JohnAKeith
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Not sure if this thread will get a lot of traffic, or be of general interest, but let's see.
We have a half-share for the summer, so I'm spending a lot of time here. We actually have more like a 60-40 share and the other couple often cut their weeks short, so basically, yeah, I live here. It's been great, thus far.
I've been vacationing here, about a week per year, since around 1988. There have been a lot of changes over the years, and of course, those changes have made some people happy, and others sad, even angry.
I've been struck by how similar the town is to South Boston, which might sound a bit weird, but in regard to housing / development / gentrification, they're "suffering" the same problems. Oh, and of course, there are NIMBYs galore here, just like in Boston.
In 2013, there were 2,964 residents in town, a significant drop from 2000, when it was up around 3,500. There has been steady drop in the number of children living in town; this trend sped up once they closed the local high school; students there are now bused to a regional high school.
Even though the population has been decreasing, the number of housing units has been increasing, considerably, from ~3,800 to 4,300 units between 2000 - 2013. Much of this was new construction, although some of the jump may be from properties that used to be guesthouses that have been converted to condos. Even though the housing stock has increased, many of the homes remain vacant for long periods during the year, since they are being used as second / vacation homes.
The Townie vs. Outsider lines have become more pronounced over the years. There's a good amount of resentment of "new arrivals", who are perceived as the ones responsible for higher housing costs, and also for destroying much of what made Provincetown special.
In the summer, the population explodes, although I've found no hard data from which to quote. Estimates vary, with some saying as many as 60,000 people are in town at one time, including day tourists and overnight guests.
The town is known for its diversity, although it's 88% white, 5% black, and another 5% two or more races, and even though its reputation is as a "gay/lesbian" community, "probable" gay people represent approximately 15% of its population.
It's a liberal community, no surprise there. Hillary Clinton was here last week for a fundraiser, her first visit, and in line with her "new found love" of the gay/lesbian community. (She didn't come out in favor of marriage equality until after her earlier presidential run.) It's also a loud community - their town meetings are apparently quite a shitshow.
It seems similar to me to other municipalities such as Berkeley, California and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Most people who visit here are probably oblivious to what goes on in the town when they're not here.
We have a half-share for the summer, so I'm spending a lot of time here. We actually have more like a 60-40 share and the other couple often cut their weeks short, so basically, yeah, I live here. It's been great, thus far.
I've been vacationing here, about a week per year, since around 1988. There have been a lot of changes over the years, and of course, those changes have made some people happy, and others sad, even angry.
I've been struck by how similar the town is to South Boston, which might sound a bit weird, but in regard to housing / development / gentrification, they're "suffering" the same problems. Oh, and of course, there are NIMBYs galore here, just like in Boston.
In 2013, there were 2,964 residents in town, a significant drop from 2000, when it was up around 3,500. There has been steady drop in the number of children living in town; this trend sped up once they closed the local high school; students there are now bused to a regional high school.
Even though the population has been decreasing, the number of housing units has been increasing, considerably, from ~3,800 to 4,300 units between 2000 - 2013. Much of this was new construction, although some of the jump may be from properties that used to be guesthouses that have been converted to condos. Even though the housing stock has increased, many of the homes remain vacant for long periods during the year, since they are being used as second / vacation homes.
The Townie vs. Outsider lines have become more pronounced over the years. There's a good amount of resentment of "new arrivals", who are perceived as the ones responsible for higher housing costs, and also for destroying much of what made Provincetown special.
In the summer, the population explodes, although I've found no hard data from which to quote. Estimates vary, with some saying as many as 60,000 people are in town at one time, including day tourists and overnight guests.
The town is known for its diversity, although it's 88% white, 5% black, and another 5% two or more races, and even though its reputation is as a "gay/lesbian" community, "probable" gay people represent approximately 15% of its population.
It's a liberal community, no surprise there. Hillary Clinton was here last week for a fundraiser, her first visit, and in line with her "new found love" of the gay/lesbian community. (She didn't come out in favor of marriage equality until after her earlier presidential run.) It's also a loud community - their town meetings are apparently quite a shitshow.
It seems similar to me to other municipalities such as Berkeley, California and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Most people who visit here are probably oblivious to what goes on in the town when they're not here.
