What is Martha’s Vineyard best known for? The rich and famous can tell you quickly
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Migrants taken to Martha’s Vineyard
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office took credit for sending two planes with migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts Wednesday night, jump-starting a program to relocate migrants out of the state.
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Martha’s Vineyard is in the news — and this time it has nothing to do with a celebrity vacationing on the island.
A group of migrants were flown to the island Wednesday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office has confirmed it sent the migrants there.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the island:
Where is Martha’s Vineyard? How many people live there? Demographics?
Martha’s Vineyard is an island south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts and is about a 43-minute flight from Boston. Population is about 15,000, although the summer population can swell by tens of thousands more.
Most of the towns in Martha’s Vineyard are about 90% white, according to the local government’s statistical analysis of the region. Hispanics make up about 2% of the population.
What about that name?
In 1602, British explorer Bartholomew Gosnold landed at Cape Cod. He named the nearby island Martha’s Vineyard after his daughter, according to U.S. News.
Famous people who vacation or live at Martha’s Vineyard
Martha’s Vineyard, made up of six towns, is a popular summer destination for the famous and wealthy. People come for the privacy, the beaches, the boating. Touring and dining also are popular attractions, according to Travel and Leisure.
Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Bill and Hillary Clinton and NBA star Chris Paul are some of the people who have vacationed there, according to Business Insider. The island also had a royal visitor in 1994: Princess Diana.
Some people love the island so much, they buy a residence. The Hollywood Reporter in 2011 listed Spike Lee, David Letterman and Diane Sawyer as some of the island’s famous homeowners. The Kennedys also have a long connection with the island.
Barack and Michelle Obama, the former president and first lady, bought a mansion on the island in 2019 for $11.75 million.
According to the Martha’s Vineyard Times, the median home sale price was more than $1 million in 2020. There is some workforce and affordable housing, overseen by a regional housing agency. Also, the Island Housing Trust says a limited number of homes can sell between $150,000 to $300,000 to households with incomes up to $100,000.
How do you get to Martha’s Vineyard?
You have two options: plane or ferry.
If you’re looking for a direct flight from Boston, Cape Air may be your best bet. The airline offers direct flights from Boston Logan Airport and Martha’s Vineyard year-round, while JetBlue and Delta offer seasonal direct flights from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to the island, according to Martha’s Vineyard tourism website.
There’s also a year-round ferry you can take from a village called Woods Hole in Cape Cod to Martha’s Vineyard. You can take your car with you, but you’ll need to reserve a space on the ferry. There’s also a seasonal ferry for passengers only that runs from mid-May into the fall from a few places in Massachusetts as well as from Rhode Island, New York City and northern New Jersey.
This story was originally published September 15, 2022 at 4:38 PM.
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