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Inside Martha's Vineyard's exclusive Oak Bluffs community - which boasts hundreds of adorable gingerbread cottages and is frequented by guests like Barack Obama
Inside Martha's Vineyard's exclusive Oak Bluffs community - which boasts hundreds of adorable gingerbread cottages and is frequented by guests like Barack Obama
Áine CainAug 28, 2018, 02:04 IST
Darren McCollester / Stringer / Getty Images
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Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts is one of the six towns located on Martha's Vineyard.
The community boasts a cluster of cheerful and iconic gingerbread cottages.
It's also one of Barack Obama's favorite vacations spots.
Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts is a town as vivid as it is historic.
One of the six towns on Martha's Vineyard, Oak Bluffs is home to a string of colorful cottages, a bustling marina, and a picturesque downtown.
No wonder it's one of former president Barack Obama's favorite vacation spots.
The town of Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts is situated on the northeastern shore of Martha's Vineyard. It was first incorporated in 1880, and received its current name in 1907.
Before Europeans settled on the island in 1642, the Wampanoag tribe occupied the area that would become known as Oak Bluffs.They called the swampy site "Ogkeshkuppe" — or "the wet or damp thicket."
On the third Wednesday of August, residents of the cottages decorate their homes with Chinese lanterns and neighbors regale one another with songs like "In the Gold Old Summer Time" and the national anthem, according to the Vineyard Gazette.
Oak Bluffs boasts Martha's Vineyard's largest marina, which sidles up against the gingerbread cottages. The town's small harbor also features ferries from Nantucket, Rhode Island, and Falmouth.
The Flying Horses Carousel, which was originally based in Coney Island before it was moved in the late 19th century, is one of the main attractions in Oak Bluffs. Catching the brass ring will win you a free ride on what the Vineyard Gazette described as "the oldest operating platform carousel in the country."
Oak Bluffs also features Ocean Park and its historic bandstand, which was built in the 1880s. Today, the park is the site of the town's annual fireworks show.
The history of Oak Bluffs contrasts sharply with other towns on Martha's Vineyard in that it has also been home to a thriving African American community since the 1800s.
Freed slaves settled in the area in the 1700s. In the latter part of the following century, African American vacationers were welcomed in Oak Bluffs, even as other communities on the island barred them from visiting.
As a result, many luminaries in the African American community have visited or lived in Oak Bluffs, from singer Ethel Waters to entrepreneur Madam C. J. Walker to explorer Matthew Henson.
Not to mention former US president Barack Obama, who has frequently vacationed in Oak Bluffs with his family. To this day, the ex-president causes a stir when he visits various Oak Bluffs eateries.
Out of all the towns on Martha's Vineyard, Oak Bluffs has the biggest year-round population on the island. According to the Martha's Vineyard Commission, Oak Bluffs boasts 16,814 year-long residents.
The average cost of a single family home is $644,500, which the commission said was still the "lowest median sales price for single-family homes" on Martha's Vineyard.
