by Anonymousreply 193April 2, 2025 7:11 PM

[quote] and racking up milky loads at the Dick Dock

I resemble that remark!

by Anonymousreply 194April 2, 2025 7:11 PM

r172 the problem is that P-Town needs another nice good sized hotel. There is just no where to stay with based on the demand unless you want to shell out loads of money.

by Anonymousreply 195May 17, 2025 11:48 AM

Piratejenny1 - what was the original question/story? I had that poster blocked, but I’m curious about what you’re referring to.

by Anonymousreply 196May 17, 2025 11:58 AM

r196 Ha! I was gonna do you a solid and cut and paste since I happened to be on the site but it seems I have the same person blocked over their tennis commentary. ;)

by Anonymousreply 197May 17, 2025 12:07 PM

Cruise ships stop in Provincetown?

by Anonymousreply 198May 17, 2025 12:10 PM

Ptown is a magical place. So sad that what started out as a refuge for gays has now become out of reach for so many.

I go every year but this will likely be the last. I’ve been lucky because a lady always rents me a room in her guesthouse and has kept the price low over the last 5 years. Friends says trying to find anything now is crazy expensive—and has been mentioned on this thread—flying to gay areas in Europe over the same time is way cheaper.

by Anonymousreply 199May 17, 2025 12:12 PM

No. Cruise ships do not stop in Provincetown.

by Anonymousreply 200May 17, 2025 12:33 PM

Ahem.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 201May 17, 2025 1:00 PM

Thanks, R201. I once took a cruise that stopped in P-Town. R200, why did you post that without bothering to check it out in about 15 seconds through Googling?

by Anonymousreply 202May 17, 2025 1:04 PM

R200 is the person at parties who tells you they know for certain you are wrong, when you’re the subject matter expert lol.

by Anonymousreply 203May 17, 2025 1:07 PM

The cruise ships in R201’s link are not those that overwhelm towns and cities with thousands of daily visitors. And if they even stop in Provincetown, I’ve never seen them in the five summers I’ve lived full-time here

Yes, there are daily ferries from Boston that bring a few hundred day trippers but nothing large and overwhelming.

by Anonymousreply 204May 17, 2025 1:46 PM

Dude, you said cruise ships don’t stop in Provincetown. Maybe stop digging?

by Anonymousreply 205May 17, 2025 1:51 PM

R204, I was on a very large Norwegian Cruise Lines ship that stopped in Provincetown on the way to Halifax as part of one of those cruises that used to be run by Rosie O'Donnell and her then partner. Because the water in the bay there is so shallow, the ship had to anchor out past the breakwater, and passengers were transported to the dock by tender. I don't know how often ships of that size stop in P-Town, but I can tell you that it has happened at least once, so I assume a lot more than once.

Also, R204, I don't know why you even brought up the ferries, because obviously that's a completely different subject.

by Anonymousreply 206May 17, 2025 1:53 PM

R204 I too live there and the cruise ships are a well known thing. These was just one docked on Macmillan pier last week.

by Anonymousreply 207May 17, 2025 2:08 PM

FUN FACT: The Pilgrims first landed in present-day Provincetown, but they found it insufficient (limited farmland, scarce fresh water) and moved on after about a month, eventually settling in what would become Plymouth, but not before first drawing up and signing the Mayflower Compact.

In fact, the whole New England settlement was a fluke, because they were initially aiming for Jamestown, Virginia, and were blown off-course.

by Anonymousreply 208May 17, 2025 2:09 PM

Little known fact: PnP was originally Pilgrim n Play.

Those pilgrims sure loved the Dick Dock.

by Anonymousreply 209May 17, 2025 2:12 PM

We stopped there on a Seabourn cruise.

Not sure why anyone would think big ships didn’t call there. It used to be a Navy base.

by Anonymousreply 210May 17, 2025 2:23 PM

An old cruise ship docked all summer in Ptown as a giant motel could relieve some of the price pressure and let average young gays with average salaries go up and enjoy the town. It would probably be a very hot fuck fest, too.

by Anonymousreply 211May 17, 2025 2:26 PM

[quote]FUN FACT: The Pilgrims first landed in present-day Provincetown, but they ... moved on after about a month

So, cruise ships have a long and rich history in Provincetown.

by Anonymousreply 212May 17, 2025 2:28 PM

And it would supply the flabby rich fucks who can now enjoy the town the chance to oogle some genuine eye candy.

One of the attractions of a classic seaside GAY resort is a gorgeous parade of young men. Europe still has Sitges and the rather skanky Canaries for average young men to enjoy themselves and get laid. Ibiza is really quite pricy now.

by Anonymousreply 213May 17, 2025 2:29 PM

First of all, R213, the word is ogle. But also, why would a docked cruise ship used as a hotel necessarily cause any significant increase of the amount of "eye candy" in the town? If cute young twinks can't afford to stay there now, they probably couldn't afford to stay on a docked cruise ship. Anyway, people who want to see eye candy in P-Town should go during circuit party week.

by Anonymousreply 214May 17, 2025 3:55 PM

r214 I can smell your cunt.

by Anonymousreply 215May 17, 2025 3:58 PM

are you being obtuse. I just gave a thought experiment. however. P-Town has an extremely limited number of hotel, inn, and short-term rental rooms—some estimates put it around 1,500–2,000 rooms total, many at luxury prices. Adding 1,000 rooms on a docked cruise ship in July and August increases capacity by ~50%, which is huge in such a tight, high-demand market.

High-end B&Bs and boutique hotels would be affected most. If the ship offers mid-tier or upscale rooms, they’d directly compete with $500–$1,200/night stays. Owners would likely have to offer perks or reduce prices.

Short-term rental hosts (Airbnb/VRBO) might drop rates. Especially those charging top dollar for small, poorly maintained units would lose out if tourists have the option of cruise-ship lodging with amenities.

Provincetown in July and August is prohibitively expensive for many younger or working-class gay men. A typical 3-night stay with lodging, food, and travel can run $2,000–$3,000—putting it out of reach for most outside the affluent urban elite.

A cruise ship’s pricing could undercut that: If HALF the rooms on the ship are priced between $150–$250/night, suddenly a long weekend in P-Town becomes $450–$750 for lodging, even cheaper if shared. That’s Sitges/Torremolinos money, not Fire Island/P-Town money.

PTown has turned in a sort of St. Tropez - old and rich.

by Anonymousreply 216May 17, 2025 4:25 PM

[quote]High-end B&Bs and boutique hotels would be affected most. If the ship offers mid-tier or upscale rooms, they’d directly compete with $500–$1,200/night stays. Owners would likely have to offer perks or reduce prices. Short-term rental hosts (Airbnb/VRBO) might drop rates. Especially those charging top dollar for small, poorly maintained units would lose out if tourists have the option of cruise-ship lodging with amenities.

Oh, right -- just the way that the TREMENDOUS increase in the number of hotel rooms in Manhattan over the past decades have significantly decreased room costs. If you really believe what you wrote, I would say you're the one who's obtuse, or maybe naive is the better word. Anyway, it's an academic argument, because I very much doubt any kind of large cruise ship will ever be allowed to dock permanently in P-Town for use as a hotel.

P.S. As I have done many times in the past, I'll be staying in P-Town for a week in August at a bed and breakfast for just over $250 per night, including taxes and other fees.

by Anonymousreply 217May 17, 2025 5:00 PM

The thought experiment, R216, won’t fly. Ships need power onboard, supplied either from shore (as at cruise terminals) or from the engines. Engines pollute. They won’t be polluting a national seashore and there are no underwater extension cords that could handle the load. A ship anchored offshore would still need the holding tanks emptied, fresh water, fuel, and provisions. Some of that could be supplied by tenders if done at anchor but most of it needs to be done at a dock.

The closest pier that could handle a cruise ship is in Boston. That means it needs a crew to navigate, not just make up the beds, and not just a crew but an American crew as it would sail from one US port to another. Which means the Coast Guard, Homeland Security, the USPHS and the Mass Depts of Environmental Protection and Public Health get involved for starters.

After all that remember that cruise ships need passengers onboard spending money to make money. One’s fare isn’t all the cruise line gets. If all the passengers are onshore sunning themselves by day and slutting themselves by night, they’re not gambling in the casino or buying drinks and trinkets and God forbid, “art” onboard. Also, security nowadays means no guests and certainly no overnight guests. Passengers only.

I dunno: buy some land and open a campground? It won’t be a cruise ship that brings the prices down.

by Anonymousreply 218May 17, 2025 5:04 PM

yes it was just a thought experiment. sheesh. I'm sure most of PTown is fine with its current wealthy vibe but it's not true to its roots as a genuinely bohemian enclave.

by Anonymousreply 219May 17, 2025 5:09 PM

r217 I get your point but Manhattan isn't a fair comparison given the number of business visitors

by Anonymousreply 220May 17, 2025 5:10 PM

Thanks for that dose of reality, R218.

by Anonymousreply 221May 17, 2025 5:20 PM

R220, what does the number of business visitors as opposed to tourists have to do with it? THEORETICALLY, if the number of hotel rooms increases vastly over a relatively short period of time, as it has, one should expect at least some degree of a drop in room prices, regardless of who's staying in those rooms and for what purpose. But, of course, that has NOT happened.

by Anonymousreply 222May 17, 2025 5:22 PM

[quote] what does the number of business visitors as opposed to tourists have to do with it?

Because business travel to New York specifically, is often a necessity and its cost is factored in to the price of doing business. If hoteliers in New York were solely reliant on the tourist trade their room rates would come down.

by Anonymousreply 223May 17, 2025 6:41 PM

I get that, R223. But with thousands of new hotels being added to Manhattan over the past decades, and continuing to be added, shouldn't there STILL theoretically be a drop in room rates, simply due to the laws of supply and demand? Maybe, POSSIBLY there will be a drop in Manhattan and elsewhere because so many people from other countries hate Trump (and by extension the U.S.), and they just don't want to come here right now. Some people have already predicted that this will happen in P-Town due to fewer visitors from Canada, and in fact, some people seem to think it has already started, but I honestly don't know.

by Anonymousreply 224May 18, 2025 11:56 AM

Friends that own a condo in Provincetown that they use in the off-season and rent out in season, told me yesterday that their bookings for the summer are already 50% less. They generally have the entire season booked solid by now.

I should ask him if they have adjusted their prices to compensate, and what they know of the nationalities involved.

Just anecdata, I know, but I've heard similar from other friends in town.

by Anonymousreply 225May 18, 2025 12:15 PM

[quote]anecdata

Brave new world, that has such words in it!

by Anonymousreply 226May 18, 2025 12:52 PM

anecdata [ an-ik-dey-tuh, -dat-uh, -dah-tuh ]

noun

[italic]Anecdotal evidence; information or evidence based on reports of individual cases rather than systematic research or analysis.[/italic]

by Anonymousreply 227May 18, 2025 1:13 PM

Ah the rarely seen plural.

by Anonymousreply 228May 18, 2025 2:51 PM

I like this "anecdata": it's in the best tradition of portmanteaux and the like.

by Anonymousreply 229May 18, 2025 3:04 PM

sounds like the side room in a german progressive dance club

by Anonymousreply 230May 18, 2025 3:06 PM

R226 substitute 4th grade English teacher 1963 shows his chops. Impressive.

by Anonymousreply 231May 18, 2025 3:46 PM

TIL about anecdata.

Anecdata is so much better than anecdotal. Can we get a "The More You Know" rainbow for this?

by Anonymousreply 232May 18, 2025 4:50 PM

You should Google oogle.

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 233May 18, 2025 6:29 PM

Can we provide verificatia of anacdata?

by Anonymousreply 234May 18, 2025 8:24 PM
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